Tips to shed weight without shedding money!

Weight loss has become such a common thing nowadays that everyone uses it as a conversation starter with strangers. It has grown to become more popular than gossip or news. So while everyone out there is discussing about going to the gymnasium or switching to organic diet or even enrolling for Zumba classes, I have some really easy and effective tips that you could do use in your lifestyle without altering it much. Trust me, this definitely works.

1. Walk whenever possible

If you've to go to a store nearby, don't take your car or bike, just walk on your feet or cycle your way through. This gives you an opportunity to flex your muscles and stay fit while also giving you some time to talk to your close ones. 

2. Take the stairs

Never opt for escalators, travelators or elevators if and when possible. Another quick tip that most of you may not be aware of is that you should climb stairs on your toes and not the whole foot. This is a secret that not many know.

3. Drink hot/warm water always

Completely stop drinking cold water. Start having warm water always. This improves your metabolism thereby helping your food get digested better and faster. It also enhances blood flow throughout your body keeping you active for a longer time!

4. Say no to junk food

Exterminate french fries, burgers, onion rings, frito lays, cookies and other unhealthy eatables from your life. This step itself is enough to cut those extra calories and keep your weight under control.

5. Eat less but more often

Reduce the time between your meals. You must have something healthy to eat every 2 hours, but in lesser quantities. Earlier, if you used to have 5 slices of bread at once, make that 3 and after 2 hours have another 2. This way, you give time for your system to digest the initial 3 slices completely before you have the other 2. 

6. Exercise at home

You must do simple exercises at home like stretching, squats, cycling in air while lying on your back, twisting your body with your feet firm on the ground. You need not dedicate an hour for this. Just try doing sets of 10 each whenever you can, throughout the day!

These tips seem too good to be true. But believe me, they do work. Try it yourself to know it. 

12 silly things you could save money on every month!

We all have a monthly budget around which we plan all our finances. And at the end of every month, we always end up analyzing how we lost all that money. I am no exception to this list and as a normal human being, I too started analyzing how much extra I was spending and where I could save some money. You just won't believe my findings. I was shocked to realize how much I was wasting on really silly things that could be well avoided. So here are some things that you could do differently to keep your bank balance happy!

1. Water bottles

Is it so difficult to carry a bottle of water in your handbag/backpack? Each time you purchase a bottle of water from the store, you end up spending 20/- Just imagine if you did this 5 times a week. 

2. Fancy coffee

Do you really need a super tall glass of coffee loaded with chocolate and cream and cookies and what not? All you really need is a hot cup of filter coffee that will wake you up and keep you active throughout the day. Glamorous coffees cost a bomb and yes, along with all those ingredients, it is also loaded with high calories.

3. Carry bags

How many of us have a collection of shopping bags stacked in our houses that are worthy enough to be displayed at a museum? Most of them are bags from supermarkets where we do our monthly shopping. Each bag costs nothing less than 7/- It is wiser for you to take some bags along with you when you decide to go shopping. This way, you would not only save some money but also help the environment by not collecting more plastic at home.

4. Share your cab

Why pay the whole amount when you can share it with a travel companion. You not just save money, but also get a travel buddy to chat with if he/she is interesting. If not, then you still save money.

5. Carpool

If you drive your own machine to work, you could look for options to share fuel cost with other co-workers who could travel with you in your car.

6. Public transport

If your house/office is connected through public transport, then why not use it? It's cheaper and faster most of the times.

7. Imprudent shopping

If you're a shopaholic, then you need some rehabilitation for sure. Don't shop unnecessarily. Only buy what you need. You could really forgo a Gucci purse and take a lesser priced variant that would still serve your purpose of carrying cash and cards.

8. Save electricity

Do you switch off lights and fans when you walk out of any room? Ensure that you do, because these simple practices could save a lot in future.

9. Credit Card payment

Did you know that by not paying your credit card bill entirely, you are losing credit points along with an increased interest rate that gets levied on you? You could easily avoid that by paying the whole amount before the prescribed due date.

10. ATM cash withdrawal

Each time you withdraw money at the ATM with your debit card, you incur an additional fee. Plan your finances well in advance and make minimum trips to the ATM.

11. Bill payments

Make sure that you pay your telephone, electricity and other bills on time to not incur an additional delayed payment charge.

