Having money allows you to live the life you desire to live, if you spend it wisely. You have to weigh whether an item is an essential (need) or a non-essential (want) expense. In some cases, you have to spend more at the moment to save more in the long run.
Certain items are worth splurging on to help you earn more money or experiences in the future. Here are just some splurges that are actually wise savings:
#1: PURCHASING AN INVESTMENT FOR YOUR CAREER
Purchases that help you advance in your field are good investments. Know which tool you cannot work without and list them down. For instance, you must invest on a high quality camera and a reliable laptop as a photographer. There are also online classes and software programs that a photographer can benefit from on a daily basis. If an item supplements your future growth, it could be a smart move to spend extra cash on it.
#2: PURCHASING ITEMS THAT YOU USE A LOT
Before spending your hard-earned money on a product or a service, think of how long you are likely to use it. Then, breakdown the price using these factors (e.g., cost per wear). You may realize that the iPad you have been eyeing for so long may only cost you S$1 per day due to your current academic needs.
Home appliances and cookware are just some of the items that we use frequently. You can save so much money by cooking at home. Splurging on quality kitchen items such as knives and refrigerator can make a difference. It is recommended to invest more money on home appliances and cookware that you will use heavily because you will only end up spending more on repairs with low-quality appliances.
#3: PURCHASING ITEMS THAT YOU WILL CONSUME
Now more than ever, it is important to consume items that can strengthen our immune system. You really are what you eat! So, do not feel guilty about spending more money on fresh produce and healthier food items. What you spend on these items may help reduce your hospital bills.
Along with grocery shopping comes the ability to save more time. You may get your groceries delivered to your doorstep instead of going to the store. This will minimize your contact with the crowded places and will enable you to have more time to enjoy your day.
#4: PURCHASING SOMETHING YOU HAVE SAVED UP FOR
It is alright to splurge on an item that you have strategically saved up for in advance. For instance, you may have kept a portion of your monthly salary to splurge on a good laptop or a luxury bag at the end of the year. Some non-essential items are worth spending money on as long as you have saved enough funds to cover your significant expenses. Furthermore, it is a rewarding and a joyful experience to see the fruits of your labor.
Image Credits: pixabay.com
It is more than fine to get spend your hard-earned money on the finer things in life as long as you are smart about your purchases. Consider the points that were previously discussed above.
If you are one of those couples who have been planning for their 2020 wedding, I cannot fathom how much stress you are feeling right now. What should have been the most exciting day of your lives has now been overwhelmed by the uncertainties of the global pandemic. While others have postponed their Big Day, some are willing to make the most out of the situation.
“With the recently announced revised safe management measures, couples who want to solemnize their marriage need not delay their plans. They can still have intimate and meaningful wedding celebrations.”
Couples are allowed to have up to 48 guests in venues such as places of worship or hotels. Safe management measures such as wearing face masks and checking in via SafeEntry are to be followed for ceremonies held at external venues.
On the other hand, couples are allowed to have 8 guests for solemnization ceremonies held at home, at the Registries of Civil, at Muslim Marriages building, or at the National Museum of Singapore. These 8 guests may include non-immediate family members such as your videographer or photographer.
Make your intimate wedding celebration meaningful by considering one of these themes:
#1: CLASSICALLY ROMANTIC WEDDING
Influenced by the unwavering appeal of royal and celebrity weddings, sweet garden weddings that are utterly simple yet outright romantic. For this look, guests are typically greeted with gorgeous lush garlands and floral centerpieces. Worry not about the venue as you can either celebrate a classically romantic wedding indoors and outdoors.
For the indoors, decorate your home with floral centerpieces and indoor plants. You can have a subtle color scheme of blush, champagne, and cream. You may also have a church garden-themed wedding with the colors of lavender, silver, and white.
#2: GLAMOROUS WEDDING
For wedding ceremonies at hotels, you may sparkle the night away! This glistening wedding theme starts with a dapper groom in tuxedo and an elegantly glam bride in a long dress. You may exude glamour by adding decor to a ballroom such as glittery linens or huge centerpieces.
Nonetheless, you may experience this theme in your own home by adding gold foil or glitters to your customized gift boxes and invitations. Having glamorous virtual background for your guests can add a thematic surprise. You may also decorate the flat with touches of gold and silver.
#3: CREATIVE WEDDING
With the freedom to decorate your own home with a theme that hits your hearts, use your artistic abilities to channel unforgettable creative weddings. From Star Wars to the Greatest Showman, the creative theme of your intimate wedding has no limits. Simply sprinkle parts of your personalities to the wedding elements to achieve this unique look.
You can even start with your handmade invitations. Comic-book enthusiasts may release virtual “cartoonized” wedding invitations to their guests.
#4: BOHEMIAN CHIC WEDDING
If you are the type of person who is laid back, simple, and free-spirited then a bohemian styled wedding is perfect for you! Inspired by the popular music festivals all over the world, a bohemian chic wedding fuses the layered textures, quirky prints, and rustic elements all together in a uniquely beautiful way. Eye-catching bohemian elements such as ribbons, gold accents, embellishments, and printed blankets will captivate your wild hearts.
