I have been spending a lot less time in the kitchen now. It’s not that I do not like cooking anymore, it’s just that, a lot of other demands my time more. And I have no more helper who usually do the chopping and the cleaning. Cooking is still my first love when it comes to household chores and I really do miss cooking. Hearing about the newest and one of the best slow cooker in the world, Instant Pot, I have this great feeling that I’ll be spending more time (or less but more food) in the kitchen again. Posting this 5 Reasons Why Instant Pot Is The Best Slow Cooker here so as to remind me to buy this slow cooker the soonest. And of course, you’ll be the first one to know how it is as soon as I tried it.

5 Reasons Why Instant Pot Is The Best Slow Cooker

First and foremost, what is Instant Pot? Instant Pot® is the number one selling brand on Amazon.com with one of the highest overall customer ratings. An Instant Pot® Community on Facebook boasts over 1M+ highly engaged members and is rapidly growing as a resource for Instant Pot® users to share recipes, offer tips, product suggestions and ask questions. That’s from their Instant Pot Philippines website. With that kind of description, you might think that it is too good to be true right? Well, I have been reading great reviews about Instant Pot and all are great. The Best Slow Cooker from The Juzz will give you an idea why it is the number one selling brand on Amazon. And why I will buy this one as soon as it is available here in the country.

Instant Pot is a slow cooker and more. In fact it has 7 functions: Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steam, Sauté/Searing, Yogurt Maker & Warmer. I don’t know about yogurt making but this cooker feels like I am about to have the counter top space I have been dreaming of! It’s not only money saver, a space saver too!

Instant Pot is the best slow cooker because it is faster and speeds up cooking by 2-6 times. Now, I have to know how it is possible. How a “slow cooker” cooks faster. This is definitely the part of Instant Pot that I will test. Can I cook Bulalo in 30 minutes? How about Beef stew. This is going to be interesting for me.

Instant Pot is easy to use. It’s a 7 in one kitchen appliance with Smart Programs. You just need to program what cooking method you’re doing and you are all set.

Instant Pot can be programmed for delayed cooking. It has 24 hour delay and keeps the food warm until it is ready to serve. So you can actually set your porridge at night to start cooing in the morning and you’ll have something to eat as soon as you wake up.

Instant Pot is coming in the Philippines! It’s already sold out in Shoppee but for sure the company bringing it here will restock soon. The price? Instant Pot Philippines price is ₱6,995.00 and it’s 220 Volts!

During my Tipid Talk for Ramada Manila’s Big Mommies’ Day Off, I mentioned a few ways to earn while at home. So I am making this article, Top 5 Online Jobs For Mommies, as a follow up to that talk.

Top 5 Online Jobs For Mommies

Honestly, I am just all about blogging. I had to ask a few of my friends about online jobs and also read a few articles about Top 5 Online Jobs For Mommies.

1. VA or virtual Assistant. The tasks you do as a virtual assistant usually includes making phone calls, emails, research and data entry. If you are highly skilled, you can also apply as specialized VA. Other task of a VA may also include social media management and event planning. Where to apply as VA? Check Upwork.com and Freelancer.com.

2. Costumer Service. If you came from the BPO industry, this is the perfect online job for you. Yes, it’s like working in a call center, only you are working at the comfort of your home. Where to apply? Check onlinejobs.ph

3. Article Writing. Probably one of the easiest online job for mom if you love writing. You can do this while breastfeeding, some people I know can write an article while riding an MRT! Where to apply? You can check Facebook groups for writers, most FB groups have job postings or websites like essays.ph

4. Social Media Manager. Although this job is sometimes included in VA tasks, it can also be a stand alone job. What does a social media manager do? You manage the social media sites of your clients. It’s not limited to Facebook page, IG can be included too. Sometimes it includes creating contents for their social media sites, sometimes answering pms alone is enough. Where to apply as social media manager? You can try checking jobstreet.com for job postings.

5. Online tutorial. Another great Online Job For Mommies is online tutorial. This can be a bit challenging because most online tutorial companies such as 51talk are very strict with their screening. I mention this last because this one requires the most amount of resources such as good specs laptop and stable internet connection.

When it comes to giving rates, each skills are different. There are online jobs that are priced per hour, some are priced per project, in terms of article writing, most jobs are priced per article.

What’s the best practice on pricing? It’s depends on your skills and your work ethics. How much is the lowest that you can accept a job? If you still have no idea, you can research first or ask people to help you out.

Would you believe that you can still save while you shop? You can make every penny of your hard-earned money worthwhile on the things you want by being a smart buyer. You need not sign up for a training to learn how to save up on your purchases. You only need to be aware that there are things you can do to stretch your budget a little more when you shop, whatever income level you are from. Here are five tips to help you save while you do your shopping.

1. Stick to your budget
To make sure you don’t spend more than you can handle, it is advised to bring a copy of a budget you made when you shop. Feel free to cross out your purchases from your list to be realistic about your expenses. Bringing your budget with you while shopping serves as your visual guide to avoid spending more than what you have planned and lessens the risk of
buying more than what you need.

2. Try shopping online
Some buyers attest to track of their expenses better when they shop online. When you buy online, you can restrict yourself to visit only the sites where you need to purchase, as compared to visiting a physical store where you might be tempted to visit shopping lanes where you don’t need to go. You can also visit sites online such as https://twitter.com/dealdash to check out overstock inventory deals and the latest sales on various items. Online websites such as this can give you updates on many different items and services and features customer reviews which may guide you to purchase wisely. If you keep your eyes open for sales and discounts offered online on the things you need to buy, you are stretching your budget while saving some for future purchases.

3. Check your closet and pantry first
Before buying new clothes or shoes, make a quick survey of your wardrobe if it has still closet space for new ones. Else, clear out some space first before thinking of buying. You can set-up a garage sale for the items you no longer want in your wardrobe or haven’t been wearing for over a year. They will be clutter for a long time, so why not convert it to shopping money. Same with grocery shopping, you need to scan your pantry to check which ones you need to replenish else, you will end up buying duplicates instead of shopping for other items you need.

4. Look for different places to buy
You can check prices of the things you frequently buy from varying types of stores. You might also have observed that drugstores usually have higher rates than usual grocery stores. It would be a wiser idea to buy your household or everyday items from discount stores or grocery stores because frequent purchases as these can save you a significant amount if you choose the right store to buy from.

5. Get a discount before you shop
One way to get a discount before you even purchase is to buy a discounted gift card. You are spending less also if you haven’t purchased yet. You can use it more to your advantage when you purchase items which are on sale because you have a discount over your discount from your gift card. Using discount coupons can also save you a great deal of money especially if you use them frequently.

You can get great deals when you think consciously about how you do your purchases. Hopefully, the tips above might help you get into the habit of cutting on your expenses while saving some on the side.