How to Save Money When Travelling on a Cruise

by  in Lifestyle & Hobbies
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Last March, my husband and I witnessed the wonderful union of his cousin and her long-term beau. When the ceremony ended, they packed their bags and went to a cruise that journeys from Singapore to Penang and Penang to Phuket. A ticket can cost as low as S$415 per person for a 4-night cruise.

I wondered how crucial it was for them to book this trip on time. As newly minted husband and wife, they need to save up money to build a life they dreamed of. What are the strategies that newlyweds, retirees, or young adults can use to save money when booking for a cruise?

#1: TIMING IS CRUCIAL

Tickets may be reduced at the last minute to fill up empty spaces in a ship. However, you could score the best prices when you book early. Booking a year in advance will help you snag the lowest rates and get you on the cruise you specifically desire. It is likely to get you the best prices on the most sought-after staterooms too. So, keep checking in or sign up for price notifications to weigh your options.

#2: SAVE MONEY ON BOOZE

You can save money on booze by researching the cruise ship’s alcoholic beverage policy. While some cruise lines let you bring your own alcohol on board, others forbid it. For cruise lines that allow you to bring your own alcoholic beverage, most put a limit of one bottle per person.

For instance, Royal Caribbean International allows each guest of drinking age to bring one sealed 750 ml bottle of wine or champagne. Guests who bring more than one bottle at the beginning of the first sailing should have documentation to share with the security.

#3: CHARGE ALL YOUR GADGETS

When you are limited to one or two electrical outlets in your room, it can pose a problem to keep all your devices charged throughout the day. Solve this issue by keeping a compact travel adaptor to charge multiple devices at the same time. These adaptors are sold for as low as S$4 online.

#4: SIGN YOUR KIDS UP FOR COMPLIMENTARY ACTIVITIES

Several cruise lines offer kid-friendly activities at no cost. Apart from these kid-friendly activities, cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean offer a youth club called Adventure Ocean program, which is essentially a day care for children whose ages range from 6 months to 12 years old. Multiple programs and games are planned out for your loved ones to enjoy. Programs such as these will allow you and your partner to enjoy quality time together.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#5: CONSIDER THE TIME OF YEAR

Supply and demand dominate the pricing strategy of cruise lines. Thus, it is more costly to book a cruise during Christmas or Summer break. If you have more flexibility to go with your children or your partner during off-peak season, you can save a lot of money.

#6: JOIN QUIZ NIGHTS

Skip on the souvenirs found in the gift shops and join quiz nights to win exclusive prizes instead. Quiz nights are one of the most underrated things on cruises. Spend your evening answering trivia questions to win prizes that you take home with you. Just secure a spot in advance.

#7: LOYALTY PAYS

Once you’ve experienced the luxuries of a cruise, it’s highly likely that you’ll be hooked. Fortunately for you, most cruise lines offer loyalty schemes, which reward returning guests with upgrades and special packages.

Regent calls its membership scheme the Seven Seas Society, which ranges from Bronze to Commodore. While Princess Cruises’ loyalty program is divided into four tiers namely Gold, Ruby, Platinum, and Elite members. Lastly, Star Cruises offer the Star Cruises Genting Rewards, which are split into five tiers. Join a loyalty program that suits you best.

#8: MAXIMIZE YOUR CREDIT CARD’S POTENTIAL

Some credit card reward programs can be used for booking trips on cruises. You can save using your points or cash out your reward points close to your cruise date. This will help you to reduce the cost of your cruise ticket or to help pay for items on your cruise.

#9: GET SEA SICKNESS REMEDIES FOR FREE

Natural seasickness remedies such as green apples and saltine crackers are typically free on a cruise ship. Many crew members strongly advocate these tried-and-trusted natural remedies. Alternatively, you can simply ask Guest Services or your stateroom attendant for some seasickness medication. Do not hesitate to ask!

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Source: 1,2, & 3

 

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Are you okay with your boss following you on social media?

by  in Career and Enterprising, Lifestyle
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social media apps

Aha.

A tricky question to tackle on 4.4.

While it’s not uncommon for bosses and employees to become “friends,” or rather, have a friendly relationship outside of working hours, being on social media can be a little…

Ehem.

