Food leftover or food waste consists of numerous discarded materials. Over the last decade, the amount of food waste generated in Singapore had elevated by 45%. In fact, in 2013, the food waste rate reached its peak of 796, 000 tones and with only 13% of it recycled.
1. SHOP ONLY WHAT IS NECESSARY
Shopping for groceries? Make sure you buy what is realistically necessary for your whole family. Even though the produce is enticing, avoid being greedy with it, as you certainly cannot consume all of it. Plan out your meals and make a detailed shopping list of the ingredients you need. Stick to the list. If you live far away from the grocery store, be careful about your purchases.
2. COOK THE RIGHT PROPORTION
Mouth-watering massive proportions of food in restaurants sound tempting but you only generate more leftovers once you adapt this culture to your home. Avoid cooking more food than your family can consume. Over-serving your friends and family especially during special occasions will only generate more monetary and food waste.
3. EAT THE LEFTOVERS
Save the unconsumed food when you either ordered too much restaurant food or when you cooked excessively. Regularly label these leftovers so you can keep track of how long it has been in your refrigerator.
4. MORE THAN THE EXPIRATION DATES, TRUST YOUR SENSE
Milk, bread, and other grocery products have expiration dates that you can use as guidelines. But, do not solely rely on it. Trust your senses to prevent medical expenses in the event you had a stomach flu or food poisoning. Use your sense of smell, sight, and taste to test the condition of the food.
5. PRESERVE YOUR FOOD BY CANNING
Canning, a method that applies heat to food in a closed container, helps to preserve food and stop its natural spoilage. Lengthen the shelf life of your favorite fruits by following the steps on this video:
What’s more? You can decorate the containers or jars by using paint that you already have.
More and more business establishments are willing to hire interns especially because of their youthful digital-savvy nature. If you are preparing for an internship, you want to be as irreplaceable and knowledgeable as possible. Once you get in, you seek respect from your co-workers and employers. Here are some good tips to help your succeed as an intern…
PREPARATION
1. RESEARCH ABOUT THE INDUSTRY
Applying for an internship for advertising? Read Advertising Week or to Google the Heineken commercials as these companies are innovative and creative. Aside that, you must be knowledgeable about the existing advertising agencies in the country. Here are the Top 10 Advertising Agencies in Singapore, research further on what brought their success.
While if you are a planning to intern in finance then, read the Wall Street Journal. Again, hereare the Top 10 Finance Companies in Singapore. Focus on the overall industry and a specific topic too. Be the wittiest person in the room on that certain topic.
2. EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY
Most interns are from the younger generation; hence, some employers expect that technology is second nature to you. If not, there is still time to change. You need to understand how social media works or if it is relevant to your industry, study SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools. Observe what the public wants through media data and recognize the form of medium that is of value to you.
3. SAY THANKS
Always send a gratitude email to the person who assisted you or your interviewer. If you want to take the extra mile then write “Thank You” notes that you can pass onto these people. And when your internship comes to a close end, thank everyone for their help and include what you had learned from them.
DURING
4. ALWAYS SAY YES
Say “YES” to work tasks given to you (although some may be tedious) as they are part of your learning experience. Have tricks up your sleeve by learning how to make a good cup of coffee or tea by searching for it in YouTube or by mastering simple things. Occasionally, ask your boss if he/she needs any help from you. Do your best and do your work quickly. Someday, it will all be worth it.
5. IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, ASK
Ask honest questions rather than making assumptions. It is better to ask your boss or superior on how issues are managed. Everybody makes mistakes; the good news is that everything is fixable. If you were respectful enough, people would want to help you and see you improve. But, make sure that you never make that mistake again.
6. BLEND IN TO YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Adapt to the company’s ideal work clothing. If you are in a corporate environment then, it is better to wear long skirts or slacks. While, if you work inn a boutique where you stand and look for product stocks then, it is better to wear flats.
Image Credits: Juhan Sonin via Flickr
There is no right or wrong way to dress for an internship except if the company provides the uniforms. Nonetheless, the best thing for you to do is to wear conservative or non-revealing clothes in the first few days then adjust from there – depending on how your co-workers dresses.
