MoneyDigest - Personal Finance, Lifestyle, Money Saving Tips

Budget-Friendly Places To Find All Things Halloween

The eerie time of the year will grace our calendars once again. Yes! Halloween is just around the corner. And, when it comes to purchasing decorations and costumes that are around your budget, here are 4 shops you can visit:

1. SPOTLIGHT

A popular crafts hub, Spotlight sells different kinds of inexpensive Halloween decorations, table dressings, cake decorations, ribbons, novelty toys, party favors, and candies. All the crafts materials that you will ever need could be found here. Take advantage of their current sale of up to 25% off on all costumes and accessories!

Image Credits: spotlight.com.sg

Browse spotlight.com.sg for more information.

2. DAISO

If all the party goods in a shop cost S$2, you may never want to leave. Daiso offers Halloween decorations, toys for give away, glowing materials, and so much more. From spooky decorations to pumpkin holders and delicious candies, splurge on these timely treats and give them to the kids knocking on your door.

Daiso has several outlets in Singapore. Locate the nearest one, here.

3. CRATE & BARREL

Speaking of Halloween decorations, get designer pieces at reasonable prices inside the Crate & Barrel store. Crate & Barrel is full of beautiful festive items for Halloween. Kicking it off is a set of 20 Black Cats Paper Beverage Napkins. Also, you may serve appetizers in a beautiful glazed pumpkin plate designed by Barbara Eigen.

Image Credits: crateandbarrel.com

4. THE PARTY STUFF

The Party Stuff offers affordable decorations, balloons, tableware, party favors, cake decorations, and costumes.What I like about The Party Stuff is that they have party decorations for a wide selection of themes such as: Plaid Baby, Sports & Army Camouflage, Hawaii & Poker Night, Princess, and Superheroes. So, you will be able to customize your Halloween party.

Decorate your place by adding approximately 4 feet long white spiderweb for only S$2.95 per 20 grams or by adding reusable giant spider web with 4 spiders for S$13.90.

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

The Party Stuff has 4 outlets nationwide, visit: thepartystuff.com.sg for more details.

A Physician Shares How You Can Save Money On Medications

If you visited the doctor lately and you realized that you have been spending a lot of money on prescription drugs then, you are not alone. Millions of people around the world are spending more than they should. This is why I sat down with Dr. Andre Agoncillo, an experienced Physician, to unlock a few ways to cut costs on medications.

1. SWITCH TO THE GENERIC DRUGS

New prescription drugs are expensive because they are patented. Having a patent ensures that only a certain company can manufacture that drugs within a period of time. Afterwards, other companies are free to make a generic version of it.

Generic medicines are certainly cheaper and as efficacious as the patented medicines! Why is that so? New generic medicines are examined by the Health Sciences Authority to ensure that they have the same safety and quality standards as the patented ones. They must not only be chemically equivalent but also biologically equivalent in its effects within the patient’s body.

Interestingly, Singapore General Hospital once saved about S$900,000 after switching to the generic options of Gabapentin (for nerve pain), Alendronate (for osteoporosis), and Clindamycin (an antibiotic).

2. STICK TO THE REQUIRED DOSAGE

Some people go to further lengths in saving money by splitting the tablet into two and having twice the number of supply. But, doing so will only hinder the recovery process. In fact, Dr. Andre said that you may not recover at all. This is due to the fact that the prescribed dosage us their for a reason. Furthermore, to inhibit the harmful load of organisms, the threshold of efficacy for antibiotics must be reached by taking a specific volume of medications. Thus, it is important to stick to your prescribed dosage.

3. SHOP AROUND

When prescribed with medications, carefully compare the prices from the different providers to get the best price. According to Ministry of Health guidelines, every patient must get an itemized medication bill. Use this bill as a guide while shopping.

If you want to save more, ask your physician if there is a cheaper yet equally efficient alternative especially if you are taking medications on a long-term basis.

4. BE HONEST AND OPEN TO YOUR DOCTOR

The most important step you must take is having an open and honest talk with your doctor. Tell them everything that happened prior to your illness and do not beat around the bush because they are on a mission to understand what is happening inside your body. If you are open and honest, they can easily identify all your signs and symptoms and prescribe the right medications so that you will recover faster. By recovering at a slower rate, you would have saved money on medications and other hospital bills.

Moreover, if you delayed the full disclosure, your doctor may not be able to give you the proper treatment. So, do not be afraid or worried because your Physician is bounded by the rules of confidentiality.

Image Credits: https://www.facebook.com/agoncillo?fref=ts

For more information kindly email Dr. Andre Agoncillo at agoncillomd@me.com.

Sources: 1 & 2

Do You Really Have What It Takes To Be A Trader?

Do you want to trade as a career but, you do not know where to start? How about you get to know yourself first?

