Follow These Routes To Increase Your Income

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How would you manage yourself if your paycheck was suddenly cut-off? Maybe your boss was laying off people or the company decided to hire someone more ‘qualified’. Instead of getting depressed and shutting out completely which has become the norm let’s talk about increasing the sums that we can earn when we can. You may have a hectic job routine that pays good enough or a business that is climbing it’s way up slowly and is demanding a lot of attention. But there are a lot ways of earning of ‘supplementing’ your income from your day job both passively and actively.

Let’s start with the active ones. Active route of incomes require time and mindful investment.

1. Teach a few students in your vicinity: If you have a grip on a specific subject, offer it as tuition to students. It could be music, languages or a proper school course. Give it one to two hours of your time and see the income grow.

2. Freelance your skills: If you are a graphic designer, a video maker or have learnt how to write story books but your day job isn’t any of these find connections who will help you with freelance work. Online portals have too much competition with lower rates so you have the offline world open to quote your own rates and show your quality.

3. Start a small business of selling products: you can help a friend source the products for you and start marketing it till they are completely sold and then restock. The profit is up to you to keep or re-invest. You could also start a small business of creative handiwork that you can easily do after your day job. This will make your work pretty unique and you will be able to charge as you wish.

Passive routes of income are built once you have established your active routes of income. These routes do not require your intervention but do need your supervision from time to time.

1. Investment in stocks: Buy stocks and let them sit. The dividends will accrue in to your account over time and all you need to do is check the statement once every 3-6 months. This passive income however is doing two things for you. Saving the invested amount and giving you profit over and above that.

2. Invest in real estate: Just like above, investing in real estate and earning a running income from that doesn’t require a lot of daily hassles. However, if you can not own real estate, you may consider putting up a room on AirBnB or Couchsurfing. This will prove to be an additional passive income source.

3. Income from fixed deposits/ bank accounts: This one is fairly easy. You put money in your bank and they pay you a fixed amount each month. You don’t need to worry when it is going to come. You know it will come and you just collect it.

Both these ‘supplements’ to income - active and passive; add to your income while most passive ones grow  your wealth also. How does that make your money look in the long-run?

Imagine you earn Rs. 30,000/- from your day job and you decide to take up teaching for an additional Rs. 20,000/- per month. That brings the total to Rs. 50,000/-

You decide to put Rs. 25,000/- in the stock market. Considering a company that gives out dividends every 3 months at 9%, the company pays Rs. 9 for every Rs. 100 invested, which is Rs. 2250/- per three months. For a year that is Rs. 9,000/-

Your annual earnings for the year is (50,000*11) 550,000+25,000=575,000

Add to that the dividend of Rs.9,000 = 584,000/-

Plus you still have your initial Rs. 25,000/- that were invested in the market saved till year end.

Which is in stark difference of what could have been (30,000*12) 

Rs. 360,000/- only!

So would you employ a mix of active and passive streams of income to supplement your lifestyle or just carry-on with your day job?



Uroosa Kanwal writes on personal finance and is working on her own small idea to help bloggers. You can find more of her writings at Finance It Out!

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Should I Love Money?

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The age old adage. Money! 

Should I love it or hate it? 

Should I earn more of it?

Should I be content with what I have and I am earning?

Oh, it’s a tough one.

But there is one good barometer to ascertain the kind of money you want. Your needs. Not your wants, just the needs.The difference is critical here. 

Needs are those which you can’t possibly live without and wants can include luxury items also. Needs are maybe 5 dresses for house wear and 5 for work but wants can include 10 for each. Ascertaining how much your needs are is really important.

If we put all religious connotations aside, earning good money is not a bad thing. It only becomes bad when money becomes the center of all doings. So, working towards earning more of it is essentially not a bad thing.

What is next?

Saving I guess. Now is the trying time. How much to save? How much is enough to buy me the new dress or fund my child’s college education when he grows up? These are critical decisions. Saving money is important but so is finding out what chunks you want to save. Personally, I think 20 - 30 percent is a good enough amount, but if you want to save 50 percent and can do that without disturbing your monthly budget then why not. It is actually fantastic if you can save half the amount that you have earned. 

Money Mindset

This doesn’t mean you are a greed ridden person who thinks about money all the time. This essentially means you need to have a mindset that thinks of ways of creating money, saving it in innovative ways and spending it frugally. This also means that a positive thought process is required all through this. This may not be as difficult as it seems.

So let’s embark on this journey. Let’s learn of positive ways of earning, spending and saving money. 

