Lifestyle & Hobbies Archives | Page 113 of 162

Savvy Couples’ Guide To Saving Money While Dining Out

Preparation Before Eating Out

First things first! Make it a habit to check the restaurant’s menu and price range before booking a reservation for two. Websites such as sg.openrice.com, yelp.com.sg, or hungrygowhere.com can help you to locate a restaurant, identify its menu, and give an estimate of the average spending. This will help you make tastier, healthier, and cheaper decisions.

You can employ a money-saving technique beyond your credible search. Simply have a light snack at home before you enjoy your exquisite main course. Or, you may do the opposite by eating the main course at your home and dining at the restaurant for luxurious desserts.

Relish The Moment Of Consumption

Relationships are all about giving and taking. Spread the spirit of reciprocity by sharing your meal to each other. Restaurants usually serve a portion that is bigger than expected. Instead of ordering for two, you may order one starter and one main course meal. Doing so will reduce the expenses.

To get most of their money, some couples indulge on all-you-can eat buffets. If you are not a fan of buffets, you may purchase less by savoring the taste of your food. Eating slowly will help you realize that you are actually satiated!

Consequences Of The Next Day

The romantic date night ended in a great note. You remembered to pack your leftovers from the restaurant. Fortunately, you do not have to cook breakfast because you can reheat the leftovers. You may also revamp the dishes by following the directions on this post.

Regularly dining out can put a strain on your budget. It is perfectly acceptable to spend on something you love, but you have to set boundaries and stick to them. Curate a “Date Fund” or a “Spending Plan” and adjust your budget accordingly. You will have to make significant sacrifices in order to follow your financial goals.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Are you willing to enjoy three consecutive date nights and eat instant Ramen noodles for the rest of the week? Are you willing to restrict your food budget to S$100 per week?

That is the kind of discipline that you (as a couple) will have to maintain.

Sources: 1,2,& 3

6 Budget-Friendly Ways To Achieve Gorgeous And Healthy Hair

Since your crowning glory is an asset, you must take good care of your beloved hair. Homemade and natural remedies have abundant benefits to nourish your scalp and roots. Instead of forking out over S$10,000 for hair transplant, consider restoring the health of your locks by following these inexpensive tips:

1. CREATE A BENEFICIAL HAIR MASK

Aside from trimming your belly fat, avocado has a myriad of benefits for your locks. You will not believe what this impressive fruit can offer! Let us start with the fact that it is a rich source of vitamins, proteins amino acids. This is why it is able to soothe your scalp, add moisture, restore shine, and nurture strong growth.

Enjoy all these by combining one avocado, a tablespoon of coconut oil, two eggs, and a tablespoon of honey. Apply this mixture to your hair. Let it settle for 20 minutes before you rinse it.

2. MASSAGE YOUR MANE

A quick homemade remedy for dry and damaged hair only takes one ingredient – butter. Raid your kitchen to get a relatively small amount of butter. Massage this generously to your dry hair and cover everything with a shower cap. Do this for 30 minutes. Then, rinse all the butter out by using shampoo.

3. LET IT ALL DOWN

You deserve to have a meaningful rest after months of back-to-back deadlines and major projects. The same idea goes for your hair. It needs every break it can possibly get. Simple things such as wearing your hair down or fixing it loosely can make a difference. Elastic bands can put stress on your hair roots and shaft. This is why you must not sleep with any hair accessories.

4. ABSORB THE ONION’S JUICE

Onion has a high concentration of sulfur, which helps hair growth by increasing collagen production. Use the onion’s juice to control hair fall. Start by chopping the onion well and squeeze out its juice. Massage the mixture to your scalp and let it sit for 15 minutes. When the time is up, rinse your hair with mild shampoo.

As a friendly reminder, do a patch test before using the onion as hair treatment.

5. WRAP YOUR DAMP HAIR

Do you know why some women keep their hair wrapped in a “towel bun“? Well, wrapping the wet hair in a cotton towel leads to the absorption of moisture. This act can help to protect the hair against further split ends.

