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Surefire Ways To Waste Your Money On Technology

NOT CONTROLLING YOUR DATA PLAN

You are totally wasting your money if you cannot handle your data usage well. Fortunately for the large-scale telecoms, you are not alone! Millions of people around the globe overpay for their postpaid plans because they underestimate their usage in messages, in minutes, and in bytes of data.

Overuse of SingTel and StarHub plans may appear to be a wee affordable at first but, all of these fees add up. For Singtel users, excess local 3G data is charged up to S$10.70/1 GB and excess data beyond the bundled plan is charged at S$0.50/100 KB. While StarHub 4G users get to pay S$10.70/1 GB in excess. Paying over ten dollars is costly especially because almost every place in Singapore offers free Internet connectivity.

This is why you must think of clever ways to handle your data. Firstly, change your settings to Wi-Fi instead of using 3G/4G network all the time. It will not only save you money but also preserve your battery.

Secondly, analyze your mobile phone billing statements for the past few months and average each factor. Select a postpaid plan that is best suited for your needs. Lastly, upgrade your data allowance for just S$9.90 per month! Singtel’s latest DataX3 add-on triples your data allowance. Learn more by clicking here.

DOWNLOADING USELESS APPS

Ohhh! I cannot quantify the times I downloaded apps that I soon deleted. Do not worry too much about me as these are all free. However, there are some people who spend their hard-earned money on useless apps such as the “Fan Cooler™“. It does not hold true to its claim as an efficient cooling system for your iPhone and iPod devices. The user by the name of “Reavell2” encapsulates it in one review: “Total rubbish don’t spend .99 cents!”

Do not get me started with other apps that claim to pour beer or to make ridiculous sounding ringtones that you will only use once.

PURCHASING 3D TELEVISION

Fantasizing of watching a great film like “Train to Busan” in a theater-like setting at home?

Few people turned that fantasy into a reality when they purchased a 3D television that includes 3D glasses, lifelike images, vivid colors, and three-dimension effects. The price for this unique set rangers from S$2,800 to S$14,999.

Let me wheel you in on a little “secret”, 80% of the 3D TV owners in United Kingdom regretted their purchases. This is why it is best to do extensive research on the latest technology before buying it.

BUYING STANDALONE GADGETS

Christmas is fast approaching! This means that sales will sprout from now until the coming months. As much as possible, avoid purchasing a standalone gadget. Standalone gadgets is a category that refers to the devices that has one function only. In this category are the likes of media players and point-and-shoot cameras. Chances are, the person already has a powerful smartphone or tablet that is packed with features.

Do not waste your money on standalone gadgets unless the person requests for the it specifically. Just imagine if you are about to spens S$564 for your siblings who asked for the GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition Camcorder!

PAYING FOR EXTENDED WARRANTIES

Most digital experts agree that extended warranties are a complete waste of your money. If your laptop has a problem, it will most likely present itself within the first few months. You may also approach your company’s IT personnel first before hiring the services of the repair shops.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

As you read in the above scenarios, it helps if you are aware of your spending habits. Avoid making unnecessary purchases that are meant to fill your emotional void by questioning your cash-flow. The less you surrender to your pointless wants, the less financial resources will be affected!

Sources: 1 & 2

4 Places For Best Money Exchange Rates In Singapore

Currency, as we know it, is a result of a period of evolution. Long time ago, there were no coins, there was only barter – simple exchange of goods for goods. Now, money (i.e., in the form of coins, paper, etc.) around the world has its equivalent value.

When you travel, it is quintessential to find a good place to change the currency of your money. Luckily for travelers, Singapore provides a wide array of reliable and licensed money changers that offer best rates for most foreign currencies. If you are unaware of the best money changers out there, here is a swift list for you…

1. PEER TO PEER – MARCO POLEE (Update: 15 Sep 16)

Since our article has gone out, we’ve discovered Marco Polee – a currency exchange platform that networks people to exchange currency between each other. Customers can create a new listing, which consists of where they’d like to exchange, and the amount. The best bit is that the exchange rate is locked to the market exchange rate (midmarket rate)! With absolutely no fees, no commissions, and the ability to exchange at market rates – this service is definitely worth taking a look at. Marco Polee’s goal is to provide travellers with a better option as they believe the people deserve better than to lose money just to exchange currency.

Website: Marco Polee

2. PARKWAY PARADE

Do you live around the Katong area? Parkway Parade Shopping Centre, a building with about 300 shops, is the most convenient place for you to change your money. In here, the suggested money changers are located at the Level 1 as it provides the best rates for THB, USD, JPY, MYR, and HKD.

