Transportation Hacks For Every Singaporean

Getting around Singapore can either be a breeze or a storm. It is up to you to weigh your options. Nonetheless, you may use this guide to travel from one place to another without a personal vehicle.

PLAN YOUR TRIP AHEAD

To budget your transportation expenses, you may plan your trip ahead of time. You can use fare calculators to complete the task. With an extensive collection of MRT lines and bus services, you may not be able to memorize each route or fare.

Know the most affordable way to get to your destination by checking GoThere.sg. You may also download the lite version of the app for free or plan your route the latest MRT map.

DO NOT TAP OUT

There will be days when you cannot hold your pee any longer! Not to mention, there will be times when nature calls at the worst places.

If you find yourself within the CBD area, simply alight at Bugis station and use the toilet within its gantry area. This will save you money without having to tap out. As this toilet is meant for the people who need it most (e.g., PWDs), please exercise courtesy.

CHOOSE YOUR CABIN WISELY

All our movements inside the train station are fueled by time. There are times when you have to settle with the cabin in front of you. Otherwise, the door will shut! Then, you have to endure the distance from your cabin to the escalator.

When you have time to spare, choose your cabin wisely. Avoid the mini “pilgrimage” by entering the cabin that opens directly to the escalator at your exit. A nifty app called Singapore MRT Lah 2.0 may help you. This app lists the quickest routes out of the train station. See for yourself!

ENJOY FREE WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY

Commuting can be boring for some. Thus, these people may turn to their phones for entertainment. Spiraled into the online abyss, you may encounter some ads. You do not know how much data a video ad can consume! So, reduce your mobile data consumption by tapping into areas that offer free WiFi spots.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Simply download the Wireless@SG app via the App Store or Google Play. Register to enjoy free wireless connectivity at a variety of stations.

Sources: 1 & 2

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How To Keep Your 9-5 Job While Starting An Online Business

Your path to frugality has two options: you can either cut down your expenses or expand your income. Without a doubt, doing these two options simultaneously can increase your chances of achieving your long-term financial goals.

Establishing an online business is a great way to earn that extra money!

UTILIZE YOUR EXPERTISE

Whether you are an experienced real estate agent or a financial consultant, you can utilize your expertise by becoming an online consultant. The beauty of this is that it does not have to consume much of your time. Help individuals or companies to grow and work more efficiently. Consultancy is taking the world by storm because people would rather pay someone to help them than make their own costly mistakes.

SELL DIGITAL COURSES

It is amazing how you can create and sell your own courses with just a few clicks of a button. Digital courses map out the future and many budding entrepreneurs turn to it for reference.

Do you have to be a master in your field to become a digital instructor? No! All you need to do is to share your knowledge on a particular field and be two steps ahead of your audience. Digital courses can be built through websites such as Teachable and Kajabi. Go ahead! Try navigating through these websites now.

BECOME A GRAMMAR NAZI

I, myself, am caught in a cycle of writing and proofreading. Sometimes, I catch myself editing the past articles that I have written. Proofreading is a task best left to professionals. Writers, business owners, and alike will benefit from editors or proofreaders.

Offer your editing services by advertising it on Gumtree or Craigslist. You can also post on social media while targeting the undergraduate and graduate students.

SEW YOUR WAY UP

If you have a knack for sewing or tailoring, you may offer your services online. You see, some people pay for as much as S$30 for a simple stitching problem. You can offer a friendlier rate that will compete with the existing market.

More so, you may build an online business that sells your sewed products such as sweaters or scarves. Go one step further by offering tailoring classes at a cost.

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Social media managers are trending at the moment. There is plenty of money to be circulated using Facebook, Google, and Instagram ads. Thus, businesses need someone to facilitate their online presence. Even with your smartphone, you can complete this job during your downtime.

Image Credits : pixabay.com

You can either take online training courses to pick up the skill or learn it through free YouTube videos. With your determination and commitment, you will be able to pick up the social media management skill.