Begin the journey by examining your relationship with money and life. Do you view life as a daily struggle or as an endless opportunity? Have you lost money recently through your daily activities and are you hoping that the financial markets will treat you better?

Wherever you are right now and whatever your belief system is, your personality will influence your perspective on your profits and losses. This is why it is important to include self-worth into the mix. Analyze your strengths and weaknesses and examine whether you have what it takes.

Marc Pearlman shared his observations based on his experiences as a professional trader and money manager. According to him, here are the tangible qualities that aid in success at day trading:

1. POURING HARD WORK

It is no surprise that hard work tops the list. Since trading is a skill, it needs to be developed through time. A lot of people view trading as a hobby or as a substitute to gambling however, this should not be the case. People only end up bad when they treat financial markets as casinos and not as businesses.

2. PRACTICING DISCIPLINE

Marc compared trading to going to the gym. For example, people may have been frequenting the gym and yet have no noticeable changes in a year. He says it is be due to the lack of discipline and goal-setting, which I agree on. Trading is no different. You must have discipline and concise strategy to reach your goal!

3. KNOWLEDGE IN PROBABILITIES

Making money through trading does not mean that you have to be perfect all the time by making right calculations. Instead, the key is to lose as little as possible when your call is wrong and gain as much as possible when your call is right.

4. LETTING GO OF THE DESIRE TO BE ALWAYS RIGHT

If you would rather be right than make money then, trading may not be for you. In trading, you cannot be right all the time! Furthermore, some may even be wrong more than they are right.

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

To accompany these desirable qualities, here is a website that I found that can help you test your skills in Mathematics, Logical Sequence, and more. You may adjust the difficulty by choosing either Easy, Medium, or Hard.

Shockingly Free Tips To Boost Your Confidence

Confidence opens more opportunities in business and in life but, how does one boost his confidence?

1. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

When it comes to elevating your confidence, staying informed is essential. When you know what you are talking about, you are more likely to share, interact, and engage more. Thus, you are manifesting confidence throughout the day! So, you better hit the books before going to events.

2. POWER OF HUMOR

Laughter produces wonderful benefits in your physical and emotional well-being. But, you shall not burst into laughter and look inappropriate! Simply tell a joke or share a funny story with others and laugh along. The benefits of laughing are cumulative and profound.

3. MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT

You can project your power and assertiveness with your body language. With the people you interact with regularly, make it a habit to maintain eye contact and direct your gaze to them while you are conversing. This little gesture will show that you are interested, engaged, and confident.

4. GUIDED MEDITATION

Frequent meditation increases your mindfulness to the present state. It keeps you balanced and focused. It helps increase your confidence by washing out your stress and worries. Also, it allows you to mentally prepare for success.

There is an abundance of free guided mediation videos on the Internet but I recommend this 10-minute video:

5. PRACTICING GOOD POSTURE

Constantly touching the strands of your hair or pulling your pigtail is a surefire giveaway that you are nervous. Instead, walk or sit up straight with your arms uncrossed and chin up. You will appear and feel more confident afterwards.

6. HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

Feeling down and incapable? Are you scared to do something new and difficult? Try seeking the help of your friends. Call them over the phone, write them thru email, or private message them via social media platforms and ask why they believe you would succeed. Knowing your positive qualities will help you feel more motivated, energized, and confident.

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

Sources: 1 , 2 , & 3

4 Ways To Save Big On School Supplies

I can still remember the time when my mother distributed school supplies to me and my other siblings. It was a rush that I get every time I fill my bag with new stationery items. But, behind that joyful rush is a mother that just spent her hard-earned cash on supplies!

This is why it is important to save as much as you can while shopping. Start by setting aside extra cash each week before the school starts. Then, follow these 4 tips:

1. KIDS MATTER

Children play a huge role on what goes inside your basket. If you have the option to leave your child at home with a family member or a babysitter then, do so. Going on a shopping trip alone will ensure that you do not have to give in to what your kids wants. Furthermore, you would save a lot more in your bill.

2. KNOW WHAT TO BUY

Come prepared to avoid getting overwhelmed with the abundance of school supplies available. Make a shopping list that is in lined with your budget and stick with it. If you are shopping for more than one kid then, organize the list by making a column for each. And, if the school provided a list of mandatory school supplies then, it will give you an opportunity to save money beforehand.

3. SHOP ONLINE

Be patient and purchase online. There are many retailers that offer promotions and clearance sales on their own website. Also, you get to save on gas or transportation fee. Lionstationery.com.sg and Evergreen.com.sg are the two stationery websites you can visit.

4. QUALITY OVER PRICE

If you are only focused with the cost, you will end up replacing a bunch of items in the near future. Save more in the long run by buying quality items that you think your children will overuse for the whole school year such as backpacks and binders. Moreover, some of these excellent quality items can last for the next school year.

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

This is why you must buy supplies that have basic colors to stay on trend!

Sources: 1 & 2

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