Anna Agoncillo, Author at MoneyDigest.sg

Will Mixing Other Brands Of Petrol Harm Your Car?

As you may know, petrol prices in Singapore remain unchanged despite the plunge in oil prices. According to Bloomberg, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude was at a record low of US$1.69 last Monday (April 20). While, Brent crude was at US$25.92 compared to the US$74 usual price 12 months ago.

If you are happy with the performance of your usual petrol, that is great! You can stay loyal to that brand. However, unsatisfied customers may still search for another brand. To save money during tough economic crisis, will mixing other brands of petrol harm your car?

A short answer – it will not. Usually, any commercially available gasoline that passes industry standards would suffice for almost any gasoline-powered vehicle. Putting a higher-octane petrol into your car will neither help nor hurt your car’s performance despite the variations among engines.

The answer may vary from person to person, even among drivers who own the same vehicular models. You see, some people are strictly following the required octane fuel that their vehicles need. This is often due to the engine incompatibility with additive packages in premium fuels. Nonetheless, the brand that will give you the best fuel economy for your driving habits is the best one for your car.

To determine this, you need to monitor your fuel consumption over two to four full tanks. How often do you have to refill your car’s petrol on a monthly basis? Throughout this time, make the conscious effort to note down any driving conditions that you may encounter. The objective is to establish an average of your fuel consumption. The next step is to factor the cost per liter of your chosen fuel and switch to the other brand. Consider significant differences between the two.

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For safety purposes, please do not let your fuel run down the manufacturer’s recommended rating for your car. Check your owner’s manual thoroughly beforehand to cover all your bases. At the end of the day, it is all about choosing the petrol that will best suit your car and your needs. Most of the time, brands have very little to do with it.

Sources: 1 & 2

Why Working From Home Mashes Dark And Light Sides

Ever wondered what it was like to work from home (WFH)? Wish granted! In line with the social distancing measures posed by the Government, most of the Singaporeans are now working from home. It allows you to earn Singaporean dollars despite being in your pajamas. However, what most people do not know is that this perk come with a price.

Your ability to glide through the setbacks of the home office depends on your personality. For instance, people who are disciplined or conscientious can easily work through the domestic tides. While, people who are procrastinators or crammers may have a hard time fighting the distractions at home. On that note, here are the light and dark sides of WFH.

LIGHT SIDE

It goes without saying that WFH enables you to become your own boss. Without a manager in sight, your deeply rooted passion will motivate you to be creative and productive. You make your own schedule and rules. To illustrate this, a 2014 Stanford University study allowed call-center employees to WFH.

Graduate student James Liang and his Economics professor allowed Ctrip’s employees the opportunity to work from home in a period of 9 months. Ctrip is a travel website owned by Liang himself. The study found that the remote employees had higher productivity levels (13.5%) and lower chances of quitting (50%) compared to their counterparts. Moreover, these remote employees reported that they are happier with their job. Imagine the output that satisfied employees produce!

According to Liang and his professor, the positive results may be attributed to the quieter space that the employees created for themselves. You are free to paint the walls blue or to have classical music on the background as you freshen up your own working environment.

Apart from that, setting your own work hours enables you to do more of the things you want such as baking or teaching your children how to read. You may also initiate a video conference with your workmates whom you miss.

DARK SIDE

As with everything, there are two sides of a coin. A pervasive drawback of WFH is the vulnerability to distractions such as noisy family members, accessible electronic devices, and abundant chores. Chores do not seem to end for some reason!

There is a considerable lack of separation between work and home during the initial stages of having a home office. Based on personal experience, there were days when I worked beyond my designated hours. The absence of a management enforcing strict working time may add to the pressure of grinding endlessly. Case and point, I work on weekends too.

Higher utility costs is inevitable if you barely leave your house. Lastly, you may experience negative states as you were plucked from the “interpersonal office environment”. I am referring to feelings of isolation, depression, and loneliness. This can be prevented if you stay in touch with your co-workers.