But. one post at a time 😉

(To be continued...)

Uroosa Kanwal writes on personal finance and is working on her own small idea to help bloggers. You can find more of her writings at Finance It Out!

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Be Smart! Do Quick & Sharp Online Shopping With mycart.pk

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With the advancement of technology, the e-commerce has emerged as a main source not only for entrepreneurs but also for the shopping lovers. 

In the beginning, there was a fashion websites boom and frankly speaking it attracted a huge number of potential customers. In spite of this, there was some hesitation among prospective buyers due to trust issues related to product quality. However, with the passage of time the trust deficit has been covered enormously as the brands have learned their lesson and now know it well that only with quality products and efficient customer service they can stay in e-business.

In Pakistan, the online shopping scene is not different from other parts of world. After the fashion, gadgets and electronic items, now people can shop their favourite grocery items through website. Yes, this is a new trend, and believe me it is the most convenient way to buy your kitchen items with ease.

Recently, the management of mycart.pk arranged an iftar meet-up for bloggers at Dunkin Donuts. It was a wonderful idea to give an introduction to blogger community about the brand and business. It is an online website that offers a wide range of kitchen grocery, household items, gadgets, sports, beauty products, baby stuff along with home textiles, toys, gifts, etc. 

At present, the website is well known for 24/7 speedy deliveries in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. The most attractive feature of the website is that customers can enjoy free delivery option if their order is above Rs.500. 

The website cater nearly 20,000+ grocery products; it means the brand offers variety of stuff to its customers with convenient shipping schedule and best savings. Along with grocery items, mycart is also offering pharmacy products from big names like Getz Pharma, Abbot, gsk, ACCU Chek, Johnson and Johnson, searle.

At the meet-up, Waqas Pervez, the Head of Marketing mycart.pk, not only shared vouchers from mycart partners such as Foodpanda, BOGO, Vouch365, but also talked about some of the very interesting facts and figures with bloggers. 

These included why people like to shop online and how online shopping is the need of the hour for Pakistani women. You would be surprised to know that 92% orders contain more than 2 items for any e-commerce store but for mycart.pk it is 23. With the help of google analytics, the brand determines demographics on their website to enhance their performance. 

The event served as a platform for both the bloggers and the mycart team to share experiences and discuss statistics to understand the habits of an average Pakistani online shopper. The info-graphics that were showed to bloggers indicated that by using the collected data, brand has increased its sells triple times in just one year. 

The future business objectives of the brand includes a seamless shopping experience for its customers with a larges product selection. After this, a dedicated customer support is another milestone that mycart wants to surpass.

After attending this session, I decided to give it a try. So, I logged in and ordered grocery items. For my surprise, mycart.pk delivers round the clock by offering delivery options.

I selected the time that was convenient for my home. The order was delivered on time. Received all items except one that management informed me "is not available at the moment, but will be delivered soon." 

I found mycart.pk very efficient and ideal place to order grocery items. 

So, if you would like to save your time, then I would recommend that you should also give mycart.pk a try to order your grocery items. 

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Recipe - Delicious Chicken Chapli Kebab

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Chapli Kebab is a traditional dish that can be made with any meat for example beef, mutton and chicken mince. These juicy kebabs are spicy and one of the most popular non barbeque mince based dish. The simple cooking procedure seals all the spices and flavors within the mince without making kebabs dry.

We always prefer to make chapli kebabs at home for our family dinners and parties as well. Traditionally chapli kebabs are served with Naan, but you can serve it with chappati, rice and even use them as a patty for making yummy burgers.

So, today we are going to share with you our very own recipe of Chicken Chapli Kebabs. 

Let’s start our recipe:

Ingredients:

Chicken Mince 400gms

Ginger Paste 1tbsp

Garlic Paste 1tbsp

Onion Chopped 2tbtsp

Coriander seeds 1/2tbsp

Cumin Seeds 1/2tbsp

Red pepper crushed 1 tbsp

Garam masala 1/2tbsp

Salt as per your taste

Coriander leaves 2tbsp

Pomegranate seeds 1tbsp

Eggs 1

Green chilies chopped 1tbsp

Tomatoes chopped 1/2cup

Oil for frying

Method:

Take all the ingredients in a large dish and mix them well.

Let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Grease your palms with cooking oil or water so that mince do not stick to your palms.

Make a medium size round patty with slight thickness.

Use all mince to make equal size patties.

Fry your patties in medium hot oil.

Fry patties until they turn golden in colour.

Serve Chicken Chapli Kebab with salad and any dip of your choice.