Take the comfort up a notch by opting for sandals instead of the traditional heels. Aside from this, the bride can wear blooming flower crowns instead of the veil. Search through Pinterest for inspirations on how to make your own bohemian wedding elements.
Image Credits: unsplash.com
At the end of the day, what matters is that you have each other. Be honest when it comes to what you can afford and what is feasible given the current situation. Communication is essential when it comes to planning a wedding – this year or the next.
It’s 2020, but we’re still hearing stories of gender biases and barriers especially towards women at the workplace.
“Often, we allow the negative stories to take hold, for instance, “you’re not good enough”, “what are others thinking of you”, “you’re too bossy of a lady”, and the list goes on,” states Janice Chua, life and career coach at Janice Chua Coaching.
Instead of entertaining the negative voices, Janice advises us to turn it into awesome stories about ourselves. Here’s how to do it.
#1: Rethinking the label of ‘dragon lady’
Image Credits: trainingindustry.com
“If you’re called a ‘dragon lady’, start thinking about the qualities that are attached to that persona. The ones that usually come to our mind by default are tough, domineering, scary, and fierce.
Take away the word “lady” and what comes to mind when you hear the word ‘dragon’? Possibly, strong, powerful, majestic.”
#2: Rethinking the label of women being ‘more emotional’ than men
Image Credits: Freepik
“Being ‘more emotional’ can work in two directions – being perceptive of others’ emotions (inward) and displaying one’s emotions (outward). Being more perceptive of the emotions from others can definitely help women be better bosses, as they would be viewed as empathetic and understanding. That is, they have a ‘heart’. Displaying one’s emotions more readily allows others to better see what’s going on with you.
Obviously it doesn’t help if one is prone to frequent outbursts of anger, or tears. A controlled amount of emotions helps others see a woman as a human being, especially if she has the reputation of being a “dragon lady”.
#3: Rethinking being the minority gender in the boardroom
Image Credits: CU Management
“If I know I’m going to be the only woman walking into the boardroom, I tell myself that all eyes are going to be on me. Walking into the room, I have to maintain a strong posture and exude confidence and not allow myself to just blend into the background.
Instead, I will make myself stand out, so the room will listen when I speak. Dress professionally, speak with a strong voice, and be confident and clear all around. And stop wondering what the rest of the room thinks of me.
Be clear on one’s intentions when you walk into the room. Once you’re clear on your own agenda and intentions, you can then contribute clearly. And when you’re clear with your message, the room listens – regardless of your gender.”
#4: Rethinking the idea of ‘taking care’ rather than ‘taking charge’ as men do
Image Credits: VideoHive
“It’s true that women tend to take more care of the people around them. That’s just how we’re wired. We’re more attuned to how others are feeling, and oftentimes, our maternal instincts kick in, regardless of whether we have children. When women show they care for the others in the workplace, they invite trust and understanding from the others.
When implementing changes in a workplace, a woman can “take care” by seeking the opinions of the other employees, letting them know that she is taking their feedback into consideration. When employees feel that they have been heard it’s easier for them to take on the changes that get put in place.”
Mid-Autumn Festival this year falls on the first day of October, which is a Thursday. For the foodies, this is the time to binge-eat mooncakes. Ha, just kidding.
But honestly, if we were to really get our hands on mooncakes, let’s make it worth the calories with unique flavoured ones. We’re talking about champagne truffle, lychee martini, smoked duck baked skin mooncakes, and more!
The pastel pink delight features a divine blend of creamy white lotus paste infused with rose tea. It’s accompanied with an aromatic centre of the bittersweet champagne truffle. Complemented with sweet, floral undertones, take just one bite and you might just fly over the moon.
From now till 26 August, check out with promo code “PUBLIC30” to enjoy a 30% early bird special.
Bag home this box of eight homemade lychee martini and chocolate truffle snowskin mooncakes for the family. Cherry Garden, Mandarin Oriental Singapore also offers other low-sugar mooncakes for the health-conscious peeps.
Hold up. Did someone say smoked duck? You read that right. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw smoked duck baked skin mooncakes. Got us all curious now, hmm. It’s available for pre-order and ready for collection or delivery from 1 September to 1 October 2020.
These exquisitely crafted mooncakes are filled with less sugar white lotus paste and baked to golden brown perfection. Filled with macadamia nuts, the mooncake offers a satisfying crunch in every bite.
Available for pre-order now. Collection from 14 August 2020.
Before we could barely recover from the surprising smoked duck flavour, here’s another ‘wow!’. Goodwood Park Hotel’s Assorted Nuts with Ham (‘Kum Toy’) mooncake follows the traditional recipe from old with ingredients such as ‘Yunnan’ Ham, BBQ Pork, Walnut, Sesame Seed, Almond Flakes, Melon Seed, Cashew Nuts, and Candied Dried Fruit Peel.
15% off for Citi, DBS/POSB, OCBC, UOB Credit & Debit Cardmembers.
Features a rich, luscious Mao Shan Wang durian pulp encased within yellow snowskin, these mooncakes from Yàn echo the breathtaking full moon that rises high in the sky on the 15th day of the lunar month.