Suggested Money Changers: Sino Money Changer, Yakadir Enterprises, Everpeace Money Changer, and Parkway Money Changer

Address: Parkway Parade 80 Marine Parade Road, Singapore 449269

3. THE ARCADE AT RAFFLES PLACE

A busy business center in Singapore, Raffles Place has proven to be a good place for changing your currencies. Offering good rates for USD, GBP, EUR, JPY, THB, MYR, and TWD all year round.

Suggested Money Changers: Arcade Plaza Traders Pte Ltd, Sheen International Exchange, People’s Corner Money Changer, and Arcade Money Changers

Address: The Arcade, 11 Collyer Quay, Singapore 049317

4. PEOPLE’S PARK COMPLEX CHINATOWN

An old building located at the heart of Chinatown, People’s Park Complex, is one the most famous places to exchange your money. The money changers here are numerous that you can compare rates by hopping from shop to shop. Nonetheless they offer good rates for CNY, PHP, THB, HKD, and MYR.

Suggested Money Changers: Today’s Money Exchange, Crante Money Changer, AK Money Changer & Department Store, and Emerald Money Changer

Address: People’s Park Complex 1 Park Road, Singapore 059108

5. LUCKY PLAZA

For tourists that are around the Orchard area, money changers at Lucky Plaza is your most convenient choice. With shopping centers around the area, it is a good place to exchange rates for PHP, MYR, and THB.

Suggested Money Changers: Rahiman Trading, Rabi Trading, Fajar Money Changer, and True Blue Money Changer

Address: Lucky Plaza 304 Orchard Road, Singapore 238863

Image Credits: epSos .de via Flickr

Remember to compare the rates in different money changers in the building to get the best rates! Some money changers offer updates via their website so, be aware of that.

(* Now that you’ve get the best of your exchange rate, use our hotels search engine to search for the best price guaranteed hotels: http://hotels.moneydigest.sg)

4 Times That Fast Food Chains Stole Your Money

When fast food chains offer their tasty meals, they go beyond advertising on television and social media. They employ different marketing strategies to entice the consumers into spending their hard-earned cash on the spot. Just take a look at their slogans!

Burger King once used the slogan: “IT JUST TASTES BETTER”. They provide no further explanations as to why their burgers and products tastes good. They simply implant this idea because they are business-oriented people. On that note, here are the 4 Times That Fast Food Chains “Stole” Your Money:

1. TEMPTING STORE FRAGRANCES

It is no secret that smell can induce cravings. These cravings can later lead to spending money.

Some companies (like ScentAir) are in the business of copying the natural scents of different food such as grilled burger, cinnamon bun, and popcorn. They sell these scents to companies that want to enhance the overall aroma of their stores. It works because smell can actually make your food taste better.

Dr. Brian Wansink once said: “it [odor] definitely makes the dining experience much more attractive to people, but unfortunately it also makes you want to get the fries instead of the salad.”

2. OVERWHELMING BUNDLE PRICE

Seeing me sip a cup of soda is a rare sight but, I always fall for the “bundle price” marketing trick regardless of that! Bundle pricing occurs when the company sells 2 or more products as a package with an intent of saving the customers’ money. Fast food chains habitually engage in this strategy which they refer to as “value meals”.

Currently, Burger King is offering value meals that come with burgers, cheesy fries, and sodas for only S$4.95 each. How can you not fall for a price that is significantly less than the amount of each item separately?

Image Credits: burgerking.com.sg

One drawback is that the portions are lesser than the usual.

3. APPETITE-ENHANCING COLORS

From the logos to the interior, two colors seem to stay at almost every fast food chains. These two colors are red and yellow. Red and yellow stimulate appetite, which probably explains why your stomach starts to make noises as soon as you see the yellow arches or the red logo. You cannot resist spending more inside!

Interestingly, you can combat how colors affect the way you eat by controlling your own plate. Researchers at Cornell University found that when they reduced the contrast in their plates and tables or in their plates and the food itself, people tend to serve themselves less food. To eat less, pair your white plate with your white table-cloth or a blue plate with a blue table-cloth.

4. ENTICING HEALTHY FEATURES

With the continued advocacy against obesity, consumers have been warned about the health risks of various fast food joints. Some companies heard this plea and incorporated healthy options to their menu. These companies came up with low-calorie ice creams, fruit bowls, veggie wraps, and salads.