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Recipe - Hot And Spicy Red Kidney Beans Curry (Rajma Masala)

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Every recipe of beans is different depending on the taste and likeness of the people. In our family red kidney beans curry is one of the favorite dishes. We call it Rajma Masala. Rajma is the word for beans while Masala means mixture of spices. So, Rajma Masala is actually “Spicy Beans”.

This curry is usually has some saucy consistency but in our home we like to have it almost in a thick paste style, means no watery effect. This recipe is very spicy but if you want a mild version of it, just cut down the quantity of red and green chillies.

Let’s start our recipe of hot and spicy red kidney beans curry.

Ingredients:

Onion 1

Tomato 2

Ginger 1 tsp

Garlic 1 tsp

Cumin ½ tsp

Black pepper 6

Red Chilli powder 2 tsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Coriander powder 1tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil 6 tbsp

Red Kidney beans 1 cup

Green Chillies 4

Method:

Soak kidney beans for 6 hours.

Fry cumin and black pepper in oil.

Add sliced onion and fry till light brown.

Add chopped ginger and garlic in onion and fry for three minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and stir fry it.

As the tomatoes become soft, add all the spices.

Stir fry it for five minutes.

Add soaked kidney beans with 4 cups water.

Cover and let it simmer for thirty minutes.

If after thirty minutes, beans are still hard then add some more water and simmer for another ten to fifteen minutes till they become tender.

When beans become soft and tender, evaporate all water till oil separates.

In the end add chopped green chillies and coriander leaves. Cook  for two minutes.

Serve it with boiled rice or chappati. 

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Home Remedy To Fight Sore Throat

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Sore throat can be caused by a number of factors for example changing weather conditions, dusty atmosphere, cold weather, dry hot environment, rains and allergies to specific things. 

With the arrival of winter, most of us are having sore throat condition that is irritating the throat at its peak. Sometimes, it is paired with sneezing, coughing and flu, making it very unbearable.

Here are some home remedies to counter it.

Remedy One:

All you will need is Honey and warm water.

Mix 1 tbsp of Honey in 1 cup mild hot water. Drink it to ease throat itching.

Remedy Two:

For this you will need Honey, water and lemon.

Take 1 tbsp Honey. Mix it in 1 glass luke-warm water. Now add 2 tbsp lemon juice in it. Drink at least two glasses a day.

Both remedies will help in killing the bacterial infection and healing of sore throat.  

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Recipe: Tasty Chicken Burger

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Photo: Oh, Lady Mania

Are you the same person who always pick burgers for meal? If yes, than you should be happy because today we are going to share a very yummy and quick burger recipe with you.

Photo: Oh, Lady Mania

Chicken burger is one specialty that everyone likes to have anytime. Our tasty recipe of chicken burger is different yet easy to make at home. These burgers are truly tempting that you would love to share with your guests. 

Photo: Oh, Lady Mania

Moreover, when you are confused in choosing between grilled and a burger with meat patty, these will be your first choice to make at home with easily available ingredients.

Let’s start our recipe;

Ingredients

Chicken mince 500 gms

Green onion finely chopped 2 tbsp

Green chilies finely chopped 2 tsp

White onion finely chopped 1 tsp

Black Pepper powder 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Egg 1 lightly beaten

Oil for frying

3 sesame topped buns

Tomato ketchup and mayonnaise for serving

Method

In a mixing bowl, marinate chicken mince with green onion, green chilies, white onion, black pepper and salt for at least 20 minutes.

Shape the mixture into 3 – 4 palm size patties.

In a frying pan, heat oil 3-4 tbsp.

Cook patties over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.

Lightly roast the inner side of the buns.

Spread tomato ketchup on one side of buns and place the cooked patties.

Add mayonnaise as per your taste and top it with upper side of the bun.

Tasty Chicken burgers are ready to serve.

You can add lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices as well. 

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Vintage Galleria Interiors - The Grand Opening

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Vintage Galleria will open its doors to a one-of–a kind interior design store in Karachi on 14th of May, that promises to raise the bar of furnishing in Pakistan, providing cutting-edge vintage elements as never seen before.

The inspiration of its CEO Mrs Anum Kasim, the outlet has a vintage European era feel to it as reflected not only in the furniture but also in the plaster of paris wall paneling, decorative moldings, and ceiling of the gallery.

The event will be well-attended by socialites and celebrities as well as the media who hopefully will the appreciate the state-of-the art designs and immaculate finishing.

