Ways to organize budget-friendly kid’s birthday party in Singapore

Kids are the bundles of joy. They bring immense happiness to the lives of the family members. Being the parent you want to shower him/her with happiness only. You want to fulfill all the dreams that the little member of your family is weaving. That’s why your kid’s birthday is also a big event for you. Birthday comes once a year and you must spend this day well and shower him/her with gorgeous birthday gifts. But again for that, you don’t always need a huge bank balance. And even when you have profuse income, why not save the money for your kid’s education rather than spending lavishly on his birthday party? So, in case you are looking out for budget-friendly or low-budget ideas to celebrate your kid’s birthday party in Singapore, then read below:

Home is the best venue:

No venue can be as inexpensive as your home. It’s free if it’s your own and in case you are already paying rent then also it’s perfect. Streaks n Strokes, My Little Climbing Room, or MINT Museum of Toys are some of the happening places to host a kid’s birthday party. But these places would be expensive and that’s why bring some elements as per the taste of your kids and decorate your home. If your kid is a fan of Minions, then, bring things like cut-outs of Minions and place them at different places. Use all your kid’s favorite superhero quotes and images as theme to give your home a perfect birthday special makeover. That way, you will save lots of money. And also remember that if you book any outside area as the birthday party venue, then, you will also need extra transport costs to reach there.

Bake your cake:

There are various online shops and local shops where you will find various designer cakes. And you also know they are costly. You can prepare the same cake at your home. All you need to do is watch a few videos on YouTube and buy the baking accessory items that are necessary. United Bakery Supplies, Bake King, and Sun Lik Trading are some of the places where you can easily find what you want. If you say that you don’t have an oven then you can always borrow that from a friend or relative for a day.

E-mail or Messenger invitation:

Save paper and also the cost of printing on your kid’s birthday party and opt for easier ways to send out your invitation. This way you will be able to contribute something to the environment also. Simply write fun and cute invitation and send them through e-mail, messenger, or WhatsApp. It will save the time of going to a press, selecting a card, waiting for them to arrive, and then sending them to everyone’s address.

Plan Food cleverly:

The best time to host a kid’s birthday party would be post-lunch hours and bring an end to it by the evening. Those ways, there won’t be any heavy meal commitment and you will save much. The kids will have their lunch while they arrive at 3-3:30 P.M. Provide lemonade or any special drink that you can make at home and after the cake-cutting ceremony distribute plates with a piece of cake, some candies, and spring roll/sandwich.

Plan activities too:

Don’t spend anything on a balloon carrying guy or a joker for entertaining the kids. Go for treasure hunt games that you can arrange yourself. Arrange quiz contest and give out nice gifts. These gifts can be anything like fresh fruits or popcorns dipped in chocolates or a box of sketch pens or crayons – that you can arrange in a tight budget.

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Save Time And Money By Following These Food Hacks

As much as we want to prepare delicious and healthy meals for our entire family, doing so can be a quite a chore!

This is why some of us opt to order in or to eat out. However, this can lead to an increased spending and to an unhealthy lifestyle. The solution is to find ways to save yourself money and time while prepping your meals. Start with these simple food hacks:

#1: EGGSPIRED

Equipped with a shopping list in one hand, I enjoy my weekly trips to the grocery. Egg is among the items that will always be present on the list. For many of us, it is difficult to tell whether a set of eggs is expired. When this happens, you either throw out edible eggs or take the risk of eating expired ones. Avoid these situations by following a simple trick:

Put your eggs in a bowl of water. The expired eggs will float and the fresh eggs will sink. Quickly grab the good eggs in the bottom of the bowl.

#2: POTATHROW

I love potatoes! Whether it be mashed or fried, potatoes can drive many people into frenzy! Say you want to fry potato wedges or mash some potatoes. It is best to spend as little time as possible in peeling each individual potato. Furthermore, you are only wasting money by peeling too much.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

So, take a sharp knife and gently run the blade around the circumference of the potato. You must break the skin without puncturing the potato. Repeat this step for each potato that you intend to cook. Place all the potatoes in a pot and add boiling water. After all these are fully boiled and drained, you may put the pot under cool water for a few seconds. This is the perfect time to gently remove the potato’s skin using your fingers. Watch as the skin slip right off as you save energy on a simple task.

#3: FREEZE-FULL

One of the kitchen tools that many of us often under-utilize is the freezer. Using the freezer efficiently to properly store your food will save you money, effort, and time. Keep this tip in mind – maintaining an empty or an almost empty freezer is a mistake! The freezer has to double its work to cool itself, which will lead to energy wastage. The coolness is retained better if the freezer a little more full.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

I am not saying that you must completely pile up items as that will restrict air circulation. Instead, you must replace what you use with new frozen food items. Practicing this cycle will ensure that your freezer is used to its fullest potential.

