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10 Tips To Eat Healthier And Save More Money

Healthy eating is an active choice to improve one’s lifestyle. It is not about total dietary restriction and remaining thin. Rather, it is about having more energy and feeling better about YOU!

If you find it difficult at first, fear not because you are not alone. Taking this healthier road one step at a time will surely go a long way. Once you embraced healthier eating, you cannot only be fitter but also richer. As you cut back the unnecessary, you can save more money for important things such as your child’s allowance. On that note, here are 10 Tips To Eat Healthier And Save More Money…

CONSUME LESS SUGAR AND STARCH

1. Reduce sugar in fruit juices by diluting it with water. Even if it does not contain added sugar such as the pure fruit juices, it is still good to practice this.

2. A bottle of Strawberry Jam at FairPrice retails for about S$3-9.80. You can save that and reduce guar consumption by using minimum amounts of jam or any spread. Apply it thinly and evenly.

GO FOR REDUCED FATS

3. Did you know that Marigold’s Non Fat Yoghurt is available for S$1.85 while Meiji’s Low Fat Yoghurt is only S$1/pc at FairPrice. Also, milk containing less fat are either the same price or even cheaper than the other types. The point is, you can choose reduced-fat varieties of milk and yoghurt without sacrificing the price.

4. If you are preparing meat, remove the visible fat and the skin off the chicken before you cook.

CONSUME LESS SODIUM

5. You can either reduce or not use salt at all when you are cooking. But, if you want to add more flavors, use iodized salt instead.

6. Want to save more on salt? Gradually reduce the salt you add in your cooking and buy food with lower sodium levels.

INCREASE FIBER INTAKE

7. Eat about 3-4 servings of fruits daily. Banana, orange, and guava are just some of the fruits rich in fiber.

8. It is a known fact that leafy greens are more affordable than lean meat. To eat healthier, eat smaller servings of meat with larger servings of vegetables.

OTHERS

9. Cook more homemade meals instead of buying take-away. For example, cook fish by steaming, grilling, or pan-frying it. Shy away from deep fried food.

10. Lastly, it is no surprise that beer or any alcoholic drinks should be cut down. The recommended consumption should be no more than 3 drinks for men and no more than 2 drinks for women. Reducing your alcohol consumption will not only control your weight but it will also save you more money and lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Image Credits: nutrition education via Flickr

Source: HeartFoundation.org.nz

4 Ways To Get Cheap And Beautiful Hair Coloring Services In Singapore

There are days when you just want to reinvent your look and go wild with different hair colors. But, not all hair services in Singapore are cheap! Some may cost you over S$200. Fortunately, there are other ways to tell your beautiful story with your hair as the canvas…

1. INDULGE ON GROUPON

GROUPON is probably my all time favorite shopping companion. Used by many Singaporeans, GROUPON is a website that offers discounted deals on events, luxury goods, bags, watches, beauty products, lifestyle services, and getaways. I recommend going for these current deals below that range for only S$23-48.

a. S$23, avail here – Clementi: L’Oreal/MSK Ampoule Hair Colour / Highlights + Treatment + Hair Ampoule

b. S$23, avail here – Toa Payoh: Vibrant Clairol Hair Colouring / Creative Highlights + Magic Spa Treatment

c. S$38, avail here – Orchard: Hair Colour / Highlights + Wash & Blow

d. S$48, avail here – Somerset: Shiseido Hair Colouring / Highlights + Wash & Blow

Styling, highlights, blow dry, and treatment at a fair price brought to you by GROUPON! You can conveniently pay through for Debit/ Credit Card, Paypal or American Express.

2. TRY SHOPPING ON Qoo10

Aside from GROUPON, Qoo10 is a popular website portal for diverse sellers around the world. The ongoing Qoo10 e-Ticket sold by Organic Hair Professional Singapore can save you up to S$93 on hair coloring! With this e-Ticket, you can avail 90 minutes of cut, wash, blow dry, and organic hair coloring for only S$48. What’s more? They have 7 locations islandwide!