12. TV channels

You all must be paying a huge sum on internet connection that offers great speed and connectivity by now. Why not connect your smart TV on WIFI and watch your favorite shows on Hotstar or any other similar app, rather than paying extra money on every channel?

Well, there's my list. I practiced most of these points and found a major difference in my savings. Go ahead and try them yourself to know how well it could work for you!

Healthier Substitutes in your Daily Diet!

Healthy is the new trendy; we all are aware of that. But what exactly are we doing to be trendy? If you think switching to a snack that has "Healthy" printed on it is actually healthy, then you may need to open your eyes to the real world. I tried substituting my daily diet with some healthier and natural options (not packaged as healthy) for the past 11 months and found a drastic change in my appearance and fitness. Today I am going to share some of my hacks that actually work. Try them yourself to believe it!

1. Whole wheat bread instead of white bread

Whole wheat bread completely eliminates the processed white elements of normal bread made with flour. Taste and flavors were also enhanced for me. 

2. Two egg whites instead of a whole egg

A single egg yolk carries more than half the prescribed amount of cholesterol for a healthy adult. This reduces the cholesterol while increasing the protein content which is an ideal thing to do.

3. Quinoa as a substitute for white rice

Quinoa is a whole-grain superfood that is totally packed with nutrients and proteins as against rice that is just filled with unwanted carbohydrates.

4. Avocado instead of butter

Replace butter in your baking with avocado puree that adds minerals, vitamins and healthy mono-saturated fats.

5. Mashed cauliflower as a replacement for mashed potato

Mashed potato is filled with unhealthy carbs that could easily be substituted with mashed cauliflower that has just a fraction of the calories of the former and tastes equally yummy.

6. Dark chocolate instead of milk chocolates

Dark chocolate, by nature, is a little bitter because of the fact that it contains less sugar and more of cacao in its constitution. That says enough why you should choose the dark variant over any other. 

7. Mashed frozen banana instead of ice cream

Avoid milk, cream, sugar and everything unhealthy by substituting your ice cream with frozen banana that's been mashed to the same creamy consistency as a scoop of ice cream.

8. Honey instead of sugar

Take your tea, coffee or milk with honey instead of sugar on a daily basis and you will see the difference in no time.

9. Sweet potato fries instead of traditional french fries

If you must have fried food, and you just can't control that urge, opt for sweet potato fries instead of the traditional fries as the former adds a lot more fiber, vitamins and minerals to your diet while simultaneously reducing the carbohydrate content that the latter adds.

Hope you benefit out of the healthy switch! Write your observations and experiences here to spread the success stories.

How to use technology to build your startup?

Startups are totally trending these days but every small business is not a successful one. Did you know that the success rate of startups is just 5%? Well what is it that this 5% of businesses is doing right and the rest aren't? Let us take a look at how technology, without much expenditure, can lead to a good start for entrepreneurs.

1. Time tracking tools must be put to good use to manage your time wisely and allocate appropriate amount of time to tasks with varying priorities. 1Time and Chrometa are a couple of good tools available in the market.

2. Use an efficient project management tool like Basecamp or Asana to maintain a record of all accounts that you are handling. It is ideal for a small team to communicate and share files and other related data.

3. Create a systematic email management system to not miss out on any important message and also to keep every single detail of your team documented in one place. You never know what will actually be of use to you at a later stage.

4. Use a methodical online invoicing system to bill your customers and avoid any kind of hassle with respect to funds. You could make use of Google Checkout or PayPal for this as they are authentic and very user-friendly.

5. Maintain your finances well with a productive online budget planner. You ought to plan your spends wisely when you are starting off with almost nothing or very little. Mint or GNUCash could assist you in this task.

6. Explore the possibility of creating an alternative source of income like selling your products online or getting associated with a complimentary product that would mutually benefit both the businesses.

7. Exploit social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and others that are free and at the same time super effective to popularize your business and connect with your targeted audience.

8. Start writing a blog that you can use as a rich source of content marketing. Gather as many readers as you can in your domain and educate them about the need of your product and how they can benefit out of that.

9. Use video marketing to create short yet engaging videos about your product. You can introduce your business, talk about features of your products that stand out in the industry, and create various videos that are worthy of going viral in the digital space.