Included in these said companies are McDonald’s and Burger King. Let us take Mac’s “Chicken McNuggets® 6pc Delight 500 Meal with Dasani Drinking Water” as an example. I was impressed with the website as it showed the nutrition facts, allergen information, and food sensitivity. In fact, the amount of cholesterol is this meal is only 59 mg!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

My friends at the fitness studio who are always on the go will enjoy this seemingly healthier option. Well, you know how popular healthy detox and other healthy alternatives are in the Singaporean social media.

Sources: 1 & 2

How To Ace These Tough 10 Interview Questions

There is nothing worse than coming into a job interview and the interviewer asks you with hard questions, which you do not know the answer to. Avoid this situation by being ready with polished interview answers.

1. WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR PREVIOUS JOB?

No matter how tricky this question sounds, you can make your way around it. I know how tempting it is to dish about your colleagues who mistreated you. However, this is not the time for that! Talk about your past experiences and focus on your career goals.

Elaborate about the important values and skills that you learned from your past experiences. Then, highlight that you are ready to use these in the position that you aspire to land. Another alternative is to state that you left to chase a better opportunity and face new challenges.

2. WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?

There is no perfect way to respond to this question but, you must avoid literal and generic answers. Saying that you are a workaholic or you are incapable of driving will not boost your image during an interview. Instead, identify the areas that you want to improve on and explain how keen you are to develop that skill in the new position.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?

This question allows you to shine the competition. With this question, the interviewer is looking for work-related strengths that are in lined with the vacancy. Provide realistic examples of the times you displayed these strengths and connect it with the objectives of the job.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

4. WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE?

Most job seekers answer this question by stating that they are 100% happy with where they are at the moment. If that statement is entirely true then, they will not seek a new job opportunity to change their careers.

Rather than coming across as cliché, pinpoint a major turning point or a missed opportunity in your life. Manifest that you are willing to move on from the situation by taking positive actions to turn things around. Provide examples to back up your claim.

5. WHY DO WANT TO WORK HERE?

This question calls for prior research and analysis regarding the targeted company. As a Registered Psychometrician, I know how important it is to find an employee that matches the objectives and goals of the company. This is why you must respond in a way that echoes the essence of the company.

Mention the aspects of the company that you admire and how your abilities make you a perfect fit.

6. HOW HAS YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND PREPARED YOU FOR THIS JOB?

There are various ways to respond to this broad question. I suggest to highlight the practical applications of the knowledge that you absorbed in school. State some examples that support the crucial competencies needed for the job.

This is an example: “During my last two years at SIM University, I had the opportunity to become a part of the program-committee and represent the whole batch of my course. I constantly practiced my communication skills given this responsibility.”

7. IS MONEY MORE IMPORTANT THAN JOB SATISFACTION?

It is alright to value money as it aids in our survival. By answering that money is more important, the interviewer may perceive you as someone who is blinded by a larger paycheck. Job satisfaction shall trump money in this situation.

Put emphasis on the pivotal role of job satisfaction to your internal motivation and to increasing your productivity at work. This will surely impress the interviewer.

8. HAVE YOU APPLIED FOR OTHER POSITIONS?

Interviewers like to ask this question to identify how interested the candidates are in the position and how determined they are on their search. Candidates who are applying for similar jobs (i.e., in the same industry or work environment) are more desirable. You may enumerate the typical characteristics that are needed for the job that you are applying for. Say something like: “I have applied for other positions that involve strong customer service orientation too.”

9. HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR FREE TIME?

This question comes up frequently because it gives a glimpse into a person’s character and work-life balance. Instead of tailoring your answers to show some extraordinary pursuits, be honest and realistic. The interviewer will appreciate the conversation more if you explain why you engage in such activities.

10. CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE WORST MANAGER YOU EVER HAD?

Ranting about your horrible ex-manager will not work to your favor. It is unattractive to talk badly about your previous managers or bosses. This is because your potential manager may anticipate that you will treat him or her in the same manner, somewhere down the line.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

A better response to this question is: “While no boss is perfect, there were some who taught me more than others. I am not complaining because I learned the types of leadership styles that I respond to the best.”

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

How Not To Fall Prey To Jewellers’ Sales Tactics

Some useful tips for you not to fall prey to jewellers’sales tactics

Shopping for diamonds is an art. Diamond shopping is a test of meticulousness. All diamonds may look equally impressive in jewellery stores, but only when viewed under natural daylight will it reveal its true brilliance. In a bid to make your diamond shopping a wiser one, JannPaul highlights 5 of the most common marketing tactics.