6. BRUSH YOUR HAIR BEFORE SLEEPING

One of the best treats that you can bestow upon your hair is to brush it before you sleep. Opt for a natural-bristle brush or a wide-tooth comb. Run this through your hair from roots to tips. According to the Owner of Cambio Salon Mary Rascon, doing this will help to move your scalp’s natural oils through your hair.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

Creative Ways To Earn Money On Snapchat And Instagram

Social media platforms have infiltrated our lives. According to the findings of the Connected Life by Kantar TNS global study, Singapore ranked third among the countries of APAC.

Third in which scale? Well, third in the usage of Instagram and Snapchat apps. Considering that Singapore’s connectivity speed is impressive, it comes as no surprise that more and more people are using these two apps.

Put your knowledge of social media into good use by earning cash on the side!

SELL YOUR PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

With the knowledge that social media allows daily access of diverse consumers, one of the most obvious methods to make money through this platform is to post an advertisement. For example, you may clean up the clutter in your closet and find the things that you deem to be unused or underused and sell them to your friends and family through Instagram. Or, you can turn your hobbies (e.g., baking cupcakes or making jewelries) into a home-based online shop.

You can either use your personal Instagram account or set up a secondary business profile. Instagram’s business profile allows you to add details (e.g., contact number and location) so that interested individuals can directly reach your brand. Interestingly, it includes a tool called “Insight” that enables you to learn more about your followers and to observe how your posts are performing.

PROMOTE FOR OTHERS

It never crossed my mind that I could be paid to share a selfie simply because I am a blogger. I once gave a “shout-out” for a humble jewelry business while rocking some of their products. No! I am far from a huge celebrity nor am I as close as the famous social media personalities. However, I have a decent amount of followers. Marketers seem to ensure people like me when it comes to promotion.

Well, it might be due to the trust placed by the consumers. According to Singaporeans aged 16 to 24, they seem to accept the information shared by the social media personalities rather than the information distributed by the brands themselves. You may take advantage of this ideal by selling your selfies and shout-outs in Instagram and Snapchat (considering that you have a relatively huge following).

For instance, you can feature the songs of rising artists on your Snapchat live stories. Keep in mind that the stories are no longer auto-advanced, which is why you must maintain the interest of your audience.

EMPLOY AFFILIATE MARKETING

How often have you seen websites with sidebar banners that publicize their partners and other affiliates? This is called affiliate marketing. The same principle applies when you are rolling it over to Instagram. You use affiliate marketing to receive cash for the sales of the products or services that you promoted. Use catchy taglines and vibrant HD photographs to drive more sales through an affiliate code or a URL (i.e., to be attached in your profile bio).

SELL YOUR ACCOUNT

If you are ready to quit your social media addiction, consider selling your account along with the audience that you carefully built. Your hard work will not put to waste as budding businesses and other individuals are interested in managing an established account.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Simply wipe out your sensitive information as well as all your uploads before handing it out to the new owner.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

You Must Stop Buying Items Just Because They Are Cheap

Do you ever purchase items that you do not need just because they are cheap or on sale?

Many of us do! If you adopt this hobby, it can easily get out of hand. Prevent yourself from spending on indulgences by regaining self-discipline with these 5 tips:

SHOP FOR WHAT YOU NEED

Previous studies have shown that people who overspend are craving for the surge of the feel-good hormone called dopamine. They associate this hormone to shopping for items while they are on sale. It is okay to give in to what your heart desires every once in a while as long as you are in control. However, you must regulate your shopping habits if you are overdoing it.

A bargain deal such as Lazada coupons can be a great score but, not if you have not intended to buy the item in the first place!

CONDUCT AN INVENTORY CHECK

I can still recall the moment when my mother came home with bag of groceries in her hands. Inside the bags were bathroom supplies such as shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste. It dawned on me that she picked up the same items merely four days ago. She says it slipped her mind. Well, she is not alone!

It is common for people to buy new items because they cannot remember what they already have or they cannot locate them. I am not limiting this scenario to the items in your wardrobe as it is applicable to household products, car tools, and so on. A neat solution is to conduct a monthly inventory check to filter out what items are worn out, ill-fitted, and useless. You can toss or donate these items afterwards.

