Ways to Avoid Locksmith Scams
5 Tips to Follow to Avoid Locksmith Scams
Getting the best locksmith service is important especially if your main concern is the safety of your home, and more importantly, your family. But that task will not be as easy as it sounds, given that a good number of scammers are at loose out there. To help you avoid getting involved with any of the locksmith scammers in your area in Singapore, here are useful tips that you can use to check on the standing and credibility of your chosen locksmith.
1. Choose a locksmith that’s from a trusted company. Going for locksmiths that are from trusted and reputable companies is one good way to avoid getting involved with various locksmith frauds in Singapore. It would also be best if you won’t just randomly pick a locksmith service from various online sites or on your phone directory. Also, don’t choose one based on the size of their ads on the directory since most of these ads are actually purchased by some out-of-state locksmith companies found in Singapore, who might send you a couple of unlicensed locksmiths. So if you’re planning on hiring a locksmith, stick with those who are included in the locksmith association in your area.
2. Contact your potential locksmith. After deciding on the locksmith master in Singapore to do the job, contact them immediately and don’t hesitate to ask questions regarding their experiences and past jobs as a lock, as well as the services that they are offering. It would also save you some time to do preliminary consultations about your problem to see if your chosen locksmith Singapore can provide some good solutions to it. If possible, do ask your locksmith about the quote that they’ll be asking based on the security problem that you currently have. Through this, you’ll be able to come up with a rough estimate on how much they’ll charge you.
3. Make sure that your locksmith is licensed. If the locksmith that you’re dealing with is confident enough to show his license, then it’s a sign that you’re working with a trusted and reliable locksmith. But if he cannot provide you the license or certification that you’re asking, immediately cut-off your deal with him. You wouldn’t want to risk hiring an unlicensed locksmith to provide security for your home, right?
4. Ask for some credentials. A professional and reputable locksmith in Singapore will be able to show and provide you with any credentials that you ask for – be it a locksmith license or a certification. But if he refuses to do so or seems like he can’t provide you with the files that you need, then don’t hesitate to refuse the services that he’s offering and back off from your deal. Remember that you have the right to turn him down since it is your and your family’s safety that’s being discussed here.
5. Research about your locksmith’s company. After you’ve already checked the background and credentials of your potential locksmith Singapore, it’s now time that you do some research on the locksmith company that he’s from. Ensure that the company which your locksmith belongs to is of good reputation and has a good standing in the industry.
So don’t just wait until you’ve been locked out in a cold night before contacting a locksmith. With the help of these tips, know beforehand who you’d be calling, should you have the need for some locksmith services, and keep that number in your phone, wallet and car.
What Do Singaporeans Want?
Singapore is doing fine but we are not perfect, there are still areas for improvement. If we ask our fellows, there are still things that Singapore needs. There is a recent study conducted by Barrett Values Center and aAdvantage. These organizations seek to find what Singaporeans would like to see in society.
They surveyed 2,000 residents about the things that we like to see here. The findings were revealed on July 23, 2015 at the Institute of Policy Studies seminar. Here’s the top ten things that we would like to see here:
- Affordable housing: Many people want to see affordable housing in the coming years. This makes number one on the list.
- Caring for the elderly: Caring for the elderly is another thing that many people want to see. Caring for the elderly is at number two.
- Effective healthcare: People want to have an effective healthcare. This is somehow being realized with the help of Community Health Assist Scheme which gives Singaporeans with subsidized care.
- Compassion: People want to see more compassion. Compassion means the feeling of wanting to help someone in trouble, sick or hungry. How good it would be if we all feel compassionate.
- Quality of life: Quality of life is at number five on the list. We simply want a good life free from any troubles and struggles.
- Caring for disadvantaged: At number six is caring for the disadvantaged. The reason why it is in this list is that not all people here now cares for the disadvantaged.
- Peace: We are at peace but it is not enough. We have to continue our efforts in ensuring that peace endures. Peace is at number seven.
- Employment chances: At number eight is employment chances. We want to have jobs regardless of the status and ability.
- Caring for environment: At number nine is caring for the environment.
- Concern for future generations: At number ten is concern for the future generations.
Picking Top iPad Apps
Our iPads should not be left there without any applications. iPads are made to house applications so when the time comes, we can access it easily. Many Singaporeans are particular about picking top apps regardless of the cost.
If we want to pick top iPad apps this time, this list can help us decide what to consider. The list is derived from App Store’s Official Charts as of July 27, 2015. Here’s the list:
- For top paid iPad apps: For people who would consider paid iPad apps, they have to consider one or all of the following – Minecraft: Pocket Edition (developed by Mojang), Goat Simulator (developed by Coffee Stain Studios), Mods for Minecraft (developed by JK2Designs LL), PAW Patrol Pups to the Rescue HD (developed by Nickelodeon), Build Battle: Mc Mini Game with Multiplayer (developed by ORGONITE DOO), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (developed by Gameloft), Prune (developed by Joel Mcdonald), Terraria (developed by 505 Games, Inc.), Heads Up! (developed by Warner Bros.) and Trivia Crack (developed by Etermax).
- For top free iPad apps: Top freeiPad apps include SpongeBob Moves In (developed by Nickelodeon), YouTube (developed by Google, Inc.), Agar.io (developed by Miniclip.com), Netflix (developed by Netflix, Inc.), Messenger (developed by Facebook, Inc.), Block Craft 3D: City Building Simulator (developed by Fun Games For Free), Despicable Me: Minion Rush (developed by Gameloft), Facebook (developed by Facebook, Inc.), Colorfly: Coloring Book for Adults (developed by Fun Games for Free) and Pinterest (developed by Pinterest, Inc.).
