In most countries, a car is a necessity. This applies especially to large countries where people need to take great pains to traverse from one city to the next that may be hundreds of miles apart. Furthermore, for an enormous country, extensive infrastructural developments for an efficient public transportation system are not only costly but time-consuming. Not to mention the strong political will and tenacity required to win over the support of affected residents for a given construction project. Battling against all these odds is no easy feat and the results are self-evident.
In the United States last year, the number of vehicles on the road reached a record level of almost 253 million for a population size of 319 million, roughly equivalent to 4 automobiles for every 5 people. Contrast this ratio with Singapore’s 1 automobile for nearly every 7 individuals in 2014. Such statistics actually do paint a clearer picture than a thousand words. It highlights the fact that owning a car in Singapore is no longer a prerogative, but a luxury.
If a car is now a want instead of a need, how should we value the purchase so as to ensure that we are not overpaying for the convenience and comfort? Shown below is a basic flowchart that may be useful for the first round of consideration by potential car buyers. The key assumption made here is that the monthly fuel cost can be approximated to your transport fare; therefore the costs under review are incremental costs.
Note that this model has not accounted for miscellaneous expenses related to maintenance, repairs, ERP, road taxes and insurance.
Letting your treasured necklaces, bracelets, rings, or other heirlooms shine again can cost you about $35-139.90. That is the hefty price you may pay if you want to purchase an Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner. So..instead of getting expensive cleaning machines, professional cleaning services, or cleaning solutions, opt for practical Do-It-Yourself ways to clean your favorite bling! Here is how:
1. DIAMOND AND SILVER POTION
This mixture is exclusively for cleaning your precious diamonds and silvers. The ingredients are mostly available in your kitchen thus; you would not have to spend a lot.
Ingredients:
Small bowl
Aluminum foil
Paper towel
Old toothbrush
1-tablespoon salt
1-tablespoon baking soda
1-teaspoon dish detergent
1-cup hot water
Procedure:
Fill the small bowl with a square sheet of aluminum foil then, put the salt, baking soda, and dish detergent. Watch as the liquid buzz while you add the hot water. Afterwards, drop your jewelry there and leave it for 10 minutes. Once the minutes are up, remove the jewelry and use the toothbrush to gently scrub around any prongs, groves, or gemstones. Lastly, rinse and pat dry.
Image Credits: Aleksey Gnilenkov via Flickr with Creative Commons License
*Note: For Pandora’s jewelry, do not use this method as it may be considered too harsh. Instead, check out 3c. below.
2. GOLDEN POTION
One of the biggest reasons why your gold does not shine anymore is because it is filthy! Clean your gold jewelry the right way with this mixture. Much like the diamond and silver potion, ingredients for the gold mixture are available in your home.
Ingredients:
Toothpaste
Old Toothbrush
Soft cloth (dry)
Procedure:
Apply the toothpaste on the toothbrush and scrub the gold jewelry well. If you have a larger piece of gold to shine, repeatedly rinse off the toothbrush and use more toothpaste. Then, rinse it off with water. Lastly, get your soft cloth to dry it. Use circular motions to polish your golden jewelry!
3. OTHERS
a. White Vinegar
If white vinegar had a C.V., its skills would fill 1-2 pages. Yes! That is abundantly skilled this multi-purpose agent is. To clean your bling, mix a cup full of water with a half-cup of white vinegar and stir well. Put your silver pieces onto the mixture and leave it for 2 hours. Once the hours are up, remove the jewelry pieces then, rinse with cold water. Lastly, pat dry with a soft cloth.
Not bad for S$2.60 a pop (i.e., sold at FairPrice)!
b. Beer
A beer that costs you as low as S$3.10-4.50 (i.e., at FairPrice) can not only give you a fun time but also can give you back the shimmer of your jewelry! In a mug of beer, soak your jewelry overnight. On the next day, remove your jewelry and rinse it off in running water. Dry these up and be astonished on how shiny the pieces are!
Image Credits: Aleksey Gnilenkov via Flickr with Creative Commons License
c. Dish Soap
The dish soup sitting on your kitchen sink can also be used to bring back the shine from your jewelry pieces. This is a milder form of cleaning you sterling silver and it works well with your Pandora’s bracelet and charms. Simply add a few drops of the dish soap into a bowl of warm water and let your Pandora sit in it for a few minutes. Clean it with a soft bristle toothbrush if you like and pad them dry individually with a dry cloth. Make sure that if your charms is made of wood, leather or pearl, you should not use this method.
