Lifestyle & Hobbies Archives | Page 55 of 145

Nespresso Festive Sale is here! Enjoy up to 15% off selected coffee machines & accessories.

We know how 2020 has been a challenging year for many of us. You’ve done well so pat yourself on the back. Why not take this year-end gifting period as a chance to reward yourself and your loved ones?

Nespresso is sweetening up our upcoming holidays with exclusive offers on coffee machines and accessories. The Nespresso Festive Sale is the perfect time to pick up a coffee machine to savour high-quality cafe-style beverages from the comfort of your home. Also, you get to save more time and money in the long run than getting that daily takeout from cafes. A cup of coffee from cafes will usually cost you about $7.50 on average, but you can enjoy café-style coffee at home with Nespresso from only $0.70 per cup!

Whether you’re looking for black coffee espresso machines or one to enjoy coffee & milk recipes with, Nespresso has a range of options for you. Gifting is easier on the pocket with this ongoing promotion.

Nespresso Original Line

With so many different coffee machines Nespresso offers, we understand how difficult it can be to decide which one to purchase. To make it simple for you, we will start by introducing to you the Nespresso Original Line machines to bring you the classic Espresso experience, be it for a range of Espresso and Lungo-based (40ml – 110ml) coffee or milk recipes.

Essenza Plus

For black coffee lovers, we recommend the Nespresso Essenza Plus in limousine black or cherry red.

Usual Price: $288
Promotional Price: $259.20 (10% off)

The Nespresso Essenza Plus is an excellent addition to any home cafe. Enjoy four different beverages, from an espresso (40ml), a lungo (110ml), an americano (150ml), to americano XL (200ml) for long cup lovers. It even has a hot water function. Coupled with its smart reordering system at the touch of a button, you will never suffer a day without caffeine.

If the Nespresso Essenza Plus isn’t quite your cup of coffee, that’s fine. Enjoy 10% off other coffee machines including the Inissia, Pixie, and Citiz with an additional $30 off when you purchase 50 coffee capsules.

Creatista Plus

Coffee & milk lovers will find the Nespresso Creatista Plus coffee machine a great companion.

Usual Price: $748
Promotional Price: $635.80 (15% off)

Creatista Plus enables you to create latte art coffees like Flat White or Latte Macchiato at home using the automatic steam pipe. Easily create textured milk set to your preferred temperature for your adventurous latte art creations. Furthermore, it also has a timeless stainless steel finish that fits any home kitchen. Use the intuitive user interface to guide you on aspects regarding coffee preparation, adjusting different temperature and milk froth settings.

Apart from the Creatista Plus, single touch coffee and milk machines like the Nespresso Lattissima range, and coffee and milk frother bundles like the Inissia & Aerocinno3 Milk Frother Bundle, or Essenza Plus & Aeroccino3 Milk Frother Bundle are all going at 15% off! Take an additional $30 off your total bill when you bag home 50 coffee capsules.

Nespresso Vertuo Line

Nespresso has also recently launched its new Vertuo line, which features an innovative Centrifusion™ brewing technology and 27 entirely new coffee blends. Vertuo offers a full range of coffee styles with five cup sizes from a short Espresso (40ml) to a large cup of Alto (414ml).

If you’re unsure which to pick, you can take a short quiz to find out if you’re a match with the Nespresso Original or Vertuo series.

VertuoPlus Machine Range

We would like to take this chance to spotlight the VertuoPlus Premium Titan coffee machine.

Usual Price: $398
Purchase 50 Vertuo coffee capsules for an additional $30 off

The VertuoPlus Premium Titan is easy and effortless to operate. Featuring a capsule lever that opens and closes at a touch, and a smart system that automatically recognises the coffee blend you select. It sets the optimal coffee extraction parameters for an aromatic and full-bodied coffee, topped with generous, silky crema.