3. LOOK FOR PROMOTIONS

Still have your heart set on the best salons in Singapore such as Salon Vim, Artica Hair Studio, and Toni & Guy Essensuals Hairdressing? The good news is that these salons offer promotions for haircut, treatment, and hair coloring every once in a while.

For example, you can get the Artica‘s Express Package including hair coloring and protein treatment for S$88 or the Essensuals hair coloring, cut, and treatment for S$148. Only Artica Hair Studio and Toni & Guy Essensuals Hairdressing have available promotions at the moment. But, you may keep an eye on Salon Vim’s promotions at salonvim.com/promotions.

4. LASTLY, SELF-SERVICE

If your budget for hair coloring is less than S$16 then, try the magical services provided by you! At your own speed and mixture, you can achieve a new hair color by spending as low as S$7.90 for a box of Revlon ColorSilk or as high as S$15.90 for a box of a Liese Blaune Treatment Cream Color. These are available at all Watsons outlets. Watch this short “How to Dye Your Hair at Home” video to guide you.

Budget-Friendly Ways To Look Taller Instantly

Dreaming of growing a few inches more? But, as they say: some things cannot be changed – natural height included. Lucky for you, there are easy and cheap ways to appear taller in less than an hour!

1. DRESS WISE

FOR WOMEN:

a. Use Smart Color Play

Light colors for the shoes such as nude can help elongate your legs while solid colored tops create a visual feast without shortening the person’s perceived height. Befriend the colors inside your closet and do these simple tricks:

Image Credits: en.paperblog.com

b. Go For V-necks

Blouse, t-shirt, or any top with V-necklines can make you look taller and leaner as it creates a vertical line drawing attention to the person’s face. A budget-friendly H&M V-neck shirt retails for S$7-10.

FOR MEN:

a. Opt For Dark Pants

Dark colored pants make your legs look long and slim. So, if you want to appear taller and lean, opt for dark black or navy jeans.

b. Wear Fitted Clothes

Avoid baggy clothing and go for nicely fitted clothing as it reveals the body’s silhouette. Wearing a suit that fit can produce a lengthening illusion of your whole body.

FOR BOTH:

a. Go For Vertical Lines

Try to wear clothing with vertical lines while avoiding those with horizontal lines. Not only will you look taller but you will also look thinner because the lines make people perceive the height more than the width.

b. Style A Monochromatic Look

Wear a look that has the same color or shade from head-to-toe (e.g., all white everything). This will create fewer segments to your body that will lead to an illusion of maximum height.

2. GOOD POSTURE

Stand or sit up straight. Good posture is not only free but it can make a huge difference in how others perceive your length. Also, you will look more sharp and engaged.

3. ENHANCE YOUR HAIR

Style your hair to add extra height and volume around your face. But, do not go overboard and have a famous 80s big do! Feeling more adventurous? Cut your hair shorter as long locks can overwhelm the height. How much would a trim at salons in HDBs cost you? Only S$6-15 – go for it!

4. EAT RIGHT

Food rich in calcium such as yogurt, milk, spinach, and soybean help the bones to grow. While food rich in vitamin D such as fish, cereal, and mushroom help muscle growth. Lastly, food rich in protein such as peas, broccoli, and nuts help the whole body to grow. Know more here.

Image Credits: Frank Steiner via Flickr

Source: About Style

Recruiting Millenials (Gen Ys) In Singapore’s Workplace

BACKGROUND

In a detailed survey by Robert Half, more than half of the local bosses in Singapore felt that people from the Generation Y (Gen Y) are hardest to recruit because of their unrealistic expectations. Following Gen Y is the Gen X and the Baby Boomers.

With a whopping population of about 90 million individuals of Millennials all over the world, the range of the generation is still debatable. Scholars defined the beginning of Generation Y as 1977 – 1981 while its end as 2002 – 2008. Studies on Gen Y, that are mainly comparisons of the different generations, are continuing to surface.

ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

To prevent the costly process of recruitment and training here are some issues and solutions that may help…

1. UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Issue: Going back to the study done by Robert Half, it showed that the major challenges faced to retain Gen Y employees were unrealistic expectations on career advancement and wages.

Solution: Stella Tang, director of Robert Half Singapore, imparted that it is optimal for companies to engage the Millenial employees and give them roles that challenge their strengths in order to keep them. Also, employers must draw a comprehensive promotion path. While, Gen Y employees need to pace themselves and gain more experience before expecting a promotion

2. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE

Issue: Employees from Gen Y often find the “shortcuts” to achieve tasks with the help of technology.

Solution: Embrace and accept technology. There is nothing wrong with going with the new tides because some of the marketing tools online can help your company advance. While, Gen Y employees need to perform the job effectively – even by shying away from technology at times.

3. CRITICISMS AND FEEDBACKS

Issue: Some Gen Y employees complain when given criticisms and feedback about their work.

Solution: Coming from the Gen Y, I know that we are more opinionated and outspoken about our rights than the previous generations. But, it is important to realize that constructive criticisms and feedbacks improve the company – its dynamics, products, and services. On the other hand, employers must approach them differently by giving constructive criticisms and feedbacks that instill confidence and direction.

Image Credits: Robin Hutton via Flickr

Ultimately, these are just guidelines that vary on every situation. I laud Gen Y for their enthusiasm and drive! Employees in Singapore and in the world must not be judge by their generation groups. Rather, they must be judge by their work ethics, experience, abilities, and growth.

Premier Websites To Place Your Ads For FREE

Are you a budding entrepreneur with a minimum budget looking for an affordable website to post your Ads in Singapore? Or, do you just want to buy pre-loved designer goods for a cheaper price? Lucky for you, Free Classified Ads online can serve you best!

Online Classifieds are a good choice as these are cost-effective, convenient to relay contact, visible to a large-scale of consumers, and the advertisers are able to edit a listing anytime.

1. STCLASSIFIEDS

Owned by the Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. (SPH), STClassifieds (previously called ST701 Shops) had been a favorite of many Singaporeans since 2007. It is a great online platform for buying and selling goods and services including baby items, cars, domestic services, electronics, appliances, properties, and more. You can view the price, seller’s photos, condition, seller’s name, category, and the contact information. If you think that it is a suspicious content, you can report it by clicking “report abuse” on that specific Ad or Listing. What’s more? It is free to upload unto 10 images so, you can really get the best angle of your product.

2. GUMTREE SINGAPORE

Renowned as Singapore’s Number 1 Free Classifieds Site, Gumtree Singapore is well known for providing good classified services with one of the largest visibility. They offer user-friendly functionalities that is both available online and on the mobile app. There are many categories to choose from such as Furniture, Fashion, Mobile, Property, Jobs, and Services. The Ad lets you show the description, photos, date listed, price, condition, address, and your contact information. You may view the Ad’s visibility by looking at the number of visits below. The best thing is that, you can post for free without having to make an account! Aside from Singapore, Gumtree has a widespread of reputation in other countries including United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Poland, and Hong Kong.

3. SGADSONLINE

For a simplistic interface that does not require a tedious login process, SGADSONLINE, is the choice for you. It displays the Ad’s photos, price, visits, date of posting, Ad’s expiration date, description, and a choice to post the Ad on other social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.

4. CRAIGSLIST SINGAPORE

An even more simplistic website is one of the oldest classifieds portals in the world called Craigslist. Established in 1996, Craigslist provides services for more than 70 countries including sunny Singapore. With its easy to navigate website, a newbie can easily get the hang of posting an Ad within seconds! Furthermore, due to its simplicity, it loads faster than the other classifieds websites. Adding to the charm of a free posting, you can put as much as 24 images to your Ad and put it on organized categories namely: community, housing, personals, services, for sale, jobs, discussion forums, resumes, and gigs.

Image Credits: Alisha Vargas via Flickr

You can also consider website promotion service to get more visitors to your homepage.

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