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The current situation opens our eyes to the wonders and the unpleasantness of working from home. Comparisons aside, accepting the reality and working with your at-home environment will enable you to embrace the work-from-home structure.

Advantages Of Having Multiple Sources Of Income

Times are tough. Amidst the chaos, who does not have an additional source of income? Side hustles are lifelines in this ever-changing economy. As my full-time position is on halt due to school closures, I exhausted all of my efforts in writing for a couple of websites.

Having multiple income streams allows you to secure your savings in the long run. If you are working full-time as a teacher and are selling cupcakes on Instagram, then you have two income streams. Say you are an investor too! That grows your income streams to three. Not to mention, you may also earn money by selling your stock photos online. That will enable you to generate income from four streams.

As you can imagine, maintaining a day job and running multiple side hustles can be quite overwhelming. Such endeavors require a considerable amount of time, effort, and commitment. However, you cannot deny the benefits of having multiple sources of income!

#1: BROADER SKILL SET

Your multiple streams of income allows you to experience different issues and solutions. It will widen your skill set. Some experiences will call for an analytical mindset, while others will require your creative juices. You have to be able to adjust to the demands of your tasks.

You can develop new skills as a result. Not only can this be extremely gratifying, but they also provide you with an extra layer of security should you apply for a promotion or leave your job.

#2: FINANCIAL SECURITY

It does not take a genius to conclude that leaving your fate in several wheels will expand your chances of winning. Industry wages simply have not caught up with inflation over the years. Even if your job provides you a six-figure paycheck monthly, that goes out the window once you hit retirement age.

Multiple streams of income creates a good safety net. You may also invest some of your extra income to a diverse portfolio.

#3: WIDER NETWORK

Having multiple businesses or positions allows you to meet different people and acquire several partnerships. In the age of social media, opportunities to collaborate with big brands or personalities are as abundant as ever.

Do not underestimate the power of a useful content. You will never know who might be reading, watching, or listening!

#4: BETTER MINDSET

There is a learning curve to all of this. Do not feel bad if you stumble during the initial phases. Your first attempt to sell your items online may not be successful, but you have learned valuable lessons along the way. Use what you learned in digital marketing and e-commerce to provide better consumer services on your second round.

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According to Meir Ezra: “Your income is proportional to your control.” The willpower to control your finances is in your hands. The future is in your hands. Start growing your income today! Chances are, you already have a few ideas tucked away anyway. So, do your research and char potential clients and suppliers. Your bank account will thank you later.

7 Exercises You Can Do At Home While In Quarantine

As new COVID-19 cases continue to emerge in the country, the World Health Organization has urged individuals to stay healthy while in self-quarantine. In Singapore, all fitness centers and stadiums have been closed. Running outdoors does not require wearing a mask. However, walking outside of your house does.

Staying at home for prolonged periods of time can pose a significant challenge for remaining physically active. Do not succumb to the negative health effects of sedentary behavior! Exercise at home!

#1: JUMP ROPE

There is a reason why boxers incorporate the classic jump rope to their training. It improves a range of skills such as balance, stamina, endurance, and coordination. Not to mention, this lightweight and tangle-resistant rope is adjustable for different heights.

#2: MEDICINE BALL

While I will not require you to spend a huge amount of money on a full set of medicine balls, you may invest in one or two of them. Medicine balls are about the size of a Basketball, but can weigh from 2 to 30 pounds. Use these weighted balls to support your ab exercises. Ultimately, it is fantastic for building your upper-body power. Try throwing it against the wall or to a partner.

#3: CARDIO WORKOUT

For only 7 minutes, you will be able to compete a full-body workout using the free app called Seven. According to the website: “Seven’s workouts are based on scientific studies to provide the maximum benefit in the shortest time possible.” Tailor-made workouts target your goal areas to make sure you get the most out of your training.

#4: RESISTANCE BANDS

Resistance bands are cheap, convenient, and light. They retail for about S$3.90 at Decathlon. Toss a couple of resistance bands in your drawer to enjoy the 20 to 50 pounds of resistance in aid of your strength training. Research about the poses that you can do with it.

