Are You Really Saving in Buying Coupons/Vouchers?

I will confess that I am voucher-dependent. Yes, I really saved a lot from purchasing those than paying the actual price. To tell you frankly, I subscribed to almost all of it from Groupon, Alldeals, Deals.com.sg and the list goes on. If you are following my facebook account and our couple's blog you can see from there the activities, salon, out of the country tours, and spa services we availed. 

If I am saving a lot from it, I also saw some of friends, colleagues and even acquaintances wasting money and their precious time in this platfrorm.

I cannot say that I am an expert but here are the tips that maybe can help you how to really saved money in buying those coupons. 

1. Ask your self first. Do you really need that item? When is your last manicure/pedicure/hair cut/hair color? Does your stress exceeds your limits that your muscles shouting for some massage? Is that buffet a good excuse to skip your diet?

Ask those questions and believe in your intution. The voice within will tell you that "Hey! You better not buy that."

2. Check the reputation of the merchant. This is a must! In getting some services and products we always wanted it to be a good one right? So ask from people who already availed it or read some blogs/reviews. 

3. Really? You are buying gadgets there? Why not at the IT show? Great discounts and more freebies.

4. Take a good look on these. Some deals are valid only to some group of people. Look on the list below.

a. Valid for first time customers only. 

b. Valid for male/female only.

c. They have specific IC holder that they want to serve.

d. Does your age qualify?

5. Going for a hair cut/color/perm/straightening? Is there any length limitation? Is the chemical they will be using okay with you? 

Massage? Is that the kind of massage you want them to do on your body? Any additional

payment if you will use their amenities?

6. Holiday trips! Yahoo! Check if the taxes, breakfast or even flights are included or not.

7. Of course, this is a great marketing strategy for all the merchants. Learn to say "No" if they present  some bundles of products and services. 

All you need is read, read and re-read all the terms and conditions. 

Oh, as I told you before, I am coupon enthusiast and above are the tips for you not to commit some of the mistakes I had gone with.

Below are the sites I really trusted and offers a great merchants for their deals. Happy shopping!

Deal.Com.Sg

Groupon Singapore 

To Shift or Not "Two" Shifts? That is the Question.

Just recently, we faced a battle and we succumbed by the fact that Abbey can't sustain the 1week rotating schedule. Officially announced this month the 2-week shifting for my husband. After almost 5 years staying in his company, the change came. I was shocked and the gloomy cloud of reality get in to my bubble of comfort. As always, I need to check the brighter side of this event. 

Good points I pondered:
1. As I hate my husband having a 10-day night shift, it is an extra money for us.. Hello to night differential. Kaching-kaching!

2. I called it dreaded EMEA shift. Why? I will go to office while Abbey is sleeping and he will be coming home too late and all he can see is me.. In my deep slumber. Brighter side? I can do a "me time".  Clean the room, kitchen, cabinets, etc. Oh, hello to Saturday dates.

3. For APAC, we will be going to office together and dinner date at nights. :) 

4. "I miss you" sms flooding both of our inboxes. 

If you will delve in all negative thoughts that succumbing life gives us there will be no good outcome we can treasure. Accept the facts, always look at the brighter side and focus more on the things you can control. You'll see life is more easier and more fun to handle with.

Buying Speculative Stocks Is Dangerous To Your Wealth

"Nay bumili ako ng URC stocks." - "Maganda yan nak".

Social media hyped the investing in the Philippine Stock Market and that caused a lot of people jumped into it in the first quarter of January. The result? A bull run that caused a lot of people to invest more in a wrong way.

What were the mistakes they had taken? (These are the rants that my husband and I read from the different forums)
1. They invested money that they know they will need in a very near future. 
2. They invested on stocks via hearsays.
3. Had never read any books or attended seminars on how to create a margin of safety.
4. And the most hurtful to read was, they loaned money from a bank to ride the bull.

And now... many people are now cursing PSE. Many people swore that they will not enter any transaction in stock market.

My mom bought stocks back then, so I have some ideas on how to manage and make money from it. Until now they are encashing dividends.
I hope that when the bear knock-out the bull last May 2013, many investors and newbies learned from others' failures.

As per saying by  "Buying speculative stocks is dangerous to your wealth". 

Please let me know if you have good book to read for investing or I can share some of the books that my hubby and I already read, just drop as an email, we will check if we have that ebook for you.