Relish limited-edition coffees & benefit from 20% off selected accessories

With the festive season around the corner, why not bag home some limited-edition Italian coffees that will delight your guests during your home celebrations?

Inspired by the traditions of Italy, Nespresso’s Variations Italia coffees are a homage to genuine Italian hospitality, celebrating those warm, soft-hearted moments spent with loved ones during the holidays. This year’s coffees are influenced by the traditional Italian flavours of regional sweet treats, including hazelnut cake and Amaretti.

Nespresso is also giving us 20% off selected accessories. Now’s a great time to pick up some Nespresso cappuccino & espresso cups, VIEW mugs, cube dispensers (capsule holder), and discovery boxes. Complete your very own Nespresso coffee experience at the comfort of home.

Purchasing Nespresso Products

Shop online at nespresso.com or on the Nespresso mobile app. Alternatively, you can also choose to drop by any Nespresso Boutique or selected electronic and departmental stores. Locate a store near you today!

Here’s wishing you a blessed Christmas and joyful year to come.

5 Habits That Drain Your Wallet

A habit is defined as a settled tendency or a usual manner of behavior. Whether you take daily morning walks or sip a cup of coffee at noon, your habits become nearly or completely involuntary as time passes.

The key to developing healthy habits that float well with your finances is moderation. If you are indulging too often on a habit, cutting back may save you money and protect your health. Below are just some of the habits that can drain your wallet.

SMOKING CIGARETTES

Smoking raises your risks of serious health problems such as stroke, heart disease, emphysema, and cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking cigarettes harms nearly every organ of one’s body. Take care of your health by reducing or eliminating your smoking habit.

Let us start with the average cost of a cigarette. Last year, the average retail price for a 20-stick pack of cigarettes in Singapore was at S$13.08. A pack-a-day habit will run you about S$4774.02 a year. Imagine the amount of money you can save or invest in a span of 12 months!

Quitting smoking cancels out the costs for your finances and your health. However, it is easier said than done. There are several ways to quit smoking such as Cold Turkey and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Cold Turkey entails that you stop all at once. According to WebMD, about 90% of smokers who try to quit choose this method. Unfortunately, many of them do not succeed. Using this method may put your body into a state of nicotine withdrawal. Let us focus on the other method. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) uses the power of your thoughts, feelings, and mental processing in order to reduce your smoking habit. This works best with people who are open to counselling and psychotherapy.

EATING OUT DAILY

Eating out regularly, especially indulging on fast food, is not the healthiest habit out there. It is simply hard to resist! This is due to the convenience and familiarity attached to fast food chains and restaurants. After an exhausting day at work, we just want to relax at home and not spend more time for cooking dinner. It is a lot easier to order a box of pizza or a bowl of ramen with a few taps on an app!

Despite the great deals that fast food chains offer, eating out is more expensive than cooking your own food. A five-dollar meal may not seem expensive, but the costs add up. If you eat out on a daily basis, you can consume about S$35 to S$100 in a week. Reduce your spending by planning your meals ahead of time and preparing on-the-go snacks (e.g., sliced apples or fruit-filled yogurts).

DRINKING ARTISAN COFFEE

Consumed on a daily basis, artisan and gourmet coffees can get expensive. For many people, drinking a cup of joe in the morning seems like second-nature. They wake up and smell coffee. I have several friends who cannot function properly in the morning without having their cup of coffee. And it is not just the smell that wakes them up. It is the caffeine.

It may seem relatively cheap to spend a few bucks a day at a local coffee shop. However, you must consider all the money that you could have saved if you brewed your own coffee at home.

REGULAR GROCERY SHOPPING

Some people have a habit of shopping for groceries on a daily basis. A good way to ensure that you stick to your grocery budget is to restrict yourself to one grocery trip per week. Frequent trips to the grocery store throughout the week can make you tempted to buy more than what you need. Making a routine of hitting up the grocery whenever you forget something indicates that you do not have a proper grasp of your consumption. It is best to plan ahead!

