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Surefire Ways To Earn More While You Sleep

1. JUST SLEEP

As researchers had found, sleep can improve your concentration, boost your cognitive function, reduce your stress levels, and even increase your Emotional Quotient (EQ). But aside from these, it can also increase your salary! An additional hour of sleep per week has shown an increase in salary by 1.5% over the length of a season and 4.9% over the length of a few years. This increase is due to the positive effect of sleep on productivity.

2. CREATE A PAID BLOG

By constantly writing or blogging about a certain topic, you become sort of expert on that topic. In order to get started, your blog must have a thematic niche such as fashion, finance, or parenting. Preoccupy your time by improving the blog’s design and content. Then, start earning by placing advertisements or becoming an affiliate partner. The most feasible ways to earn money from your blog are paid advertisements, paid articles, offering courses, and selling books.

Curious on how much a successful blogger can make? Well, they can earn as much as S$5,000 a day.

3. SELL YOUR PRODUCTS ONLINE

Capitalize on your products to support your business and your clients’ needs. Online platforms are a great way to sell your products. You simply have to put a page, employ a shopping cart, and promote it. If you are designing a yoga sportswear collection, consider launching it online to receive a stream of revenue even as you sleep.

4. BE AN INVESTOR

According to Investopedia, an investment is a monetary asset bought with the assumption that it will provide income in the future or be sold at a higher price. Investments in Singapore include the purchase of stocks, bond, gold bars, and properties. Fortunately, you do not have to be regularly present to operate these investments. Start by knowing more about the different investment types and how each one works through indulging on the free resources available physically and virtually.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1,2,& 3

Amazing Places To Celebrate Mother’s Day In Singapore (Under S$50)

I echo the words once muttered by Jose Andres Puerta.

“I guess that from the moment we are fed by our mothers, without even knowing it, we are caught in a net that brings us comfort, something we always feel when a special woman cooks for us. It is something unique and personal – it is something we want to keep for ourselves.”

We are special not only because a woman has bestowed her “net of comfort” towards us but also because she gave us wondrous gifts. The gift of food displayed whenever she cooks, the gift of lessons translated whenever we fall, and the gift of life manifested through our own journeys. As we are days away from Mother’s Day (May 8), it is about time to decide where you want to celebrate.

Show your superwoman how much you care for her by taking her in one of these places:

1. GOOD OLD DAYS RESTAURANT

Experience the great taste of local cuisine and other Asian fusions when you indulge at a 2-story casual dining restaurant at Beach Plaza, Sentosa Island. From the thick rice noodles and spicy flavorful broth of Laksa to the succulent chicken and fragrant rice of Chicken Rice, you are sure that Good Old Days will satisfy your appetite. You and your mom can take advantage of their ongoing Asian Dinner Buffet Promotion of S$15/head for children and S$20/head for adults.

2. REDDOT DESIGN MUSEUM

MAAD, Market Of Artists And Designers, houses unique and budget-friendly artisan pieces. Here you will find a wide array of crafts, plush toys, handmade jewelry, and paintings. The price range starts from S$10 to S$50. Shop around with your Mom on their upcoming MAAD free entry event this May 13 while enjoying the live performances from the local artists. Visit museum.red-dot.sg/maad for more information.

3. SANTA FE TEX-MEX GRILL

Known for its authentic Texan-Mexican food and southern charm, Santa Fe Tex-Mex Grill is sure to shake things up this Mother’s Day. Treat your lovely angel on a hearty feast aboard the Riverboat on dinner of May 7 or May 8. Personally, their all-you-can-eat desserts as well as the Grain-fed Rib Eye Steak sounds music to my ears.

Prices are S$38++ per adult and S$24++ per child. Check out their menu, here.

4. NAILZ2U

A hidden beauty gem resides in Toa Payoh and it is called NAILZ2U. NAILZ2U offer spa, nails, waxing, and other treatment services that are already affordable even without promotions. This is why their Mother’s Day Promo is a delicious icing on the cake. Enjoy a discount (equivalent to your age) on all their ala-carte services. For example, if you are 30 years old and your mother is 60 years old then you will get a 30% off your services while she will get 60% off on hers.

