If you’re a booklover and a voracious reader, chances are that you spend way too much money on books, with an average paperback book going for about $15 in the local big bookstores. It can be difficult to read as much as you would like with the costs involved, so here are some ways to save money while reading books!
1) Online retailers
Often, you can save a good deal of money simply by buying the books online, where prices can be up to 50% cheaper than the retail price in Singapore bookstores.
Some popular options are: Bookdepository.com, an international site that offers free shipping to your doorstep, and carries a very wide range of all books;
local online retailer, OpenTrolley, which allows local pickup at a retail location, or shipping for a fee.
Other common options are eBay and Amazon, however, beware of shipping costs for these options.
When buying books online, be sure to also check out oo.sg, which searches all these online retailers and more, including Kinokuniya and Popular online, for your specific book and allows you to comparison shop for the cheapest price.
Generally, my go-to book retailer is BookDepository as they usually offer the most competitive prices with a large range of options.
Be sure also to check out the different editions of the book, as the softcover is usually cheaper than the hardcover.
2) Book Sales
The popular bookstore chains in Singapore, such as Times and MPH, regularly have warehouse sales a few times a year, either at the Singapore Expo or other locations. Be sure to keep updated on when the next sale will be so as to be able to grab books for really low prices, like $5 each new, or even lower!
3) Secondhand books online
There are a few options I would recommend for buying secondhand books online. Sites like secondhandbooks.com.sg or bookfishing.com.sg are frequently updated and have a good number of books listed by sellers.
Recently, the Carousell application has also seen quite a lot of use for buying and selling books, which is another option you may want to consider.
4) Secondhand bookstores
There are a few secondhand bookstores currently operating in Singapore, although they are a dying breed, and a few have closed their shutters. Bras Basah Complex is one place where you may go to find secondhand books and textbooks.
5) Book exchanges
If you’re looking to clear some of the unwanted books lying around your house, why not try to swap them?
For instance, the NLB has an annual book exchange where we can exchange our unwanted books for other donated books. You may also have some luck trying to swap books online.
6) Ebooks
Buying an eBook may not necessarily require you to purchase an expensive eReader! There are many eBook readers available for free to download on your smartphone or your computer. Ebooks are also significantly cheaper than physical books, and usually cost you a couple of dollars at most. Just be sure to convert your eBook into the desired file format for your downloaded eReader (ePub is generally able to be read by most eReaders).
Reading doesn’t have to burn a hole in your pocket, but with these tips, books may start to take up way more space than availabe in your house!
Many are afraid or shy to ask for more money and better working conditions.
You may be afraid of the negative reactions you are expecting to get such as dismay, shock, embarrassment or being fired from the job.
But, whatever the reason may be, you are letting your long-term opportunities to be flushed away.
Negotiating a salary is a conversation that aims to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours. Everyone with the right Psychological strategy and conversation tools can sway the opinion of another through a pleasant negotiation.
Here are 4 Ways to help you Negotiate Salary Increase Efficiently…
1. ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE
There are many people who hardly negotiate at interview, and during employment, they fail to negotiate a pay raise. If you do not ask then you won’t get it.
Realize that your bargaining strength is all in your head. If you act as though you are prepared to walk away from a deal unless you achieve your desired goal, your bargaining partner will be far more eager to meet your requirements.
2. BE AWARE OF YOUR CAPABILITIES AND BOUNDARIES
As I said, your bargaining strength is all in your head, so are your assumptions about yourself and your job. Negative assumptions (e.g., I am inexperienced, I shall not ask because of the bad economy, and I am not capable of doing all the job requirements) hinder the person to negotiate for a pay rise.
Evaluate these assumptions because you may fail to realize that the company needs you as much as you need them.
Believe that you are worth it. Throughout the negotiation interview, you shall highlight how much of an asset you are to the company and prove how you are the best candidate for the job.
3. ASK FOR MORE THAN YOU ACTUALLY WANT
Your first offer must be slightly higher than what you want to avoid remorse and to give you a room to bargain. It uses the door-in-the-face technique wherein the employee starts with a huge and unreasonable request in order for the employer to settle with a smaller request.
Image Credits: Roy Blumenthal via Flickr
4. COMPETE
Negotiating a salary is a conversation that aims to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours. Negotiating your salary is also a game with all of its players attempting to dominate each other. Dominate the game by researching all the needed information.
Go in-depth about the complete aspects of the job and the company. Also, collect data about the average pay and accurate salary opportunities in your position.
Use persuasion and assertion if necessary because research show that competition is a successful negotiation strategy (Marks & Harold, 2011).
How can you pay for trips if your budget is too tight? Certainly, saving for travel money is not an easy task, which is why a sparkle of effort is needed to turn your dreams into reality.
