It is easier now to buy items from almost anywhere in the world without leaving your home because of online shopping. However, its popularity is also its boon because there are a lot of ways you can get scammed. Here are tips to make online shopping safer and more fun if you are new to the idea.

Start with trusted websites

You should try a popular, trusted online shopping website first. To check for reviews about the site, you can visit forums and other review sites to read the comments. You should pay attention to details about privacy, payment options, returns or refunds, and user testimonies because they can tell you whether it is safe to use your private information.

If you need to shop for a specific item or brand, you need to check if that company has its own online shopping store, but if not, stick to the popular online retailers.

Check the history of complaints and reports

When reading through the user recommendations, you need to look for a history list of scams, complaints, and reports. The online shopping store itself won’t post all of these, which is why you need to go to other review sites and forums to get the information you want. A legit website, however, is transparent when it comes to such information and it should be found easily on the site directory.

Use your own device and internet

Do not go online shopping when using a public connection such as free Wi-Fi. After all, you will need to give out private information when making a purchase. It is also a no-no if you use devices other than your own. Do not share your phone or computer with anyone if you have private information saved on the device.

Don’t fall for deals easily

If the promo seems too good to be true, it most likely is. Very low prices can mean that the products may be defective or the website just wants your information. Do not fall for free items or instant prizes unless you are already familiar with and have been using the website for a long time.

Don’t click just about any link or email

Some websites send email updates hen you register. If you can, opt out of these email or notifications so you do not accidentally click on a link and give away sensitive information.

Be careful which information you use

If a website asks you to input information that is not needed for a purchase, you should report it. Legit website will only ask for essentials such as your log in information, name, address, and necessary payment information. Secure websites also have the secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption, which means the address usually starts with an HTTPS.

Check your finances regularly

No matter what payment method you’re using, you should check your accounts regularly to see if there are fraudulent charges. This way, you can report anything suspicious right away.

Availing a credit card is considered to be a good financial option to take. It helps you shop around more conveniently, not to mention you do not need to carry around with you hefty amounts of cash.

In availing a card, however, always make sure to conduct a personal research of your own. Compare features, costs, incentives, and possible drawbacks from one bank to another before you settle on a single credit card. Keep in mind that the search for the ‘right’ card requires time and effort on your part.

Here are some of the things you must look out for when picking a credit card for the first time:

Annual fee – A number of credit cards in Singapore often charge an annual fee of around 190 SGD, while others don’t. This fee is often waived during the first year but later on charged to you after a year or so of using the card. There are also cases where banks waive annual fees (for example, if you’ve charged or hit a certain amount for the year) so for clarification purposes, it is encouraged to ask your bank about it.

Interest rate – The interest rate is generally the percentage of the interest you’ve charged on the balance on your card. This also includes cash advances, so it is usually two different rates. It can be either fixed or variable/floating. Fixed is sometimes higher, but it allows you to know what to expect for the year. Variable rate is often lower, as it is based on an interest rate that may swing up or down.

Introductory rate – In order to attract more card users, banks often offer a low introductory rate that may later grow into a higher fixed or variable rate. Before you sign up for one particular card, make sure that you are aware of how long the introductory rate is (this is usually around three to nine months). If you happen to send a late payment, your card’s introductory rate is often cancelled.

Finance charge – This is the actual amount you have to pay when carrying a current balance. This charge often includes interest costs and other various transaction fees. If you want to be financially aware, you might as well learn how the number is calculated. There are several methods to do so you can find on the internet, the average daily balance method being the most common.

Grace period – This is a time period for you to pay off all your current balance minus the finance charge. Most cards typically offer this period, which is usually around 25 to 30 days. This period starts from the date which is printed on bill, not the date you made the purchase.

 

We hear divorce and separations here and Singapore and it is alarming knowing that it has increased over the years. There are many factors and reasons for divorce and probably they ended it because of money matters. There is no hiding that couples sometimes argue because of money problems. Knowing this, we have to be careful.

Whether we are just planning to build a family or planning a wedding, it is crucial that we know some ways to save more. Before money problems destroy our relationship, it is better to avoid such arguments and discussions in the future. We have to talk about money problems now before it takes a toll in our relationship. The best time to save is now.

Here are some modest ways on how we can save more:

• Eat out less. It is not wrong to go out and indulge ourselves once in a while but if it becomes a habit, we have to be warned. Dating here in Singapore is costly from fancy restaurants to exclusive membership clubs. Even hawker foods become expensive eventually if we eat out more often.

• Eat at home more often. It was mentioned earlier that dating here is costly. If we are serious about saving more, the best solution is cooking at home more often. We do not have to be master chefs. As long as our food is edible (a bonus if it is healthy), it is better than going out. Cooking is fun if it is done together.

• Use group discounts. We do not want to deprive ourselves of watching movies. If we really want to watch a movie, we have to look for group discounts. Sometimes it is good to involve other people when going out. Let us take advantage of group discounts like in Golden Village. If we book 4 tickets via Visa credit card, we only pay for 3.

• Know each other’s spending weaknesses: Now we are careful about our money but we all have our spending weakness. It is beneficial if we know each other’s weakness so we will know how to avoid it and if it cannot be avoided, we will know how to limit it because of our partners.

If we talk about saving now, it will definitely be a habit with persistence. Setting aside money as a couple is less stressful and there will be fewer arguments. With this, it will surely strengthen our bond by meeting our financial goal.