Q: You should check the price of gold the day you plan to buy. Don't pay more than a 5% to 8% markup on the price, based on what the price is that day. A small markup is normal because the extra cost typically covers the price of minting and shipping, the dealer, and the authorized purchaser. You can check the current price of gold on websites like www.goldprice.org Look into extraneous fees and the validity of the company you are buying from before making a purchase. You should look into fees like shipping costs, hidden commission, insurance fees, or extra charges due to payment type. Use your judgment and compare with other vendors to make sure you're not being overcharged. It is important to buy from a legitimate vendor when purchasing gold. Research the business you plan to buy from on websites like Better Business Bureau and RipOffReport.com The vendor should have many positive peer reviews, and a generally good rating. Before buying, you should also check to see if the vendor will buy back the gold coins, and if they will give you a fair price in years to come. There are many ways you can buy gold coins. You can buy from the government, online, or from a local retailer. Your best bet is to compare prices on whichever coin you're thinking of buying. Their coins usually come with a reliable guarantee of gold content, weight, and purity. The variety of coins may be limited, but you can feel safe buying from the government. Buying from the government, however, may not be the best option if you are looking for old and/or rare coins. The US government sells gold coins online at usmint.gov There are numerous websites to buy coins from online, like ebay.com and goldsilver.com. Because there are so many sites out there, be sure to check every website out before considering a purchase. Most retail sites offer multiple methods of purchase, like PayPal, credit card, money orders, and checks. Don't jump on the lowest price. The vendor with the lowest price may not be the one that provides the best quality of purchase. You can buy locally from a jewelry shop or pawn shop. This is the riskiest route, however. Some dealers make shady guarantees in order to trick buyers into purchasing their coins. Try to obtain a price guarantee (a specific value guarantee that the dealer places on your coin). If buying within your state, check the United States Mint website for a list of reputable dealers by state. Go to www.usmint.gov to check by state. The US Mint checks the dealers, but does not vouch for them. If you want to buy coins below market value, like the dealers do, learn how to buy coins from the public. You can do this by looking through yard sales and buying online from websites like eBay. Make sure you do so legally though. Avoid soliciting others for their gold. Make sure the coins are real soon after you make your purchase. One of the most important things you can do to minimize your losses is make sure the coins are made from real gold without damaging them. You can do this by testing things like the weight, sound, and acidity. Gold is a dense metal. Even if the coin weighs what it should, check the diameter and thickness. Sometimes fake coins will make up for weight by a thicker diameter and thickness. Or, they will be underweight to make up for the size. Check the weight and thickness by using a jeweler's scale and calipers. Strike the gold coin with another coin. It should chime. Base metals will sound duller, and the sound will not last as long. Buy an acid test to see if the gold coin is genuine. Do not overdo this because the test can cause permanent damage to the coin. You check the quality by rubbing the gold on a black stone, which will leave a mark. You then apply nitric acid to the coin. Any mark that is not gold should dissolve. Have a third party certified coin dealer verify they are real. Any secure method of storage is going to cost you money. Consider a bank safe deposit box, a home safe, or a safekeeping program offered by some gold dealers. This mainly concerns investors, though. You will keep the coins on hand, in a lock box, or safe temporarily if you plan to resell them for a quick profit.
A: Avoid overpaying. Notice the fees. Look up the business. Shop around. Buy from the government. Buy from an online site. Buy from an individual dealer. Buy coins from people. Inspect the coins. Plan where you will store the coins.

Q: Remove the stem right below a set of leaves. Pluck all the other leaves from the bottom portion of your cutting. You'll want to leave about 2 inches (5.1cm) of the stem completely bare. When cutting the stem, be sure to select one that hasn't flowered yet. You can take a cutting from a flowering stem, but it will be more difficult to root and makes it more difficult for the plant. Dip the cut end into a rooting hormone to speed up the process. Rooting hormones can be purchased at local nurseries or gardening stores. Use a clear drinking glass or a mason jar and fill it with enough water to cover just the bottom half of the stems. You can place more than 1 stem in the container, just be sure it is not overcrowded. Change the water every day so the stems don't rot from an overgrowth of bacteria. Choose a windowsill or table that will allow the plant to get at least 6-8 hours of bright, indirect sunlight. Your cutting will be ready to transfer to the soil when its roots are 1412 inch (0.641.27cm) long. It can take between 7 and 10 days to reach this point. If you have multiple cuttings in the container, pull them apart gently to avoid breaking the delicate roots. Keep the tulsi in the potted soil for 2-3 weeks before planting outdoors if you choose to.
A:
Cut a 4-6 inch (10-15 cm) stem from a mature tulsi plant. Place the tulsi cutting in a glass container filled with water. Put your tulsi plant in a warm, sunny spot. Transfer the cuttings to a pot of soil when the roots begin to grow.