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8 Inexpensive Home Decor Tips for Newlyweds

After the wedding, the next thing that newlyweds must invest on is the house. You may have to work harder to keep the interior look fresh. And, as you make significant changes in your house, it will have a tow on your paychecks.

But, that shall not always be the case. Here are 8 Cheap Home Decorating Ideas for you love birds…

1. FLARE WITH FRAMES

Add the “wow factor” to your side table by adding an attention-getting frame. Here are a mix of photo frames from Ebay.

Image Credits: DarrelBirkett via Flickr

2. POSH WITH PILLOWS

Whenever guests arrive, the first thing that they will see and stay longer on is the sofa. Dress up your dull sofa by adding bold printed cushions such as animal, island-floral themed or a suede pillowcase. IKEA offers a wide range of pillow cushions designs that range from $1.90 to $19.90! It is not only elegant but it is also affordable!

Image Credits: Stacie via Flickr

3. LIGHTS ARE EVERYTHING

Purchase more in lower-wattage bulbs to change a room’s mood from restful to romantic. And, if you want to take the romantic a level up…use table lamps or floor lamps to put a lights wherever you want to cuddle.

4. PUT A PAINTING ON

You may buy pop-art (Product name: KNISTA) , minimalist, and vintage looking (Product name: OLUNDA) illustrations for only $19.90 at IKEA. This will add beauty to your simple rooms.

5. REVAMP THE WALLS

One of the fastest ways to make your house extra expensive is by giving the walls a new look. Paint the walls of your living room with a higher contrast color to make it pop. Paint your kitchen orange to make the food inducing and the bedrooms purple to make it more relaxing.

Image Credits: Maegan Tintari via Flickr

6. GO GAGA FOR COLOFUL-POTTED GREENS

Having a few small plants in the kitchen will make it feel livelier. Adding a pop of color to its pots or vase will surely make your guests green with envy.

7. RUG IT UP

To quickly fix a room’s problem area, you may throw a rug on the floor. Rugs add an interest and an interesting focal point to the room. Shop around for bargain rug that fits your room.

8. WORK WITH WHAT IS AVAILABLE

One of the most efficient yet no-cost ways to redecorate is to rearrange and repurpose the things you already have. Search your house and think of the items you can change the setting in another room.

Make your kitchen chairs look new again with a little splash of spray paint and new fabric covers.

Image Credits: mattwalker69 via Flickr

These simple decor ways will not only change your house but also your lives as Husband and Wife!

Goodbye 2014, Hello 13th Month Bonus?

Phew! After a year of hard work, it’s time to bid 2014 farewell. It may had been a good year for many but a mediocre year for some – whichever the case, it’s time to move on and hope that 2015 will be better year.

It is also the time where everyone starts to set their New Year resolutions.

Improve self? Checked.
Improve fortunes? Checked.
Make new friends? Checked.
Improve career? Checked.
Travel to new places? Checked.

Before you start checking the entire list, wouldn’t it be good to have a fat bonus to accomplish all your resolutions?

It’s good to find out what you will received on top of your monthly salary, or what we call the Variable Wage Components which consists of the Annual Wage Supplement (AWS), Bonus and Variable Payment.

13th Month Bonus or AWS
The Annual Wage Supplement is also known as the 13th month bonus which you will receive in addition of your December’s salary. It is a single annual payment to employees that supplements the total amount of annual wage earned. If you have already received your bonus in December, lucky you!

But wait, is that a bonus or a supplement? While some would argue that it a mandatory compensation for a ’52 weeks in a year/4 weeks’, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) defined it as:

Payment of AWS depends on the contractual agreement between the employer and the employee i.e. whether it is provided for in the employment contract or collective agreement.

What if it is not stated in the contract?

If it is not stipulated in the employment contract, AWS payment is subject to negotiation and mutual agreement between the employer and employee, or the trade union representing the employee.

Unlike countries like the Philippines and Latin America, it is not mandatory although it has been customarily provided for by companies in Singapore.

The AWS was first introduced back in July 1972 by the National Wage Council (NWC) to minimise the gap in the public and public sector and to promote a fair and equitable system of bonus payment. It has since set the precedent on how companies give out bonuses.

The point to note is that it is more of a privilege rather than a right, unless provided for in collective or individual agreements.

Bonus
Bonus, on the other hand, is paid out once to reward you for the efforts and contributions you made to the company. Like the AWS, it is not compulsory unless it is a contractual obligation and if it is provided for in the contract.

There are many different types of bonus such as Performance Bonus, Variable Bonus and Dividend Bonus.

Variable Payment
Variable payment is paid out as an incentive to increase the employee’s productivity or as a reward for your contributions. Take for example – commissions, overtime, variable allowance, incentives and gratuity. Variable payments are also not compulsory unless provided for in your contract.

As civil servants rejoiced at their 1.8 month bonus, which of you has received even more generous bonus? And how are you going to spend them? Discuss them in the forum here: http://moneydigest.sg/forums/index.php?threads/how-much-bonus-did-you-get-for-2014.248/

10 Hottest Jobs for 2015

If you are a fresh High School graduate venturing off to College, at some point you may be unaware of which course you will take. As you weigh your options, you may look at what are the in-demand jobs of the year.

To answer your itching curiosity, Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI) and CareerBuilder Company got together to gather a new list of 10 Hottest Jobs for 2015. These data are based on the workforce’s supply and demand.

EMSI turns labor market data into useful information to aid organizations in understanding the economy, employees, and work while CareerBuilder is a “classified ads” website that posts jobs for people who are seeking for them.

