How to Be a Smart Consumer and Save Your Money Essay

Are you a smart consumer? If the answer is no, let’s turn over to a new leaf. In this borderless world, being a smart consumer is like chocolate chips in our cookies of life. Thus, it is essential for us to spend wisely and save our budget. There are abundant of consumers nowadays love to spend a lot of money on products that do not suffice their budget as well as they are unnecessary. We heard this too many times already. However, how many of us really think deeply and wonder if everything we buy is worth our money? We admit that shopping is fun but sometimes reality really stuck us hard. Question such as do I really need it, is the price right or even such low prices may just make us wonder why it is so! Besides, it is weighty to be a smart consumer as the number of traders, who are trying to cheat us are increasing from day to day. By the way, there are countless ways to be such a smart consumer in order to avoid from being their victims particularly from the profit hungry traders. First and foremost, do you remember those times that you buy items that have a huge discount without even thinking if you need them? To be frank, it is believed that everyone had gone to such situation before. However, we have to keep in mind that in order to save money and be a smart consumer, try to keep to buying necessity items only. Buying too much or things that we do not need is not saving money. Try making a list of items you plan to buy in advance before going for shopping. With this method, you will able to buy everything you need and reduce on buying things you do not need. Apart from that, this is very influential step especially when you are buying clothes. Don’t get fully attracted to the huge discount tags but try paying a little attention to the quality. Somebody used to buy clothes during those insane sales happening in town. They wouldn’t bother those small dots or stains on the clothes as they thought that they will go off after washed. The sad fact is that they didn’t and they were mad at themselves. The moral of the story is, don’t get fooled by those discount tags and always check the quality. It is better spending like a couple of minutes checking the quality rather than going back and regret on it. As the Chinese saying goes, a smart action lead us to a smart lifestyle. Like a case that was experienced by a lady, she tends to go shopping weekly t the local supermarket or wholesalers. One of the items she must buy is milk. There are always those promotional tags saying certain milk products are on discount. One day, it really surprised her that the expiry date was just few days ahead! Yes, the sellers are clearly manipulating using business tactics but are they wrong? No! I am not pointing that the consumers are wrong either. We have to be careful when it comes to such things. For example, dairy products can’t be kept long. Therefore, always check the expiry date regardless of how cheap the items are. The same goes over when buying canned foods and drinks. Avoid buying canned products which are dented as they will become slightly poisonous. Ensure the cans are in good shape before buying to ensure you get the best product. It is substantial for us to compare prices of those wholesalers. You can go to different places to shop. Every time you go to a new place, you need try to compare the prices. As the Australian saying goes, small amount of money you save can lead to a bigger saving. Always remember that discount tags outside are just business tactics. If you can get the same items for less, isn’t that a much bigger saving? The price might be cheap but we must be able to think and consider if it is worth it. Do you see those sales promoters trying to promote something? It is a norm that they will tell you that particular product is good, energy saving or even cheaper. Try asking a few more questions before buying it. Check if it is really a good choice or so. Indeed, simply by asking, we are getting more information and we might even be able to consider if the product is worth for our money. Last but not least, membership for local stores and even frequent visitor card is good as it is an excellent choice to save up more money. One of the best examples I personally encountered was last month where I was shopping for the accessory products. The price was already discounted and when I was at the payment counter, I was shocked and surprised as the cashier told me if I am a member, I will get another discount of 20 percent! The moral of the story is simple and straight forward. We are able to save up tons of money and even shop smarter if we know how to utilize the membership card and benefits. At the same time, membership cards will enable you to collect points and eventually, we are able to redeem items and cash vouchers when we shop. In a nutshell, there is innumerable way for us to be a smart consumer. We need to be together working closely arm in arm and advising each other for being concerned and smart consumers. As the Malay saying goes, many hands make work better. Do not worry as it is assuring you these