What is investment? Isn’t it just buying and selling an asset? That was what I thought so too when I first began investing. Along the way, I learnt a great deal about what investment is about. It goes beyond just buying and selling. I remember when I first begun investing, the questions that went through my head were questions like “What stocks should I buy?” or “How much does it cost?”. It was simple as that. Perhaps like me, you asked yourself these two questions and found your answers. Subsequently, the ‘Buy’ button was clicked and now you own your very own stock. You were happy, with emphasis on the word ‘were’. Maybe you got lucky, things went your way for awhile, and suddenly it happened. Your stocks went from profit to loss. You’re not alone and it’s not uncommon. When losing, you begin to enter the denial phase and convince yourself that it’ll go back up again. Weeks passed, and you suddenly realise that you’re holding onto a 20% loss. What now? Now, you learn that investing is not just buying and selling.
I’ve been there and done that, but most importantly, I’ve learnt from it and I want to share with you the lessons I’ve learnt so you don’t have to go through it yourself. But just like investing, easy to understand, hard to apply. However, I will still attempt to offer some practical tips that I use in my investment process. “Investment process”? You mean it’s not just buying and selling? Plainly speaking, it is, but there’s more to it. There’s a whole lot of thought process going on before the ‘Buy’ button is clicked.
The Plan
“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” – The overused quote indeed. But it’s only because indeed, it works. Here are some of the questions that go through my mind before I click that ‘Buy’ button.
What is this company that I am about to buy involved in? What is its business like and is it profitable? – This is your fundamental analysis phase.
What’s the price now, can it fall further or should I take action now? – This is your technical analysis phase.
What price am I going to buy at, and why? – Based on the above two analyses.
If I buy at $X, when do I take profit and when do I stop my losses? – Contigency plan: Setting profit targets and stop losses.
Why am I buying this stock? – Are you in for the long-run or a quick bite off the market?
If you can answer these questions, you’ve already answered “What”, “When”, “Why” and that should be almost good enough. Feel free to add on more questions to this list. The more you plan, the better prepared you are when emotions try to block out your rational thinking. When you plan well, you’re setting up barricades against emotions that confuse the rational mind after the ‘Buy’ is clicked. It will be useful to know that it has served me very well and I am confident that it will serve you well also.
The Execution
“Plan your trade, trade your plan” – So after you’ve done your planning and have convinced yourselves that this is a good and profitable company, you click the ‘Buy’ button. Congratulations, you’re now an official stockholder! The real challenge of investing starts now – “Trade your plan”. Anyone can plan, but how many can execute without allowing emotions to get in the way? When things go your way, you pat yourself on the back and say to yourself “Good job!”. Perhaps like myself, you were 20% up, and before you know it, it became 20% down and you feel the pinch. Now, what would you do? As good as my plan was, I found out that my emotions blocked out rational thinking and I started creating false beliefs and adopting a whole new plan(that’s based on emotions) to make myself feel better. Check if you’re saying or doing the same things to yourself.
From a short-term trade, you turned it into a “long-term investment”. – You’re suddenly trading for a whole new reason which doesn’t make sense.
Cut your profits and let your losses grow – Don’t get mixed up! It should be the other way around.
“It’s cheaper now, maybe I should buy more?” – It’s not a bad plan, but it only works if you’ve got deep pockets. Do you? And is it deep enough? Remember, you are adding to a losing position, why not add to a winning position?
Ignored your stop losses and allowed it to be breached.
If you’re saying or doing these things, sit down and reflect for awhile. Think about what your game plan was and if you are still following your plan. If you’re no longer trading the same plan based on rational thinking, you’re likely to be trading based on emotions. If you allowed yourself to trade on emotions, be prepared to see yourself wiped out of the market. It’s okay to lose a few battles, but win the war. Don’t get wiped out in one bad hand because you allowed your emotions to run wild.
The Review
After all is said and done, it’s always good to look back and ask yourself these two questions:
What went right, and what could I do to make it better?
What went wrong, and what could I have done instead?
Two simple questions, yet packed with so much wisdom and knowledge that will guide you on your next investment.
Hope this helps you realise that there’s more to investment than just buying and selling. When you have a comprehensive plan and discipline to carry out your plan, you immediately become a successful investor just based on that two criteria. Keep working on it with undying persistence and improve the accuracy of your trade plan. All the best in your investments!
Pizza, a specialty of Italian cuisine, has been one of the well-loved food around the world – including Singapore. Who can resist deliciously baked thin crust topped with rich tomatoes, oozing with cheese, and savory toppings. It is like a beautiful symphony for my belly!
