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How to keep your food budget below $600

Continuing from the article on “How to maximise your life with a $3,000 paycheck”, this article will be focusing on the ways to stretch a $600 monthly food budget. This is the first in a five-part series on how to optimise the use of funds allocated to each of the budgets.

Image credit: theonlinecitizen.com

1. Indulge in hawker fare

The most economical way to tempt your tastebuds would be to indulge in hawker fare. The average price for a meal complete with a drink is approximately $5. Given 23 working days in a month and 3 meals a day, the total expenditure for this category would thus round up to $345. While Singapore’s climate may be unforgiving to hawker fans, we should not be quick to dismiss the perks of having affordable yet scrummy delights at our convenience while being loud and comfortable with our friends sharing plates of delectable food.

Image credit: 123rf.com

2. Hunt for food deals & be a fan of credit cards

Nowadays, hunting for the latest food deals is an easy feat. Websites like deals.com.sg and moneydigest.sg have sprouted up to help consumers stretch their every dollar. At the same time, credit card companies are collaborating with food retailers to bring greater value to the table. Do not ever belittle the bang for the buck you can actually accumulate from these massively discounted meals.

For an income earner of $3,000, while it is unrealistic to dine in lavish cafes and restaurants every single day, it does not hurt to spoil yourself on weekends with the various credit card dining promotions. Imagine the euphoria from treating yourself to half-priced cakes or main courses on a budget of $240 for the 4 weekends?

While the sum of $30 to be spent on meals on a relaxing Saturday/Sunday may seem inadequate, it is actually double the weekday budget, meaning you have the discretion to spend more. Also, don’t forget that you have the privilege of waking up late on a lazy weekend and skipping your breakfast. Go for brunch instead!

Alternatively, you can spend your weekend budget customising your home-cooked meals with your loved ones. The truth is, if everyone in the family were to pool their weekend budgets together, the spending power would increase tremendously. This would translate to a wide variety of mouth-watering foods presenting a tantalising spectrum of flavours, sights and smells for feasting.

The True Cost Of Traditional Chinese Medicine In Singapore

The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) encompasses several theories and practices that were developed in China back then…for over two millennia. The practices include herbal medicine, acupuncture, exercises, and massages.

In 2013, a study by Jingcheng Dong showed that there are different components in a TCM diagnosis, namely: Inspection, Auscultation-olfaction, Background, and Palpation. The inspection involves visually examining the changes in the patient’s appearance and movement. Auscultation-olfaction involves listening to sounds and smelling different odors. Background, consistent with the Western Medicine, involves checking the past medical records, family health history, and more. Lastly, palpation involves diagnosing an illness with the use of touch.

The common forms of TCM treatment available in Singapore are acupuncture and cupping. Acupuncture relieves the stress and pain while cupping stimulates blood flow and minimizes aches.

SO, HOW MUCH DOES TCM TREATMENTS COST?

The cost of your overall TCM treatment varies depending on the type of treatment and the clinic you go to. For instance, Ma Kuang Healthcare Group charges S$15 for the first consultation and S$10 for the following ones. Adults aged 60 and above get to enjoy their special discounts ranging from 20-30% off. The medicines are sold separately.

On the other hand, Xu Yang Acupuncture & TCM Clinic located at Yishun Ring Road, does not charge a cent for the consultation. And, their acupuncture treatment costs S$45. Aside from this, Singapore’s first integrated TCM and healthcare centre called Chinese Medical Centre charges S$80 for a session of Pulse Consultation, Yang Sheng Therapy, and a choice of whether Acupuncture, Cupping, or Gua Sha treatment.

Image Credits: Image Credits: makuang.com.sg/en

Since the cost of the treatments vary, it is important to do your research first to get the best results.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND THE TCM SERVICES?

1. MINISTRY OF HEALTH’S TCM PORTAL

You can find registered TCM practitioners at the TCM Portal – available here. Rest assured that the Health Sciences Authority regulates all the Chinese Proprietary Medicines. They must oblige with a set of criteria first before the products are sold in Singapore.

