Anna Agoncillo, Author at MoneyDigest.sg

4 Ways to Negotiate Salary Increase Efficiently

Many are afraid or shy to ask for more money and better working conditions.

You may be afraid of the negative reactions you are expecting to get such as dismay, shock, embarrassment or being fired from the job.

But, whatever the reason may be, you are letting your long-term opportunities to be flushed away.

Negotiating a salary is a conversation that aims to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours. Everyone with the right Psychological strategy and conversation tools can sway the opinion of another through a pleasant negotiation.

Here are 4 Ways to help you Negotiate Salary Increase Efficiently…

1. ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE

There are many people who hardly negotiate at interview, and during employment, they fail to negotiate a pay raise. If you do not ask then you won’t get it.

Realize that your bargaining strength is all in your head. If you act as though you are prepared to walk away from a deal unless you achieve your desired goal, your bargaining partner will be far more eager to meet your requirements.

2. BE AWARE OF YOUR CAPABILITIES AND BOUNDARIES

As I said, your bargaining strength is all in your head, so are your assumptions about yourself and your job. Negative assumptions (e.g., I am inexperienced, I shall not ask because of the bad economy, and I am not capable of doing all the job requirements) hinder the person to negotiate for a pay rise.

Evaluate these assumptions because you may fail to realize that the company needs you as much as you need them.

Believe that you are worth it. Throughout the negotiation interview, you shall highlight how much of an asset you are to the company and prove how you are the best candidate for the job.

3. ASK FOR MORE THAN YOU ACTUALLY WANT

Your first offer must be slightly higher than what you want to avoid remorse and to give you a room to bargain. It uses the door-in-the-face technique wherein the employee starts with a huge and unreasonable request in order for the employer to settle with a smaller request.

Image Credits: Roy Blumenthal via Flickr

4. COMPETE

Negotiating a salary is a conversation that aims to reach an agreement with someone whose interests are not perfectly aligned with yours. Negotiating your salary is also a game with all of its players attempting to dominate each other. Dominate the game by researching all the needed information.

Go in-depth about the complete aspects of the job and the company. Also, collect data about the average pay and accurate salary opportunities in your position.

Use persuasion and assertion if necessary because research show that competition is a successful negotiation strategy (Marks & Harold, 2011).

Sources: Spring and Wealth Informatics

4 Ways to Boost Your Travel Fund

How can you pay for trips if your budget is too tight? Certainly, saving for travel money is not an easy task, which is why a sparkle of effort is needed to turn your dreams into reality.

Here are 4 Ways to Boost Your Travel Fund…

1. SELL YOUR UNWANTED OR UNUSED ITEMS ONLINE

Anything that is still in good condition and has a credible brand name will be flocked over by buyers. Even your old furniture can be sold in online sites such as Carousell and Gumtree. Nonetheless, you can always sell your precious items to your close family and friends through a Facebook group.

Rules on selling include: be honest with the product’s flaws, have a simple and accurate description, and charge right for postage.

The popular and safe websites (or mobile apps) for selling are:

a. eBay
b. Gumtree
c. Carousell
d. Facebook

2. INDULGE ON AIR MILEAGE CREDIT CARDS

Some companies such as Citibank or Virgin offer a significant amount of air miles every time you purchase. Once you have an air mileage credit card and use it abundantly (within your needs), you may even book your flight for free!

Image Credits: William Cho via Flickr

3. CONTROL YOUR UNNECESSARY BUYING INSTINCTS

Stop buying useless things that you do not need. Rethink if buying overpriced coffee rather than making your own coffee at work saves you more. Instead of buying lunch, pack your own lunch for at least 2 months. It will not only save more money, but it will reduce waste. It may seem simple, but these unnecessary expenses add up.

4. BE PATIENT

If you need to purchase something for your trip, wait for sale to come around or buy the last season’s model. When selling your items, you must be okay to accept an item price for less. You must practice the virtue of patience, as you wait for the right time before you may be able to travel.

6 Ways to Save Money as a Yoga Teacher

Various people have an impression that Yoga is expensive or that Yoga is only for the elites.

Compared to a monthly gym membership, perhaps Yoga can be considered expensive. Clothes, mats, and other props can be costly. But, if you prioritize the practice of awareness rather than flaunting for fashion then you may find yourself saving a lot more.

As Yoga teachers, you get to immerse yourself deeper in the practice and its doctrines. You become less interested in wastefulness and more interested in conservation. With that in mind, here are 6 Simple Ways to Save Money as a Yoga Teacher…

Image Credits: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas via Flickr

1. SAVE ON YOGA TOPS

Jessica Matthews, writer on “American Council on Exercise”, suggests that you can wear a simple tank top a fitted and stretchy t-shirt, or a sportswear top, whether or not they were designed specifically for Yoga. An inexpensive top or shirt can be just as comfortable as the designer ones.

2. MANAGE YOUR INCOME AND EXPENSES

In order for you to decide on how much you shall save, first you must be aware of how much you are spending. The typical things you will track as an expense are costs on training, travel, clothing, and books. The challenge now is for you to choose on which expenses you can reduce.

3. MAKE YOUR OWN YOGA PROPS

Abby Lentz, founder of the “HeavyWeight Yoga classes”, shared some Do-It-Yourself Yoga Props.

a. Yoga Blocks

It is possible to make a handcrafted Yoga Block if you have bulky, unused or old books, yellow pages, phone books, and dictionaries. Just slip a pace of hard cardboard halfway between the pages of the book to make it sturdy and tightly tape the entire areas close.

b. Yoga Straps

You can make your own Yoga strap by knotting two neckties together. You may also use a second-hand bathrobe sash from the thrift shop as branded Yoga straps are just made with cotton straps with buckles.