Up to this point, some of you may be secretly laughing inside since it seems like a no-brainer.

“Aiyo, just don’t post anything you won’t say in front of your boss lah.”

But hey, isn’t that an invasion of privacy? It’s social media after all, and not connected to work. Isn’t it stressful to have to “censor” yourself because your boss is part of your friend/follower list?

Let’s delve deeper into this.

What are the downsides?

Numerous.

Since bosses will be able to see what you “like” and your comments on posts, they may form an opinion of you that may not be part of your “professional reputation.”

And if you’re friends with your colleagues, that’s extra stuff to worry about. But but, we won’t get there for this post. Simply put, life is stressful enough to have to worry about what you post online.

Play around with privacy settings

Not all social media platforms allow you to play around with privacy settings. For example, TikTok and Instagram probably can’t (unless you go private).

But for Facebook, you can limit who sees your posts. I mean, if you have no choice but to accept that friend request from your boss, you’ve got to take some safety measures, isn’t it?

Though it would be a pain in the a** to have to constantly keep this at the back of your mind—being careful with what you share and whom you share it with.

What to do when things don’t go your way

Called in sick and took a day off on Monday but posted that photo of you drunk on Sunday night?

A cliche scenario, but it happens.

If you find that things don’t go away no matter how careful you’ve been on social media, take this chance to disconnect.

And when asked or questioned, just explain that you think it’s better to draw the line between personal and professional.

Is it really a no-no to connect with your boss?

Well, not really.

This is especially for people who don’t have much of a social life. Oops, I’m sorry to be blunt but it’s true.

Or for folks who tend to be on social media to “stalk” or get updates on events, friends, and loved ones.

In such cases, then it’s okay to connect. In fact, you might be on the “winning end” because you will be stalking your boss’ social life instead. Ha!

Jokes aside, I have a few friends who are on social media to showcase their work—designs, and drawings—so there are no danger zones there yeah.

As we close, just know that accepting a request without putting much thought into it may be disadvantageous to you. Ultimately, a boss is a boss and professionalism should come first in the majority of your interactions. Why sabo yourself?

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A student’s guide to navigating student loan repayment

by  in Credit & Loan
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nus graduation ceremony

Congrats on graduating!

Now, it’s time to face the reality of having to pay back your student loan. And on top of the need to secure a job so you can manage your monthly repayments.

Feeling clueless about how to go about handling this? Here’s a simple student guide to navigating student loan repayment so stop worrying and start reading.

Budgeting starts now

If you’re the sort that earns a dollar and then spends a dollar, something’s got to change.

With a student loan waiting for you to repay, you need to start looking into your salary and budget accordingly.

And by budgeting, I mean going into the nitty-gritty details. Whether it’s food costs, phone bills, insurance, transportation, or giving the old folks “pocket money”, pen it down. Be as realistic as possible and then calculate how much you can afford to put towards your student loan repayment.

Tip: You need to scrimp and save for a start, but it’s good not to squeeze yourself dry and risk mental health issues along the way. It may take some trial and error but you will eventually get the hang of things with adjustments here and there.

How to practice financial discipline

There’s no other method when it comes to financial discipline—stick to your budget.

There’s usually a minimum loan repayment amount tag to your student loan. For example, DBS’s (university) study loan’s minimum monthly repayment is $100.

And following 2022’s median salary for fresh uni grads, it’s $4,200.

Yes, $4,200.

Don’t feel bad if your salary is below the median amount. Life happens.

But that’s not the point.

The main point is $100 is an easy amount to repay based on the salary you receive. Surely you can’t be earning less than $1,000 per month as a graduate, right?

If you set aside 10% of your salary, you can pay off way more than the minimum amount. Just make sure you’re comfortable with it.

Every dollar matters. If you find yourself with extra money at the end of the month, make those payments toward repaying your student loan. The interest is no joke and you want to pay back the lump sum as soon as you can.

How to save on interest and pay off faster

I’ve touched on this point a little earlier but what you want to do is to…

Pay more than the minimum.