Here are 4 Ways to Boost Your Travel Fund…
1. SELL YOUR UNWANTED OR UNUSED ITEMS ONLINE
Anything that is still in good condition and has a credible brand name will be flocked over by buyers. Even your old furniture can be sold in online sites such as Carousell and Gumtree. Nonetheless, you can always sell your precious items to your close family and friends through a Facebook group.
Rules on selling include: be honest with the product’s flaws, have a simple and accurate description, and charge right for postage.
The popular and safe websites (or mobile apps) for selling are:
Some companies such as Citibank or Virgin offer a significant amount of air miles every time you purchase. Once you have an air mileage credit card and use it abundantly (within your needs), you may even book your flight for free!
Image Credits: William Cho via Flickr
3. CONTROL YOUR UNNECESSARY BUYING INSTINCTS
Stop buying useless things that you do not need. Rethink if buying overpriced coffee rather than making your own coffee at work saves you more. Instead of buying lunch, pack your own lunch for at least 2 months. It will not only save more money, but it will reduce waste. It may seem simple, but these unnecessary expenses add up.
4. BE PATIENT
If you need to purchase something for your trip, wait for sale to come around or buy the last season’s model. When selling your items, you must be okay to accept an item price for less. You must practice the virtue of patience, as you wait for the right time before you may be able to travel.
Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS), as the name suggests, is a plan designed to help fund your retirement besides the CPF. It forms one of the multi-pronged approach by the government to help tackle the problem of a silver tsunami that Singapore is facing.
SRS is a voluntary scheme which offers tax benefits in the form of a tax relief for every dollar you contribute up to a maximum of $12,750 per year. There is no minimum amount and you are free to contribute any amount to your account with any of the SRS operators: DBS, OCBC & UOB.
You can also invest the amount in SRS in a variety of instruments such as stocks, bonds, unit trusts, fixed deposits, insurance and many more. You also have the option to keep them as cash which give you a meagre return of 0.05% per year.
One thing to take note is once you have decided to fund your SRS, any premature withdrawal before the statutory retirement age (currently at 62), there is a 5% penalty fee and 100% of the amount withdrawn is taxable.
If you have the discipline to keep it till the statutory retirement age, good news is only 50% of the withdrawals from SRS are taxable or what they call it as a 50% tax concession. And you can spread the withdrawal over a period of 10 years.
In other words, if you have manage to accumulate $400,000 in your SRS at retirement, you can strategically withdraw it over 10 years, i.e $40,000 a year – to pay zero tax. (Since only 50% of the $40,000 is taxable and the first $20,000 is not taxable.
In the cumulative SRS statistics published by MOF, less than half of the account holders are aged between 21 – 45 in December 2013. Only 11% of those those aged between 21 – 35. While it is understandable that these group of people are financially strapped due to family commitments, it would be wise to apportion at least part of their income to SRS to enjoy tax benefits.
While some may argue that the tax benefits are merely deferred and locking your cash up till the statutory retirement age of 62 is not attractive, a closer look into the numbers may prove otherwise.
Let’s take a look into a few scenarios, making certain assumptions.
1. 32 years old earning $50,000 a year
For someone who is taking home $50,000 a year, the tax payable is $1,250 ($550 for the first $40,00 + 7% of the next $10,000)
If he/she decide to fund the maximum SRS amount of $12,750, the taxable income would be reduced to $37,250 and the tax payable is therefore $453.75 ($200 + 3.5%*$7,250). The amount of tax saving amounts to $796.25.
a. If he/she decide to contribute all the way to 62 (30 years)
Assuming a growth of 8%, the SRS account would be sitting at a value of $1,444,360.94. There are many different way on how the withdrawal can be made. For now, let’s take it as an equal drawdown over 10 years, or $144,436 per year. Half of this amount is taxable which is $72,218. With a tax rate of $550 for the first $40,000 and 7% for the next $32,218, we get $2,805.26 of tax.
You might think that’s a huge amount ($28,052.60) considering that you have to pay it over 10 years and it is something which you could avoid should you not contribute to SRS as capital gain on shares are not taxable.
But let’s not forget that you also save $796.25 of tax per year for 30 years (assuming same income and tax rate), and should you have been more responsible with your finance to grow these extra savings at a modest rate of 4%, these savings would miraculously amounts to $44,657.63. That’s not too bad isn’t it?
The only drawback is you cannot withdraw from your SRS before the statutory retirement age without incurring any penalty fee.
b. If he/she only made a one time contribution of $12,750
Again, let’s assume growth is at 8%, $12,750 of contribution will grow to $128,298 in 30 years. This amount by itself will not be taxed if you are wise enough to spread the withdrawal over 10 years. (or 4 years)
Don’t touch it for 30 years? For a humble amount of $12,750, i will take it. Tax savings? $796.25. Opportunity cost saved? $8,021 at 8%, or $2,583 at 4%.
