singapore Archives | Page 46 of 55

6 Shopping Faux Pas All Should Avoid

1. SHOP ‘TILL YOU “DEBT”

Do not bury yourself in a pile of debt because you cannot live without the new Prada bag. Saving up for a new designer bag or a new car is a better option than having to loan money for it. Seek a balance between your debts and your savings by paying for loans with low interest first. This will ramp up your cash flow (income – expenses) for sure.

2. AVOIDING COUPONS

Couponing is a strategy used by a shopper to pay less in shopping for groceries, tickets, and more. Smart shoppers that are new to the scene may shy away from coupons but once they see the real value of their savings by looking at the receipt, they would realize how great it is. You may get coupons for dining, leisure, toys, pets services, and just about anything at cuponation.com.sg or groupon.sg. Learn more about how coupon works in groceries by watching this video:

3. MISTREATING THE SALES REPRESENTATIVES

Never show off your success or mistreat the salesperson. Instead, treat the sales representatives nicely by smiling and asking politely whenever you shop. That act of kindness can go a really long way. They may even offer you special discounts or tell you when the next promotions are coming.

4. SPENDING MONEY YOU DO NOT HAVE

Having your credit cards handy will only tempt you to shop for more. Say you hid your credit card already but memorized its account number then you may just fall back to a slipper slope. Use precautions such as getting a new credit card to replace the one that you had memorized. Spending the money you do not have can only lead to a pile of dreaded debt.

5. LEAVING PERSONAL BELONGINGS BEHIND

Although this event happened once, I can never forget what I learned. I went inside the fitting room and hung my bag with my wallet and phone inside. As I was going out of the store with my newly purchased dressed, I realized that my bag was not with me. Luckily, living in a country with low-crime rate paved way for my bag to be in tact. Singapore is generally safe but, we can never really say that crimes do not happen. What if I left my passport inside and someone took it? Even a new dress will not make me happy. So, always check your belongings before and after you go inside the fitting room or any place else.

6. BEING CAUGHT BY THE HOLIDAY SALES

Most of us clamor over the holiday sales!

Image Credits: F Delventhal via Flickr

Who can resist a cheap Valentine’s Day greeting card or an oven that retails for 50% off after the Christmas sale? To avoid buying more than you intend, make a shopping list and stick to it. If you are shopping for more than one person then, budget your money by calculating how much you are willing to spend per person.

4 Places For Cheap And Quality Printing Services in Singapore

The choices of shops that offer printing and photocopying services in Singapore are tremendous. Furthermore, most of the printing shops are located near each other, which is why it is convenient for customers to compare prices. Without further ado, here are the Singapore’s Printing Services that are of quality without breaking the bank…

1. BRAS BASAH COMPLEX

Working in this area, I noticed that there are not only a handful of used books at extremely cheap prices but also a handful of printing shops that cater to all the client’s needs. Bras Basah Complex is not only convenient for the people who work near the area but also for the photographers that shoot on film-dependent cameras. This place is best for printing photos, posters, documents, and business cards.

Suggested Printing Shops: Mister Print, PrintStop, Unusual Print, and Colordoc

Address: Brah Basah Complex, 231 Bain Street Singapore 180231

2. PEACE CENTRE

When I was a student with brochure or poster projects, I would usually drop by Peace Centre near Dhoby Ghaut MRT. Peace Centre boasts as one of the most affordable places in Singapore for printing and photocopying services. This place is best for printing posters, documents, business cards, and other large-scale printing. All of the suggested shops are located in Level 1.

Suggested Printing Shops: LeaderShip, Ho Services, and Jia-e Printing

Address: Peace Centre, 1 Sophia Road Singapore 228149

3. QUEENSWAY SHOPPING CENTRE

Another popular place for students to print and photocopy their school projects is the Queensway Shopping Centre. Since there are a lot of printing shops in Queensway Shopping Centre, most of the shops offer competitive and affordable prices. This place is best for printing documents, business cards, customized T-shirts and jerseys, and corporate gifts such as mugs or folders.

Suggested Printing Shops: SGL Sports & Imprint, Queens Printing, and Ultra Supplies

Address: Queensway Shopping Centre, 1 Queensway Singapore 149053

Image Credits: Hi thank you for stopping by! via Flickr

4. THE NOTEWAY

The Noteway offers designing and printing services for notebooks, tshirts, hoodies, mugs, soft toys and other corporate gifts. And it is different from all the printing places recommended above. With most consumers focused on getting the best prices when it comes to such services and the growing popularity of buying products and services online, The Noteway is based completely online. This is not only reflected in their prices but also their high quality of customer service. What is interesting is that they also offer free designing services for bulk order qualities and they deliver without any extra delivery charges as well. Their prices are as much as $3 lower per piece without quality being compromised as compared to the prices you will get at any of the retail outlets. If you would like to find out more about their designing and printing services, do visit www.thenoteway.com for more details.