Image Credits: Roy Blumenthal via Flickr

4. PRACTICE AT HOME

Doing Yoga at home along with a video or audio companion is definitely more cost-effective than attending classes. The Internet has an abundant index of Free Yoga videos, health information, and Yoga poses catalog that you may use.

If your studio benefits include free classes, then take advantage of it. Aside from exercising, you will get a chance to study how different teachers conduct their classes.

5. INVEST IN THE BASICS

Two dollars for a mat and a dollar for bottled water may not seem like a lot, but it will quickly add up over time. Instead of buying or renting cheap Yoga mats, invest on a sturdy one that you can use for a couple of years.

Instead of buying mineral water on the studios you practice, buy a cheap water bottle and refill your own water at home. Through these steps, you will not only be able to save money but you will also be able to reduce waste.

6. Aside from saving money on Yoga, you can also save money through Yoga!

Sources: Yogaanonymous and About.com

7 Deadly Investment Sins

The definition of INVESTMENT is as follows: it is money committed or property owned that is acquired for future income. It has two main classes namely: fixed income (e.g., bonds or fixed deposits) and variable income (e.g., property ownership).

Mark Tier, the author of “The Winning Investment Habits of Warren Buffett & George Soros”, argues that they are seven deadly investment sins that unwary investors make.

What is observable with these so-called sins is that they are all irrational investment beliefs. Once you clear your judgment, you can make better financial choices.

SIN #1. BELIEVING YOU NEED TO PREDICT THE MARKET’S NEXT BIG MOVE

Warren Buffett does not believe in predicting the market’s next big move and nor does he care about it. He says that “forecasts may tell you a great deal about the forecaster; they tell you nothing about the future”.

SIN #2. GURU BELIEF

Some people are tempted to listen to “money gurus” that are believed to predict the market. “Media gurus” make their money from discussing about investments, selling their advice or charging fees to manage other people’s money. But, their followers are not all rich. If you could predict the market’s future, wouldn’t you shut your mouth and make a pile of money yourself?

SIN #3. “INSIDE INFORMATION” IS THE WAY TO MAKE REALLY BIG MONEY

Study the companies’ annual reports as Warren Buffett did. He, along with George Soros were once unknown in the investment scenes and now they are making a significant amount of money. You can work your way up the ladder without having to pay for inside information.

SIN #4. DIVERSIFYING

The source of Soros’s success is exactly the same as Buffett’s: a handful of investments that produce huge profits. Knowing the right companies to allocate your money to takes guts, wits, and luck.

SIN #5. TAKE BIG RISKS IN ORDER TO MAKE BIG PROFITS

Like entrepreneurs, successful investors know it is easier to lose money than it is to make it. This is why…they are more concerned with not losing money that making them.

SIN #6. SYSTEM BELIEF

Some people believe that a certain “system” can guarantee investment profits. It is human nature to find patterns and look for the formula. But, by doing so, you are just flushing your money down.

SIN #7. BELIEVING YOU KNOW THE FUTURE AND BEING CERTAIN THAT THE MARKET WILL PROVE YOU RIGHT

This is far more tragic than just believing you can predict the future. The investor who falls under the spell of the seventh deadly investment sin thinks he already knows what the future will bring. Hence, he or she might gamble it all and eventually lose everything.

Image Credits: reynermedia via Flickr

These sins tempt investor and cost them an awful lot of money. This is why it is tantamount to avoid these cognitive illusions.

Sources: Business Dictionary and Wealth Creator

5 Affordable Beauty Hacks You Must Try Now

When you are caught in a beauty dilemma, you need a quick solution! In order for fast action to happen, health care products that are already available can be used.

Here are 5 Affordable Beauty Hacks that can make your life easier…

1. FOR YOUR SHINY FACE

To deal with your shiny face, you may use hand sanitizer or Sticky Notes (e.g. Post-it). Hand sanitizer has “dimethicone” that smoothens the skin like a primer and provides a protective coat locking in moisture. You may use this along the hairline, forehead, T-zone or cleavage.

Post-it or sticky notes remove the excessive oil on your face without ruining your make up. Just peel off a Post-it sticky part then dab it along your T-zone.

2. MULTI-PURPOSE PRODUCTS

Many of the health care products have multiple uses so stretch its capabilities to save more money. Here is a list of 4 multi-purpose products:

a. Toothpaste can double as pimple remover
b. Baby oil can double as a make-up remover
c. Nail polish cannot only personalize your jeans but it can also stop a run in your stockings.
d. Greek yogurt to reduce pimple inflammation and redness

3. FOR YOUR HAIR IRON BURNS

If you accidentally burn yourself with your hair iron or curling stick, use raw honey to alleviate the pain and provide antibacterial protection. Honey also keeps your skin hydrated and smooth.

Image Credits: Maegan Tintari via Flickr

4. FOR YOUR DRY FEET

Debra Jaliman, a dermatologist and author of “Skin Rules”, suggests adding two tablespoons of brown sugar to 1/2 cup of coconut oil to exfoliate dry feet. She says that it helps to get rid of the unwanted dead skin.

5. FOR YOUR UNRULY HAIR

Your hair may either be dry or dull. When this happens, gather the ingredients you have in your kitchen and try these hair masks.

a. Hydrating Mask
Heat up 4 tablespoons of olive oil for 20 seconds then mix it with 2 tablespoons of honey. Apply it in your hair and put a shower cap on for 20 minutes. Then, rinse it.

b. Mask for Shiny Hair
Mash one piece of avocado until the texture is smooth. Then, add 1/2 cup of coconut milk and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Heat the mixture up for 20 seconds. Apply it in your hair and put a shower cap on for 30 minutes. Then, rinse it.

Image Credits: Michal Hadassah

Sources: Stay a Stay at Home Mom and Beauty High

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