How can you pay for trips if your budget is too tight? Certainly, saving for travel money is not an easy task, which is why a sparkle of effort is needed to turn your dreams into reality.
Here are 4 Ways to Boost Your Travel Fund…
1. SELL YOUR UNWANTED OR UNUSED ITEMS ONLINE
Anything that is still in good condition and has a credible brand name will be flocked over by buyers. Even your old furniture can be sold in online sites such as Carousell and Gumtree. Nonetheless, you can always sell your precious items to your close family and friends through a Facebook group.
Rules on selling include: be honest with the product’s flaws, have a simple and accurate description, and charge right for postage.
The popular and safe websites (or mobile apps) for selling are:
Some companies such as Citibank or Virgin offer a significant amount of air miles every time you purchase. Once you have an air mileage credit card and use it abundantly (within your needs), you may even book your flight for free!
Image Credits: William Cho via Flickr
3. CONTROL YOUR UNNECESSARY BUYING INSTINCTS
Stop buying useless things that you do not need. Rethink if buying overpriced coffee rather than making your own coffee at work saves you more. Instead of buying lunch, pack your own lunch for at least 2 months. It will not only save more money, but it will reduce waste. It may seem simple, but these unnecessary expenses add up.
4. BE PATIENT
If you need to purchase something for your trip, wait for sale to come around or buy the last season’s model. When selling your items, you must be okay to accept an item price for less. You must practice the virtue of patience, as you wait for the right time before you may be able to travel.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
“Do you want travel insurance?”, a sentence has become so common that it is now included in the menu of tour packages and online travel booking. While some of us may be guilty of travelling without getting covered, travel insurance has now evolved into a need rather than a want.
Ask yourself these questions:
Who will evacuate you when you are injured on top of Mount Fuji?
Who will bear the cost of cancelled air tickets or tour package during the protests in Hong Kong? A flood in Australia? Or if you and your travel companion is hospitalized days before your travel?
Who will be the one you call when you are terribly ill in Europe? Or when your rented car has crashed into a monumental sculpture?
Who will cover the cost of your essentials when you lost your baggage or your travel documents?
The list can go on but instead of trying to spoil your holiday planning, we have come up with a guide for you to compare travel insurance plans in Singapore.
We had compiled the data across different insurance companies so that you can have an idea of which offer the best cover for each risks you identified as well as getting the cheapest travel insurance in Singapore.
Let us first examine a few common benefits that you should be looking at when purchasing a travel insurance.
Medical treatment and emergency evacuation
(Image credit: Phalinn Ooi, via Flickr)
Sure, you can be as healthy as a horse but you can’t avoid getting hit by someone skiing down the mountain or prevent a dengue mosquito that wants to sting you. Shit happens, and that could cost you ten or thousands of dollars when you are overseas. It is not too bad if there is a hospital nearby but what if you are trekking on the remotest part of the island? Emergency medical evacuation could easily set you back between $75,000 – $300,000.
You don’t want me to add the medical expenses, do you?
From our list, Singapore Airline Travel Guard offers the best cover for medical and accidental dental expenses when you are overseas. You can claim unlimited benefits from their International plan underwritten by AIG. For emergency evacuation and repatriation, there are many companies that offer unlimited cover, including AIG’s own flagship Travel Guard plans. The word ‘unlimited’ is equivalent to a peace of mind that is important to all travelers, including myself.
Accidental death and permanent disability
(Image credit: Dominik Golenia, via Flickr)
Should the most unfortunate event that results in death and permanent disability, there is an additional payout to you and your family members. Aviva offers the highest coverage of up to $2million to protect you and you family from the liability of you suffering from permanently incapacitatation or premature death.
Hospital income
(Image credit: aenri05, via Flickr)
Whether you are hospitalized overseas or in Singapore, it may take weeks or months for you to recuperate. If you are still employed, you may end up having to take no-pay leaves and this could come in handy when you receive a daily income for your stay in hospital. It makes sense when you still have you bills and mortgage to pay and a parents to support. DBS TravellerShield and Allianz Gold plan has the best overseas hospital income benefits with the highest limit of $50,000, with the latter paying you $250 a day. (vs $200 a day from DBS)
However, if you are hospitalized in Singapore, a plan from UOB, Maybank’s TravelCare (Suite) and Etiqa’s Vacation Shield Plus (Suite) make more sense as they have the highest limit of $10,000.