#4: MEATICULOUS

Meat gets ridiculously more expensive as time passes. By buying large amounts of meat when it is on sale can help you save money and time in the grocery store. You can either cook everything at the same time or store everything in the freezer into usable portions.

For instance, you may use ground beef for spaghetti sauce and chicken strips for salads. There will be no leftovers!

Sources: 1 & 2

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The Perfect Place To Spend Your Weekend That Comes Without A Price Tag!

For parents, finding the perfect weekend place to spend quality family time with your loved ones can be challenging. Sometimes, it can even turn into a headache. But finding a place to spend your weekends shouldn’t be hard. It should be easy, intuitive and inexpensive. Now, thanks to Qiren Organisation, you can get rid of those worries.

Having previously equipped its premise with an indoor play area, gym, library and cafe, Qiren Organisation continues to upgrade its premise with new kids-friendly facilities for families to enjoy.

Here are some interesting activities that you can look forward to with your family for the whole day. And the best part is that you don’t have to fork out a single cent. Isn’t that great news?

Start Your Morning With Healthy And Nutritious Snacks At Nestle’s Cereal Bar

Every parent knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is THE meal that kick-starts your kid’s metabolism for the day. It also gives your child the energy to last him/her throughout the day. Moreover, breakfast is the best opportunity for parents and kids to sit down together to spend quality time as a family. What better way to encourage the habit of eating breakfast than a cereal bar where kids get to design their own Nestle breakfast bowl?

From kids’ favourite Nestle’s Healthier Choice cereals such as KOKO KRUNCH, HONEY STARS, MILO Cereal Balls to other nutritious Adult options like Fitness Granola, you and your child will be spoilt for breakfast choices.

Note: This facility is available in both Qiren Organisation’s Tampines premise and Jurong East premise.

Be Dazzled By How AndSoForth Jr. Bring Stories To Life With Your Child

Breakfast is just the start of a whole day of fun for your child. After filling their tummies with the healthy and nutritious breakfast from Nestle, your child should get ready for a ball of a time. Why? Because an exciting storytelling adventure awaits your child.

Qiren Organisation has collaborated with ‘AndSoForth Jr.’ to bring storytelling to live at its premise on the weekends. After breakfast, your child can head to the library where engaging stories will be narrated. The stories include kids’ favourites like ‘The Three Little Pigs’, ‘Beauty And The Beast’ and ‘The Ugly Duckling’. During the storytelling session, he/she will be fully engaged with the actor/s, music and props for an exciting time.

Want to know what stories will be brought to life by AndSoForth Jr.? Simply follow Qiren Organisation on their Facebook page and stay tune to the story lineups.

Note: This activity is available in both Qiren Organisation’s Tampines premise and Jurong East premise. Please also note that the stories and date/time are subject to changes.

It’s Time To Enrich The Mind And Let Your Child’s Creativity Run Wild In The Lego Room

Creativity is the way of life where humans take two seemingly disparate ideas and connect them with a unique interpretation. The ability to think creatively has already been dubbed the skill to have in the 21st century. But the journey to nurture one’s creativity has to start from young through the right exposure.

One way to let your child’s creativity blossom and take shape is to let their creativity roam freely with Lego in Qiren Organisation’s newly minted Lego room at Qiren Organisation’s Jurong East premise. Besides the fun factor in assembling your child’s own Lego creation, Lego has been scientifically proven to make one smarter and aid in development of key skills. You can leave your child here for the rest of the afternoon and let their imagination run wild!

Note: This facility is available only in Qiren Organisation’s Jurong East premise.

Encourage Your Child’s Development While Having Fun At The Indoor Playground

Another addition to Qiren Organisation’s existing set of facilities is an indoor playground that is designed to encourage children’s play time. Recent years of research has shown that play is the key to physical, mental, intellectual and social well-being of children.

Having the right amount of play time can have a huge developmental impact on children to develop holistically. Even Albert Einstein once said, “Play is the highest form of research”. Play time also lets children build their motor skills, from jumping, balancing, landing, pushing to turning.

What better way to encourage play time with an indoor playground that lets your child play to their heart’s content, regardless whether it rains or shines?

Note: This facility is available in both Qiren Organisation’s Tampines premise and Jurong East premise.

Everyone Is Invited To Spend The Weekend Together At Qiren Organisation’s Premise

For a limited period of time, Qiren Organisation is pleased to invite everyone to visit them at their new facilities to check them out and enjoy them. It is also the chance for you to enjoy quality time with your family as you chill and relax.