I recommend that you go for the Aloe Vera Hydration Spa or Roses Icing Spa (U.P. S$25-35) and the Express Manicure/Pedicure or Classic Manicure/Pedicure (U.P. S$15-38). Worry not if your schedule does not permit you on May 8 itself as the offer ends on May 31!

Image Credits: nailz2u.com.sg/promotions

How To Travel For Free And Get Paid In The Process

1. WORK AT A CRUISE SHIP

Cruise on the clear blue seas without spending a cent by getting a job at an international cruise line. Cruise lines all over the world are in constant need of staff such as entertainers, waitresses, and housekeepers. Find a job that suits you best to get the free boarding and your desired pay. With few opportunities to spend your money while on the cruise, you are sure to come home with more money than you left with!

2. BE A MYSTERY SHOPPER

Mystery shoppers are individuals that the company hires to pose as regular clients in order to evaluate their services and products. Feedback about their experiences are given to the stores, groceries, and restaurants. In most cases mystery shoppers are hired locally, but there are overseas mystery shopping assignments too. However, these assignments are usually given to experienced mystery shoppers. Work towards it!

3. FIND JOBS AT HOSTELS, RESTAURANTS OR RESORTS

In exchange for free bedroom accommodation, why don’t you work in either the hostel’s front desk or the cleaning services? Hostels are usually looking for new staff and the same goes for resorts. For resorts, you make take on jobs on the front desk, restaurant, and entertainment department.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

Lying on the country’s classified ads are cafe or restaurant job opportunities. Flip it open and apply. Explore your options to choose the best working hour that fits your travel itineraries.

4. OPEN A MOVING COMPANY

Get paid to head on a road trip by delivering furniture, animals, and other items from one destination to another by opening your own moving company. Professional movers pack the client’s items carefully and deliver them safely through trucks or vans. If you are up to the task then this is an idea that you must consider.

5. TEACH ENGLISH ABROAD

Hundreds of job opportunities that cater to TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certified individuals, native English speakers or people who are fluent in the said language. A simple way to make a buck is to check out Dave Sperling’s ESL Cafe.

ESL Cafe is a website that is open for people who teach English and provides them students from around the world. You may send your resume or C.V. to schools and individuals in South Korea, China, Japan, and other locations.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1 & 2

Sensible Steps To Prepare For Your Child’s Tertiary Education

1. ESTIMATE YOUR TOTAL COSTS

The education system in Singapore follows high standards of quality and fosters excellence in its students. Offering various choices for pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary education, it is worth taking a careful consideration at Singapore’s local schools. Not only do they provide a more affordable rate but they also set the bar for all the universities across the nation.

Estimate how much you have to pay for the school fees, living expenses, and other miscellaneous. Do not forget to factor in the inflation rate. For example: If the school fee at NTU or NUS is about S$27,560 last 2010, it will increase to up to S$38,000 by 2030 due to the annual inflation rate of 1.6%. How do you plan to save up for that?

2. LOWER THE COSTS

If the total spending capacity of your household is tight, consider reducing your child’s university expenses. Take up scholarships and other financial aids available at the school. Also, it is important for your child to figure out what he or she really desires to become before venturing off to a course and later shifting to another. An education fund for four years is definitely cheaper than a fund for six.

3. CHOOSE THE FINANCIAL PACKAGE WISELY

There are tons of financial packages tailored to help you save for your child’s tertiary education. Before deciding to commit to one, you must…(a) set your goals first, (b) assess if the package meets your needs, (c) determine how much you can afford, (d) and know how much risk you are willing to take.

After clearing those things up, you must choose between:

a. LIFE INSURANCE PLANS

If you are going to rely on whole life policies, note that only a part of the policy value is guaranteed. The rest of the non-guaranteed value relies on the performance of the insurer’s participating fund. While investment-linked policies do not guarantee the fund values. Said values rely on the investment performance of underlying funds.

b. UNIT TRUSTS AND EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS (ETF)

The underlying assets that your unit trust or ETF is invested in determines the value of your investment. Given that your investment path is fixed until your child enters tertiary education, you must select a unit trust or ETF that accommodates your timeline and investment objective.