are simple steps and it will not take you more than one or two minutes to get it done. Hooray! More time to shop! Exclusively prepared by, Nik Aisyah Amalien bt Nik Mohd Asri SMKA Naim Lilbanat.. Class of sirrosdi Question : Write your story beginning with † My heart beat frantically as I made my way to the principal’s office â€Å" My heart beat frantically as I made my way to the principal’s office . My mind could not figure out what would be the possible consequences and punishment from the principal. â€Å"I am guilty and there is no way the principal can forgive me†. I told myself. I felt like I was going to be given a very stern punishment. Then I tried to figure out why I was in this mess. It story started when my mom gave birth to a new baby boy in our family . I was in cloud nine that day as my father told me that I have a new brother . † Wohoo ! † I shouted. I put the phone back to its original place after Ispoke to my dad. I was not really myself that day . I shook hands with all the students in my classroom. I could see they were starring at me with strange faces. Most of my classmates were baffled initially until I told them about this new brother. Then slowly one by one stood up and congratulated me. So I told them I would persuade my dad to throw a small party over the weekend to celebrate this occasion. Everyone was looking forward to this occasion. In my classroom,I was commonly known as a quiet and shy boy. I didn’t talk too much unless someone asked me to. But today, after that good news,I completely change myself. I was just like a character of a â€Å"wood-pecker† as I made a lot of annoying noises in the class . Kring ! Kring !. The bell rang and it was time to go home. I quickly packed all my stuff into my school bag and ran towards the main gate with a fantastic speed . I could not wait to get home to meet my newborn brother . After five minutes,I felt bored. I walked around the school compund . While walking, I could see something that caught my eyes. I picked up five bottles of wood-sprayer in various colour which are commonly used by PMR students for their Life Skill†s carpenting projects. Then,I ran to a new building at a compound nearby. The building was almost completed and most of the classrooms were already used. There was another one room left and the school management wasn’t sure of what should be done to that empty room . Without hesitation, Spurshhhhhhh †¦ ! I started spraying at the main door. It reads,â€Å" Welcome to the world of Arts â€Å"with a combination of two vivid colours in graffity style. It looked catchy as the backround of the door was lily-white . After I had sprayed the main door , then I started to spray the room’s wall. It reads, â€Å"This place is only for talented ones†. The colour matched the wall and it was done beautifully. Out of the blue,I heard some clear footsteps. I could guess that footsteps must be owned by a big size person. My hair stood up and I could feel my heart’s drumbeat. The happiness and excitement that I had just now vanished in no time. The steps were coming closer. I slowly sneaked out to identify who was the owner of the footsteps. . Oh gosh! All I could see was a grumpy tall man cladded with black suit. It was my principal! I tried to find a way out but it was useless. I boosted my mind as the footsteps became nearer. Aha! then an idea struck my mind. When the door opened, I dashed out. He grabbed my school shirt to stop me from running away and I quickly closed his eyes with my palms wishing that he couldn’t see me. I was really panicked and my body was trembling. Without hesitation, I pushed him strongly and he fell down. I ran as fast as a lightning and luckily my dad was in the car waiting for me. I then realized my name tag fell somewhere. No more thinking,I jumped into dad’s car. The next day I went to school as usual and pretended nothing had appenend. Like the usual shy boy that do not talk or entertain to anyone unless someone wanted to say hello, I sat at my place besides Mahaddi,my close friend. I quickly grabbed the assignment on English literature given by Sir Rosdi. I knew that Sir Rosdi was watching me very closely and he suspected that I had a problem to settle. My heart beat faster when my name was called out through the paging system. â€Å" Attention to Fahmi Azan from 5 Amanah, please report immediately to the principal’s room right now! † That was the hoarse voice that I heard before. My blood started to flow faster and I could feel the andrenaline flowing.. All the eyes were straight on me including Sir Rosdi. They were wandering why the principal was making the announcement himself. .I quickly walked to the principal’s office . As I arrived there I knocked the door politely. â€Å"Come in! † . Gulp ! Only God knows how I felt right now. I slowly opened the door and entered the room. The room was so cool as cool as my body. â€Å"Please have a sit†. My principal quipped. After being interoggated for almost half an hour,I felt so calm. I listened attentively and nodded. He told me that he was attracted to my arts and proposed the room that I sprayed being made â€Å"The school