6 Tried & Tested Tips To Save Money On Lazada Singapore

E-commerce became a staple part of our lives due to the aftermath of the global pandemic. Lazada has always been my go-to online marketplace because of its user-friendly interface and its variety of payment options. Lazada Group is a Singaporean multinational technology company, which centers on e-commerce.

Founded by Maximilian Bittner with the backing of Rocket Internet in 2012, Lazada Group is currently owned by the Alibaba Group after its acquisition in 2016.

Save more money on your next Lazada shopping by following these tips.

#1: SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

Are you new to Lazada? Subscribe to its newsletter to receive instant discount on the site. As a new subscriber, you will be welcomed with a coupon for your first purchase. You can also get access to the latest promotions and receive news of the trendiest products in the site.

#2: SHOP DURING EVENT SALES LIKE 8.8

For those who are not familiar with the event sales, online marketplaces have monthly sales on dates like 8.8 or 11.11. On top of the regular sales during occasions such as Christmas, you can enjoy discounted items during this time.

Not to mention, Flash deals also occur during this period. It is up to you to make the best purchase for your family. The August sale is on 8.8 (August 8 to 10), which is Lazada’s National Day sale.

#3: CHECK OUT THE LAZMALL

If you want to invest on authentic products from your favorite brands such as Philips, Casio, or Lysol, you can go to the LazMall. The Mall is a dedicated space that allows its users to request for a free return of product within its allowed period. You are expected to get 100% authentic products, or you can get your money back. Get two times money back if you get a non-authentic product from the LazMall (T&Cs apply).

#4: DO NOT MISS THE FLASH DEALS

Look out for the Flash deals that happen throughout the day. These deals offer incredible discounts with products costing as low as S$0.50. As these are timed sales, you can set reminders.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Several stores have constant deals too. Just click on the brands that you love.

#5: APPLY VOUCHERS BEFORE CHECKING OUT

Vouchers replenish daily. Claim your vouchers to your heart’s content. Brands offer exclusive vouchers such as free delivery with a minimum amount of spending. You can follow these shops to get updated. Just remember to avail and apply the free delivery vouchers.

Best of all? Lazada partners with different merchants and credit card issuers such as Citibank. You can spend S$250 to get S$250 back in the form of Lazada and RedMart vouchers when you apply for the Citi Lazada Credit Card (T&Cs apply).

#6: SHOP AROUND

It is important to do your research before purchasing anything from Lazada. Read up on the product you intend to buy to prevent buyer’s remorse. This is especially vital when you are making huge purchases such as home appliances or gadgets.

Please read the product description thoroughly and access the warranty and the customer reviews.

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Temasek Foundation Gets Ready For The Distribution Of Free Surgical & N95 Masks

Key Highlights

  • Temasek Foundation will soon provide free surgical and N95 masks to households in Singapore.
  • The Foundation is conducting trials before making it widely available.
  • Households will be able to claim the masks by presenting SP Group bills at various malls and supermarkets.

As new variants and cases emerge, Temasek Foundation is set to distribute free surgical and N95 masks by the end of August. Surgical masks and N95 respirators are examples of personal protective equipment that are used to shield the wearer from airborne particles and other liquid contaminating the face.

The Foundation recently clarified that there were no distribution exercises last August 4, despite the emergence of the banner advertising online. Temasek’s Chief Executive Ho Ching said in a Facebook post that the Foundation is working with CapitaLand malls and participating supermarkets to conduct trial exercises where masks will be distributed when people show their SP Group bills.

In these trial exercises, each household will be entitled to twenty-five pieces of N95 masks and fifty pieces of medical-grade surgical masks.

The mass distribution was intended to start after National Day, but it has since been postponed to the end of August. The distribution exercises could be pushed back to September, should there be any outstanding back-end issues that need to be resolved.

Nonetheless, household representatives are encouraged to reduce plastic waste by bringing their own bags to carry the boxes of masks when the collection begins.

CURBING THE SPREAD OF DELTA

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the world, public health officials are watching certain coronavirus variants and mutations that can be more contagious or fatal than the original strain. The Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, has been found to spread more easily.

As most of us know, the Delta variant is twice as contagious as the other variants that caused COVID-19 last year. This variant entails Singapore residents to wear more effective masks to help bring down the infection numbers.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Noting that each case has an infectivity rate of between five and six people, Ms. Ho Ching said that “80% of the population needs to wear 80% effective masks or better” to curb the spread of the virus. She added that N95 masks can be worn for high-risks jobs such as looking after COVID-19 patients.  The N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and an efficient filtration of airborne particles. The edges of this device are designed to form a seal around the mouth and the nose.

“With the medical grade surgical and N95 masks with effectiveness of 95% or better, we have an additional option for better protection.”

