MoneyDigest - Personal Finance, Lifestyle, Money Saving Tips

6 Awesome Storage Hacks To Extend Your Food’s Lives

You walk inside the grocery with your list at hand but after being tempted with the fragrant herbs, fresh bread, tantalizing sweets, and healthy greens…you walked out with more food than you expected!

To get most of your money and avoid wastage, how can you finish all these food before it spoils?

Not everyone found the answer to this question. In fact, each person in Singapore was responsible for about 130 kg of food wastage last 2011.

But the good news is that, this awesome list will bring you 6 storage hacks to increase the longevity of some of your beloved food.

1. CEREAL, OATS, AND PASTA

Keep your dry foods hard by not letting air to seep inside its containers. Use air locked containers to store dry food such as cereal, oats, and pasta instead of keeping them in their original packaging (boxes or plastic bags). Decorate and label the containers as you wish.

2. PEANUT BUTTER

The sweetened goodness of a peanut butter used for sesame balls, spring rolls, or plain bread can make the meal delicious. The trick to make your jar of peanut butter last longer is to flip it upside down with the cap sealed tight. This will allow the oil near the lid to move through the rest of your jar evenly. Also, it will make your peanut butter creamier.

3. SOY SAUCE

Soy sauce is a commonly used in Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, and Taiwan. Generally, soy sauce does not need to be kept chilled but putting it inside the refrigerator will help the flavor to remain at its prime quality longer.

4. AVOCADO

Instead of storing your avocado in a basket, store it inside your fridge to avoid over-ripening. And as the day of consumption draws near, pull the avocado outside the fridge. Then, let it finish its ripening process inside a paper bag.

5. ASPARAGUS AND SCALLIONS

Treat your asparagus and scallions like how you would treat your freshly cut flowers. Fill up a vase or a jar with about two inches of water and regularly trim these vegetables. Keep these veggies there until you are ready to cook them.

6. HONEY

I for one love the taste of the honey lemon drink. But I noticed something, leaving it in the fridge leads it to crystallize. This is unnecessary because enzymes in the bees’ stomach create by-products that fight bacteria, honey can be preserved for a lifetime.

So revive your honey by placing the contents in a frying pan with simmering water. Stir it until the crystals dissolve.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

May these 6 tricks come in handy soon! 🙂

Sources: 1 ,2,3,& 4

The 7 smart ways to shave your petrol bill in Singapore

While many parts of the world are enjoying declining petrol cost, Singapore faces an inverse trend. The copious number of traffic lights and low speed limits are no stranger to Singaporeans; they work together to stretch the energy bill further. But overcoming these loathsome road characteristics is not exactly an Herculean task. Essentially, it just requires some minor tweaks to your driving behavior and the car.

Tires inflated to the proper pressure can improve petrol mileage by up to 3.3%. Such information on the proper tire pressure can be found in the car’s instruction manual.
Ensuring that the car has a properly tuned engine or has passed an emissions test can improve petrol mileage by an average of 4%, while addressing a severe maintenance issue can improve it by as much as 40%! Therefore, sending the car for regular inspections is a good practice!
Use the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil which can improve petrol mileage by 1-2%. Besides, purchase motor oil with the “Energy Conserving” label to ensure it contains chemicals that reduce friction.
Stay above 48km/h as much as possible because the car consumes greater energy to combat wind resistance than rolling resistance at a lower speed. Carrying more loads and rolling down the windows can yield greater resistance at higher speeds, effectively cutting 1% to 15% of the fuel economy.
Time your acceleration adequately where you neither strain your motor nor trap your car in lower gears for too long which erodes fuel economy. A good estimate would be to accelerate to 80km/h within 15-20 seconds. Thereafter, keep a constant speed to prevent energy wastage on frequent deceleration and re-acceleration. Use cruise control function if available.
Brake less since braking converts useful kinetic energy into useless heat energy. Choose the route that has the least traffic – use the much vaunted Google Maps to plan the best route – to reduce unnecessary fuel wastage.
There is simply no need to warm up modern cars that are produced after the mid-1990s. Advanced engineering feat has made warming up irrelevant since sensors are now built into such cars to ensure the right mix of air and fuel in the engine – instead of relying on a warmed up engine to do the job uneconomically.

