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5 Surefire Ways To Avoid Spending Too Much Money On Junk Food

“Cravings are powerful. (It) can make a person value a food more since it not only may fulfill a hunger need, but also a psychological need for satisfaction.”
– Ms. Jackie Arnett Elnahar, a Registered dietitian and CEO of TelaDietitian

When fast food chains offer their tasty meals, they go beyond advertising on television and social media. They employ different marketing strategies to entice the consumers into spending their hard-earned cash on the spot. These attractive offerings can increase a person’s craving for junk food.

You need to realize that your cravings for junk food burns both your wallet and your health. A 2018 study from New York University showed that people were willing to pay more for foods they crave. It did not matter whether they were hungry or not. Moreover, the amount they were willing to pay multiplied when they were offered bigger portions.

The lead author of the study explained that the “results indicate that even if people strive to eat healthier, cravings could overshadow the importance of health”. Participants craved for larger portions of junk food but did not crave larger portions of healthy food.

It is up to you to fight these cravings and to choose a healthier path. Read the following tips to start your journey.

#1: BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

The first step to curb your junk food spending is to be honest with yourself. If you aim to gradually remove unhealthy snacks from your diet, include it to your grocery budget. Set a realistic amount and stick to it. Limiting your budget for snacks will prevent you from dropping by the store to spend more money on it.

#2: PLAN YOUR MENU

Whether you are cooking for yourself or your family, planning meals is a good place to begin improving your food choices. Taking the time to plan a healthy meal can help you avoid the costly takeaway or delivery food.

Start by grabbing a pen and a paper. List down your favorite meals. It may help to talk to your spouse or your family regarding their meal preferences. Some meals are healthier than others, but write them all for now. After gathering your options, it is up to you to strategically spread these meals out. Planning the weekly menu will help you save money and give you more time to prepare healthier food.

#3: GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK

Let us face it! Sometimes, you may feel too tired or unmotivated to prepare a meal. Give yourself a break. Reduce your junk food spending by giving yourself a cheat day. With all the factors that hinder you from preparing a meal (e.g., time), you can purchase pre-packaged meals such as salad or frozen pizza. You can only eat these types of meals during your cheat day.

#4: REWARD YOURSELF

As you practice healthy habits and reduce your junk food consumption, you can increase your motivation by rewarding yourself. Whether you want to purchase a new top or an air fryer, include this purchase on the leisure expense category of your budget. This way, you will not feel guilty about spending too much money outside of your budget.

#5: CUT DOWN ON EATING OUT

It is no secret that Singaporeans love to eat! People in Singapore are blessed with a variety of cuisines that one cannot resist the temptation of dining out. As with everything that is good, too much can be bad too.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

You may feel that eating out during lunch daily does not make a difference. But, all your costs add up. The cost of one restaurant meal may be equivalent up to three home-cooked meals. Try packing lunch from home as it is generally cheaper. Packing your meals will also enable you to follow your dietary restrictions.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

Mid-Autumn Festival 2021: Special mooncake flavours, including one with mala chicken floss to try

We have more than a month to this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival! To be exact, we will be celebrating it on Tuesday, 21 September.

If it has been a tradition for the family to gift mooncakes or gather together for a tea session, then you’ve landed at the right article. We will be sharing with you some of the most special mooncake flavours, including one with mala chicken floss to spice up the festival.

Ready to get started? Let’s roll with the list!

#1: Mala Chicken Floss & Salted Egg Yolk Low Sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncake

Image Credits: Birds Of A Feather

Contemporary Sichuan restaurant Birds of A Feather has come up with their mooncake box of 4 (S$68) with these 2 flavours:

Mala Chicken Floss & Salted Egg Yolk Low Sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncake
Single Yolk Macadamia Nuts Low Sugar White Lotus Paste Mooncake

The former promises a harmonious blend of Sichuan spices with a pleasant mild spicy note and a heavenly combination of salted egg yolk and chicken floss. Not a fan of mala? You can present this as a gift to a friend or relative. The majestic black box with intricate gold illustrations will make a premium presentable present for that special someone.

Click here to preorder your Birds Of A Feather Mooncake Box.