2. GROUPON

The famed online marketplace also houses affordable and discounted TCM treatments such as:

a. One Session of Pulse Consultation, Yang Sheng Therapy, and a choice of whether Acupuncture, Cupping, or Gua Sha treatment for S$28 only.

From Chinese Medical Centre – available here.

b. One Session of TCM Localized Pain Management Treatment and Physician’s Consultation for S$18 only.

From Fu Yang Tang TCM Clinic – available here.

Image Credits: facebook.com/FuYangTang

No matter what the expense totals to, remember to exercise discretion and caution with your purchase! 🙂

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

Losing Money To Hire A New Talent Again? Perhaps, You’re A “Horrible” Boss

In 2014, the aspects of work of 5,000 Singaporean employees were studied by Singapore Human Resources Institute. They found that on average, the employees were considered “Under Happy” in the workplace. Creating a happier place to work in is proving to be a challenge especially when “horrible” bosses are the ones who run the organizations.

Horrible bosses do not just intrude in their employee’s personal time; they also cause huge expenses not only for the company but also for the nation’s economy. The loss of money can be attributed from either faking sick leave or having chronic stress due to the workplace dynamics. Also, the recruitment and legal costs due to high turnover rate cannot be missed!

The loss of money due to lack of productivity can be attributed from the employee’s behavior to either deliberately make mistakes out of spite or to be truly unmotivated. In a recent study by Officevibe, a U.S. based startup that offers employee-engaging activities to other organizations, respondents showed that 50% of the employees who felt undervalued are planning to look for another job the next year. In fact, 65% of them say that they would rather have a new boss than a pay hike. Yes! It is that bad.

DISSECTION OF THE LOCAL “HORRIBLE” BOSSES

In 2012, JobsCentral conducted a survey including the responses of 3,299 employees and 256 hiring managers. A whopping 31% of the respondents said that they do not have satisfying boss-worker relationship. This is because of the following reasons: lack of advancement opportunities (87.5%), lack of autonomy (80.6%), and work demands (71.1%).

The bad habits as confessed by the employers were: making the employees work during after hours (75%), regularly contacting employees that are on leave (46%), lengthening the meeting past the working hours (23%), and asking employees to run personal errands (6%).

Image Credits: Vocab Ninja via Flickr

If you do not want to be considered as a horrible boss then, take note of the actions said above. Do the opposite. Aside from that, here are no-cost tips to change your ways…

a. RESPECT YOUR EMPLOYEE’S PERSONAL TIME

Be sensitive with the employee’s personal time. They need this to shake off the stress brought by work demands. Also, they need to restore their energy so, they can be driven and productive the next day.

b. WELCOME EMPLOYEE FEEDBACK

Have a tri-monthly evaluation (i.e., occurring every three months) of the boss and the employees’ performances. Issues such as frequently shortening the deadlines and abusive behavior should be raised in confidence. This transparent culture will increase awareness and encourage necessary action.

c. DO NOT LOOK DOWN FROM A PEDESTAL

You may be the boss but you do not rule the entire world! Having too much pride to the point that you do not give credit, appreciation, or gratitude when it is due can cause dissatisfaction of the employees. As said a while ago, employees who felt undervalued are planning to look for another job. Fortunately, YOU can prevent that from happening!

Image Credits: Kumar Appaiah via Flickr

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

Fantastic Tricks To Help You Spend Less

Often you feel confident to change your shopaholic ways. Then, you find yourself stuck with your old and impulsive patterns. The good news is that, it is never too late to change. You can outsmart your mind by tricking it with these simple ways…

1. AVOID SHOPPING WHEN YOU ARE FEELING H-A-L-T

Four common emotions that lead you to overspend are hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness. You must not shop hungry in a grocery store because you would end up buying everything that satisfies your hunger. Same goes for other aspects of shopping, it is best not to shop angry, lonely, and tired.