Credits:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/maintain.jsp

http://shrinkthatfootprint.com/fuel-gas-mileage-tips

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/12/29/the-biggest-winter-energy-myth-that-you-need-to-idle-your-car-before-driving/

Why do expatriates send their kids to international schools in Singapore?

Recently, it has been reported by Singapore’s mainstream media that the cost to send a child to an international school in Singapore could reach up to a jarring amount of $500,000. Most Singaporeans would probably wind up in disbelief since we have been accustomed to the affordable public school fees that are the result of generous government subsidies.

From the economic perspective, critics are quick to dismiss this exorbitant option as some believe that the cost of receiving such an education would far outstrip the financial benefits that are fraught with a great deal of uncertainties. Indeed, there may be some truth to it. However, this premise may be limited in scope at the same time since it has not considered the intangible benefits – realised in the intermediate or long term – that overshadow the financial outlay.

The economics of social networks

Unequivocally, the quintessence of studying in an international school is the development of invaluable and diverse social networks. This is an instrumental consideration for both the child and their parents where the former solidifies their friendships with like-minded peers who come from similar socio-economic backgrounds, thereafter lending support to the latter’s efforts in expanding or diversifying their business networks.

Nonetheless, the maxim “birds of a feather flock together” does not only apply to this context. The different tiers of public schools inherent in the MOE school system also serve the same function. However, the demographics of the student populations may differ significantly as international schools tend to include more diverse nationalities and ethnicities and are more likely to attract the high income groups.

The teachers

International schools tend to recruit teachers from different parts of the world, which could serve as a great eye-opener for the young and malleable minds. The diversified talent pool of teachers share their individual overseas living experience and introduce different cultures and multifaceted ways of thinking and communicating to the students, all of which are life skills that cannot be emphasised more. By doing so, they also bring seemingly irrelevant subjects such as history alive and abstract theories students commonly read in the textbooks applicable to life.

Sublime teachers are a great source of inspiration, motivation and discipline, attributes that are possessed by most – if not all – successful people. While they may not be omniscient, the fact that they aspire to impart the best education in terms of practical knowledge and the right mentality to their students is praiseworthy. They are relentless in enhancing their knowledge and forming vital networks to improve their teaching strategies and materials, in the hope of providing greater enlightenment to their students on the particular subject. And such intangible value cannot be easily measured by any dollar amount. Unsurprisingly, such teachers are few and far between.

The answer

Therefore, from the viewpoint of a discerning expatriate parent, it is likely that the parent (mainly through the feedback of the child) has found immense value in the social networks and the quality of the teachers that warrants the hefty educational investment.

Creating A Budget Is Like Learning How To Ride A Bike

Creating a budget for the first time is like learning how to ride a bicycle. At first you were scared to mount up those two-wheelers like how scared you were to conquer those mountain of debts. Even though you know these are healthy for you and your finances, you just cannot hop around and go!

That fear of yours consumed you. You never learned how to ride a bike gracefully. You never learned how to implement a budget efficiently.

Don’t you think it is the right time to change? For a brighter future ahead, I think it is!

Let me carefully take you to step 1…

Step 1: LOOK FOR A SAFE PLACE TO PRACTICE

When you are riding a bike for the first few times, it is better to find a place that will cushion your potential falls. Find a grassy field with short grasses so that it does not drag the wheels too much.

Likewise, you must find safe place to practice budgeting. That safe place is inside your head! Visualize your financial goals and examine how you are going to achieve them. Make it feasible and smart so you would not have too much unrealistic expectation. Then, list down your short-term and long-term financial goals.

Step 2: ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY RESOURCES

After finding a “safe” place, the next things you have to gather are all the needed materials and information. For beginners in biking, consider strapping a helmet and kneepads. Tuck in your shoelaces while you are it. And avoid long pants, long skirts, and heavy clothing because the fabric can get caught in the gears or tires.

For beginners in budgeting, consider tracking your spending history (for the last two month). Gather all the past receipts, credit card statement, utilities bill, and bank statements. Estimate how much you make and spend each month.

