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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

4 Essential Money Questions Poly And Uni Students Shall Ask

Entering Polytechnic or going straight to University can be exhilarating! Some even move to different countries and make significant decisions by themselves. Managing your personal finances at this age can be challenging but it is always a good idea to start early.

Because of the hefty fees and other expenses parallel to Polytechnics and Universities, it is important to consider these aspects of your finances…

1. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING WHAT?

Poly and Uni students can collect money from different streams such as their part-time jobs, parents, loans, grants, scholarships, or a combination of all these. On the other hand, the categories of expenses are varied too. You will be paying for tuition fee, books, transportation, food, living expenses (if applicable), and so on.

Sit down with your parents to discuss who is responsible for paying each of the expenses. Offer to help if possible.

2. HOW DO YOU MAKE A REALISTIC BUDGET?

It is easy to get complacent with your finances as a student especially because you do not have to pay for mortgages, for childcare, and for other “adult” responsibilities. However, it is easy to lose track of your cash flow if you are to lax about your money. Remember that your income is limited and infrequent so you have to save the most of it.

Start by creating an easy yet realistic budget with the envelope system. With this system, tracking your spending and analyzing which category to cut down does not take too much of your time.

3. WHAT IF I WAS SHORT OF CASH?

Say unexpected events happen and you run short of cash, will your parents help you out or not? If so, will the money be given as a gift or as a loan? Is it possible to get a part-time job instead?

During my first year in Uni, I did not expect the influx of social expenses such as club registration fee and school dinners. I had to save up some of my allowance and pack some lunch in order to settle this unforeseen expenses. Aside from this, you can gravitate toward part-time jobs. Your part-time job can either add to your school allowance or buffer emergency fees. Know how to hunt for a job through this simple guide.

4. WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR FINANCIAL GUIDANCE?

Every student has a different financial circumstance influenced by how much or how little the parental involvement is. I was very fortunate that my parents supported me all throughout my years as a student. I did not even have my own bank account then! Thus I can say that my parents were the ones who guided me financially as a student.

In contrast with my situation, I had two friends who were basically financially independent during their Poly and Uni years. One was a scholar while the other was in army. They monitor their own bank accounts, control their own budgets, and dictate their own spending. For financial guidance, they still seek their parents’ advice at times but mostly do everything on their own.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

If that is not enough for you, you can always consider getting useful guidance from qualified financial professionals.

Sources: 1, 2, 3,& 4

6 Major Reasons Why Young Working Adults Are Not Saving Enough

1. MINIMUM WAGE

As fresh graduates enter the workplace with little to no experience, some are forced to settle for entry-level jobs with minimum wages. Whether you are a secretary at a recruitment firm or a personal assistant at an advertising company, the relatively low salary you earn every month makes it difficult to save money.

2. RECURRENT RENT EXPENSE

Some young adults move out once they start earning a decent amount of money. The independence, freedom, privacy, and convenience can be attractive but the reality of the rent expenses can hit you hard.

In the city centre, it will cost you at least S$500/month to live in a single room and at least S$1,500 to live in a small apartment by yourself. It makes more economic sense to stay at your family home and set aside the hundreds of dollars per month to your savings or investments.

3. INDULGING ON DESIGNER LABELS

Most young working adults spend their fortune on designer labels such as Prada and Louis Vuitton as well as other artisan brands. You may think that you are standing out from the crowd by carrying your S$2,000 Prada tote bag and your S$300 artisanal fragrance but you are simply creating holes in your pocket.

4. CABBING EVERYWHERE

Heading to work late? Hail a taxi.

Coming home after a crazy night out? Hail a taxi.

Aside from designer and artisan goods, you are preventing your savings from growing by cabbing everywhere. Five late night taxi rides can cost you at least S$100 and that equates to about 10 lunches at the nearby food court. This is why you must set aside an “emergency taxi fund” with a maximum of S$60 per month. You must not ride a taxi beyond your intended budget.

5. TECHNOLOGY AS NECESSITY

Technology is so pervasive in a young adult’s life that its costs are virtually inescapable. Interacting through social media is not just a culture but also a necessity. But staying connected comes with costly price tags as having the latest gadgets and paying for the monthly broadband fees can affect how much you can save.