10. Last but definitely not the least is going mobile. Create an interactive and fully functional app that aligns with your website design and interface. We all know that the world is going mobile and if you are not, then you are losing a lot.

Hope this helps you in elevating your business further and scaling greater heights with simple and cost-effective ideas. In case you have a few more ideas in your kitty, share them with our readers in the comments below. 

What not to do in a job interview!

My friend recently went for a job interview but miserably failed for silly mistakes that he could've easily avoided. For all those who are looking out for new jobs and are preparing for the D-Day, these are some points that you should definitely refrain from doing.

1. Oops..Forgot to check you online

It is imperative for anyone appearing for an interview to thoroughly research the company and its key people. Ensure that you browse the company's online properties and make a note of some of its founders and principles.

2. Liar Liar Pants on Fire!!

The worst you could for yourself is to lie in an interview and get blacklisted. Always resort to the truth and nothing but the truth. Stick to actual facts while preparing your resume rather than glorifying it with false and fancy statements.

3. But, I look my best in bright Red!

Dress decently. Guys should ideally stick to formals with a clean look and girls must be dressed in formals as well that's elegant and not distracting. Hair, make-up, accessories should all be very subtle and simple. 

4. Hey, how you doin?

Never ever make inappropriate gestures at your interviewer for any reason. Behave yourself and don't get flirtatious for any favors whatsoever. 

5. Questions for the interviewer? Errr...Ummm...NO!

Whenever you are given an opportunity to ask a question to the interviewer, be prepared to bowl him over with your spontaneity and wit. Pounce on the chance and ask a really brilliant question about the company's revenue model or any recent incident that they tackled. This is a golden opportunity for you to show your preparedness and intelligence.

6. Actually, I am angry right now. Could we do this tomorrow?

Never let yourself be in a bad mood. You must stay calm and collected during an interview to let your best personality come out in the open. Anger will just make things worse for you in any situation.

7. Follow up? Who me?

Yes that's right. You ought to follow-up after an interview. Remember, there is room for ego here. You won't lose anything if you call them up once or twice. You never know you may win this over someone else who proved to be a tad bit lazier.

8. Blah..Blah..Blah..

Stay crisp and clear with your words. Never give TMI (too much information) to the interviewer and for god's sake be audible and confident while you speak.

You may really think that these points are very silly and why would I create an entire article out of this. But trust me, these are some really crucial things to remember that we often don't pay attention to. I am just reminding these nuances to you. All the very best and crack it!

What if India's population was just 100?

Did you know that if we considered the entire Indian population to be of just 100 people, we would get a really interesting set of statistical data to understand various characteristics and parameters of Indians. This infographic is a representation of the facts received from a popular survey.

Do you any other interesting fact about Indians or even of other nations? Please share with us in the comments below.

Every Shopaholic's Eye-Candy - DISCOUNT COUPONS!

We all have one person at least in our lives who is a shopaholic. Shopaholics are creating a community of their own which is soon going to originate as a religion. This is proven by the fact that there is an entire reality show called "Extreme Couponing" that is gaining a lot of attention. Here are some really useful tips that you could use to grab more coupons and save more money to buy more stuff! Wow, that would sound so magical to any shopaholic. Go on, read along!

1. Never let your laziness over-power you when you need to sign-up for Email Subscriptions of popular websites. There are secret coupons hidden in every subscription that you enter into. Look out for them smartly!

2. During sign-up, when you fill out your details in the form, ALWAYS mention your birthdays and anniversary dates correctly. Why do I say this? Well, did you know that Baskin Robbins gives a free scoop of ice cream on your birthday? What's more? Krispy Kreme hands out a free donut on your birthday along with another one for your sign-up. Check out more offers here.

3. Planning for a dinner date or just a weekend getaway? Make sure you always check Groupon for good deals related to your interest and then zero in on a plan. You'd be surprised by some of the offers and the amount you could save through this.

4. Take surveys wherever possible to receive freebies and coupons. Have you ever had a free double chocolate cookie at SUBWAY? Oh, it really is that simple to grab one for free. Just take a 1-minute survey while your sub is getting ready and win a free cookie.

5. I'm sure you use at least one product that belongs to a premium brand. Ever thought of writing an honest review of the product and publishing it on their Facebook page or mentioning them on Twitter? If not, then do it right away! You will stand a chance to receive some free goodies or discount vouchers from the brand itself!