Bulk purchase discounts available. Delivery or self-collection from 31 August to 1 October 2020.
Hello peeps, hope you’ve had a great rest over the National Day break and back to hustle for the week. Good news if you’re still searching for a job. Ezbuy, Shopback, and Etonhouse International Education Group are hiring!
Read on for more details.
#1: Ezbuy – Marketing Intern (Marketplace)
Image Credits: Ezbuy
Allowance / Remuneration: 800 SGD monthly
Job Type: Entry Level / Junior Executive
Industry: Retail / eCommerce
About Ezbuy
Formerly known as 65Daigou, owned by EZbuy Holdings Limited, Ezbuy is a provider of online global shopping services. Founded in 2010 by a group of aspiring entrepreneurs, Ezbuy quickly rose to become one of the largest global shopping platforms.
According to the company, they currently provide global shopping services from China, USA, and Taiwan to more than 1,000,000 customers across Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Job Qualifications
Ability to speak both English and Chinese – in order to liaise with Chinese speaking associates
Good skills in using office software including excel, ppt, etc.
Having photoshop skills will be advantageous
Actively looking out for the latest trends
Have good written and speaking skills
Good understanding of beauty products
Fast and accurate
Have analytical skills
Detail-oriented
Able to adapt to different working environments
Key Responsibilities
Communicate with marketplace sellers to plan for campaigns and execute them with the guidance of the marketing team (in both English and Chinese)
Managing marketplace
Creating new ideas to promote for sellers
Managing and updating the website on latest trends
Analyzing sales, prices, and preparing recommendations
Conducting research on market competitiveness
Critical thinking and able to work independently
Assist in local marketplace operations
Maintaining onsite assets such as campaign landing pages
#2: ShopBack – Social Media Marketing (ShopBack GO) Intern
Image Credits: ShopBack
Allowance / Remuneration: 800 – 1,500 SGD monthly
Job Type: Entry Level / Junior Executive
Industry: Others / Cashback reward program
About ShopBack
ShopBack enables shoppers across the region to shop ‘The Smarter Way”. It is a one-stop rewards and discovery platform for users to earn cashback while delivering performance-based marketing to merchants.
First launched in Singapore in 2014, ShopBack has since expanded its reach to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Australia, and more recently, Vietnam and Korea.
In Singapore, the company has also extended its service offering with ShopBack GO, an app-based rewards platform for in-store shopping, dining, and entertainment.
ShopBack partners with over 3,000 merchants including Taobao, Expedia, Shopee, and Zalora to reward its users with cashback across a wide range of categories including general merchandise, travel bookings, fashion, health and beauty, groceries, and food delivery. To date, US$100m in cashback has been awarded to over 20 million users.
Job Qualifications
Must have a passion for social media & marketing
Undergraduates or fresh graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, advertising and/or business
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Hardworking, dedicated, and a fast learner
Outstanding multitasking abilities, ability to manage several projects concurrently.
(Preferred) Experience with the major social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok/YouTube.
(Preferred) Experience with photography and image/video editing software and apps for social media
Experience in content creation is a plus
Key Responsibilities
Create and execute social branding content on ShopBack’s channels, including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook community, Telegram channels, and more.
Work with creatives to design and execute social media campaigns.
Coordinate with campaign managers and key account managers to support marketing campaigns and highlight ShopBack’s merchants.
Conceptualise, execute, and track the performance of social media engagements to increase followers and improve engagement rates.
Monitoring social media platforms for trending news, ideas, and feedback.
Coordinate with social media influencers and managing deliverables and timelines.
How to apply?
View the job post and submit your application here.
#3: Etonhouse International Education Group – Assistant Teacher
Image Credits: EtonHouse
Allowance / Remuneration: 800 – 1,500 SGD monthly
Job Type: Entry Level / Junior Executive
Industry: Education
About Etonhouse International Education Group
They are headquartered in Singapore with 100 schools in over 11 countries. Together, these schools provide high-quality education to over 15,000 children globally. EtonHouse has been at the forefront of international education offering innovative pre-schools and K-12 schools across Asia.
In the early years, an inquiry-based “Inquire-Think-Learn” curriculum, inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach is followed. In the primary, secondary and high school, EtonHouse offers the globally recognized International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme and IGCSE qualifications.
There are nine IB schools in the EtonHouse family.
Job Qualifications
Possess a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education – Teaching (Mandarin), Diploma in Education or its equivalent.
Candidates who hold a Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education – Teaching (Mandarin) or its equivalent with at least 2 years of relevant teaching experience are welcome to apply.
Good communication and interpersonal skills
Able to work well independently as well as within a team
Key Responsibilities
Work alongside the English/Mandarin Teacher, provide appropriate learning experiences for children within an inquiry, play-based context
Assist the English/Mandarin Teacher in documenting the children’s learning through contributions via newsletters, portfolios etc.
Create a warm and nurturing environment for children
Build and maintain close partnerships with parents
How to apply?
View the job post and submit your application here.
Good luck with the application! If you don’t need this at the moment, share it with someone who would appreciate these job openings.