Avoid grocery shopping when you are hungry or when you have an ample amount of time to spare. People are more susceptible to purchasing additional items when they are hungry or when they go for leisurely shopping. These unnecessary items usually go to waste.

CONSUMING ENERGY DRINKS

People who have a tendency to purchase a bottle of energy drink everyday may develop a tolerance towards it. Chances are, you will need to drink more than a bottle per day to keep you buzzed all throughout. That can cost you more than .50 cents a day. Is it time for you to kick out your energy drink habit?

Image Credits: pixabay.com

If you need the energy drink to keep you active throughout the day in compensation of sleep deprivation then, you need to alter your sleeping habits. You will not feel exhausted at work with a full cycle of sleep. If fatigue persists, you may consult a doctor.

Sources: 1 & 2

COVID-19 times – Can I not key my NETS ATM PIN?

Good ol’ NETS. What immediately comes to mind when we think about NETS is keying your ATM PIN, Singapore’s very own payment mode which we grew up with and is still an essential part of our lives today. NETS and PIN (aka NETS Pin) has become synonymous with what the brand has to offer – we see it in use everywhere we go, from supermarkets to prata shops and departmental stores.

But herein lies a conundrum: most of us do not know much else about NETS beyond NETS Pin. NETS actually has a variety of cashless payment modes such as eNETS, NETS FlashPay, NETS QR and NETS Contactless ATM card to name a few. Today we’ll be talking about NETS Contactless ATM card, which makes retail purchases a breeze during checkout.

What is NETS Contactless ATM card?

As the name suggests, NETS Contactless ATM card allows you to go contactless and tap your ATM card for purchases under S$100 instead of entering your card PIN during payments. It’s fast, seamless, and secure — every contactless card contains a highly sophisticated chip which performs a wide range of functions to maintain the card’s security, and can interact safely with a contactless terminal.

NETS Contactless ATM card is accessible to the majority of residents in Singapore as it’s essentially your ATM card with an added contactless payment function. Tap away using your contactless card without having to worry about tracking your expenditure or incurring late payment charges since payment is directly debited from your bank account.

How do I identify a NETS Contactless ATM card?

Step 1: Reach for your purse or wallet and grab your ATM card
Step 2: Make sure you grab one from DBS, OCBC, POSB, UOB, HSBC or Maybank
Step 3: Look for the NETS tap icon on the face of the card

For DBS/POSB, OCBC and UOB, only the above cards are NETS tap-enabled.

For HSBC & Maybank, NETS Tap icon is located at the back of the card.

Where can I get a NETS Contactless ATM card?

Don’t see the NETS tap icon on your ATM card? You can upgrade to a NETS tap-enabled ATM card by visiting any branch from the participating banks namely DBS/POSB, UOB, OCBC, HSBC and Maybank.

NETS Contactless ATM Card – the one card for your ATM, retail and transit needs.

Enter the wonderful world of cashless payment — from making cash withdrawals at the ATM to making payment at the supermarket, your NETS tap-enabled ATM card is the card to rule them all. What’s more, with a SimplyGo account, it can be used for your transit needs too! Save the hassle of queuing to top up your card and have your travel and fare history at the tip of your fingers.

Who knew commuting could be this easy-breezy?

Do all merchants accept NETS tap payments?

If a merchant accepts NETS, it’s likely that NETS tap payments will be welcomed as well. After all, NETS has more than 120,000 acceptance points islandwide. To be safe, just check in with the merchant before making payment! Supermarkets such as NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong, Giant, Cold Storage, and health & beauty retailers such as Watsons and Guardian all accept NETS tap payments. Start enjoying the joy of seamless and secure checkouts today!

Tap to Pay and Win $50 Every Month

What’s more, from now to 31 December 2020, tap to pay with your NETS Contactless ATM card and stand to win $50 every month! Simply spend $30 and be automatically enrolled into the draw.