6. Opt for a secure payment gateway like PayPal or FreeCharge to avail offers and coupons for your bill payments.

7. Last but not the least. Spread the word about all the coupons that you get your hands on to know from others what they are using. Word of mouth is the ultimate form of marketing and publicity!

Go on and shop smartly! Happy shopping!

The Ultimate Guide to Avoid Credit Card Frauds

Credit card scams and thefts have suddenly risen in the West and is trickling down to other countries as well. It is not possible to always avoid something like this from happening, but it is in your hands to provide some resistance to this activity and buy yourself some time to stay protected. We thought of jotting down a few tips and tricks that would prove useful to anyone and everyone.

1. Put your credit cards in a safe place
Ensure that all your electronic cards are safely kept in a wallet or pouch and keep this close to your body making it difficult for thieves to access them. Do not keep them in the back pockets of your loose and low-waist denims or shirt pockets. All the ladies out there, make sure your purse is properly zipped and is in a secure place. Also, carry only a couple of cards at a time. Do not carry unnecessary ones all the time. Keep them in a safe vault at home. Another important thing to note is that you must not leave your card exposed to the public eyes for a long time. After your transaction is done at the mall, immediately put the card inside your wallet.

2. Shred all your credit card statements from time to time
Crooks often dig garbage cans for scrunched up credit card statements and make use of your billing information to somehow make a transaction. So, check that all papers carrying any account/credit card information is shredded to pieces before it reaches the dump.

3. Never sign credit card statements without checking
Always make it a point to see the amount of your transaction before signing the receipt. Zero may not have a value before any digit but when the same zero is added after a digit, it makes a huge difference.

4. DO NOT share your credit card details
You may receive a call from a fraudster posing to be from your bank, or get an email from a scamster who claims he's your personal financial counselor. In any situation, never ever share your account details. Even during online shopping, opt for "Cash on Delivery" whenever possible, else make sure the payment gateway is authentic and popular. And yes, always ensure that you do not share your credit card information with friends or relatives whom you trust via SMS or WhatsApp. Everything on cloud is having the provision of backup. Stay alert and smartly share your details using a pre-determined code of some sort.

5. Immediately report loss or theft of credit card
The minute you realize that your credit card is missing, without losing a second, call up your bank and report its loss. This way you will block your card earlier and not give the fraudster enough time to make a transaction.

6. Check your monthly billing statements thoroughly
Verify each and every transaction reflecting in your billing statement. In case you identify any unauthorized charges, immediately inform your bank about it and get it sorted.

7. Set super strong passwords for your cards
You may be an impulsive online shopper, saving your card details with different websites like Amazon, Shoppers, etc. Be assured that you have set really tough passwords that would even make James Bond crazy!

8. Be aware of skimmers at gas stations and ATM booths
A lot of rogues place skimmers onto the credit card readers that will store details of your card for these guys to come later and retrieve that information. Check properly that these readers are devoid of such malicious instruments.

As they say, prevention is always better than cure; it is indeed better to stay alert by keeping in mind simple things that can help you stay secure and protected from such scams. Hope this information is useful and helps you stay safe in the digital world!

In case you have some more brilliant tips that you could share with our readers, please feel free to mention them in the comments below.

How Indians transform when they go abroad!

Have you ever wondered why some Indians completely change once they migrate to foreign countries? Small things like accent, habits, and behavior undergo massive changes. So here's my take on this scenario where I have depicted a situation with respect to the same guy who would behave in separate manners when in India and in America.

Independence day scenes!

Jains be like!

Garbage just got a status update!

Driving is a whole new experience!

Pedestrian crossing has to be American to respect it!

Have you noticed anything else like this in your friends or relatives? Share your instances with us in the comments below.

The Ultimate Cheat Sheet on Scams in Online Training

In this world of extreme competition, everyone is just craving to be better than the others they know. This emotion has not just captivated the students, but is trickling down their parents as well. It is sad but true. And do you know who’s making money out of this? “Training Institutes” is your answer. There are millions of private coaching centers in every corner of the world. It is nothing but fear that they ride on – fear of students losing out to someone, fear of parents not being able to give their children everything that their neighbor gives. Many of these institutes are present in the online world because of the fact that they are afraid to keep their identity transparent. Here’s a quick guide to stay alert and avoid getting trapped with online fraudsters who pose as tutors.