From 7th September to 6th October 2019, the public will be given access to the new facilities. If your family is looking for a great place to spend your weekends, you wouldn’t want to miss this complimentary event. It will be a whole day of fun for you and your family. Simply download the People’s App to enjoy the facilities that are exclusive to registered members on the App.

P.S. Don’t forget to claim a complimentary drink during the open house after you have downloaded the Peoples App on your smartphone.

Tampines Office Address:
9 Tampines Grande
Level 2
S528735

Jurong East Office Address:
2 Venture Drive
Vision Exchange, Level 21
S608526

 

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Are You On The Same Page About Money As Your Partner?

As a couple, discussing about finances can be a hard pill to swallow. After all, money is a common source of issue in martial relationships. It is not something you discuss casually without emotional attachments.

Whether you like it or not, being transparent about your finances is essential in building a strong relationship. Talking about money increases understanding and facilitates cooperation as you work on the same financial goals.

You and your partner probably would not get too in-depth about your finances in the early stages of the relationship. As your relationship gets serious, so does your conversations.

Conversations about money often takes places when a couple moves in together. When this happens, do tap the fundamental elements such as your income and debt.

The next step is to decide how you are going to manage your finances as a couple and as individuals. Decide whether you will combine all your finances or keep them separate. The decision depends on your preferences and spending habits.

If you decide not to combine your finances, you need to discuss how you are going to divide the household expenses. Usually, couples prefer to either split things down the middle or to divide the expenses based on their incomes.

You will realize how different it is to be completely on your own financially and to have somebody to help you. Discussing money with your partner will significantly reduce the likelihood of relationship issues cause by finances. Furthermore, you will be able to work out on your financial goals.

Common example of financial goals include paying off debt, saving up for a flat, and being able to retire at a certain age. Goals will depend heavily on where you are at financially.

WORKING OUT THE DIFFERENCES

Handling your financial differences starts with determining what you can agree on (e.g., setting aside some money for travel or paying household bills on time). Let me illustrate it for you as a spender and as a saver. The spender should be allowed some leeway while following a specific budget for disposable income. On the other hand, the saver should be allowed to satisfy his or her needs by putting away some money to his or her own account. Compromise is the key!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

At the end of the day, mutual respect can helps overcome any disagreements about money. You might not be on the same page all the time, but being able to honor each other’s individual needs can sustain your loving relationship.

Sources: 1 & 2

 

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How To Deal With 3 Divorce-Inducing Money Issues

In the hustle and bustle of the city life, Singaporeans are exposed to the high economic pressures. What makes this concrete jungle thrive? Money, of course. Putting matrimony into the mix makes things more complicated.

Managing money is a complex task fraught with emotion. It is natural that conflicts can arise from time to time. To keep your marriage and finances in tact, open communication and teamwork are essential. If only more couples are having regular conversations about money issues before and after walking down the aisle then, we will less likely to have divorces.

MONETARY IMBALANCE

What will happen when there is a massive earning gap between partners? Or, when a spouse comes from a wealthy family and the other came from humble beginnings? More so, living in a single-income household is not uncommon. Sometimes, the imbalance between two people creates power play.

When power play occurs, the person who earns the most dictate the spending habits of the other. He or she will have personal spending priorities in mind. The other partner simply complies.

Handling this situation is tricky. You can either make a pre-nuptial agreement or open a joint account. Nonetheless, marriage should be founded by cooperation in all aspects.

OPPOSING PERSONALITIES

In the list of reasons why couples divorce, money is among the top answers. Friction brought by money can be due to the opposing personalities of two people. Personality towards money plays a vital part in a couple’s marital bliss or the lack thereof.

Imagine living 24/7 with a hoarder when you are a spender yourself. Or, living with someone who is a risk-avoidant when you are a risk-taker yourself. To the extreme, you may live with someone who believes that the person who dies with the most money wins. These opposing personalities can be mediated by empathy. Walk in the other person’s shoes to understand where he or she is coming from. You may also adopt your spouse’s money habits for a month to see how it works. Paying attention to money habits before and during matrimony can be beneficial. Talking about your financial views and feelings can help put both of you at ease.

OVERWHELMING DEBT

From school loans to shopping addiction, many people come to the altar bearing a financial baggage. If one partner has an outstanding mountain of debt and the other does not, this situation can spark a conflict.

In such situations, people often take solace in knowing that debts are not carried over thru the marriage. However, it is understandable to share the responsibility over housing and child care debts.

Knowing what you are getting yourself into can help you decide how to deal with it. Both partners have to be honest and non-judgmental when discussing about their financial habits and bad records. Apply several payoff strategies soon after. And, seek professional help when needed.

Sources: 1 & 2

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