1. SAPRINO’S PIZZA
Saprino’s Pizza offers inexpensive pizzas that you can mix and match. What’s more? You can even create your own pizza by choosing from their meat, vegetable, and cheese toppings. We usually order the Pepperoni and Aloha pizza for S$28, inclusive of the delivery charge. Not bad for two 10″ big pizza. You may also indulge on their gourmet pizzas with flavors such as New York Deli, Sicilian, and Classico Italiano or their specialty pizzas with flavors such as Vegetarian Special, Tuscany, and Pesto Veggie. Prices of the pizzas range from S$13.80-35. Aside from pizzas, they have a wide array of add-ons that range from S$2.90-8.90.
Order yours today by calling 6636-3636 or by visiting sarpinos.sg.
2. SPIZZA
Spizza first opened its doors in Club Street with its vision of serving affordable yet authentic thin-crusted wood-fired pizza and other delectable Italian dishes. The prices of the pizza range from S$21-25. Their beautifully named pizzas including Anna, Claudia, Katerina, and Nadia can be customized by adding toppings such as Parma Ham, Carpaccio, Pancetta Bacon, Salmon, mixed Seafood, and Buffalo Mozzarella for S$4. If you cannot decide which type of pizza to choose then try their best sellers such as Margherita (Vegetarian), Pamela, and Olivia.
Order yours today by calling 6377-7773 or by visiting spizza.sg.
3. THE PIZZA PLACE
The Pizza Place is perfect for couples of group of friends who want to dine in delicious yet no fuss pizzeria with at a wide array of topping variations. The old-fashioned thick crust that is soft on the inside and crispy on the outside will have you wanting for more. They offer regular 10″ and 14″ pizzas that is able to feed at least a medium-sized group. Budget-friendly prices range from S$16-30.
Order yours today by calling 6336-1979 or by visiting them at #B1-16, Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road.
4. MANHATTAN PIZZA CO.
The Manhattan Pizza Co., offering New York-style pizza, is beloved by many. What separates this pizzeria from the rest is that they offer 20″ whole pizzas that are enjoyed by the people from New York. Aside from pizzas, they serve sides such as BBQ wings (S$5.90) and combos such as The Brat Pack (S$5). A slice of 10″ pizza is priced S$4.80-6.80. Choose from a collection of specialty and classic pizzas. Personally, I recommend the Regina, Pepperoni, Vegetarian, and Meat Lover.
Once you have confirmed that you are pregnant, your mixed emotions will take a while to settle. Then, it is time to prepare for your much-awaited pregnancy. Before you deliver your child, it is vital to determine the costs related to your pregnancy here in Singapore.
PRE-NATAL
Expecting mothers need to visit the OB/GYNs or gynecologists regularly. As a result, you will have to pay about S$60-75 per visit. But to save more, you may take on the maternity package that costs about S$400 in the public hospitals. This already includes charges for consultation and needed supplements.
Routinely care for both your baby and you includes: monitoring blood pressure and weight gain, lab tests for blood and urine, and monitoring your baby’s position, heartbeat, and size. Additional tests include ultrasound and fetal health screening.
PRE-NATAL CLASSES
To prepare you physically and emotionally to giving birth in Singapore, you may join pre-natal classes that cost about S$150-250. These classes will impart knowledge on handling labor pain, post-natal exercises, and nursing for your newborn baby.
DELIVERY AND HOSPITALIZATION
Hospitalization for two days will cost you about S$3,000 in a private room at a private hospital. But, you can lower down the cost significantly by choosing a private room at a public hospital. Aside from the varied hospitalization fees, delivery fees vary depending on whether you have normal or C-section delivery. For normal deliveries, you can give birth with or without epidural. This costs about S$2,000-3,000 and the C-section only costs more.
POST-NATAL
Expect your bills to increase from the minute your give birth. You will have to pay not only for your gynecologist but also for the pediatrician of your baby. Also, you must get your newborn immunized against several diseases. All the compulsory immunizations are free but if you want to save more, then opt for the services by polyclinics.
CONCLUSION
Giving birth to a baby is a lovely experience. Couples may consider it as a miracle that they had dreamt of for long. But the reality is, getting pregnant in Singapore can bring hefty costs. Bills include pre-natal consultation, lab tests, fee for birth certification, baby immunization, baby clothing and accessories, and more. As a couple, you may prepare a minimum of S$10,000.
Fortunately, Permanent Residents and Singaporeans can deduct a percentage of the delivery costs through the Central Provident Fund (CPF) for their first four children. Furthermore, the Medisave Maternity Package allows you to use your Medisave savings to pay for the pregnancy and delivery expenses. Click here to know more.