Sources: 1 & 2

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How To Efficiently Sell Your Items On Instagram

Instagram plays an integral part in our lives. For many Singaporeans, they treat Instagram (IG) as an catalog showcasing the latest in lifestyle and beauty. It allows retailers to use the word-of-mouth marketing strategy to build their clientele.

With about 75% of online businesses taking part, to miss out on IG can be a bad idea. You need to swim with the waves of time! That being said, you must optimize you must start with optimizing your Instagram profile.

BEAUTIFY YOUR INSTAGRAM BUSINESS PROFILE

Let’s face it! It is human nature to judge based on appearance. Thus, you must optimize your Instagram Business Profile. Spend as much time and effort needed to curate an aesthetically pleasing Instagram feed. Do not forget to include the following elements:

A. Profile Picture allows your consumers to identify your brand easily. So, choose a logo with the highest resolution.

B. Bio lets your consumers know exactly what you can offer. Keep your description clear and concise with a touch of wits or humor.

C. URL section in the bio encourages the consumers to click your website in a snap! Attach a link to shop to increase the drive of traffic to your website.

USE TESTIMONIALS AND FEEDBACK

Parade the people who believe in your brand by checking out the tagged photos. Post your consumers’ photos with their feedback to entice your audience. This phenomenon is called the Social Proof, whereby people respond positively to what others enjoy and avoid what others dislike.

A testimonial photo seems more authentic and reliable as you are giving the shoppers a real sense what the product looks like. Moreover, you may set up an Instagram Story Highlight that includes all the tagged or feedback photos.

REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

It comes as no surprise that using Instagram ads can help sell your products or services. With continued changes to the Instagram algorithm and heightened competition to have your content be seen, Instagram ads are crucial to your marketing strategy. Select a specific target audience to optimize it.

A business profile allows you to set up an ad, to control how much you spend, and to select the length of an ad. It allows businesses to choose target options that best suit their needs. For example, I can choose to target the people in Changi Airport to sell my “Bali Unforgettable Travels” book.

It is easiest to run ads by promoting posts you have shared on Instagram. Select the post you want to boost by hitting the “Promote” button upon posting. Set up your audience and your budget. Double-check the details before hitting the “Confirm” button.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

I suggest that you start with a small budget and run the ad for a few days to test things out. Once you are happy with the results, you can expand its running duration. Track how your ad is performing by clicking “View Results” in the bottom left corner of your ad. It helps to boost the photos that best represents your brand or photos that include some Instagram influencers!

Sources: 1 &
2

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Surefire Ways To Save Money As A First Time Parent

Congratulations on becoming a new parent! Welcoming another human being into this world can change your life in many ways. Most of these changes are for the better. While, some changes are challenges too.

I am referring to the hefty price tag attached to child-bearing and child-rearing. You have to spend about S$8,000 to S$18,000 a year for that.

You read that right! You will be spending five figures on groceries, clothes, toys, diapers, hospital visits, and daycare. With a growing list of expenses, you must rethink how to manage your financial life after having a baby. Here are some tips to help you out:

SHAKING THINGS UP

You and your partner have had a working budget for years. And this household budget seem to work fine. However, you have to reset your budget once the baby comes. Your pooled incomes, savings, and investments shall cover your child’s expenses.

Begin by saving for the delivery by taking up Medisave’s Maternity Package. Using Medisave for childbirth can help offset the cost of your hefty delivery. Roughly, you can claim about S$450 per day on hospital stay, S$900 on prenatal expenses, and S$750 to over S$2000 on surgical procedure.

For instance, you wife had a Cesarean delivery and was hospitalized for two days, you will be able to claim about S$900 on prenatal expenses, S$900 on hospital stay, and S$2,150 on surgical procedure. This sums to about S$3950 worth of claims.