2. HAVE A 7-DAY MENU PLAN

Are you one of those people that take long in deciding which meal to cook every night? Menu plans will not only save you time but it will also save you money. If you have a menu plan for your meals throughout the week then, you would only spend money on the items that you really need. More so, you will be able to manage your calorie intake to live a healthier lifestyle. Here is a sample 7-day meal menu plan by Anytime Fitness:

3. SELECT A CLEVER PASSWORD

For the shopping websites that require you to log-in before purchasing, I suggest to use clever passwords related to your long-term goals such as Need$4NewCar or $ave4HOLIDAY. This way, every time you type your password in, you will be reminded to think twice before spending it.

4. WALK OR CYCLE AROUND

Instead of spending money on petrol, walk or use your bicycle around the streets of Singapore. Running errands will not only serve as a good exercise, but it will also make you spend less.

5. NARROW YOUR EXPENSES

When it comes to spending less, do not try to be Jack-of-All-Trades. Instead, narrow your expenses by focusing on two categories that you spend more of such as dining out and groceries. Cut down these expenses by 20-30%. You will feel less overwhelmed and more motivated afterwards.

6. SHOP WITH HIGH-HEELED SHOES

A 2013 study showed that consumers who wore high-heeled shoes are more likely to spend less as they are more focused on maintaining their balance. The effect is the same when you shop after a relaxing yoga class.

Image Credits: Victor Tongdee via Flickr

Follow your 2015 New Year’s Resolution and do your best to spend less and save more for your future! 🙂

Best Credit Cards For Online Shopping

Modern technology optimized our shopping experiences by letting us purchase items online. Now it is our job to maximize our hard earned money by choosing the right credit cards to shop with. Here is a list of the best credit cards available in the Singapore market…

3. DBS WOMAN’S MASTERCARD® CARD

Minimum Annual Income (Singaporean/PR): S$30,000

Take it from Beyonce as girls truly run the world – virtual shopping world to be exact!

With DBS Woman’s MasterCard®, you can earn rewards points 5x if you shop anywhere online. Also, you can get S$40 worth of Qoo10 discount coupons every month or complimentary access to selected True Yoga and True Fitness Centres! Go crazy with these privileges by using the DBS Woman Mobile App. The annual fee of S$161 is waived for a year.

2. OCBC FRANK CARD

Minimum Annual Income (Singaporean/PR): S$30,000

With over 120 free card designs to choose from, OCBC Frank Card proves to be a stylish companion to your online shopping. It gives you 6% rebates on every online purchase you make up to a cap of S$60 a month. If you exceed that, you will enjoy unlimited rebates of 0.5% on all other purchases. You can easily track your spending and rebates by going to OCBC Online.

The good news is that you can get 10% off hotel bookings by booking online through Expedia.com.sg, 10% off regular-priced items on The Travel Store, 10 off purchases on GoBuyLah.sg, and 15% off purchases on Ruedusucre.com. Also, the annual fee of only S$32 is waived for 2 years!

1. CITIBANK REWARDS CARD

Minimum Annual Income (Singaporean/PR): S$40,000

How does Citibank welcome its new rewards cardholders? Well, with complimentary shopping vouchers worth up to S$100 of course. Enjoy shopping vouchers from Havaianas & CommonThread, Dockers®, Headline Seoul, New Look, Max&Co., Victor York, and more. The Citibank Rewards Card allows you to earn 10x reward points when you shop online. Aside from this, gives you discounts to several online shops.

Want to know more? Here is the concise list of their current online shopping offers…

Blue Nile: 10% off on all purchases of standard jewelry products storewide.

HipVan: 15% off on the site’s items

IN GOOD COMPANY: 10% off storewide

Klareti: 7% off on regular priced items storewide

Luxola: 25-40% off depending on spending

Menlook: 10% off with minimum spend of S$150

Modajar: 10% off storewide

Rakuten: 10% off on the site’s items

Reebonz: 7% off on all purchases

ShopBack: 20% rebate on the site’s items

Victor York: 20% off storewide

ZALORA: 25% off on the site’s items

Fret not about the annual fee of S$193 because it is waived for a year.

1. Indulge in hawker fare

2. Hunt for food deals & be a fan of credit cards

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