c. BONDS

Bonds, usually regarded as less risky than equities, are primarily fixed income-securities. You shall receive the bond face amount on maturity. However, it comes with the credit default risk of the issuer. A decreasing credit quality of the issuer may cause its bond’s price to decline.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

d. TUITION FEE LOAN SCHEME

Aside from the options above, you can consider loans such as the Tuition Fee Loan Scheme for approved schools. The loan has 0% interest during the period of study.

e. CPF EDUCATION SCHEME

The CPF Education Scheme allows you to borrow from your CPF ordinary account to sustain your child’s local tertiary education costs at approved schools. It is subjected to a withdrawal cap. After graduating, your child will be required to repay the amount withdrawn plus additional interest.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

KAYAK.sg reveals travel hacks for visiting the 10 most popular school holiday destinations

The travel search engine shares its wallet-friendly tips for booking a summer family getaway from Singapore

Head to Bangkok for S$187 and stay in a four-star hotel averaging S$133 per night
By booking on the right day of the week, travellers can save up to 33% on flights
KAYAK.sg recommends escaping Singapore’s heat and humidity with a visit to Melbourne and catching the open-air festivals in Paris

Singapore, 26 April 2016: The month-long June school holidays are a great time for a longer trip with the family, but high demand often means inflated flight prices and hotel bills. Parents (and their wallets) deserve a break as much as their kids do this summer, so the travel experts at KAYAK.sg crunched the numbers to reveal when to book flights to the top 10 most popular school break destinations for maximum savings.

Debby Soo, KAYAK Vice President APAC said, “School holidays are a peak time for families to travel together and prices tend to increase as a result. By choosing a value-for-money destination and employing a few budget-friendly travel hacks, the whole family can enjoy a summer getaway without breaking the bank. Savvy travellers search for flights and hotels on KAYAK.sg to ensure they are getting the best price and sign up for Price Alerts to receive notifications when the price drops for their desired flight and hotel.”

KAYAK.sg data reveals the top 10 destinations for school holidays based on the average median price for travel between 1 and 30 June 2016. Many families take advantage of the month-long school break in June to visit long-haul cities like Paris and New York, while others escape to nearby destinations in Southeast Asia like Bangkok and Bali. Booking on the right day of the week can save travellers between seven and 33 per cent.

Bangkok, Thailand: Best value destination in Asia

@Travel mania/Shutterstock.com

Among the most popular June school holiday options, Bangkok is the all-around best value destination for both flights and four-star hotels. Round trip flights to the City of Angels in June cost S$187 on average and a four-star hotel stay averages S$133 per night. Travellers booking their flights on a Tuesday up to 15 weeks in advance can save up to 30%. On average, travellers pay S$155 when they book on a Tuesday, while those who book on a Monday pay S$222. June is a great month to visit the Thai capital: there are fewer tourists than at other times of the year and the heavy rains of the monsoon season won’t begin until later in the summer. In addition, many retailers participate in Thailand’s Amazing Grand Sale from 15 June to 15 August, offering discounts on clothes, jewellery and electronics.

Melbourne, Australia: Most affordable long-haul destination

@Gordon Bell/Shutterstock.com

According to KAYAK.sg research, the most affordable long-haul destination in the list is Melbourne, Australia. Despite the Land Down Under’s reputation for being an expensive travel destination, fourstar hotels are only slightly more expensive than in Bangkok, averaging S$143 per night. Round trip flights to Melbourne cost S$584 on average, but travellers can save S$45 by booking on a Monday up to 20 weeks in advance for an average flight price of S$539. Melbourne’s winter temperatures in June (7-14 degrees Celsius) are a nice change from Singapore’s heat and humidity. Animal-loving kids can tap into their wild side with visits to the city’s excellent zoo and Sea Life Aquarium.

Paris, France: Best value ultra long-haul destination

@IM_photo/Shutterstock.com

The City of Light offers great value for a family summer sojourn. With flights averaging S$992 from Singapore and four-star hotels averaging S$324 per night in June, Paris is the most affordable ultra long-haul destination in the top 10. Travellers can save up to 20% by booking flights up to 20 weeks in advance on a Monday (average flight price S$866), versus booking on a Sunday (average flight price S$1076). In June, Paris comes alive with festivals and outdoor events like the Fete de la Musique and open-air film screenings in Parc de la Villette.

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