Furthermore, pharmacies will no longer be involved in the mask distribution exercises as these establishments do not have enough space to cater for it.

Sources: 1 & 2

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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

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6 Perks Of Using Instagram For Business

As social media usage continues to increase across all demographics, social media marketing has become a viable strategy for businesses. Social media marketing gives companies a way to engage with existing consumers and reach new ones while allowing the businesses to promote their desired tone, culture, and mission. One of the well-known platforms that Singaporeans frequent is Instagram (IG).

With over a billion users worldwide, it would be foolish to skip on the advantages of using Instagram for your business!

#1: CONNECT TO CLIENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS

Using Instagram allows you to connect to multiple channels to increase your engagement. You can put the Instagram button to your website to connect your clients to your profile.

As they scroll through your gallery of IG photos, clients can click through your account and start following you. They are likely to re-connect with you later.

#2: PROMOTE AUDIO-VISUAL CONTENT

As visual content is more attractive than chunky text, Instagram provides a huge opportunity for marketers to showcase their products or services. Instead of sending your brochure through email, you can use photos and videos to create a more compelling message.

Photos give your business a chance to highlight your products, while videos show your services in action. Post your company background and behind-the-scenes videos to help create your brand’s image.

#3: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE HIGH ENGAGEMENT

When you post something on Instagram, many of your followers are likely to see it.

Image credits: unsplash.com

In 2016, IG users liked over 4.2 billion posts per day. Posts with at least one hashtag got an average of 12.6% more engagement than posts without hashtags. Imagine the difference in these numbers due to the recent global lockdowns.

#4: RE-USE MARKETING MATERIALS

Instead of shelling out cash to hold another photoshoot, you can re-use your existing marketing materials and post them on IG. Re-use these photos across your channels and select the best images for your ads.

As we are all crunched for money and time, it is best to work smart.

#5: RESEARCH WHAT YOUR CLIENTS LIKE

IG allows you to research and learn what your clients like. Use your content insights to understand the preferences of your clients. This is an important tool that help you create an accurate profile of your typical client.

This way, you will be able to improve your marketing strategy and grow the number of verified leads in time.

#6: LOOK FOR BRAND AMBASSADORS

The word of mouth is a powerful marketing strategy. It helps you to convince potential clients as satisfied clients speak on your behalf.

Image credits: unsplash.com

Keep generating good feedback and building stronger relationships with your loyal clients by selecting some of them as your IG brand ambassadors.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

 

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How To Make Better Money Decisions

When it comes to handling your finances well, there is a plethora of information available online and in the nearby library. Educating ourselves and widening our financial literacy is the first step to making better financial decisions.

Often, there is no single path that will lead us to the “right” decision. Instead, we must walk the path using different strategies and methods to come up with the best financial decision. Start with these steps.

#1: EDUCATE YOURSELF

Gather as much information as possible to organize your options and action plan. Although you are inclined to make a gut-driven decision, educating yourself is an important first step. Research shows that gut feelings tend to be more accurate when they are made by experts. Thus, becoming an expert on a certain financial issue can make your intuition more reliable.

#2: INTERVIEW PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR CHOICES

Talking to people who have taken the paths that you are considering will help you see the bigger picture. Choose people who are willing to speak to you with all honesty. Study suggests that this approach can help you make more accurate predictions about your own reactions to potential future events. While no one’s experience will mirror yours exactly, you will be able to learn a lot from these people.

#3: ESTABLISH A LIST OF OUTCOMES

When making decisions, I make it a point to list the possible outcomes of each option. Writing down the outcomes can help you make better decisions. Write down a couple of ways your option can go wrong and highlight how you can potentially lose money. Then, write down the ways your option can go right. This option is a strong contender if you think that there is nothing that can go wrong.

#4: DISCUSS YOUR DECISION

Look for a person whom you trust and respect. Discuss your financial decision with that person. Discussing your decision with others will help you understand the situation at hand. Moreover, you will be able to get feedback from someone who does not have a vested interest or a personal involvement in this decision.

#5: CONSIDER BOTH THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

Improve the quality of your financial decisions by making sure that you strike a balance between what benefits you at the present and future states. Do this by listing down the possible advantages and disadvantages of an option for the short-term. The other list must contain the advantages and disadvantages of the same option in the long run.

#6: GIVE EACH OPTION A TEST RUN

When buying cars, most people take advantage of the test run. With a huge financial investment such as this, people want to make the best decision. Giving each option a test run will enable you to observe how it will impact your life.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Research shows that people tend to make decisions differently depending on their mood. To bypass this bias, you can imagine that you have already made a decision and absorb that choice for a few days. This method allows you to determine how you will feel when you are in a range of different situations. Furthermore, you can gradually test the impact of a financial decision.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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