#5: 3-MOVE CARDIO CHALLENGE

Created by Eisinger, this 3-Move Cardio Workout for beginners will help you get your day started. It consists of the skater, three-point toe touch, and flutter kick. If you are starting out, try each move for 30 seconds with a pause of 30 seconds in between. You may increase the length of each move as you get the hang of these exercises.

Full workout here.

#6: PILATES

My mother is a Pilates instructor. She believes that a Pilates workout is helpful for your core and glutes muscles. Small and controlled movements are essential to hone specific muscles. Complete the 10-minute Pilates workout once or twice a week.

Full workout here.

#7: YOGA

I am a firm believer of the benefits of rhythmic breathing with a series of flowing movements. This practice is called Yoga. Empty your mind as you focus on the physical aspects of this discipline. Moreover, you will be able to enhance your flexibility and balance. Since I cannot practice Hot Yoga anymore, I delight myself with a couple of Yoga exercises found in YouTube. Choose a video length and a difficulty level that you are most comfortable in.

Start small with EkhartYoga:

You are now looking to the future with hope and expectations. What better investment could you make than with your own health?

Singapore Eateries That Can Deliver To Your Doorstep

As one of my parents reach the ripe age of 50, we have planned a special celebration that will gather all our loved ones. Enter COVID-19! The pandemic has halted several gatherings such as graduations, weddings, and funerals. With that being said, my parent’s birthday is no exemption.

We need to be creative as it will happen in two weeks time. Thankfully, there are several local businesses that host their delivery services through various apps such as foodpanda and GrabFood. Foodpanda is helping business owners by speeding up the on-boarding process and by offsetting related fees.

GrabFood has signed up hundreds of F&B businesses to its food and goods delivery platforms over the past month. Moreover, they help small local businesses by creating the “Local Heroes” icon. This will increase the visibility of highly-rated small businesses.

If you are not part of these apps, you may consider the following food websites that offer delivery services islandwide.

#1: SHO YAKITORI

Website: click here

Satisfy your Japanese food cravings by placing an order at Sho Yakitori through their Whatsapp number: +6596409321. Sho Yakitori specializes in Unagi (eel), Hitsumabushi, Yakitori, and Sushi. They offer bento sets and sides too. Surely, my sister will will place many orders of Japanese food during the circuit breaker period.

#2: NAGA IMO

Website: click here

Another Japanese restaurant that flourishes through its delivery services is Naga Imo. Naga Imo is originally located at Club Street. It serves a wide variety of Japanese dishes, which you can get by contacting them at 9638 8182 or 8595 5111. Orders above S$60 are free of charge.

#3: SOCIAL PLACE

Website: click here
Best known for serving contemporary Chinese cuisine and dim sum, Social Place is a restaurant hailing from Hong Kong. From now until May 4, Social Place is offering takeaway and delivery services with a minimum order of S$50. This comes along the S$7 delivery fee. For orders of S$100 and above, delivery fees will be waived.

Delivery hours span from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm daily. You may order through the website.

#4: MENYA KOKORO

Website: click here
Sorry for flooding you with Japanese restaurants, but Menya Kokoro is worth mentioning. It specializes in mazesoba. Mazesoba is a type of dry, mixed noodles. It is currently doing deliveries in the Tanjong Pagar area with a minimum order of S$25 and no delivery charge.

Delivery hours span from 11:00 am to 8:45 pm daily. Order by contacting
+65 6443 1727 or +65 9392 2466.

#5: 928 YISHUN LAKSA

928 Yishun Laksa is a hawker stall in Yishun that sells delicious laksa. Delivery services spanning from 10:30 am to 6:30 pm from Monday to Saturday are currently exclusive to Yishun and Khatib. The delivery fee is S$5.

The laksa’s friendly prices come in two sizes:

Small: S$3.00
Big: S$3.50

Image Credits: unsplash.com

You can add ingredients at S$0.50 extra or cockles for S$1 more. To order, contact Glen on WhatsApp at 9278 8282 and complete the payment via PayNow or PayLah.

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