Budget-Friendly Organic Groceries in Singapore

Investing on organic produce that is GMO-free and freshly grown with fewer pesticides sounds like a good yet pricey idea. Not anymore. Nowadays, you can get organic vegetables and fruits in local grocery stores or online for affordable prices. Prices are decreased to suit Singapore’s needs.

1. BESTORGANICFOOD

BestOrganicFood, established in 2010, is one of Singapore’s leading distributor and retailer of organically grown produce. Dishing over 60 varieties of organic vegetables and fruits that are grown locally or overseas, BestOrganicFood is a green paradise for those who want to change their lifestyle without breaking the bank.

Here are some of their products:

a. Organic Australia Beet Root (600 grams), Price: S$5

b. Organic Baby Bitter Gourd (400 grams), Price: S$3

c. Local Organic Bai Cai (500 grams), Price: S$5

Free delivery for orders above S$35! Visit BestOrganicFood at Blk 681, Hougang Avenue 8, #01-865 Singapore 530681 or at bestorganicfood.sg.

2. GREEN CIRCLE ECO FARM

A place with luscious greenery and farm animals, Green Circle Eco Farm not only welcomes educational tours for the public and schools but it also sells food without artificial chemicals and pesticides. These produce are mostly locally grown.

Here are some of their products:

a. Kang Kong (300g), Price: S$2.50

b. Lettuce (200g), Price: S$3

c. Lemon grass and Pandan (100g), Price: S$1

There is a minimum amount of S$30 for home deliveries of products listed on their vegetables, fruit, herbs, and condiments tabs. Delivery fee of S$5, is one of the lowest delivery service among other organic groceries in Singapore.

Visit Green Circle Eco Farm at 41 Neo Tiew Road Singapore 719028 or at greencircle.com.sg.

3. QUAN FA ORGANIC FARM

Much like Green Circle Eco Farm, Quan Fa Organic Farm abstains from the use of pesticides and harmful fertilizers. Since 1999, Singapore has been enjoying their nutritious and healthy produce. They offer about 40 varieties of hard vegetables, herbs, leafy greens, and fruits that are from our local roots. Aside from Asian produce, they also sell imported organic produce from Malaysia, Australia, and Thailand.

Here are some of their products:

a. French Bean (200g), Price: S$2.50

b. Romaine Lettuce (300g), Price: S$3.50

c. Cauliflower (100g), Price: S$1.50

Quan Fa’s products are at available at Sheng Siong outlets. Visit Quan Fa Organic Farm at 35 Murai Farmway Singapore 709145 or at quanfaorganic.com.sg.

4. BONUS: PASAR ORGANIC BY FAIRPRICE FINEST

A brainchild of FairPrice, Pasar Organic products are available at the “Just Organic” section at FairPrice Finest. There are over 800 varieties of organic products including vegetables, fruits, canned goods, beverages, condiments, snacks, and infant food. What’s more? FairPrice Finest offers the best prices for organic pasta, noodles, and sauces.

Visit them at the FairPrice Finest outlets or at fairprice.com.sg.

Opening A Franchise in Singapore? Know These 5 Things First

Starting a business in Singapore cannot only be expensive but also difficult. As Albert Kong, CEO and chairman of Asiawide Franchise Consultants that advised 650 franchise clients in Asia, once said: “Starting a business in Singapore is much tougher than other countries in the region especially when it comes to dealing with landlords and managing employees.”

1. SAVE LOADS OF MONEY FOR FUTURE EXPENSES

You must save for the franchise fee, renovation of the space, rent requirements, raw materials, and employee salary. Regardless of whether you are making a huge profit or not, the franchisor will request a share in your revenues.

For example, the franchise fee for a cafe is about S$50, 000 for a 3-year contract. The renovation costs may hit about S$100, 000 for only a 600 sq ft place. The rent of this 600 sq ft place costs about S$7, 000 a month. Additionally, the raw materials and employee salary for the first few months costs an extra S$100, 000. These costs heavily depend on your franchisor and landlord.