So which should you choose?
Besides comparing the premium amounts, take the destination you will be travelling to into consideration and if it is located far away from Singapore. That is to say if you are travelling to Europe or the US where it may be difficult to transport you back to Singapore for local treatment, then overseas hospital income should be your priority. Whereas if you are travelling to a country in South East Asia, you should be looking at a higher hospital income limit in Singapore.
Travel cancellation, curtailment and disruption
(Image credit: Ross G. Strachan, via Flickr)
When you have spend thousands of dollars booking your tour package or air tickets months in advance, you may well want to get this covered. Some airlines offer a non-refundable air tickets and should you have a last minute cancellation due to serious illness, riots or flash flood, your month-worth of paycheck would be down in the drain.
Allianz Gold plan beat all other plans hands down as it tops the list of benefits with a $25,000 limit for travel cancellation, postponement, curtailment and interruption.
Delay or loss of personal baggage
(Image credit: donuzz, via Flickr)
Most people buy travel insurance to protect their baggage and belongings as it seems to be the most common mishap that could happen on a trip. Again, Allianz has outshone the rest with a $15,000 cover on personal baggage and a $10,000 cover on travel documents. However for baggage and travel delays, Etiqa Vacation Shield Plus Suite is a better option with a $5,000 limit.
Other benefits such as golf benefits, home cover, car rental excess and more
If you are planning to go on a green trip, golf benefits may be more attractive as you are covered from things such as loss or damage to your golf equipment to getting an incentive for getting a hole-in-one. With up to $3,000 cover limit for your golf equipments, golf junkies look no further to HSBC Comprehensive and AXA SmartTraveller plans. If you on your way to become Tiger Woods, Ace Ultimate plan will offer the highest bounty for a hole-in-one, currently at $750.
Insurance companies has gotten more creative over the years. From offering you cash incentive such as a hole-in-one, you can get covered at almost anything you can think of such as reimbursement for pet medical care to protecting your home from any damages. Besides taking into account of the benefits offered by insurers, you should also compare the premiums to make sure you get the most value for the cover.
Read the fine prints of the policy as some insurers define each benefits differently. For example, some insurer requires you to seek medical advice or treatment when you are overseas to be eligible to claim for your medical expenses incurred in Singapore, while some allow you to claim if you seek medical advice within 48 hours of returning to Singapore.
In short, some of the most common benefits are highlighted below:
Benefits
Recommended plans
Overseas Medical Expenses
Singapore Airline Travel Guard (International)
Medical Expenses in Singapore
SCB Enhanced Travel Protector Platinum
Overseas Hospital Income
Allianz Single Trip Gold, DBS Platinum Plan
Hospital Income in Singapore
UOB Individual, Maybank TravelCare Plus (Suite), Etiqa Vacation Shield Plus Suite
Emergency Medical Evacuation/Repatriation
AIG Travel Guard Superior/Premier, Ace Essential/Supreme/Ultimate, HSBC Essential/Comprehensive, Allianz Single Trip Silver/Gold, Tenet Sompo Travel Joy Deluxe, AXA SmartTraveller Essential/Comprehensive
Pre-existing medical conditions
NTUC Enhanced PreX
Child education grant, family assistance
MSIG Premier
Accidental Death & Permanent Disability
Aviva Travel Plus
Travel cancellation, postponement, etc
Allianz Single Trip Gold
Travel baggage delay, overbooking and misconnection
Etiqa Vacation Shield Plus Suite
Golf benefits
HSBC Comprehensive, AXA SmartTraveller Comprehensive
Visit our Travel Insurance Guide for a full list of benefits and the respective premiums of each insurers.