SPEND ON QUALITY

Clothes and other products that are of quality lasts longer and are usually more comfortable. Think about it! Cheap clothes are not entirely cheap as time passes. Mediocre items made with thin materials and poorly sewn ensembles wear out faster than quality ones. Furthermore, it requires time to replace and repair them. Consider spending your hard-earned money on few good things than, in loads of rubbish things.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

USE WHAT YOU BOUGHT

Whether you want to admit it or not, you use your most valuable items the least. You want to protect your precious item for as long as you can. I do too!

When I got my hands on the iPhone 6s last year, I played with it for a few hours and kept it safe in my cabinet. I relied on my iPhone 4 for so long that I jumped several generations when I bought the said device. Can you imagine how happy I was to explore the new iOS features and to savor the larger screen? Despite my satisfaction, I still preferred using my iPhone 4. I adored the new device and I did not want to spoil it immediately. A couple of weeks passed and I came to realize the irrationality in my actions. I bought this device for a reason and I must use it!

Use your priced item to maximize its value. Dissatisfaction can only lead to buying cheaper knockoffs or settling for less.

WALK AWAY CONFIDENTLY

Shopping eats up a significant portion of time. Sometimes, you may feel like your trip to the store was wasted if you do not purchase anything. This is why boutiques and online stores employ strategies to draw shoppers in for a long period of time. But, you must not fall for this! Purchasing something unnecessary makes is more wasteful than spending your time on window shopping.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Remember that it is alright to walk out of the store and buy nothing.

Sources: 1 & 2

5 Singapore Online Stores To Bookmark Now

My sister is sweeping the Web for the perfect birthday present that her friend will deeply appreciate. Helping her through this task made me realize that you can find just about anything online. From bacon lip balm to a Nicholas Cage pillowcase, you type it to get it!

On that note, here are the 5 Singapore online stores that are worth your time:

SMOOCH THE LABEL

If you are on a hunt for elegant dresses that can be worn for any occasion, search no further than Smooth the Label. It is Sarah Lim’s first leap of faith. Ever since she started the e-commerce business in 2010, she had been carefully choosing the pieces to be manufactured for the brand. Each of the designs are embellished with her own unique touch.

The shop’s widespread prices range from S$9.80 to S$80. Best of all? The shipping in Singapore is always free.

HIPVAN

Since its emergence in the past three years, HipVan has been making waves regionally due to its lifestyle design inspirations and great sales. It is founded by Danny Tan, Kevin Vo, Deborah Wee, and Shobhit Datta with a whopping fund of S$500,000. This awesome online store delights you with up to 70% off the retail prices of furniture, accessories, kitchen-wares, and so much more. Check their collections at www.hipvan.com.

Image Credits: www.facebook.com/thehipvan

ECO CITY HYDROPONICS

As the name suggests, Eco City Hydroponics focuses on the lesser-known subset of hydro-culture called the hydroponics. It is a method of cultivating plants using mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil. This online store provides home delivery of products such as Bunching Onion and Vegetable Soy Bean seeds. If you are critical about this type of urban farming, try out their Hydroponic Hobby Kit first.

KOHE PETS

Where else can you spot an online pet store that is affordable, convenient, accessible, and offers free samples? Well, nowhere but Kohe Pets!

Kohe Pets regularly dishes out free samples of their products so that the clients can easily find out the most suitable treat to their pet’s taste. It has a huge selection of more than 2,500 reasonably priced products ranging from the popular brands to the special brands that are difficult to find in the country. According to testimonials, their deliver service is swift as customers typically receive their orders on the next day.

BOOKSACTUALLY

One of my favorite hobbies to let the time pass is reading. Searching endlessly through a myriad of brands, I found an indie gem called BooksActually. It is my go-to place for enigmatic titles and creative stationary. It houses beautifully written pieces of literature by local and international authors.

The website is crisp, simple, and neat. Go and see for yourself!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Have fun while shopping!

Source: Vulcan Post

Search the site