Step 3: PRACTICE AND JUST DO IT

In order for you to practice riding or budgeting, you must push yourself to just do it. Mount the bike and get the feel of how it leans and steers. Notice how your body leans when you are going intro a curve. Instead of just using your hands to brave the curve, try letting your body turn and the bike will follow.

This will help you learn an important biking skill – balancing.

Now that you know your income and expenses per month, it is time to make a plan. Categorize your spending into 2-3 main categories namely: needs, savings, and wants. Learnvest suggests allocating 50% of your budget to your basic needs such as rent, food, transportation, and utilities. Secondly, 20% of your budget will go to your savings such as emergency fund. The last 30% of your budget will go to your wants such as mobile phone plans, gym memberships, and vacations.

This will help you learn an important budgeting skill – organizing.

Step 4: GET READY TO RIDE AND SAVE

From finding your safe place to pushing yourself to do it, the final step to take is to face your fears.

Ride that shiny bicycle! Follow that well-devised budgeting plan!

Raise the seat of your bike but keep it low enough so that you can touch the ground with your toes. Balance and steer along the flat surface. Glide along the gentle slopes. Allow yourself to go naturally with the flow of the road.

On the other hand, you must follow your budgeting plan that you devised on spreadsheet file or budgeting software. Track your spending and eliminate at least two unnecessary expenses every month. By doing so, you are keeping things under control.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Over the course of the month, you will encounter slopes and obstacles but you have to persevere on. It will all be worth it in the end!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Delicious And Affordable Places For Snacks in Singapore

One of my favorite things to do when I am bored is snacking! Who does not love indulging on small amounts of that sweet slice of cake or that salty pack of potato chips? Besides these classics, there are other budget-friendly snacks that are to die for!

Inexpensive does not always come with bad taste if you know the right places to look. That being said, here are 4 delicious yet affordable places to satisfy your hunger for quick bites…

1. TAI-PARFAIT

In 2014, a Japanese dessert shop called Tai-Parfait graced Singapore at the Bugis Junction. Brought by Dining Innovation Singapore, Tai-Parfait boasts its Taiyaki – a Japanese original fish-shaped pancake filled with sweet red bean paste. What’s more? You can also put ice cream, fruits, and other toppings on your dessert.

For example, you may try the Matcha Azuki Tai-Parfait for S$5.50. It is a chocolate-filled Taiyaki topped with Matcha cream, Green Tea ice cream, and Azuki. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it?

Image Credits: facebook.com/TaiParfait

Go ahead and get your very own Tai-Parfait desserts at their 3 outlets.

2. SHIHLIN TAIWAN STREET SNACKS

I have to be honest! My sisters and I consider XXL Crispy Chicken as one of our favorite snacks. Its crispy breadcrumbs exterior mixed with chili powder and juicy chicken cuts dance gracefully with our taste buds.

If you were going to ask me where to get it, I would answer Shihlin Taiwan Street Snacks right away. This snack is sold for about S$4.20.

Image Credits: facebook.com/shihlinsnacks

Try it at one of their 4 outlets. Trust me, you would not regret it!

3. OLD CHANG KEE

The brand name speaks for itself. Old Chang Kee has been serving us with their signature curry puffs for over 50 years!

A curry puff is a fried pastry made with curry chicken, eggs, and soft potatoes. You cannot go wrong with Old Chang Kee’s consistency in preparing crispy and zesty curry puffs that are filled with herbs and spices. These are sold for only S$1.40 each.

With a bunch of outlets nationwide, you are sure to find one that is nearby.

4. WHAT THE FRIES!

Say you are out with your friends and you want to get a snack, what better food to share than a bowl of flavored fries? What The Fries! sells creatively delicious flavors such as Nacho Cheese, Chili Crab, Herb Mayo, Bolognese, and Wasabi.

Made with thick-cut potatoes and a sizable sauce, this hot snack is a great way to satisfy your tummy. Get a single serving for S$3.90 or a double serving for S$4.90. If that is not enough, you can try their golden nuggets or curly fries for S$4.90.

Image Credits: facebook.com/WhatTheFries

Location: 2 Jurong East Central 1, J Cube Building, #B1-K09 Singapore 609731

Sources: 1 & 2

Search the site