Bonus: Are you a NETS merchant? Look here!

Hi there, familiar one! Curious to ascertain if your NETS terminal accepts NETS tap payments? You might not be aware of it, but most of our terminals are already embedded with the NETS tap function. Look out for the NETS tap logo on your terminal and have your customers tap their NETS Contactless ATM cards. The payment process and transaction fees are the same as NETS Pin. It’s that simple!

If your NETS terminal doesn’t have a NETS tap icon, it’s time to upgrade it! Contact NETS at [email protected] to get a complimentary terminal/software upgrade or for any queries you might have.

Pssst: For new merchants, you will also enjoy a 3-month subscription fee waiver when you apply for NETS POS terminal online before 31 December 2020!

7 Tiong Bahru cafes for a short work-from-cafe experience

Most of us are still working from home or at times, at the hotel. In need of a different work environment to shake things up a little? How about a brief work-from-cafe experience at one of the cafes located in Tiong Bahru? Get a morning cuppa, brunch bowl, or snack break while you answer a few work emails or get started on that weekly report.

Here are seven cafes in Tiong Bahru for a short work-from-cafe experience.

#1: Forty Hands

Image Credits: sg.openrice.com

Address: 78 Yong Siak Street, Singapore 163078

Forty Hands is open from 7am on weekdays, and 7.30am on weekends, so it’s perfect if you want to head out early to grab an ideal work spot. The cafe serves an all-day breakfast menu with prices starting from S$16. Pair your breakfast plate with a cup of hot coffee or iced beverage!

#2: PS.Cafe Petit

Image Credits: pscafe.com

Address: No. 41, Blk, 78 Guan Chuan Street, Singapore 160078

You can find PS.Cafe Petit along Guan Chuan Street. It’s just a few steps away from Forty Hands so you can cafe-hop conveniently. PS.Cafe Petit opens slightly later at 9am but closes late till 10.30pm. They have limited seats, so it’s probably okay if you’re looking to spend just a short hour or two away from home.

#3: Flock Cafe

Image Credits: lemon-film.com

Address: 78 Moh Guan Terrace, #01-25, Tiong Bahru Estate, Singapore 162078

In close vicinity is Flock Cafe. It’s open from 8am daily, giving you ample time to settle in before clocking in at 9am for work. Similar to Forty Hands, they have an all-day breakfast selection, but we’re eyeing their delicious waffles with scrambled eggs & crispy bacon. Or should we go for the Pork Cheek Rigatoni?

#4: TIANN’S

Image Credits: TIANN’S

Address: 71 Seng Poh Road, #01-35, Singapore 160071

TIANN’S is situated opposite Tiong Bahru Market, along Seng Poh Road. They are open every day except on Mondays. No Monday blues for the team at TIANN’S, we guess? Ha! Anyway, if you’re a fan of Korean cuisine, their Grandma’s Bibimbap might win you over. It also comes with add-on options like kimchi pork stew and beef bulgogi.

#5: Tiong Bahru Bakery

Tiong Bahru Bakery along Eng Hoon Street

Image Credits: angieisagirl.wordpress.com

Address: 56 Eng Hoon Street, #01-70, Singapore 160056

Tiong Bahru Bakery along Eng Hoon Street opens daily from 8am. They have a range of viennoiserie, savoury treats, fresh pastries, and bread. Other than the usual coffee, tea, and juices menu, the cafe also offers exclusive beverages like beetroot roselle latte and turmeric ginger latte to awaken your taste buds.

#6: Caffe Pralet

Image Credits: hungrygowhere.com

Address: 17 Eng Hoon Street, #01-04, Eng Hoon Mansions, Singapore 169767

If Tiong Bahru Bakery gets too crowded, consider heading to Caffe Pralet, also located along Eng Hoon Street. Their opening hours are from 11am to 8pm from Monday to Saturday. They are closed on Sundays. We think you will be in love with their signature rice bowls, gourmet sandwiches, and monthly specials.

