Anna Agoncillo, Author at MoneyDigest.sg

7 Ways To Brighten Someone’s Day Without Spending A Fortune

1. START THE WORK DAY RIGHT. Take your co-worker to a hilarious storytelling session at lunch. Laughter has been proven to relax your muscles, trigger the flow of endorphins (happy hormones), and lessen the flow of your stress hormones.

2. MAKE YOUR SISTER SMILE by giving her a color-therapy infused lipstick. Infuse color therapy by picking suitable colors for each mood. If you want to boost your sister’s energy, choose red or orange but, if you want to keep her relaxed choose pink or lavender.

3. SPOIL YOUR SPECIAL SOMEONE. Give your beloved mother or partner the foot spa he or she deserves! Simply, squeeze and release each toe individually from the front to the back and in the spaces. Then, stroke the sole of the foot in crisscross diagonal lines. Continue to do this until the feet feels energized.

4. LEAVE SWEET NOTES FOR YOUR FAMILY.

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Place sticky notes saying thoughtful messages of love and appreciation in your spouse’s wallet, child’s school bag, or your partner’s car. These will surely bring a smile to their faces.

5. BE THE BEST NEIGHBOR YOU CAN BE by bringing your neighbor’s newspaper closer to their door, by baking them cookies during special occasions, and by sharing them great deals you found at Money Digest.

6. BE GOOD TO STRANGERS by holding the door for others especially the elderly. Also, you may the intern at work on how you can help him or her. And, if you see a person who seems to be lost, offer your assistance. It may seem simple at the moment, but not to the people you helped.

7. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

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In order to brighten someone else’s day, you must be in a cheerful disposition. Start by stocking your bedside drawer with pleasurable items such as your favorite scents, your personal keepsakes, and your favorite food. Then, purchase supplies to revisit or encourage a hobby of yours.

Sources: 1 & 2

5 Budget-Friendly Ways To Train Your Brain

We use our brains on a daily basis but, do we bother optimizing its abilities? Well, there are still some people who refuse to let their brain rut. These type of people are curious and intellectually stimulated. If you want to be one of them, start by training your brain with these five ways:

1. TELLING A STORY

Storytelling can strengthen your relationships and help exercise your brain. Its benefits including putting events in a cohesive framework, remembering the events better, associating emotions with the events, focusing on the vital details, and improving your memory in general. In fact, it has been used as a treatment for people with Alzheimer’s disorder.

2. LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE

Studying a new language makes your brain grow as new connections are made in the process. It may be hard at first but, it is surely rewarding. When your brain makes new connections, you will be able to communicate creatively with more people. Learn a new language online without spending a dollar with Duolingo and other resources.

3. PLAYING SUDOKU

Puzzles in general, will help you to concentrate, sleep, and remember better. One type of puzzle that is very popular is the “Sudoku”. Sudoku is a logic-based numeric puzzle with the objective of filling up the whole grid.

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Improve your problem solving skills by downloading free Sudoku puzzle App on your iOS or Android device.

4. WRITING THOUGHTS BY HAND

Writing your thoughts by hand on a piece of paper instead of typing them out on a computer screen, can ignite your creativity and fuel your memory. The act of writing it out by hand can stimulate more parts of the brain than by merely typing it. So, try to write your thoughts with the pen you want then, notice how it changes you.

5. HEARING MUSIC

You can widen your brain’s scope by listening to a genre of music that you are not familiar with. Do this with someone who understands that type of music so, he or she can welcome your questions. Listening to music has many benefits such as soothing stress, improving cognitive function, and helping one perform better in challenging situations.

All you need is to hook up the headsets or earphones to your mobile device and play the music as you travel. By doing so, you not only trained your brain but you also got to play enjoyable tunes! 🙂

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1 & 2

Surefire Ways To Stay Productive At Work

The lack of productivity can lead to stress, missed assignments, overlooked opportunities, demotion, suspension, and even termination. Thankfully, you can gain productivity through healthy and inexpensive ways. All you have to do is to feel great. You read that right! If you feel better holistically, you become an efficient worker.

So, stay productive at work with these five tips:

1. WAKE UP EARLY

Waking up early gives you an opportunity to get more things done and to earn more in the process. Also, mornings are usually the time when your brain is most focused and alert. Not to mention, there are fewer distractions in the early hours of the day anyway so you can really achieve more things, smoothly.

2. PLEASE TAKE BREAKS

Much like a computer, your brain will needs resetting, refreshing, and de-fragmenting of data in order for the information and memory to be in order. And, if you are able to organize your memory and thoughts properly, you will be able to receive and digest new information easily. Furthermore, you can even solve the problems you had pending! A good 5-20 minutes of break will do the trick.