2. 32 years old earning $150,000 a year
For income earner in the higher tax bracket, the tax benefit are more evident than those in the lower bracket.
Tax payable without SRS: $7,950 for the first $120,000 + 15% of $30,000 = $12,450
Tax payable, contributing $12,750 to SRS: $7,950 for the first $120,000 + 15% of $17,250 = $10,537.50
Tax saving: $12,450 – $10,537.50 = $1,912.50
a. If he/she decide to contribute all the way to 62 (30 years)
Same as (1), you will be taxed at $2,805.26 per year for 10 years.
Which will you choose? Save $1,912.50 per year for 30 years or $2,805.26 per year for 10 years?
It’s a no brainer.
b. If he/she only made a one time contribution of $12,750
Do i even need to calculate this?
So is SRS a sure win?
The thing to note in both examples is if you have other income sources at your retirement and say it adds up to $150,000. This would have cost you $12,450 of tax. If you add your SRS’s taxable amount of $72,218, you may end up in the higher bracket with $222,218 of chargeable income. Doing the maths, your tax payable end up to be $24,749.24. ($12,300 of additional tax per year for 10 years) More than what you would have saved from the tax.
In addition, your children will not be able to claim for ‘Parent relief’ since your income is definitely more than $4,000 a year. (But look, i can’t fathom the idea of someone retiring with less than $4,000 of income in a year anyway)
Some may also argue that you can make a cash top-up to your CPF and enjoy a risk-free rate of 4% in your Special or Retirement Account. (Currently with a $7,000 cap for yourself and $7,000 for your family members)
There are many other scenarios which may throw SRS out.
But the trick here is to keep the value of your SRS within the lower tax bracket while maximising the tax benefits on the other hand. (A yardstick of $440,000 will not cost you any tax since you can spread $400,000 over 10 years and the remaining $40,000 is not taxable once it is reduced by 50%)
I am also assuming you will not be letting your money sleep in your SRS account. You need to make it work harder than the 0.05% that the banks currently offer while managing the exposure to your risk and age profile.
An option is to consider using your SRS to buy into the STI ETF.
Various people have an impression that Yoga is expensive or that Yoga is only for the elites.
Compared to a monthly gym membership, perhaps Yoga can be considered expensive. Clothes, mats, and other props can be costly. But, if you prioritize the practice of awareness rather than flaunting for fashion then you may find yourself saving a lot more.
As Yoga teachers, you get to immerse yourself deeper in the practice and its doctrines. You become less interested in wastefulness and more interested in conservation. With that in mind, here are 6 Simple Ways to Save Money as a Yoga Teacher…
Image Credits: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas via Flickr
1. SAVE ON YOGA TOPS
Jessica Matthews, writer on “American Council on Exercise”, suggests that you can wear a simple tank top a fitted and stretchy t-shirt, or a sportswear top, whether or not they were designed specifically for Yoga. An inexpensive top or shirt can be just as comfortable as the designer ones.
2. MANAGE YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES
In order for you to decide on how much you shall save, first you must be aware of how much you are spending. The typical things you will track as an expense are costs on training, travel, clothing, and books. The challenge now is for you to choose on which expenses you can reduce.
3. MAKE YOUR OWN YOGA PROPS
Abby Lentz, founder of the “HeavyWeight Yoga classes”, shared some Do-It-Yourself Yoga Props.
a. Yoga Blocks
It is possible to make a handcrafted Yoga Block if you have bulky, unused or old books, yellow pages, phone books, and dictionaries. Just slip a pace of hard cardboard halfway between the pages of the book to make it sturdy and tightly tape the entire areas close.
b. Yoga Straps
You can make your own Yoga strap by knotting two neckties together. You may also use a second-hand bathrobe sash from the thrift shop as branded Yoga straps are just made with cotton straps with buckles.
Image Credits: Roy Blumenthal via Flickr
4. PRACTICE AT HOME
Doing Yoga at home along with a video or audio companion is definitely more cost-effective than attending classes. The Internet has an abundant index of Free Yoga videos, health information, and Yoga poses catalog that you may use.
If your studio benefits include free classes, then take advantage of it. Aside from exercising, you will get a chance to study how different teachers conduct their classes.
5. INVEST IN THE BASICS
Two dollars for a mat and a dollar for bottled water may not seem like a lot, but it will quickly add up over time. Instead of buying or renting cheap Yoga mats, invest on a sturdy one that you can use for a couple of years.
Instead of buying mineral water on the studios you practice, buy a cheap water bottle and refill your own water at home. Through these steps, you will not only be able to save money but you will also be able to reduce waste.
6. Aside from saving money on Yoga, you can also save money through Yoga!