#7: Drips Bakery Café

Image Credits: Drips Bakery Café

Address: 82 Tiong Poh Road, #01-05, Singapore 160082

Drop by Drips Bakery Café if you want to get your hands on some sweet treats for a mid-day perk-me-up. Whether it’s a baked lemon tart or a choc truffle tart, the 10-year-old cafe is ready to welcome you daily at 9am. Before you leave, consider getting their signature mini tarts special (six in a box) to share with your loved ones!

A nutritionist’s guide to the top 10 mood-boosting foods you should include in your diet

In this article, we will be hearing from the wise advice of Clara Mah, a nutritionist at Bella Marie France. Are you aware that when your body is stressed, it produces cortisol, also known as the stress hormone? Thus, it explains why you sometimes crave for comfort food that is high in fat or sugar.

According to Clara, white bread, white rice, pasta, and pastries alongside high consumption of meat and fats are linked to higher oxidative stress. If you want to decrease the oxidative effects of stress, then fill your plates with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, and legumes instead.

To aid you in making a wiser choice while grocery shopping this week, take it from the nutritionist on the top 10 mood-boosting foods you should include in your diet!

#1: Dark Leafy Greens

Image Credits: thehealthsite.com

We all know the benefits of eating vegetables. But to be specific, you want to go for dark leafy ones such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and beet greens. Here’s your chance to stock up on vitamins A, C, E, K, nutrients, minerals, and phytochemicals to boost your mental wellness.

#2: Avocados

Image Credits: delish.com

Avocados aren’t that cheap, to be honest. But the superfruit does wonders in supporting the production of the memory and learning brain chemical acetylcholine. All thanks to the presence of healthy monounsaturated fats, which is also present in extra virgin olive oil.

#3: Chia Seeds

Image Credits: eatthis.com

You’ve probably heard of people including chia seeds in their meals to aid them in weight loss. Also known as a superfood, it’s not just rich in fibre but also omega-3 fatty acids, which is essential to maintain your mental and emotional health.

#4: Eggs

Image Credits: kirbiecravings.com

Do you want to have better mental acuity and focus? Then make sure to include eggs in your balanced diet. The substances present in the egg aids in maintaining memory and communication signals. It also contains essential nutrients for your brain to function properly.

#5: Bananas

Image Credits: Medical News Today

Want a ‘feel-good’ hormone? Turn to bananas. They contain high levels of tryptophan that convert to serotonin to help with a mood boost. Bananas also uplift your energy and even have the power to assist in overcoming depression.

#6: Berries

Image Credits: Dr. Oz

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, and blackberries are just some of the berries you can quickly bag home from the supermarket. By safeguarding brain cells from damage, it’s an excellent choice for persons with Alzheimer’s disease or mental decline.

#7: Turmeric

Image Credits: Healthline

Turmeric carries curcumin which has been scientifically proven to treat psychiatric disorders and improve symptoms of depression. It also has anti-inflammatory and anti-anxiety properties. Need to spice up your dishes? You know what to add.

#8: Yoghurt

Image Credits: weightlossresources.co.uk

Want to fight symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve your mental wellness? The probiotics and lactobacillus in yoghurt can do just that. Have it with your daily serving of fruits to start your morning right!

#9: Dark Chocolate

Image Credits: everydayhealth.com

Here’s your excuse to pick up that bar of chocolate this week at the store. But remember to go for dark ones, not just any flavour you like. It stimulates the production of endorphins to trigger positive feelings. Together with flavonols and serotonin, it may just be your quick solution to conquer the blues.

#10: Walnuts

Image Credits: myrecipes.com

Nuts generally contain the right nutrients and fats. But if you want to significantly improve brain functions, mental flexibility, and have better memory, then walnuts are your to-go option. It contains polyunsaturated fat, polyphenols, and vitamin E to reduce oxidative damage and inflammation in the brain.