3. AVOID DISTRACTIONS

In a world where the Internet rules, you must avoid distractions by closing tabs that you do not need, keeping your phone on silent, and by not logging onto your social media accounts. If your browser and phone are kept away and only to be used in emergency cases then, you will find yourself to be more productive than ever!

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4. REGULAR EXERCISE

A study found that 30-60 minutes of lunch break spent on exercise boosted the workers’ overall performances by approximately 15%. These employees reported better time management skills, increase in satisfaction, and increase in ability to meet the deadlines. Thus, taking a break to keep your blood pumping at work can elevate your productivity.

5. GET QUALITY SLEEP

Getting enough sleep brings you more energy and mental clarity. If your new sleeping arrangement does not seem to work, you can consider to take polyphasic sleep. Polyphasic sleep is a practice of sleeping multiple times throughout the day. It is usually consist of sleeping more than the two times a day. In result, you spend more time awake each day and that could make you more productive.

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Sources: 1 & 2

6 Things That Will Sabotage Your Chances At Job Interviews

Knowing how to smoothly glide through a job interview with grace is highly desirable.

Avoid common interview mistakes by following these six tips:

1. SHOWING UP LATE

It is certainly obvious why showing up late can blow your chances of getting the job. It gives a sense of irresponsibility. Counter this by scheduling your arrival at least 20 minutes in advance so you can find a parking spot or have leeway in case you get lost. Also, the extra 5 to 10 minutes will give you the enough head start to prepare for the challenge ahead.

2. COMING CLUELESS

Coming unprepared is unacceptable that you might as well just walk out of the room. Take some time to learn about the company and the duties of the position you are applying for. Gather data on the company’s basics such as the its mission and vision because this will help you answer the questions later on. Also, prepare extra copies of your C.V. or resume.

3. LEAVING YOUR PHONE ON

It is very disruptive if your Smartphone or mobile device rings in the middle of the interview. Not to mention, it is rude. So if you want to please your interviewer, remember to turn your phone off or to keep it on silent mode.

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4. TALKING ABOUT MONEY

Talking about your potential salary or potential raise can send a wrong message to your “would be employer”. Thus, you must not speak about money unless you are asked.

5. NOT TALKING AT ALL

Talking about money is one thing, not talking is another. Skipping the interviewer’s questions is undesirable. Do not be shy to ask for the interviewer to repeat the question if you did not understand it at first. Then, speak up. Speaking up will show that you are interested in the job.

6. SAYING THAT YOU HAVE OTHER OFFERS

Do not go rumbling about your other offers or mention that you are in the early stages of screening in other companies. You must show the interviewer that you are 100% passionate about the position you are applying for!

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Good luck! 🙂

Sources: 1 & 2

Every Singaporean’s Survival Guide To Working Overseas

It is undeniable that having a global outlook and international experience are desirable characteristics that employers sought for. Working alongside people from different cultures can open a lot of opportunities. For instance, Brazil and Mexico have skills shortage, particularly in life sciences, finance, and engineering. Going to Hong Kong for business is an attractive option too because English is widely spoken.

So, if your heart is set to living and working outside Singapore, here are a few smart tips you shall consider:

1. RESEARCH , RESEARCH, RESEARCH

As an independent employee working abroad, you have many responsibilities to fill. From getting legal documents to opening bank accounts and learning the local language, you must research the needed requirements beforehand. Start by browsing the web or asking your friends and family about the foreign land. Also, you can go on an educational trip at your chosen country. For instance, you can extend your vacation to finalize whether or not you are willing to move in abroad. Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the working and living conditions.

Then, keep in mind that the Singaporean passport is a powerful means of travel. Singapore citizens have visa-free or visa on arrival access to about 169 countries. You would not have to apply for visa in United States of America and People’s Republic of China. But, visa is required in countries such as Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

2. KNOW YOUR OWN RIGHTS

It is important to know your own rights as you are required to pass contracts, permits, taxes, and so much more. The first thing you shall be familiar with is the length of your stay. For most countries, your length of stay depends on the length of your employee contract. And, once your contract expires, you must find a different way to stay legally in the country.

3. KEEP A FRUGAL MINDSET

You are diving in the foreign country alone…with no access to affordable food at the “Hawker Centres”, what shall you do? Well, you must budget your money and do your best to save extra cash for emergencies. Know how much you will need for food, housing, transportation, and other expenses every month. Then, plan your living costs accordingly. Seek help from your local friends to make your life easier.

4. BE SAFE

You are not living in one of the safest countries with a safety index of 82.92! While you are living and working overseas, you are accountable for the laws of that country. Do not take them lightly and respect them instead. Stay safe by avoiding walking alone at night and by keeping your money in more than one location.

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Sources: 1 , 2 , 3 , & 4

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