Anna Agoncillo, Author at MoneyDigest.sg

Best Credit Cards for Singapore’s Students

Being a “poor” undergraduate student with little income is not a problem anymore! With credit cards that have a credit limit of S$500 offering tons of rewards on shopping, dining, travel, and more…here are the four Best Credit Cards For Students in Singapore:

4. DBS LIVE FRESH VISA STUDENT CARD

S$500 Credit Limit

Live Fresh Visa card is designed especially for tertiary students who want to manage their spending comfortably while still enjoying its rewards. The DBS reward points are accumulated for every S$5 charge on your card. It can be exchange with a wide range of shopping, dining, and travel deals. It has no minimum income requirement and the annual fee of S$64.20 is waived for 5 years!

3. MAYBANK EVIBES CARD

S$500 Credit Limit

Maybank’s eVibes card is available for tertiary students or working adults aged 18 to 30. Its credit limit allows clients to spend within their means. With a S$0 annual fee and S$0 minimum annual income required, it is really an ideal credit card for every student. Although there is a quarterly service fee of S$5 but it is waived when you pay using your card once every 3 months.

Get 1% of cash rebates for everything you purchase! And, easily track your expenses online at any time.

2. STANDARD CHARTERED MANHATTAN CREDIT CARD

S$500 Credit Limit

Are you a student wanting to indulge your bountiful appetite and thirst for films? Then, Manhattan is the right card for you. Enjoy 15% off your total bill at Harry’s Bar and Restaurant or S$1 off per movie ticket plus a free popcorn combo set at the Cathay Cineplexes. What’s more? You get .25% cash back for all retail spending, 20% off from items at Nature’s Farm, and 15% off from items at Oroton. Aside from these benefits, the annual fee of S$30 is waived for the first year and there is no minimum income required.

1. CITI CLEAR CARD

Dreaming of having free entry to Zouk and 1-for-1 drinks at wine bar one of these days? Or how about having exclusive deals at good restaurants such as db Bistro, Shin Kushiya, and The Chop House? Dream no more students! With Citi Clear card, you will be pleased with benefits in dining, clubbing, petrol, shopping, and more.

Dining

10% Citi Rebate at Starbucks

5% Citi Rebate at Burger King

Entertainment

Free entry and 1-for-1 drinks at Zouk

10% off total bill at Wala Wala Café Bar

15% off ala carte food menu at Beer Market

Petrol

10% discount at Esso stations

Shopping

6% cash rebate at Tangs

Worry not about your qualifications because there is no minimum income required and besides the annual fee of S$29.96 is waived the first year. Best of all? Upon application, you get S$30 Havaianas or CommonThread voucher.

7 Free Apps That Will Make Your Life In Singapore Better

Did you know that in 2011, CNN dubbed Singapore as the “2nd Coolest Nation in the World” because of its technology savvy nature? Most of the nation’s population is computer literate that even children aged 4 are encourage to use laptops in some learning centers. This is why it comes as no surprise that there are a lot of Apps out there that are making living in Singapore easier. Here are some of the good yet free apps available on the market now…

1. WHERETOGO.SG

Available on ITunes and Google Play

Do you find yourself lost in this fine city and short of cash? Fret not. WhereTo.sg App has a complete range of information on ATMs, AXM machines, bus stops, food centers, wet markets, supermarkets, dialysis centers, S’pore Pools outlets and so much more. This App will show you the location of the place, the estimated time, the exact distance, and the establishment’s operating hours.

2. MOH IHEALTH SG

Available on ITunes and Google Play

Wishing you can easily search for Singapore’s healthcare establishments and healthcare professionals? Wish granted! Lucky for you, Singapore Ministry of Health has compiled a list of clinics locations and its telephone numbers. An interesting feature is that you can view the live feed of the queue in the reception area.

3. SINGAPORE TRANSIT

Available on ITunes

There is a more convenient way to travel. Singapore Transit App has the SMRT rail map, taxi numbers, and bus schedules – all in one handy App.

4. ICHANGI

Available on ITunes, Google Play, and BlackBerry Webstore

Are you traveling through Changi Airport soon or maybe just picking up some of your loved ones? Then feel at ease with the IChangi App. This free app gives you real-time flight arrival and departure information so you would not miss a flight. Its push notifications feature will allow you to receive updates automatically. Information about latest promotions, shopping, dining, and terminal services are also available.

5. THE STRAIT TIMES SOSHIOK

Available on ITunes and Google Play

Shiok, in Singlish, is an expression of excellence or satisfaction. What better way to reach satisfaction than indulging in delectable dishes? The Strait Times SoShiok App is packed with reviews from Strait Times’ food critics. It has restaurant listings that are organized per dish or cuisine. The best thing about this App is its rewards system. Users can win monthly prizes or redeem goodies from their store.

6. HUNGRYGOWHERE

Available on ITunes and Google Play

HungryGoWhere App allows its users to search for island-wide or nearby by dining places arranged per cuisine, price, and distance. You can also post reviews or read articles to check the latest food trends such as the “Top 10 Japanese Restaurant”.

7. HOSAY!

Available on ITunes

Master the language of Singlish with this cool and free App. It comes with 80 unique Singaporean expressions and their meanings. Learn how to pronounce phrases such as “wah lau” or “jialat”. A review by Kitty966 even added that this really funny App has accurate pronunciations.

Image Credits: Hosay! via Itunes

Complete with insults, kopitiam, gambling, and character lingo – this App will surely brush up your Singlish skills while tickling your funny bone.

