Anna Agoncillo, Author at MoneyDigest.sg

How To Get Desirable Deals For Your Wedding

Looking for good price deals that match your budget may seem like an impossible task at times – but it need not be. Wedding planners and other experts such as Robin Weil showed ways to make most of your special day without over spending.

1. BE HONEST

It is best to be honest while organizing your wedding so that the businesses can give you every price options to explore. It is okay to have different suppliers; in fact most couples have seven. Keep your payments on track by having an Excel spreadsheet for it.

2. COMMUNICATE WITH TRANSPARENCY

Fear not if you are going to ask for what you really want. The wedding organizer or the suppliers’ are responsible to give you options and to tell you if your ideal wedding may work on your given budget. Communicate clearly and with transparency.

3. GET FREE OR AFFORDABLE MUSIC

Do you want a live band without the hefty costs? Try hiring students from a music college or an independent band. How about saving on music but still having the power over the song selection? Then, consider free music streaming services and make your own playlist.

4. BE VIGILANT IN VENUE HUNTING

Venues can take up most of the couples’ budgets. Some venues have hidden service charges such as corkage fee (fee for bringing your own beverage or alcohol). So, carefully check the quote and have a written agreement.

5. VALUE THE GUESTS

Before settling for a venue, get the approximate number of the guests and wedding crew. It is a rule of thumb to allot about 25 square feet per guest. And, if you really want to cut down on your budget then, narrow your guest list. Eliminating a table of 10 can save you as much as S$1,400.

6. BE DECISIVE

The wedding crew and the suppliers value their time. To help lower the costs, be decisive and support them in spending minimum about of time to achieve the best results.

Image Credits: Kelly Sue DeConnick via Flickr

5 Free Audiobooks Websites For The Savvy Bookworm

Living on the fast-paced millennia, audiobooks combined the best of two worlds namely: text of a good book and the convenience of listening to it. It certainly saves time, effort, and money. But audiobooks are not always inexpensive. Fortunately there are websites that offer the beauty of audiobooks for free. Here are some good ones…

1. LIBROVOX

Librovox asks a group of people to volunteer different parts of the books. This is why you can listen to diverse voices in just one book. But you can search for “solo” if you prefer a singular voice for the whole book. Authors, genres, titles, and languages sort the Audiobooks. The addition of various spoken languages increased the book selection.

2. LOYAL BOOKS (PREVIOUSLY BOOKS SHOULD BE FREE)

Loyal Books offers books for all ages especially to those who love the classics. Most of the books are free because they want the company values the importance of books in our lives. The website offers audiobooks in MP3 or MP4 format. Searching for books is easy as they are organized by top 100, genre, and language. You can also search for a specific book through their “Google search bar”. Good books are easy to separate from the not so good ones because they are all rated and reviewed.

3. OPEN CULTURE

Open Culture is a neat website for educational, cultural, and historical media. From Astronomy, to Economics, and Political Science – they have it all for free. Majorly devoting on the classics, the audiobooks are arranged by genre, and are alphabetically listed following the author’s last name. Also, it allows you to download free courses from various universities in MP3 format or podcasts.

4. LIT2GO

Lit2Go is a well-organized website that gives not just a selection of poems and novels but also its background information. Most of the classic selections, such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Anne of Green Gables are available to download on iTunes. The audiobooks can easily be downloaded in PDF form too so that you can read along or have a guide for your homework’s.

5. PODIOBOOKS

Have you ever thought that Cyberpunk audiobook category is possible? Well it is. Podiobooks offer some of the unique books that are beyond the classics. Browse books by author, genre, new releases, title, and award-winning collections.

Image Credits: The Preiser Project via Flickr

Best of all? The Podiobooks is available to navigate on your Smartphone so you can download and listen simultaneously anytime and anywhere.

4 Ways To Earn And Save Money As A Housewife

Raising children and keeping your home in top shape can be challenging at times. Even though you love to spend more time with your children, money is usually tight when there is only one income in the household. So, knowing ways to earn and save money while you are staying at home sounds like music to your ears. Here are some tips to get you started with…

1. HOBBIES OR BUSINESS STARTERS

Do you love to make cupcakes, jewelry, or essence oils? Turn your hobby into your own business. Be your own boss and master your own schedule by thinking about your skill set and hobbies then, start making an online business out of it. Free platforms for selling or making your own online shop such as: Carousell and Tictail, are available online.

2. STAY-AT-HOME NANNY SWAP

Instead of paying costly bills on daycare or babysitting, have another stay-at-home mom to take turns in taking care of your children. Watch your friend’s children for one weekend then, she will watch yours for the next. This will not only save you money but it will also give one day off for you to relax and run errands.

3. TIDY UP AND SELL STUFF ONLINE

Tidy up the clutter in your closet and find the things that you deem to be unused or underused because you can sell them online. The old clothing articles of your children that are still in good condition can be sold too. How about the costumes that you only used once? Get rid of it and earn money simultaneously.