Even OCBC’s student loan installments start from $100 per month. That’s the bare minimum.

ocbc tuition fee loan

Image Credits: ocbc.com

But if you aim to get this repayment thing over and done with, you need to “tahan” a little at the start and pay more than the minimum.

If your loan has no interest tag to it, good for you. But if it does, the interest is going to quickly add up. So to stop it from snowballing into tens of thousands of dollars, repay more each month.

What if you can’t make payments on time

My question to you is, why?

Based on my brief research on DBS and OCBC’s student loans, the minimum amount to repay is $100, as I’ve mentioned earlier too.

Even if you’re starting as an intern, the market rate should be >$1000. And that’s just 10% of your salary.

But if the problem is not due to your extravagant spending habits but unforeseen circumstances such as medical bills and whatnot, then you should let your guarantor know.

Seek help from friends or family members whom you can borrow money from. Since the minimum is $100, see if you can borrow $600 to $1,200 (6 to 12 months’ worth) to get by. If all else fails, contact your loan servicer to discuss the issue.

We’re already days into Q2 of 2023. Time just passes by like that and as someone who has had the experience of loan repayment, I’ll honestly tell you that the interest rate is insane. So never let it roll. You want to set a clear budget, stick to the repayment amount each month, and repay more if you can. Suffer a little now in your early 20s, and you can do more of what you want after the loan is cleared. Take that!

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Strategies to ensure everyone on the team contributes equally

by  in Career and Enterprising
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team meeting

Managing a team is never an easy task.

You can curse out your ex-manager for being this and that but truth be told, it’s a challenge. And now that you’re in a managerial position, are you in a dilemma?

How on earth do you ensure that your team members are contributing equally? Well, we will be delving deeper into this topic in this post. So buckle up, and let’s roll.

Invest in team building

Depending on companies, some management groups think that team building is necessary at least once a year.

For me, I guess you set your own rules—once every quarter isn’t that bad. If it’s too much, then go for once every 4 to 6 months.

Team building is a good investment if you want a cohesive team. Duh. How can anyone work together in harmony if they don’t know each other well, don’t have common topics to talk about, or don’t see eye to eye?

Have clear sub-goals

Anyone who has walked into a project managed by a manager who does not know how to create clear objectives knows how it feels.

GG.

No, not good game, but good grief.

If you want every member of your team to get a slice of the pie, then make sure you map out your overall objective(s) and concrete sub-tasks.

For example, if you’re a team working on launching the latest summer collection of a fashion brand, then make sure every headcount involved in the project knows what they are doing. From the most senior executive to the newest intern, everyone should have a defined (quality, not quantity) task to work on.

And yes, keep those deadlines in check too.

Create an evaluation system
sample peer evaluation form

Image Credits: jotform.com

I’m not going to lie, I’m not a huge fan of evaluations. Why? Because it keeps me on my toes.

Knowing that I’m being “watched” not just by my boss but also by my colleagues leads me to pull my weight a little more.

So if you’re a manager who wants to play around with some psychological motivational forces, focus your attention on these:

  • Step 1: Peer reviews

To ensure that peer reviews work and not harm, it has to be done right.

I suggest making peer reviews anonymous. Whatever means you use to evaluate—the old-school way of paper forms or online ones—the only person that should be able to view those feedback would be you, the manager.

There’s no need to, as the Chinese saying goes, 挑拨离间 (sow discord).

  • Step 2: Analyze feedback

Once you’ve gathered fellow responses from your team, it’s time to analyze them.

Anonymous peer feedback is the best feedback if a certain point raised is rather consistent across teammates.

For instance, you may get comments such as:

“Meixin is quite slow in the work assigned to her. She doesn’t keep to deadlines.”

If just one person raises this point, then maybe it wouldn’t be that credible. But if you have a team of 10 and more than half has somehow or rather given such feedback, it shows something.

But I understand no one has the time to do such detailed feedback like that all the time. Maybe twice a year or once at the end of the year may work. Or you can consider using automated tools to track project progression and workflow completion ratios. This is wiser for managers who have to take care of >1 team.