6 Things Lottery Winners Hid From You

You always see a long queue of diverse people in Singapore Pools outlet. Whether they are young or old, women or men, they all want one thing – to win the jackpot. The truth is, no one really knows what happens next after the winner had claimed the hefty load of cash. Lucky for us, some of the past lottery winners shared their personal experiences.

1. WINNERS ARE STILL BETTING

Past winners are not giving up in hitting the jackpot once more even though they are aware that the chances of winning are remote.

2. IN COMPARISON, MUCH SEEMS LIKE LESS

According to the past winners, after winning they find themselves in a room full of other lottery winners. Some won more than the others. This perceived inferiority made some of them feel poor again.

3. MONEY DISAPPEARS IN A SPAN OF 5 YEARS

Whether the winners won hundred million or a million, about 70% lose the money in five years or less. This is why I suggest you to plan your financial expenditures, make smart consumer choices, and invest in the stock market in case you won. This will help you grow your money and maintain your lavish lifestyle.

4. FIGHT THE IMPULSE

Having loads of money made several of the winners spend it right away. I am not talking of small impulse purchases rather they are serious life choices such as buying a mansion. Now, some of them are selling these said impulse purchases because of its impracticality. The take away from this is that although it is very tempting to spend your money right away, we must handle our money wisely whether it is hundreds or millions. Identify long-term goals first and purchase accordingly.

5. YOUR FRIENDS MAY CHANGE

Due to the sudden change in the winners’ lifestyles, some of their friends seem uninterested in the things they can afford such as flying overseas for the weekend. Also, some so-called friends came up to them with a depressing story and asked for money. Be careful, pretty soon you will know who your true friends are.

6. SHARE YOUR BLESSINGS

What really matters most to the winners is the fact that they are able to help others. When donating money to charity, they suggest to never giving it all at once. This is done one can make sure that the money is spent well.

Image Credits: J. Money via Flickr

Source: Reader’s Digest Magazine January 2014

6 Ways To Slash Your Costly Mobile Phone Bills

Prevent exceeding your monthly budget by taking control over your mobile or hand phone bills. May these tips help you save some of your hard earned money…

1. IDENTIFY YOUR MONTHLY USAGE

Look onto your carrier’s usage information or last month’s billing statement and check your monthly usage. Identify what you really need in terms of number of texts, call minutes, and Internet data each month. Then, start comparing the telecommunication plans available to get the best and cheapest deal.

2. CONTEMPLATE ON YOUR MOBILE PLAN

Examine your plan carefully. What is your telecommunication’s limit for your local and overseas calls, texts, and data usage per month? Does it harmonize with your actual usage? The truth is, majority of people do not maximize the use of their plans. Most under consume and over paying for the phone service they are using. So, consider switching to a lower plan or going on prepaid to save more money and to actually stretch your dollar’s worth.

3. AVOID EXTRA FEE BY COMMITTING TO YOUR CONTRACT

Before you switch to a new telecom, honor your current contract term first. Most companies have a two-year contract. Doing your research on the terms and conditions can save you from paying additional fees.

4. SAVE ON INTERNET DATA USAGE

Avoid exceeding your monthly data allowance by regulating the phone’s settings. For Android users, go to settings then, click data usage to set a limit for a month. If you are using iOS, go to settings then, click cellular to track your cellular data usage every month.

5. USE WI-FI AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

Using 3G or 4G does not only cost you more but it also decreases your battery life easily. Instead, use Wi-Fi whenever possible. Take advantage of the free Internet network services provided by your school or workplace and save money.

6. REDUCE YOUR CALLS AND TEXTS

Use Free Apps that provide call and text services without adding extra charges to your plan since you are using Wi-Fi connection anyway. These free online Apps are Line, Viber, Tango, and Facebook Messenger among others.

Image Credits: Sam Azgor via Flickr

Get Blue Eyes Forever For US$5,000 At Strōma Medical

Whenever we see people with blue or green eyes, we get mesmerized because having these pair of eyes are considered unique in comparison with the norm. Eye color determined by two factors: the pigmentation of the iris and the frequency-dependence of the scattering of light.

If you want to change your eye color temporarily then, you will have to purchase colored contact lenses. For decades it is a characteristic that we cannot change permanently…until now.

A company named Strōma Medical, based in United States, developed a revolutionary technique to permanently alter one’s brown eyes to blue. Inventor and scientist Gregg Homer, JSD (PhD) has patented a non-invasive procedure of using laser through the eyes and it can be performed in under a minute!

PROCEDURE

Dr. Homer said that fundamental principle that makes all this possible is the fact that under every brown eyes are blue eyes. There is just a thin layer of brown pigment that covers the front surface of the iris giving it the color brown. So, the laser will disrupt the layer of pigment and take it away by the innate and gradual process of tissue removal.

For the first few weeks, the irises will become darker. Then once the tissue is totally removed, an underlying natural and permanent set of blue eyes will show. This process takes about several weeks.

SAFETY

Strōma Medical yet to be given the go signal to perform its procedures in the United States but it has performed a number of procedures in Mexico and Costa Rica. As of the present, no adverse effects have been reported. No effect was shown on the patient’s vision since it only treats the patient’s iris. And, pigmentary glaucoma did not occur in their pre-clinical or clinical studies.

Image Credits: Look Into My Eyes via Flickr

Interested to get yours done? Well, you have to pay a fee of about US$5,000 or S$6,945.

Good thing 2 sets of blue colored contact lenses are S$6,900 cheaper than this procedure!

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