Get your llaollao’s fix with the latest promotion from SPH Rewards.
Enjoy your 2nd cup at 50% off by simply cutting out the coupons printed on The Straits Times, page A26. (You can also log into www.sphrewards.com.sg for the coupon.)
You can also enjoy other dining offers such as 20% off Brotzeit Oktoberfest Platter, 50% off 2nd set at Yayoi and 50% off Wings of Time for locals on weekdays!
Don’t forget to share this with your friends and family members!
Terms & Conditions
Valid for small, medium and large cups only. Cup must be of the same size. Not valid with any other promotions, offers or discounts. While stocks last. Valid for redemption only at Capitol Piazza (#B2-29), Marina Link (#B1-04), and Suntec City (#02-313).
The haze is back, and you know what it means: harmful effects to your health. Haze pollutants, which are usually fine particulates, are small enough to be inhaled and penetrate the lungs, causing different respiratory problems and evenpremature death.
While the government works to reduce the impact of haze, you can keep safe with these tips:
Know your risks
The haze pollutants are bad for the health, but they’re more dangerous for certain people. These include:
Children
Pregnant
Elderly people
People diagnosed with heart or lung disease
People who are prone to respiratory problems like asthma
Use the chart below to help you plan your 24-hour activities:
If you have been feeling unwell especially since the beginning of the haze, seek medical help as soon as possible.
Monitor the haze
The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) measures the level of pollution in the atmosphere based on6 factors. In normal conditions, PSI is moderate or between 51 and 100. However, when there’s haze, it can go up to more than 200.
To know whether it’s a good time to put on the mask, go outdoors, or do certain activities,keep track of the PSI readings. The readings may vary from day to day, depending on other weather-related factors such as wind direction and speed as well as presence of rain. It can also be different in terms of location.
Invest in an air purifier
One of the safety precautions you can take if there’s a serious haze is to stay indoors, but sometimes particulates can still get inside your home, not to mention your own house can have plenty of pollutants from dust, mould, and pet dander. To control the ill effects of indoor pollution, buy agood-quality air purifier, which filters and cleans air more effectively than carbon or UV filters.
Air purifiers, depending on factors such as brand and features, are more expensive than filters. To save on costs or to get rewards points, charge this purchase to your credit card. If you don’t have one yet, you can apply for a credit card now and start saving money.
Wear a mask
A mask is your best option if you need to be outdoors and the haze level is unhealthy or critical. The Ministry of Health (MOH) recommends an N95 mask, which is available in major supermarkets and pharmacies such as FairPrice, Cold Storage, and NTUC. They are considered to be at least 95% efficient against particulates from 0.1 to 0.3 microns and 99% against 0.75 microns and above.
There are different types of N95 masks based on comfort, design, and size. Regardless of your choice, these masks must fit your face properly. Below is a guide on how to wear your mask:
Prolonged mask use may cause discomfort and sometimes difficulty in breathing. If this happens, remove the mask and rest. You can also choose not to wear them if you’re indoors or travelling only short distances. These masks can be reused, but they need to be changed if they are already soiled or the shape has been distorted.
Although many sell masks to children, N95 masks are not generally designed for them, so you may want to adjust the length of the cord and carefully pick the right size. Lastly, N95 masks are not surgical masks as the latter cannot offer the same protection against particulates that N95 masks do.
Consider working from home
Ask your boss if you can do your work at home while the haze is still actively present to limit your outdoor movements.
When it comes to fighting the haze, it’s always best to put your safety and health first above everything else.
Singapore isnot cheap, which makes you wonder, how do we thrive? To help us understand better, let’s talk about our cost of living.
Housing
In general, the property prices in Singapore aregoing down, thanks to the efforts of the government, including reducing the loan-to-value ratio and capping home loans up to 35 years. Moreover, you have several property options, although more than 75% of us live inHDB flats, of which the cheapest can be a 2-room home with a possible net selling price (after grants) of $52,000.
But this would need a median income of $1,500 and a monthly instalment to income ratio of 11%. So far, as of 2014, the median income calculated during the mid-year was $3,770. If you can’t afford to buy the property yet or you have no intention of doing so at least within a few years, you can take this time to start saving, managing your debt for a better total debt servicing ratio (TDSR), and comparing mortgage loans.
Healthcare
Singapore promotes a universal healthcare program. Under this are Medisave, Medishield, and Elder Shield, to name a few. A part of our CPF contributions is intended for healthcare by the time we’re old (and, yes, our population is getting way older than before). Other countries have commended ourhealthcare system for having some of the best hospitals and well-trained staff with training and expertise comparable to that of European and North American countries.
But our healthcare isn’timmune to inflation, and premiums for coverage such as Medishield are expected to go up. Moreover, the government provides only subsidies, which means you still have to pay for the remaining healthcare costs. If there’s some good news, it’s that many companies do provide healthcare and even life insurance at no extra cost on your end.
Education
Singapore stresses the huge importance of education, so much so that it allocates at least 20% of its annual budget to it. It is also compulsory for children between 6 and 15 years old, but it’s not unusual to see children as young as 4 to go to school, which means education expenses can also start early, and a nursery class may cost$900 per year. University is expected to go up by as much as $30,600, but subsidies can greatly help by decreasing tuition fees by as much as 26%.
Food
A huge chunk of a family’s budgetgoes to food, and the expenditure keeps on increasing every year. In 2013, the average food expenditure was $1,188, an increase of $239 from 2008. There are two possible explanations for this:inflation and ourpenchant to eat out. We are the highest spenders in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of dining out with a monthly expense of around $324.
Can We Afford It?
The high cost of living, however, is just a partial way of evaluating our capacity to thrive in the country. The much bigger question is if we can afford our necessities. Thankfully, the answer still remains yes.
More households are earning $20,000 and above a month (including CPF contributions), and even if our total household expenditures have gone up through the years, they’re still lower than our average monthly wages.
This doesn’t mean, though, you won’t go bankrupt or continue to live from paycheque to paycheque. Your own spending habits and financial decisions can have a significant impact on your expenses and income. As an example, while you have many choices for credit cards, going for the ones that help youearn rewards with your credit card is more sensible as you can take every dollar you spent further.
To conclude, whether you’re living in Singapore or anywhere else in the world, being financially smart can shield you from all the money woes.