This should keep us busy for some time. Before we install these applications, we have to make sure that our memory can handle it. If it can’t be helped, we have to give up something.
Workout Sabotage: 5 Mistakes You Might Be Making in the Gym
You finally decided to sign up for a gym membership, and even made a resolution to get yourself there several times a week. By now, all your sweat sessions should’ve payed off, right? But if your jeans aren’t getting any looser and your abs still look more like the laundry pile than a washboard, then you’ve probably fallen prey to one of these gym mistakes.
- Going with an Inconsistent Gym Schedule. Committing to a workout schedule isn’t easy, but hitting the gym once a week isn’t going to give you the results that you want either. You can’t possibly expect that doing an hour of treadmill run and no more than 35 minutes of lifting weights once a week will give you a fit body. The good thing is, you can easily correct this mistake by just setting a gym time that perfectly fits your busy schedule and stick with it until you reach your fitness goal.
- Stretching Before Doing Cardio. While there’s no danger in sitting on a mat and stretching your body out, this warm-up routine doesn’t really do much for your body. The best way to prevent injuries and really warm up your muscles is to mimic the routine that you’re going to do, but at a lower level. If you’re planning to use the treadmill, set it at the easiest level first and run for five minutes. Once you feel that you’ve warmed up enough, gradually increase the machine’s speed level until you reach your desired difficulty. This way, you get to properly elevate your heart rate while avoiding workout burnout in the process.
- Lifting the Same Weights Every Time. Most women have the impression that using heavier weights will bulk them up, which is why they stick with 10- to 15-pounders and don’t increase. If you’re using weight machines or free weights however, then you should be slowly upping your poundage. Aim to increase the weights you’re lifting by five pound every two to three weeks. As long as you can lift a 15-pounder without feeling anything other than fatigue, then there’s no need for you to worry about having action star-like arms.
- Indulging on a Pre-Gym Snack. Contrary to popular belief, downing an energy bar before hitting the gym actually zaps your energy. How come? Well, most of these bars are actually high in fibre, and that amount of fibre takes a lot of time and energy to digest, causing you to feel sluggish by the time you start working out. So if you’re feeling ravenous beforehand, opt for a banana instead. Not only will it make you feel full faster, it’s also easier to digest and won’t inhibit your gym time.
- Ignoring the Weighing Scale. It’s true that you shouldn’t obsess over the numbers you see on the scale, but weighing yourself every now and then is actually the key to successfully ditch fat. In fact, some studies showed that people who regularly weigh themselves tend to lose more weight than those who don’t. It’s probably because you actually see the numbers decrease, and you get a concrete reminder that eating unhealthy has consequences.
Avoiding these gym mistakes is actually easy. Just ensure that you upgrade you routine when needed, eat the right pre- and post-workout snacks, be disciplined enough, and you’ll be rewarded with lesser numbers on the scale.
5 Hair Product Ingredients You Should Avoid
With so many haircare products that you use daily, it certainly won’t hurt to be more aware of the ingredients that you’re putting on your body. Whether they’re causing hair breakage or is threatening to compromise your health, these five ingredients will give a good start in your ‘must-avoid-haircare-ingredients’ list.
- Silicone. Silicone – often listed as cyclomethicone and dimethicone – isn’t quite an enemy of a healthy hair, but the problem is that silicone doesn’t offer any long-term benefit at all. Sure, it coats the strands to make them appear shinier and smoother, but over time they build up on the hair’s shaft, resulting to greasy and weighed-down roots. This is why it’s better to avoid products with silicone altogether.
- Proteins. Unlike the other ingredients on the list, protein itself isn’t bad for your hair, but having too much of a good thing can still result to something awful. Protein helps in strengthening the cuticles of your hair, but using too much of it can throw of your strand’s natural moisture balance, resulting to breakage and damage. To avoid this, alternate between your protein strengthening and moisturizing products. This will help in maintaining your hair’s balance, while avoiding over-moisturizing as well.
- Synthetic Fragrance. Avoiding synthetic fragrance doesn’t mean that you’ll be restricted to fragrance-free hair products. However, it does mean that you should look for and use products that are scented naturally with extracts and essential oils. This is especially important if you have sensitive skin, since certain fragrances can be wildly irritating to the skin and an itchy scalp has never look appealing to anyone ever.
- Isopropyl Alcohol. Seeing some form of alcohol in a beauty product’s ingredient list isn’t surprising, but isopropyl alcohol is definitely one of the alcohol types that you should make conscious effort to avoid. Because not only is it highly inflammable and toxic when inhaled, it also zaps the moisture out of your strands, causing a major drying effect on your hair. Definitely something that you wouldn’t want to put on your hair.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulphate. Laureth sulphates and sodium lauryl are two of the nastiest and most irritating compounds that you could apply to your skin. Not only are they believed to be extremely drying for the skin, they’re also proven carcinogens that can penetrate the skin and get absorbed into the bloodstream. So do take a hard pass on this ingredient.
With the access to the Internet nowadays, knowing the beauty product ingredients that you should avoid has become easier. So do take a good look on your favourite product’s ingredients list and when you see any of the aforementioned chemicals in them, don’t hesitate to ditch the product and look for a safer alternative.