6. EASY ACCESS TO SAVINGS

Most of us struggle with keeping our hands off our savings accounts. With the easy access of Internet banking, credit cards and multiple ATM machines, it is more convenient to spend cash than to save it. For young adults with this dilemma, make spending a chore by converting some of your money to US dollars. The thought of having to go for and pay for the currency exchange will likely to dissuade you from spending!

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1 & 2

Special DIY Gifts To Make Your Mother Smile

There are women in this world that are willing to work tirelessly for others, are willing to teach young minds, are willing to forgive failures and are willing to put someone’s else’s happiness ahead of their own. Remarkable in every way, these women are called mothers.

With less than three weeks more under your belt, it is about time to think of a precious gift to reward your beautiful mother on Mother’s Day (May 8). The good news is that you do not have to spend loads of cash since you can just use the materials you already have at home!

Here are some inexpensive yet very heart warming ideas for you:

1. FOR YOUR CRAFTY ARTSY ANGEL

If the angel of your life is into creating artistic items than receiving them, plan an afternoon crafts session. While sipping your tea, you can create lovely jewelry with the materials on promotion at Spotlight such as Pony Beads (S$4.99), Pom poms (S$2.99), and Quill Feathers (S$5.99).

Alternatively, you can grab a DIY kit from Typo to make the stylish and useful items such as a tote bag (S$34.99) and a scrapbook (S$29.99).

2. FOR YOUR POETIC PARENT

Celebrate the essence of Mother’s day by capturing the moment through a poem. Describe her in the sincerest of ways. A unique gift such as this will flatter her heart and make her feel how much you are thankful that she is in your life. You can also put a melody and turn your poem to a song if you want to.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)

3. FOR YOUR CINEMA CHAMP

My mother is one of those people who are fond of films. From romantic comedies to action, she is delighted to watch any flick as long as she has her family along. Apply this concept at home by purchasing a few DVDs from the yesteryear. As much as possible, select her favorite movies. Gather your family in the living, as having everyone present is valuable to the occasion.

4. FOR YOUR WORKAHOLIC WARRIOR

The best way to reward your workaholic warrior is by giving the present of an enjoyable bath time filled with relaxing fragrance. Achieve that by making bath bombs that are similar to the ones sold at Lush Singapore.

Image Credits: www.lushsg.com

Here are four ways you can make different types of bath bombs from basic to herbal type.

5 Things To Consider Before Investing On Gold

1. WHAT TYPE OF GOLD INVESTMENT?

There are two types of gold investment: physical gold and paper gold. The physical gold consists of the tangible gold bars, jewelry and coins. While the paper gold consists of the gold exchange traded funds or gold-related equities in the stock market.

The latter is more at risk with fraud, as you have no guarantee that the fund holds the amount of gold they claim. Furthermore, the stock market can be vulnerable due to the government intervention and hacking.

2. WHY SHOULD YOUR PORTFOLIO INCLUDE GOLD?

Including gold to your overall portfolio is a good way to diversity your assets. As the price of gold generally moves in a different direction than other types of investments, it can balance out your returns when the others are performing badly.

Cary Guffey, a Certified Financial Planner Professional and Board Ambassador, forewarns that you must not put too much of your wealth in gold. According to him, a good rule of thumb is having no more than 5% of a certain commodity in your portfolio.

3. HOW PURE SHOULD YOUR GOLD BE?

Pure gold (100%) is too soft to manipulated as bars and jewelry, therefore it is mixed with other types of metals such as silver, nickel or copper to improve its strength. Based on the content of gold, it is divided into “karat” configurations namely: 9k (37.50%), 14k (58.33%), 18k (75,00%), 22k (91.66%), 24k (99.99%). Ensure that you are getting what you paid for.

4. WHERE SHALL YOU BUY THE PHYSICAL GOLD?

In Singapore, physical gold can be purchased online or at the bank. For online bullion shopping, consider the trusted bullionstar.com where 1 gram of PAMP Gold Bar costs about S$79.54. Alternatively, you can purchase gold bars and gold bullion coins at UOB.

5. WHAT IS THE REAL PRICE OF GOLD?

Just like anything else, the price of gold is influenced by the supply and demand dynamics. In fact, 5 years ago gold’s price was about S$1,800 per ounce compared to today’s S$1,664 per ounce. Alongside this dynamics are other factors that affect the gold’s price…

Image Credits: bankrate.com

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

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