 Speaking on the occasion Kasim explains,

“It is essential to know that a room and furniture is incomplete without beautiful accessories. It gives life to your room and enhances the look of each furniture piece. Just like wall paint, lights and flooring, accessories are the key that gives the finishing touch to a room. It explains your style and concept.”

Not surprisingly, this belief is reflected in the attention to detail that Kasim brings to all her pieces.

Boasting classic interior design with a twist of modern elements the unique pieces on display are made of rosewood with intricate vintage carvings.



The rich, shaded polish, solid timber and genuine leather finishing as well the hand-painted pieces that the collection offers makes them stand out from the milieu normally seen.



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Facial Mask For Acne

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Facial Mask For Acne. Photo: Oh, Lady Mania!

Glowing and flawless skin is everyone's dream. However, certain life styles, hormonal imbalances, underlying medical conditions and stress can deteriorate this dream by playing a havoc role in the outbreak of acne.

Those people who are facing the acne problem struggle a lot to find a solution to hide their acne effected skin. Apart from cosmetics, there are homemade remedies to fight acne scars that can do wonders.

Today, we we will share a very helpful mask which can be made with just three ingredients - all easily available in your kitchen. It will go light on your pockets as well.

This mask has all the anti inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that will eliminate acne, pimples and skin blemishes by promoting new skin cell production. It not only gives soothing effect but also hydrates the skin and results in fresh glowing skin.

Lets prepare the Honey Turmeric Mask:

Things you need

Honey 2 tsp
Turmeric 1 - 2 tsp
Milk 2 - 3 tsp

Application:

In a clean bowl mix all above to make a fine textured semi liquid paste.

Wash your face with tap water to remove all the dirt.

Pat dry face with clean towel.

With the help of a cotton ball or any soft cosmetic brush, apply this mask all over your face avoiding eye and mouth area.

Leave it for 10 - 12 minutes.

Rinse with lukewarm water.



TIPS:

It may leave a slight yellowish or pale tone, do not get panic it will fade away after few hours. 

You can also clean it by gently rubbing it with a clean washcloth.

Its always good to consult your dermatologist before trying a new thing. 

Always keep in mind your skin type and and any sort of skin allergy before applying anything to your skin. 



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Aromatic Daal Makhani

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Daal Makhani with Boiled Rice

Daal Makhani is very much different from the routine daal (lentil) recipes that we usually make at homes. It has very strong aroma and smooth creamy texture that will allure your family.

It is quick to cook as there is no need to go to market to buy extra ordinary ingredients.  All the basic ingredients required to make this special daal can be found in your kitchen cabinets and in your fridge.

Let's start our Aromatic Makhani Daal recipe:

Ingredients:

Moong daal 1 Cup
Masoor daal 1 Cup
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin whole 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves 7_8
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Red pepper whole 5
Ginger paste 1/2 tsp
garlic paste 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes 1 medium  chopped
Onion 2 t chopped
Green chilies 3 chopped
Fresh Cream 3 tbsp
Green coriander 2 tbsp chopped
Salt to taste
Oil 3 tbsp
Butter 1 tbsp

Method:

Wash and Soak both lentils for 30 minutes.
In a pot add your soaked lentils along with water. Water level should be above the lentils.
Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin whole in lentils. Mix well.
Cook till lentils become tender and water evaporates.
To adjust desired consistency add water and bring it to boil.
Add salt as per taste. Mix well

For Tempering:

Heat Pan .
Add Oil. Add butter.
Add curry leaves and mustard seeds. Saute
Add ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute till light golden.
Add chopped onion. Saute till light golden.
Add dried red chilies broken in pieces. Saute
Add chopped tomatoes.Saute.
Add finely chopped green chilies.

Now pour this tempering in your pre-boiled daal. Mix it well.
Add cream and mix it well so that Daal becomes thick in texture.
Dish out in a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves and cream.
Serve it with boiled rice or naan.





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For Your Glowing Skin: Mayonnaise Mask

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Photo: Web

Hello everyone, We all use facial masks to enhance our skin look and most of us would love to make their own facial masks with things easily available at kitchen counters.

For a dull and dry skin, the mayonnaise  mask is the wonderful remedy. It removes dead cells to rejuvenate skin.

Application:

Always wash your face with lukewarm water before applying any mask.
Pat dry your face with clean towel or cotton piece.
Apply 2 tbsp mayonnaise on your face with fingers or cotton ball.
Avoid eye and mouth area.
Leave 13-15 minutes.
Rinse your face with lukewarm water while gently rubbing your skin in circular motions.
Do not rub your skin harshly or you will face rashes.





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