In a nutshell, we have raised 3 main strategies in this article to ensure that everyone’s pulling their weight in the company. As a manager, the responsibility is on you to build a team that can work together. While you can’t guarantee everyone will like each other, teamwork can be built based on respect and regular conversations. And don’t forget to always pen down clear tasks for your teammates to work on. Lastly, have an evaluation system in place so there’s a proper outlet for peer reviews that can help you gauge the strengths and weaknesses of each team member.

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Discover the magic of solo traveling

by  in Travel & Entertainment
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man at the airport

Have you tried solo traveling before?

As someone who has been there and done that, I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. But at various ages and life stages, I agree that it can be different for everyone. For those who’ve tried it once but didn’t enjoy it that much, I want to say:

Give it some time, and you will notice the magic.

Overcoming the fears of traveling alone

If you’re a foreigner in the world of solo travel, you will undoubtedly experience anxiety.

But rather than dwelling non-stop on the things that can go wrong, why not channel your energy into the things that can go right?

Just think about the new people you will meet and the stories you will hear. Those really excite me. And having traveled umpteen times, I assure you that traveling alone is not that bad.

How to make the most of your time alone

Being alone doesn’t mean you have to be “alone” all the time. I mean, there are opportunities to socialize.

You can start conversations with people you meet on the streets, join day tour groups, and be open to meeting new faces—locals and foreigners.

As an introvert, I’m okay with being alone but that doesn’t mean I’m not sociable. Over the years of solo traveling, I’ve met many new friends through day tours I’ve joined via Klook and Kkday.

I’ve also met nice folks (and some weird ones) on CouchSurfing.

 

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It’s really all about keeping an open mind.

Getting ready for a safe, enjoyable vacation

If you’re an absolute newbie or don’t have much experience with solo traveling, you’re probably in need of some advice. Lucky for you, here are some pointers to get you started:

  • Choose the right destination

I’m not trying to be biased here but certain destinations are flagged as a little more dangerous than others. Just do a search online and you will probably see a list of cities you should avoid in 2023.

  • Research thoroughly

Just as you (probably) won’t walk into an expensive restaurant for a first date without researching, the same goes for your first solo trip. Information online is abundant so make use of that and read up thoroughly before you go.

  • Plan your itinerary

I’m a planner and maybe you’re not. But having a big-picture plan helps to navigate precious days abroad and this works especially if you don’t have a whole month to “waste.” Since most of us have fixed annual leave and with only a week or two to spare for a holiday, let’s make full use of it.

Beginner tips for aspiring solo travelers
woman flagging a taxi

Image Credits: unsplash.com

If you’ve never traveled by yourself, the first trip might surprise you a little. And that’s okay. Just…

Keep an open mind. Whenever things don’t exactly go as planned, take advantage of the opportunity to try something new or simply go with the flow. Rigidity gets us nowhere. Stranger things can be fun!

Also, take small steps to get used to traveling alone. Folks who do not dare to take the first step, why not start by making short trips to neighboring countries? This will help you get used to the idea of being alone gradually without having to deal with the nerves of traveling to a faraway land right from the get-go.

And please, when in doubt, take flight. Whether it’s an invitation to visit a lesser-known local pub or a dodgy alley that doesn’t scream “Explore me!”, walk away.

Advantages of solo travel that last beyond your trip

For peeps who’ve tried it once but are still uncertain, I urge you to give it another go. That’s because the beauty of solitary travel and the advantages it brings is priceless.

There is more room for self-reflection when your daily schedule is not determined by what someone else wants to do or by the feeling that you must tread along to avoid unnecessary conflict (even besties fight on trips!). 

Because there is no one else to lean on except for yourself, you build on your confidence to face challenges, no matter how daunting they may seem. Tip: While it’s cool to navigate unfamiliar areas by yourself, choose the safer ones.

Solo travel necessitates independence and the freedom to think for oneself, whether it’s spending hours studying a map before beginning a climb or becoming engrossed in conversation with a stranger from a completely different culture.

So, what say you?

As we close, I just want to remind us that we’re people of different personalities and what is enjoyable for me may not be for you. But still, if you’ve yet to try solo traveling, I encourage you to open your mind and try. My first solo experience was not so smooth, I’ll be honest, but it was an adventure I lived to tell (more on that when the time is right). So give your guts a chance to surprise you, and you might find that solo traveling is not as bad as it seems.

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