FILLING THE PIGGY BANK

It comes as no surprise that education will take a huge toll in your expenses for the years to come. Thus, setting up an education fund for your beloved can help you in the long run. While taking up an education loan is always an option, the cost of schooling gets higher each year. You must start saving money along with the arrival of your little one.

A scenario close to my heart is the effects of my uncle’s death. My uncle is the breadwinner and his son has not yet finished his schooling. As he continue his secondary education, he finds it difficult to fuel his financial resources. If only my uncle set up an education fund beforehand!

Saving up for your child’s education can cushion potential financial bumps. This way, your child will not have to compromise his or her education.

SETTING UP A CAPSULE WARDROBE

Along with the trends of minimalism and sustainable living comes the existence of the capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe enables to the owner to keep key pieces that he or she can mix and match in the years to come. The only challenge when it comes to toddler is that they grow up so fast!

Matching outfits or assorted clothing can be adorable to look at! However, your infant does not need twenty sets of outfits! He or she will grow out of these clothes faster than you can post about it on Instagram. Thus, you must limit your child’s wardrobe. Allow a set of basic items with interchangeable colors and patterns to full your drawer. You do not want to spend on designer clothing that your child will surely ruin with stains and other mishaps!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Here are just some ways to save money as a first time parent. Make it a habit to check children’s websites and forums for ways to create your own baby food or to conduct your own reading class. Nothing is impossible with a little determination from a parent!

Sources: 1& 2

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How To Beat The Holiday Spending Traps

As Labour Day approaches, the holiday promotions are in full swing! Shoppers everywhere are bound to be pummeled by the retail and other service promotions. Not every deal is a good one. Some are simply put there to confuse you. This is why, you have to beware of these 5 holiday spending traps.

ATTRACTED BY THE FREEBIES

Do you really want a free canister after purchasing three boxes of cereal? That is too much for a single consumer! You see, freebies usually come with a price. A free voucher to be used later on sounds like a sweet deal! However, it requires shoppers to drop some money first.

Be careful with retailers who encourage you to spend more to get a product or a service that you would not actually have bought.

TANGLED BY THE HIDDEN COSTS

Decorations and food are typical categories that affect your holiday budget. Aside from this, there are other hidden costs that can sail your budget elsewhere.

More often than not, the holiday season is sprinkled with hidden costs. For instance, Christmas Day comes with postage for holiday-themed cards or packages. You are bound to send some gifts to your loved ones, clients, or supervisors. Not to mention, some offer host or hostess gifts.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Thus, you must determine how much money you are willing to spend on a certain holiday. Create a budget and stick to it. Allow a small portion of your budget to cushion unexpected or hidden holiday costs.

DISTRACTED BY THE SELF

I, for one, am eager to purchase personal gifts when I spot some tempting holiday sales. Great Singapore Sale can lure me to spend more money on self-gifting. However, self-gifting can quickly turn to overspending.

If you have room in your budget to accommodate these impulse buys, go for it. Otherwise, you must take note of what you want and assign to others as a wish-list. Many will be grateful for the heads up!

PARDONED BY REWARDS

Just because you can get rebates from shopping does not mean that you have to spend regularly! Credit cards can help consumers to get more bang for their buck. But, this desire to acquire rewards should not justify the act of mindless spending.

Paying the interest on a balance you cannot afford to pay off cancels out the value of your accumulated rewards. Thus, you must use your rewards in conjunction with a savvy holiday spending plan.

CONSUMED BY PRESSURE

Holiday spending is influenced by the expectations of other people or the expectations of oneself. Retailers know that you are shopping under pressure and some may take advantage of it. This is a big one!

Retailers know that you do not want to fight the crowds who line up in Orchard Road. You would rather get out as fast as possible than to get bombarded by a huge number of people, right? Well, this is why they conveniently display the sale items in the middle of the aisles and near the checkout line. Do not give in!

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Even expert shoppers can get tangled with these holiday shopping traps! So, keep these in mind for Labour Day shopping.

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