Try selling your items to the worldwide marketplace platform of eBay and Gumtree. And, consider selling your items to your friends and family by posting an ad on Facebook. Save money by buying bargain items in these sites.

4. BECOME A SALES REP

A sales representatives or brand ambassadors sell household, beauty, or health products in their own ways. Join millions of independent ambassadors of Avon or MaryKay Singapore.

Have the freedom to design a schedule that works for you without thinking of building a business from ground up and still be able to nurture your loving children!

7 Easter-Worthy Kitchen & Dining Items Under S$25

We are about 3 weeks away from Easter. It is the time for egg hunting, Easter bunny, and family gatherings. Celebrate this special occasion of hope and fun with these 7 affordable Easter-themed Kitchen and Dining ideas…

1. BUNNY PLATES (SET OF 4)

Crate & Barrel, S$19.95. Buy it here.

Image Credits: www.crateandbarrel.com

Crate & Barrel is full of beautiful festive items for Easter. Kicking it off with a set of four assorted colored plates with lovely bunnies pattern that will truly make dining delicious. These plates are 100% porcelain with dimensions of 8″ diameter and 0.75″ height. What’s more? It is dishwasher, oven, and microwave safe.

2. PHOEBE EGG CUP

Crate & Barrel, S$3.95. Buy it here.

Image Credits: www.crateandbarrel.com

This egg cup designed by Olivia Barry can be a center piece to show off your decorative easter egg or you may fill the table with a couple of this sculptural blue glass egg cup. It is made with 100% pressed soda lime glass and is dishwasher safe.

3. WILTON HOP AND TWEET EASTER BUNNY EGG AND TREAT STAND

Bake It Yourself, S$10.50. Buy it here.

Image Credits: www.b-i-y.com

This two-tiered treat stand serves as an entertaining piece to showcase your plain or painted Easter eggs along with sweets or cupcakes. It can hold about 16 cupcakes and a dozen of mini treats that the kids would really want. It is easy to assemble with a manual included.

4. CERAMIC MINI BUNNIES

Crate & Barrel, S$9.95 each. Buy it here.

The ceramic mini bunnies come in the smooth shade of yellow and blue. What an adorable display to bring an extra Easter flare to your simple table! To clean, just wipe it off with damp cloth.

Image Credits: www.crateandbarrel.com

5. BUNNY SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS (SET OF 2)

Crate & Barrel, S$9.95. Buy it here.

Image Credits: www.crateandbarrel.com

Designed by Olivia Barry, the 100% porcelain salt and pepper shakers are both charming and elegant pieces. As it comes with a designed box, you may either place it on your kitchen or give it as a gift for your family and friends. Simply hand wash this set to clean.

6. SUNFLOWER BAKING MOULD

Lemon Zest, S$12. Buy it here.

Image Credits: www.lemonzestlife.com/sg

Located at Holland Village, Lemon Zest has a wide array of stylish kitchen products that they constantly update. This sunflower baking mould goes well with Easter bunny cookies or egg treats. It comes in assorted colors at an affordable price.

7. WILTON TEXTURED COMFORT GRIP BUNNY WITH MINI COOKIE CUTTER

Bake It Yourself, S$6.90. Buy it here.

Image Credits: www.b-i-y.com

The textured cushion grip makes the bunny cutter safe and easy to handle. It also comes with a bunny tail or flower cookie cutter. Since it has a stainless steel cutter, it makes it possible to cut other treats such as brownies and sandwiches. Best of all? The cute set is rust-resistant so it would last long.

Secrets That Are Possibly Hidden By Your Life Insurance Agent

Not all life insurance agents are trusted advisors. So, the simplest way to prevent being exploited is to seek for an independent agent that will save you time and money. Here are the other secrets that your Life Insurance Agent may be keeping from you…

1. THEIR INCOME IS BASED ON COMMISSION

The agent’s income is solely compensated from the commission. It is one of the possibilities for the agent to have a personal interest that leads to you buying the highest premium possible equating to their highest commission possible. Thus, it may change his/her perspective of things, as well as the type of products clients are introduced to.

2. CASH VALUE WILL NOT BENEFIT YOU RIGHT AWAY

Yes! Cash value will build-up. But it takes about five years to have the cash value equal to the amount you paid for the whole life insurance.

3. BUY TERM AND INVEST THE DIFFERENCE

The term insurance is significantly less expensive than the whole insurance. This is why you can buy term then invest the difference on mutual funds. In fact, the combination of term and your investment for mutual funds may be less costly that the whole life insurance.

4. YOU MAY NOT NEED CHILD LIFE INSURANCE AFTER ALL

Renowned experts namely: Dave Ramsay, Suze Orman, and Neal Frankle are on a arguing against buying life insurance for kids.

“The only reason you need life insurance is if anyone is dependent on your income…please, you new parents, do not let anyone talk you into buying a life insurance policy on your child.” said Suze Orman.

Image Credits: State Farm via Flickr

According to them, if your child is not at the risk of a serious illness and you are financially stable to cover foreseen medical bills then, you are better off without it. Instead, save up for your child’s education until tertiary level.

Search the site