There can be GIA triple Excellent diamonds that are poor performers.

When a diamond is said to have a triple excellent rating, it refers to the rating of the diamond’s cut grade, polish and symmetry. Often, this is how a salesperson would benchmark their diamond, by saying a “triple Excellent diamond is the best.”

However, there is much more to this. A more reliable way to determine the quality and performance of a diamond, is by measuring the light performance (measured with an Ideal Scope or ASET Scope) and symmetry of the diamond (measured with a Hearts and Arrow Scope).

The Ideal Scope reveals the amount of light return and light leakage in a diamond. Through the scope, the greater the red areas, the more intense the light return. What this means is a lot of light is coming into the diamond and reflected out, giving the diamond a brighter look. The white areas you see on the Ideal Scope represents the amount of light leakage, which you want to minimize.

A more advanced version of the Ideal Scope is the ASET Scope. The ASET Scope determines the strength of a diamond’s light return. Red areas are indicative of strong light, while green areas represent weak light return. White areas show full light leakage, which is regarded as poor light performance in a diamond. The blue areas are a diamond’s contrast, which gives an idea of where the colourful sparkles you see on the diamond are. It should ideally have sharp and crisp arrows.

Both the Ideal Scope and ASET Scope are not commonly found in local jewellery stores, but it can be easily found online.

Although these two diamonds have different light performances, they can cost the same! This is because diamonds are sold based on what is shown on the GIA certificate, and GIA does not grade the light performance of a diamond.

“The diamond is GIA-certified.”

Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the world’s oldest, largest, and one of the most respected independent laboratories. Their laboratories are regarded as one of the most respected laboratories in the diamond industry, simply because of their consistency and unbiased diamond grading systems. As such, most of the diamonds manufactured now are graded according to the GIA standards, making it one of the most popular diamond certification in the industry.

GIA grades a diamond on according to the 4 “C”s – Carat, Colour, Cut and Clarity. That being said, there are other facets of a diamond that determine the quality of the diamond, which the GIA certificate does not take into consideration. For instance, two diamonds with the same GIA certification grades may differ greatly in terms of their light performances.

“The diamond is a ‘’Super Ideal Cut’’.”

The term Super Ideal Cut is used to label a diamond that is cut to the maximum light performance. The Super Ideal Cut standard was introduced into Singapore by Paul Hung from JannPaul in 2010.

In order to prove that a diamond has high light performance, various tools are needed, such as the HCA tool, Ideal Scope, ASET Scope and Hearts & Arrows scope. Without these analytical tools, a jeweller cannot label their diamond as a Super Ideal Cut.

Unfortunately, there is no regulation for this type of grading in the industry. That is to say, any jeweller can brand their diamonds as a “Super Ideal Cut” according to their own parameters. Hence, it is important not to fall into these marketing labels, and to learn how to check if the diamond you’re purchasing is truly a Super Ideal Cut.

In other words, no scopes, no talk.

The Hearts & Arrows scope does not measure a diamond’s brilliance

The Hearts and Arrow Scope reveals the symmetry of a diamond. A good diamond appears symmetrical and crisp under the scope, with no clefts or visible flaws. This scope is most commonly found in most jewellery stores, but is by no means the most representative way of determining the cut of a diamond.

What this scope does not reveal is the amount of light leakages in a diamond. Light leakage is indicative of poor light performance in a diamond, as the light leaks out instead of being reflected out. A diamond with poor light performance can still look good under the Hearts & Arrows scope, as all it means is that the diamond is symmetrically cut or it has symmetrical light leakages.

“The greater the carat size, the bigger the diamond.”

Carat size is the weight of a diamond, but it does not tell you anything about a diamond’s brightness or how well it sparkles, much less its cut and size.

For the same carat weight, a diamond can be cut deeper, making it look smaller. A deeply cut diamond can affect its light performance as well, causing it to appear darker and duller. Hence, a well cut diamond will appear larger, brighter and more brilliant compared to a poorly cut diamond of the same carat weight.

The next time you shop for diamonds, equip yourself with this common language to defend yourself and your pockets from harm. With the appropriate tools for accessing a diamond’s quality, it is not as difficult as one might imagine to pick out one that’s worth the price tag attached to it.

Special thanks to Casey Lai from JANNPAUL for these useful tips.

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