art’s room. †What a surprise! I smiled and thanked him. He also proposed an Art’s club and appointed me as the president of the club. I hugged him tightly. He was so shocked but happy with my reactions. I shook his hands and thanked him for his kindness. I never expect this dramatic event took a 360 degree turn. It wasn’t a mess as I thought initially†¦.. Most people would define a good teacher as someone who makes their students excel academically and do well on their tests. I believe that’s almost right, but a little off. I believe that a good teacher doesn’t have one dimension but two. They not only make you excel, but they make you want to go to school. They care about the student’s insecurities and problems, and most importantly they are there to support you. My teacher is like that. Her name is Ms. Young and she’s changed the way I see the world. She isn’t one of those teachers that will give it their all just to be liked by the students. She honestly doesn’t fit in a category of teachers. Although it’s her first year teaching at High Tech Middle she fit in immediately. Normally the project based learning philosophy is hard for new teachers to adapt to, but Ms. Young did it effortlessly. After nine years of switching from town to town, school to school, and teacher to teacher, Ms. Young is by far the best teacher I’ve ever had. She keeps the class in order, yet manages to make it fun at the same time. She’s always there for academic as well as personal help. Honestly for the first time I don’t want to pass the grade. Ms. Young has taught me a lot over the past school year. I’m not only speaking of history, writing, and reading. She has taught me to appreciate the little things, never judge, and be happy about the work I create. I have grown more in this year than any other, and I owe it almost completely to Ms. Young. I used to think I was a good writer. Looking back on my work from just last year, I realize how much stronger my writing skills and vocabulary are. Ms. Young has done a superb job preparing me for high school, for which I am very grateful. I feel that I have developed my writing skills most this year than any other year. Throughout the year Ms. Young has become my role model. I’ve had many people tell me that when they grow up they want to be like her. I believe that becoming half of the teacher she is would be an incredible achievement. I wrote this essay because I believe that she should be recognized. Not only because of her incredible teaching abilities, but because she made a difference in my life. She showed me that hard work pays off, and that I should never give up. These lessons will continue to have an effect on my life throughout high school and college. Thank you Ms. Young. They impart knowledge and skills to our faculty of intelligence. And yet some of us don’t know how to show appreciation to them. It’s indeed that one cannot put a price tag on education, and so does teaching. If there is a category of people who knows how to shape, and furnish young children with useful information without showing any sign of fatigue, and unwillingness; surely teachers belong to that category because of the fact that they know how to push us students, and direct us through the lightning path of success. It is true that they earn a monthly salary for â€Å"teaching;† but I think they deserve more than just a salary. A little bit of appreciation could vitalize them, and encourage them to help us more. I am certainly not a teacher and neither are many other young children, but it is understandable to know how much they work to direct us, and making sure that we students learn the skills that we need to go out in the challenging world. Their job is one of the toughest to take on, and they still manage to do it happily without any apparent dissatisfaction. Most of us know how difficult it is to get an acceptance to college, and for many of us a descent job might be the ultimate target. Teachers are the ones who always make sure that, us students we are organized, prepared, equipped, and ready to strive through our targeted path; and many of them certainly make sure that we are properly expectant of the obstacles that lie on the journey ahead, and with that perception they help us cultivate tactics, and strategies to resist those obstacles. These are some words that I chose on behalf of many students around the world, in order to acknowledge your hard work, dedication, and everything that you [teachers] teach us from academic to real life lessons. Your hard work makes a grandiose impact on our lives as students, and for that I, and many other students would like to express our gratitude in between these quotations; â€Å"Us student, we could not have left this day passed without wishing you a joyous Teachers’ appreciation week. We certainly think that everyday should be a day to celebrate teachers’ hard work. It’s indisputable how hard you [teachers] work to deliver the materials to us, and on top of that you still strive to help us during your free time. How much of a price can one put on that quality? None of us thinks that quality worth a financial value. †