On that note, here are a number of jobs that are most in-demand for 2015…

1. MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Gap between job postings and hires: 22,996

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +10%

Image Credits: Mari Smith via Flickr

2. SOFTWARE DEVELOPER

Gap between job postings and hires: 21,084

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +15%

Image Credits: Official GDC via Flickr

3. REGISTERED NURSE

Gap between job postings and hires: 21,084

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +15%

4. INDUSTRIAL ENGINEER

Gap between job postings and hires: 18,151

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +9%

5. NETWORK AND COMPUTER SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR

Gap between job postings and hires: 17,054

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +7%

6. WEB DEVELOPER

Gap between job postings and hires: 15,492

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +17%

Image Credits: Campaign Monitor via Flickr

7. MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES MANAGER

Gap between job postings and hires: 15,070

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +6%

8. PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Gap between job postings and hires: 13,545

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +10%

Image Credits: Official U.S. Navy Page via Flickr

9. SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST

Gap between job postings and hires: 8,001

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +5%

10. SALES MANAGER

Gap between job postings and hires: 6,309

Job growth (2010 – 2014): +8%

Image Credits: Ken Teegardin via Flickr

Source: MSN

These 10 jobs are the professions for which companies post each month significantly that outnumbers the amount of people they actually hire. Thus, it shows what talents are the companies most hungry for.

Starting A New Family? Here’s 4 Tips

It’s not easy starting a new family. While you might be busy dreaming about the warm and fuzzy moments you’re going to have in the future with your spouse and your children, there are some pressing financial issues you would need to face right now. How are you going to use your money wisely on a daily basis? How are you going to safeguard your family future? Don’t fret, we’ve brought to you a few tips, so you can better manage your family finances

Keep Your New Expenses In Mind

Maybe you’ve thought of getting that new TV you’ve been eyeing for a while. Maybe you’ve saved just the amount of money needed to get that massage chair that’s always been at the back of your head. Well, did you take into account all the new expenses you’re going to have to pay for, now that you’re starting a family?

You’re no longer just earning for two, you’re going to have to provide for three, or more (if you struck the twins or triplets lottery). There’s plenty of child related expenses you’re going to have to take note of, such as baby food, diapers and immunisations. It’s best if you lay out all the expenses you would need to care for your baby, so you know for sure what you’re getting into, and to allow you to better budget for the future.

Set Up A Savings Plan

If you hadn’t already done so, you should set up a savings plan so you can better provide for your child’s future. Savings plans are more easily set up compared to investments or bonds. The basic idea is a simple automatic, monthly deduction of funds which will go into a special account, which can only be accessed once your child reaches a certain age. It might be hard to consistently set aside money on your accord, which is why a savings plan would be great as you don’t even have to think about it once you set it up. The “pain” of having less income per month isn’t felt so strongly this way.

Get Life Insurance and Medical Insurance

You always need to be prepared for the unexpected. Insurance acts as a safety net, so you and your family can be protected should anything happen to any one of you. Medical insurance is important as there are many medical issues which your child or any family might face which would require a hefty bill. The presence of a medical insurance plan would help you cover these expenses should the need arise.

Although many modern families are dual-income families, this does not mean the early demise of you or your spouse would not result in a heavy financial burden on your family. Life insurance helps your family deal with the financial needs that would be definitely be harder to attend to with the absence of you or your spouse.

Teach Your Child Good Financial Habits

Financial habits are ingrained from a young age, so make sure your child adopts the right habits that will put him in good stead for a financially stable future. Managing family finances is a team effort which involves every single member of the family, including your children. Little things such as not buying toys they don’t need, turning off the lights, and putting aside a small sum of money each day help your family make better use of your finances.

4 Free Transportation Apps in Singapore

Traveling through bus or train is certainly cheaper than owning a car. But, it is not a problem for commuters in Singapore. Singapore is celebrated by its tourists and residents because of its globally efficient public transportation services. If you think this is an exaggeration, you need to experience it yourself.

To further aid your journey, a number of mobile application rose. As you dove into iTunes and Google Play, here are 4 powerful yet Free Transportation Apps in Singapore.

1. SINGAPORE MAPS

Itunes
Google Play

One of the challenges you will encounter if you are traveling in an unfamiliar place is to find out how to get from Point A to your destination. With Singapore Maps, you will know which route to take through bus, car, taxi or MRT. Slow internet is never a problem because you can download and unitize the maps offline!

For someone who is highly reliant on Transportation Apps, this simplistic app is the way to go. Aside from Offline Maps, it also has real-time bus arrival time when you tap the bus stop icon.

Image Credits: William Cho via Flickr

2. SGNEXT BUS

Itunes

SG NextBus, displays the estimated arrival time of public buses (SBS and SMRT) in Singapore. It can not only display the distance of the bus stop from the user but also display a widget that shows the bus arrival time. To start using it, simply tap the bus number to get its expected time of arrival.

3. SMRT BOOK A TAXI

Itunes
Google Play

If you don’t enjoy busy phone lines and long taxi queues, request taxis right on your fingertips. With the SMRT Book a Taxi app, you can book a cab without even saying your locations to a call agent. Although, booking details to be confirmed at your convenience. You may also add frequent pickup addresses through their “Favorites” feature.

Keep in mind that getting a cab during a heavy rain might be hard so it is best to secure a taxi by tapping the app and by queuing at the same time.

4. MYTRANSPORT SINGAPORE

Itunes
Google Play

The Land Transport Authority itself developed an app called MyTransport Singapore, to empower the traveling experiences of the nation. This award winning app, allows you to locate nearby bus stops and get its real-time arrival information, dial taxi booking services, determine your MRT/LRT journey fare, and receive notifications about expressway traffics.

Since the government focuses of improvements, you may report road defects through its Snap & Send feature.

Thus ends the list of efficient travel Apps in Singapore. Best of all? All of these can be downloaded for FREE in both iPhone and Android hand phones!

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