While there is a general consensus that taking a master’s degree in Singapore today may be beneficial in many respects from brighter employment prospects to enhanced cognitive abilities, the true value may be less evident. .A master’s degree isn’t cheap, but there are many ways to find financial help Some might even resort to getting a loan from a moneylender.
Truth be told, evaluating a financial and temporal investment in a master’s degree should be as rigorous, if not more, than an investment in a financial asset. Just like ploughing through a heap of annual reports to pick the best stocks, specifically the most undervalued stocks, selecting the most ideal master’s degree course should spare no less effort.
Contrary to popular belief that it is difficult, if not impossible, to quantify the net monetary gain/loss from pursuing a master’s degree, the diagram below illustrates a rudimentary step-by-step decision-making guide for studious graduates striving to further develop their intellect.
First, explore the roles that are in demand in the job market. Then, answer the next 2 questions. If both answers are “yes”, proceed to conduct extensive research on the possible range of salary increment. At the end of the evaluation process, it is likely that you would obtain a better idea of the “payback period” which you can then deem a master’s degree as a worthy or unworthy investment.
“My formula for success is rise early, work late and strike oil” by Jean Paul Getty, the world’s richest man who amassed billions from oil according to the Fortune magazine in 1957. This is no secret. Hard work always comes before success in many respects.
Sakichi Toyoda, the founding father of Toyota, took a protracted period of 23 years to perfect the non-stop shuttle change automatic loom, Type G in 1924. It incorporated numerous automatic, protective, and safety devices based on Toyota’s legion of earlier inventions and underwent rigorous and uncompromising commercial testing to deliver unparalleled performance in the textile industry worldwide. The patent was eventually sold to a British leading innovation company, Platt Brothers & Co for a whopping £100,000 in 1929. This unpremeditated development had set the cornerstone for Toyota’s industrial and technological achievements we witness today.
His eldest son, Kiichiro Toyoda subsequently took the plunge into the automobile business and never looked back since. Presently, Toyota is crowned the world’s top-selling automaker for a third consecutive year. Ultimately, success is often more easily built on prior successes as the acquired funds and a prudent risk-bearing attitude would allow one to navigate the treacherous waters more cautiously and readily exploit the illuminated opportunities. Nonetheless, to bag the first success, working assiduously is never an option but a priority.
Thomas Edison, the reputable American inventor, drew leading scientists and outstanding engineers from all over the world to his Menlo Park research centre to advance scientific and technological developments. The tight collaboration and painstaking efforts undertaken by the brilliant minds from diverse fields shed powerful insights and revolutionary ideas that culminated in a series of inventions indispensable to our daily lives. Essentially, the invention of the incandescent light bulb was a fruit ripe with both industriousness and dynamic teamwork. Currently, General Electric – established by Edison in 1890 – is a colossal conglomerate worth more than one quarter of a trillion as of May 2015.
While some people may be flush with cash by a stroke of luck or by birthright, most people shore up their wealth through enduring hard work and unmitigated perseverance.
As the Mexican Proverb once said: “Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.”
It is no secret that your friends influence your life in one-way or the other. This influence can either be small such as picking an outfit to work or huge such as choosing which bank to invest on. Either way, being surround by financially responsible friends is always a good idea.
Here are the reasons why:
1. THEY CAN TELL YOU WHEN TO STOP
When you are trying to eliminate an unhealthy habit such as overspending, you must first recognize that the problem exists. Financially savvy friends who care deeply about you can tell you when your spending goes overboard. Because sometimes, all it takes is a little nudging from your friends. Having a friend who will make you realize that you have a problem can make you think harder about your spending weaknesses.
2. THEY CAN STEER YOU TO BETTER FINANCIAL DECISIONS
The time spent with peers increases as the child ages. As the time increases, the power of peer pressure tends to increase as well. Using peer pressure to your advantage, you can make friends with people who are thrifty as they lead you to better financial decisions. For instance, instead of going to a fancy restaurant, they will opt for having a fun dinner at your place while splitting the expenses for pizzas and beverages.
Your friend does not have to be as monetarily wise as Warren Buffet to guide you to better finances. You can be both starting from the bottom as long as you are responsible for each other’s financial growth. Do this by reminding yourselves about the monetary goals you set. And, if you have no financially responsible friends, you can always introduce them to the idea. Start by introducing the basics of budgeting such as knowing the envelope budgeting technique.
Image Credits: Riza Nugraha via Flickr With Creative Commons License
Truly, money matters get easier when you have financially savvy friends to support you along the way! 🙂