#2: Sakura Shrimps with Peanut Mooncake

Image Credits: Shangri-La Singapore

Yes, we kid you not with this concoction of savoury sakura shrimps and crunchy peanuts. It’s one of the limited-edition mooncake gift boxes designed by local designer Benny Ong. The box of four consists of:

Assam Tea with Almond Mooncakes
Sakura Shrimps with Peanut Mooncakes

At the time of writing, there’s an ongoing promotion which will cost you only S$100.30 (usual price: S$118). Check out more limited-edition mooncake types such as Aged Mandarin Peel, Rose & Red Bean Paste Mooncakes, Mini Custard Bird’s Nest Mooncakes, and more here.

#3: White Rabbit Truffle with Cranberry Paste Snowskin Mooncake

Image Credits: Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel

Take a trip down memory lane with Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel’s White Rabbit Truffle with Cranberry Paste Snowskin Mooncake. Everyone’s favourite milk candy will be joining hands with a rich truffle filling and tangy cranberry paste to reward your tastebuds.

For those who love all things truffle, here are other flavours to try:

Cognac Truffle with Chestnut Paste
Salted Egg Truffle with White Lotus Seed Paste
Champagne Truffle with Milk Green Bean Paste

Place an order here.

While it can be tempting to eat your fill, remember that mooncakes are high-calorie foods and should be eaten in moderation this Mid-Autumn Festival. We will leave you with some numbers so you can plan your intake accordingly:

Image Credits: CNA

Have a blessed Mid-Autumn Festival to come. 中秋节快乐!

In today’s extremely competitive world and educational system, one needs to perform well in academics to help one succeed.

But the thing is, even the best schools fail to cater to the individual needs of their students. In fact, according to a report, 76% of students feel anxious when taking an exam even if they’re “well prepared.”

That’s because every student is different and has various learning capabilities. Some students can easily understand the lesson, while others need that extra guidance (and push!) to know the lesson well.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the benefits of hiring a home tutor in Singapore:

Learn At Your Own Convenience

One of the biggest benefits of home tuition is the convenience that it offers.

With education and learning right at your door, you’ll get to learn at the comforts of your home. This gives you the flexibility to decide what your preferred days are to get tuition.

Students can also discuss with their tutor things like the tuition place, time, and days.

Personal Attention

A home tutoring service is usually on a one-to-one basis. Meaning, students are getting full attention that’s otherwise available in a room packed with 20 or more students.

Students don’t have to worry about failing to grasp a concept as fast as their peers. By increasing focus on the student, a professional tutor can work on areas for improvement. This also allows them to work at the learning pace of the student.

Because of the undivided attention given to them, students can also clear out any misconceptions that they might have.

Positive Learning Environment

Many students usually hesitate to ask questions to a teacher. Some are embarrassed to let the teacher re-explain the concept to them.

This isn’t the same with home tutoring. A home tutor will be the one who will encourage a student to ask questions and will re-explain a concept if needed. As a result, students feel more confident and open up their concerns with the tutor.

Detailed Feedback

At school, a teacher might miss out on important subtleties. Often pressed for time, they might miss correcting every student’s faulty areas.

On the other hand, home tutoring allows the student to analyze and then work on their weak spots as they go.

A professional tutor will usually provide detailed productive feedback, which will motivate students to improve and do better on their work the next time.

Improve Performance

As mentioned earlier, if students are weak on a particular subject, they might need special attention to enhance their performance. But this doesn’t often happen in school.

With home tutoring, students can get their tutor’s undivided attention and have more time to work on a particular subject or concept.

Apart from tutoring on subjects, a home tutor can also mentor the student, helping them develop great time management and study skills. Doing so improves the students’ overall performance.

Work With The Best

More often than not, schools don’t give the students the chance to choose their teacher, affecting results.

One of the primary benefits of a home tutor is that one can pick the best tutor on a particular subject. You have the option to consult with home tuition agencies as you choose the best tutor.

This is important because a great tutor can easily understand the student’s needs and give them the right guidance.

Final Thoughts

If you’re struggling with your studies, home tuition may be necessary to help you get a quality education.

That’s why you need to work with the best professional tutors who will cater to your needs and assist you with your studies.

Seniors, do you know that 3% off your grocery’s expenditure can go a long way towards stretching your retirement budget? A recent study published indicated that single elderly Singaporeans need $1,379 a month to meet basic living standards. (Source: Straits Times) Therefore, 3% off the grocery bill can really make a meaningful difference in savings during one’s retirement. Thankfully, Giant is extending its promotion of 3% off on weekdays for Seniors (aged 60 and above) from 30 July to 31 December 2021!