Living on an airport like Tom Hanks in the movie “Terminal” may sound impossible. You would need to be looking for places to eat, places to enjoy, and to rest.
In real life, being stuck in a transit really sucks especially if you checked-in early or the flight is delayed.
BUT…not if you find yourself stranded at the Singapore Changi Airport! This exquisitely designed airport has a few perks up its sleeves. I give you the 5 Free Things You Can Enjoy before boarding at the Singapore Changi Airport.
1. FREE WIFI
There are free WIFI services in all the three terminals of the airport. Just head to the Information Counter and present your passport, in return they will give you a WiFi username and password. Also, there are free candies in the counter while you wait.
Alternatively, you may enjoy the abundant and free Internet Kiosks located beside the TV Lounges and scattered through the three terminals (T). There are actually over 500 computers that you will never have to wait in line to use one!
2. VISIT THE FIVE GARDENS
If you have more than 3 hours to spare, take a stroll to the five indoor gardens. These are namely: Cactus Garden (Terminal 1), Orchid Garden (T2), Fern Garden (T2), Sunflower Garden (T2), and the Butterfly Gardens (T3).
Image Credits: Swaminathan via Flickr
While you are in there, enjoy the breath of fresh air, may your kids count the species of succulents and take colorful selfies that you can upload right away because of the Free WiFi!
3. FREE TOUR OF SINGAPORE
If you are a tourist with more than 5 hours to spare, then grab this awesome opportunity. To register for any of the tours, just approach the staff with your passport and boarding pass at the Free Singapore Tours Registration Booth located in T2 and T3.
Being in the transit for six hours will give you enough time to catch 2-3 movies for free! The airport boasts their 24-hour cinemas that screen the Fox Movies Premium Channel at T2 and the latest movies of various genres at T3.
5. PLAY XBOX 360 AND PLAYSTATION 3
Entertainment Deck in T2 is the place where the children and child at heart can go wild! Get caught in an action game while playing with the XBOX 360, Playstation 3 consoles or LAN gaming. All this for free! Parents, you can chill in the Cafeteria located in the middle of the Entertainment Deck as your kids play.
Who says that no family activity in Singapore is cheap? Think again! In fact, some of them are FREE! From free shows to art appreciation, here are 5 Family Activities (under $10) that you will surely enjoy.
1. STARGAZING
Be amazed by the stars and constellations you will see in the Omni Theatre at the Singapore Science Centre. Gaze over the vast universe from 7:50 to 10 pm every Fridays through a series of telescopes. Best of all? It’s FREE.
2. PICNIC BY THE GARDENS
In Singapore Botanic Gardens, your family may stroll over the Rain Forest Trail to see various forest animals (e.g., Giant Mahang and Common Tree Frog) ,and forest plants (e.g. Rattan and Meraga Tree) or the National Orchid Garden to see the beautiful orchids. The entrance for the National Orchid Garden is S$2 for adults and S$1 for children and senior.
Image Credits: Edwin.11 via Flickr
You could lay down your blanket almost anywhere in the Gardens, but one of the nicest spot is probably at Palm Valley and Symphony Lake, especially when they’re staging one the regular free classical music concerts.
3. HEALTHY OUTDOORS
Cycle and jog across the lush greeneries and wondrous beach view of the East Coast Park. If you don’t own bike, you may rent one for S$6. You may also indulge in a family barbecue here, and stay on your own tents to cozy up.
4. ART APPRECIATION
Be absorbed with great contemporary art in the Singapore Art Museum. Their Learning Gallery especially caters for the young minds. It is a rich visual sight that your children don’t usually see. The admission is free for citizens and PRs, otherwise you may check the prices here.
5. WONDERFUL LIGHT SHOW
Enjoy the free “Wonderfull Show” at the Marina Bay Sands every evening from 8pm (full showtimes here). In here you will immerse yourselves in light, sound and music where your little ones will awe in delight. Remember to get there early to secure the best seats!
Image Credits: MarinaBaySands.com
You don’t have to spend too much to have fun with the ones you love. At the end of the day, your presence and quality time spent are more than enough to make them happy.