Browse their website thoroughly and look for authentic location details, contact numbers etc.

Word of mouth quotient must be high. Have you heard of them before? What have you heard about them and from whom? Collect answers to all the above questions before taking your decision

If you haven’t heard of them from a friend, then look for reviews and ratings. Check for testimonials from their previous customers and listen to what they have to say. And yes, ensure that they have decent number of reviews. They may have a 5 star rating but it matters whether it is from 1 user or 100 users!

Opt for introductory or trial offers initially. Take a few lessons and see if they seem genuine and you can make the most of the time and money that you are about to spend

Try getting in touch with the trainer through phone or email and get all your queries sorted

Look for secure payment gateways like PayPal, Citrus etc. Ensure that you have received an OTP for your transaction and once your transaction is successful, take a printout of the receipt

In spite of all these efforts, if you are cheated, don’t delay in filing a complaint against the institute in discussion. Make sure that you support your complaint with necessary documents

5 Mobile Apps for an NRI in USA

Hi again! I was just talking to my friend yesterday who is in the US (I mentioned about her in the previous post). She was talking about how some apps have made her life a lot easier there. Back in India we have our parents taking care of half of our responsibilities. Only when we are alone, do we realize that it is way tougher to organize and execute so many things on a daily basis. To assist you a little, I have put together, a list of mobile apps that could make your life much easier!

Hope you find this list useful. In case you have any more additions to this list, please feel free to add them in the comments section below.

6 ways to keep the madness alive with your NRI BFF!

I am writing this out of my personal experience. Recently, my BFF and I celebrated our 10^th anniversary of friendship. Although she is in the US studying, and I am in India, we decided to do something special to cherish for life. We always knew “We were MAD for each other” and to keep our madness alive, did a few interesting tasks. We definitely ought to thank the supreme powers of technology that made all this possible! Go ahead and try them to relive those crazy times that you had with your bestie!

1. Bake cookies together, over Skype. And if you are a guy and feel that baking is not your cup of tea (though I disagree), you could mix up a few interesting cocktails or even cook a rare and tasty dish!

2. Play fun games like the very old yet classic Dumb Charades, Taboo, or even Pictionary (for all those who have watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S, I’m sure you can’t resist your giggle right now :P)

3. When you get tired of seeing each other on Skype, switch to WhatsApp and play Antakshari through Audio messages

4. Why waste money on going to a club when you can set up your own Karaoke night in your bedroom. Switch on Skype, sing together your favorite songs with a glass of chilled beer and some munching!

5. Now for some real fun, pick an off-beat movie and do a pretentious review of the same. You may go ahead and also record this video and post it on YouTube. Who knows, you may start trending in no time J

6. Make a collection of all your photos together, funny ones, embarrassing one, hopeless ones, cute ones and many others. Create an album of these pictures using any online photo album software and print one copy each. This sure will help at times when you very badly miss each other!

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed doing this together. Share your experiences with me and do feel free to make additions to this list :P

How Indian students going abroad for higher education react to different situations?

It is easy to get into an overseas university for most Indians; we are smart, academically. But when it comes to people skills and refined interaction etiquette, most of us are found lacking. Most of it is unintentional but can be avoided, provided we think before we talk!

Here is a collection of a few situations when Indian students react hilariously to foreigners.

There is a thin line between appreciating someone and offending someone

Tone down on overtly reacting. Indians are tuned to it while western people find it to be on the borderline of being sarcastic

Not every smell is tailor-made to please your nostrils!

Yes, there are no spices to make food smell interesting and yes hand sanitizers are a thing in the developed world!

Eating a veg sub like a caveman!

You will not be jailed for taking smaller bites. You will not be penalized for being less noisy with your silverware at a fancy restaurant and you definitely don’t have to eat a sub like it is Naan made of Maida!

Over-react when someone doesn’t know something they think you should know

Nope, Americans don’t follow cricket and they don’t know who Sachin is!

Making a sarcastic face when you have to agree you are wrong

Do the noble thing; get to terms that you aren’t the brainiest in the gang.

What else do you think we do wrong? Do share your comments and we will add it to this post and make it more interesting!