2. EMPLOYEE EXPENSES ENTAILS HIGH COSTS

Employees in Singapore are among the highest paid workers in the world. Not to mention, as an employer, you will have to contribute a given amount to the Central Provident Fund (CPF). Employees can leave you whenever they want and because of it, you will have to spend more resources to hire and train again. To avoid this, layout a 1-month waiver for employees that want to resign.

3. FAMOUS BRANDS ARE THE SAFEST

A household name such as 7-Eleven is your safest bet if you are franchising for the first time. First, the landlord will be more lenient to you as they know the “required look” of the establishment. Second, consumers tend to buy brands that they are most familiar with. In Singapore, the famous F&B franchises are Subway and Ya Kun Kaya Toast.

4. FOLLOW YOUR PASSION

Follow your passion so you do not feel the stress of costs too much especially during the first few months. If you are motivated by your happiness then, you are more likely to succeed in what you do. Furthermore, you may consider franchising a unique business with a popular brand to avoid the competition.

5. BUILD GOOD BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS

It pays to have a good business relationship that is open and honest with the suppliers and the landlord so that if disagreement and troubles arise, you can settle it out in a friendly manner.

Image Credits: 드림포유
via Flickr

Sources: Business Insider Singapore

Best Credit Cards For Frequent Flyers

Visualize beautiful and serene sandy beaches of Boracay, Philippines or the bountiful shopping escapades in New York City, USA. Your everyday spending using your frequent flyer or air mileage credit card can turn your dreams into reality. Bringing the world closer to you, here are the best credit cards in Singapore that you shall consider:

4. DBS ALTITUDE AMERICAN EXPRESS CARD

DBS Altitude American Express Card offers rewards for air mileage and dinner deals. Dinner deals include discounts at over 1, 000 places nationwide with the DBS Indulge program. For example, cardholders get 1-for-1 Buffet Dinner at Hotel Jen Singapore.

With a fee of S$180 every year (waived for 1 year), and a minimum annual income of S$80, 000 for Singaporean, PR, and Foreigners, you can earn 3 miles for every dollar spent on online flight and hotel transactions. Earn 2 miles for every dollar spent overseas and 1.2 miles for every dollar spent locally. The best thing about this is that your accumulated miles will never expire! Use it at your convenience.

3. ANZ TRAVEL VISA SIGNATURE CARD

ANZ Travel Visa Signature Credit Card’s minimum annual income eligibility for Singaporeans/PR is S$60, 000 while its S$90, 000 for Foreigners. With ANZ Travel Visa Signature, you may indulge on the complimentary access to airport limousine at departure or to airport lounges around the world. Earn 2.8 miles per S$1 spent on direct flight booking with Qantas and Jetstar airlines and 1.4 miles per S$1 for local spending. Aside from giving you rewards on air mileage, this card lets you convert your Travel$ to Cash Credit. The annual fee of S$200 is waived for a year.

2. CITI PREMIERMILES CARD

I cannot begin to enumerate the wide selection of rewards, Citi PremierMiles Card can gives to its faithful cardholders. You earn 2 Citi Miles for every dollar spent overseas and 1.2 Citi Miles for every dollar spent locally. These miles are redeemable in 70 airlines worldwide!

By signing on to S$193 fee a year (waived in the first year) and a minimum annual income of S$60, 000 for Singaporean, PR, and Foreigners, you are entitled to not just milage rewards but also dining and petrol deals. Enjoy up to 14% discount at Esso stations and 13.6% discount at Shell stations. Exclusive dining deals to Wooloomooloo Steakhouse, Yan Ting, LaBrezza, Tiffin Room, Long Bar Steakhouse, Bar & Billiard Room and more, are courtesy of Citi Gourmet Pleasures. What’s more? REceive 10, 000 Citi Miles upon annual membership renewal and round-trip ticket to Bali on Singapore Airlines with S$12, 500 (15, 000 miles) spending.

1. AMERICAN EXPRESS SINGAPORE AIRLINES KRISFLYER GOLD CREDIT CARD

With the lowest minimum annual income eligibility among these 4 cards…American Express Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold Credit Card requires S$30, 000 annual income for Singaporean/PR and S$60, 000 for Foreigners. Enjoy 1 KrisFlyer mile for every S$1.60 spent. Earn 50% more KrisFlyer miles when you charge S$5, 000 or more to your card in a year and 50% additional KrisFlyer bonus miles for a minimum spend of S$12, 000 in a year. Not only is the first year waived but you also get a welcome bonus of KrisFlyer miles.

Worry not about the accumulation process since miles are credited directly to your KrisFlyer account.

Read Also: Best Credit Cards for Travel

Search the site