3% off for Seniors on weekdays*

Previously, Giant has been providing 3% discount to seniors who shop at its stores from Monday to Friday, which was supposed to end on 30 July 2021. To further help senior citizens stretch their dollar through these challenging times, Giant has decided to extend its popular senior citizen’s discount programme all the way to 31 December 2021!

Let’s not forget that this 3% discount is in addition to the everyday savings across hundreds of daily essentials under Giant’s “Lower Prices That Last” campaign. Thus, senior citizens can rest assured that they can get the most value from shopping at Giant.

Prioritising Health and Safety

By extending this popular weekday promotion, Giant is encouraging seniors to come and shop during weekdays when it is off-peak and the stores would not be as crowded. As a caring retailer that put customers’ health and safety as a top priority, Giant is also working to establish permanent dedicated priority checkout lanes at all Giant hypermarket and supermarket stores to shorten waiting time for seniors. This will be on top of Giant’s existing priority shopping hour every Tuesday and Wednesday from 8am to 9am for them. All these in-store measures are implemented to ensure that Giant provides a safe shopping environment for seniors, especially as they are more likely to shop for their groceries physically.

Yes, children and grandchildren, you can be assured that your parents/grandparents will enjoy a safe and convenient shopping environment at Giant.

An Affordable Grocery Chain

During a period whereby the economy is uncertain and inflation impending, extending 3% off groceries for our seniors every weekday is definitely a strong sign of commitment from Giant to remain an affordable grocery chain that seniors can trust for VALUE and FRESH products. Indeed, it’s the little things that make a Giant difference! Share the good news with your loved ones today!

*Terms and conditions apply.

Four Ways To Cultivate The Winning Mindset

Known for its prestige and diversity, the 2020 Summer Olympics is an ongoing international multi-sport event. It is currently being held from 23 July to 8 August in Tokyo, Japan. The Olympic athletes that represent their countries are no strangers to pressure. These athletes spend almost their entire lives to train for their events. Can you imagine their overwhelming emotions moments before the competition with the world watching their every move?

Olympic athletes know that challenges and setbacks are natural parts of life. However, the way we handle stress sets us apart. Physical training and mental toughness are crucial to success. Fortunately for us, mental toughness can be developed over time.

On that note, here are some strategies that you can employ to cultivate the “winning mindset”.

#1: MANAGE YOUR MINDSET

Olympian and Sports Psychologist Nicole Forrester studied how some Olympic athletes achieve their aspirations while others fall short. She observed that differences appear through mental skills training. She describes mental skills as the key to help athletes elevate confidence, manage stress, and block distractions. In fact, mindset was listed as the reason why Canada’s swimmer Penny Oleksiak secured the Olympic gold medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“If you dream and you allow yourself to dream, you can do anything.” – Clara Hughes, one of Canada’s most decorated Olympians

#2: GROW YOUR TALENT

Do not rely on talent alone. Steve Canal, author of The Mind of a Winner, once said: “We all are good at something, but a winning mindset understands that the difference between making it a hobby, or a business is the discipline and work you put behind it.” Growing your talents involve discipline and hard work. You need to pour your attention and efforts to improving and applying the talents that you have.

Consistent top performers do not rely on mere talents. They continuously work on their craft and investigate their weaknesses. Then, they find ways to target and improve these weaknesses.

#3: SEEK MOMENTUM

To become successful, you must be aware of the factors that involve your path. Moreover, you must be willing to pour all your resources to achieve it. You need to create a strong momentum to keep developing a winning mindset.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

This momentum can start by having a great purpose. For instance, a businessman can stay motivated by the idea that achieving a specific goal would help the business flourish.

“This moment is not about me, it’s really for my country, it’s about all my coaches, my friends, my family that believed that when I was a six-year-old kid that I could do it.” – Joseph Schooling, Singaporean swimmer & Olympic athlete

#4: TAKE ACTION

No matter how strongly you envision something, you cannot think your way to success. You must act! Many business leaders spend their time analyzing their next move that they become risk-adverse and stagnant. As a result, these people can miss out opportunities to learn from their mistakes. Innovation and upgrades are necessary to keep up with the contemporary world.

Pushing yourself beyond your perceived limitations will help you become a better (tougher) version of yourself. After all, most winners take risks and step out of their comfort zones.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Remember that winning mindsets are not innate. They are developed!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

5 Surefire Ways To Avoid Spending Too Much Money On Junk Food