5 Must Do Things Before Getting Married

To ensure a smooth ride post marriage, these are 5 things you must do before you get hitched.

1. Get back in shape
Every woman wants to look stunning on her wedding day; after all, she is going to be the centre of attention. Take time to invest in looking good for the big day by focusing on fitness and diet. However, together with physical fitness, make sure you include exercises or activities that keep you mentally refreshed as well. Try some fun workouts like Zumba or belly dancing so that you don’t lose interest easily. Just make sure you stay regular.

2. Become financially independent
Women often underestimate the value of being financially independent. Sure, you will marry a man who will take care of you no matter what. But being financially sound isn’t just about having financial security; it is also about the confidence it brings to your personality. The fact that you don’t need to depend on your spouse for your spending needs is a great feeling. What’s more, he will probably respect you for it too.

3. Master a few dinner recipes
Clichéd it may be, but the phrase ‘win a man’s heart through his stomach’ definitely holds true. For those who aren’t food savants, you can join a course where you can learn basic cooking methods together with a wide variety of recipes of different cuisines. They will surely come handy to keep your family happy. Unless of course, you grabbed a chef for a husband!

4. Get premarital counseling
With the steady rise in the number of divorce cases in India, premarital counseling is now more of a preventive measure. It lets the couple understand each other better and have detailed discussions about sensitive topics like sex, children, religion and finances with a trained practitioner facilitating it. Even though it may not seem like you need to, it is crucial to be aware of each other’s needs right at the start, so that marriage doesn’t come with any false illusions. Often people shy away from counseling because of the general perception that something has to be wrong for one to try it. But you need to act with maturity and understand that this open communication will go a long way in maintaining peace in a marriage.

5. Visit your gynecologist
Sex and family planning come with a whole gamut of queries, on the right method of birth control, understanding ovulating patterns and many more. It is best to visit your gynecologist and get all those questions answered. In addition, be sure to have a complete health check-up to ensure no unknown problems crop up later, like maybe when you’re off on your honeymoon.

How Ambitious Are You?

1. A potential boss asks you where you want to be in five years. You:
A. Look her in the eye and tell her, “I want to be where you are.”
B. Tell her you hope to be in a greater leadership role.
C. Look sheepish and tell her you haven’t really thought that far, but that you hope to grow in your job.

2. The company has given you three weeks’ leave in the year and everyone is making plans on how to utilise it. You:
A. Are not going to take so much as a day off. What if your colleague is given that coveted promotion when you are on holiday?
B. Plan holidays in the periods where the workload is not so heavy. It pays to be seen as a team player.
C. Are thinking, “Just three weeks for the whole year! I need a month at least.”

3. You are told when joining a new job that you may have to work late hours. You:
A. Say you don’t mind working weekends either.
B. Are willing to put in some late hours now and then, but hope it doesn’t become a regular thing.
C. Decide this is not the job for you. You need your evenings for fun.

4. There’s an office party and HR announces it is supposed to help you let your hair down and get to know people. You:
A. Make a beeline to the boss and stand by her all evening, trying to direct the conversation towards your achievements.
B. Make conversation with those around, but wait for a few minutes with the boss to make your presence felt.
C. Just stay with the general crowd and think it’s really not necessary to ‘suck up’ because it’s just a party.

5. You are going to a family wedding when your mum tells you that a distant relative is the
CEO of a big company. You:
A. Hunt out an uncle who can give you an introduction so you can angle for a job.
B. Hope that you get introduced to this man sometime in the evening; it may help you some day.
C. Wonder if she wants you to hook up with him. Is there only one way to the top?

Mostly As
You are a complete workaholic who wants to get to the top at any cost. You have planned your goals to the last step and want to beat down all competition. Ambition is good, but ulcers are less fun. And you won’t be reimbursed for the family dinners you’ll miss.

Mostly Bs
You are a balanced worker with clear career goals. You have dreams of where you want to go, but are willing to give it a reasonable amount of time to get there. You have a good attitude, but don’t let complacency set in.

Mostly Cs
You don’t value your career too much. You maybe happy now, but soon you will be left behind by your peers and juniors and that’s going to hurt. So, pull up your socks, focus on your career now—it’s not just about the money, work empowers you.

How To Maintain Your Wedding Budget

The Indian wedding industry is currently estimated to generate business worth about one lakh crore rupees (that’s one followed by 12 incredibly hard-earned zeroes) and experts say that this figure grows by as much as 20 to 30 per cent annually. So, how do you protect your purse from this thriving beast? First, draw up a budget. Next—the hard part—stick to it! Here’s how to make sure your wedding doesn’t pull you under.

Make a list
There’s more to weddings than the band, baaja and baraat. So before you build altars in the air, write down exactly what your big celebration is going to entail. Remember that every event you decide to include in your list—a welcome party at a destination wedding, mehendi, sangeet— will add substantially to your tab because you’re not just paying for the venue and food, each event also requires you to spend on decor, wardrobe, jewellery, entertainment, transport, etc. “The venue, food and beverage is often just half of the total cost,” says Neha Shroff of Momente wedding planners. So, first scribble down your magic number, the absolute total you intend to spend on your wedding, and then make a realistic list of how many functions you can host.

Do the math
Remember to allot a cost for every little detail, such as stationery, venue, food and beverage (don’t forget add-ons like the wedding cake and champagne), decor, music, entertainment, accommodation and transport (for destination weddings), giveaways, photography (including videos and photo albums), and your honeymoon too. “Plan ahead. This way you have enough time to do some research and compile a list of your most cost-effective options,” says Neha. “Plus, you can avail of early-bird discounts at many venues, and on airfare, if you’re planning a destination wedding.”

No song and dance
Despite what Bollywood movies may have led you to believe, elaborate weddings are more stressful than fun. Ideally, you should keep it simple. Neha even recommends escaping to an exotic destination to cut costs. “Sometimes, this can lead to significant cost savings since the guest list will be smaller,” she points out. One way to cut costs is to opt for a cheaper destination, such as Lonavala rather than a Maldives. “Even off-season weddings can result in a lot of savings,” adds Neha. You can take advantage of off-season rates. For example, hosting a wedding in Jaipur in June rather than in December would certainly cut costs. Alternatively, host the wedding functions on weekdays, rather than weekends.

However, destination weddings can also be a logistical nightmare, and accommodation and transport could end up costing you more if you don’t plan carefully. “While you’d pay more for a venue at a local wedding, you may end up spending heavily on decorations or food at a destination wedding. So weigh in all these factors before you make a choice,” says Neha.

Here is the sample chart. However, these percentages vary according to personal preferences

ALLOCATING THE BUDGET FOR THE WEDDING

 
Costs                               Destination             Local
Venue                                      25%                    5% (venue and accommodation)
Food and beverage                  25%                    45%
Decor                                      25%                    25%
Entertainment                           15%                    10%
Photography                             5%                     10%
Others                                      5%                     5% (makeup, transport, etc)

(Please note: Clothes, stationery, jewellery, etc have not been included. Only the actual cost of events have been considered)

3 Tricks To Save Smart Daily!

Three small, yet effective ways to the keep the money in your wallet.

Restaurant hopping/ordering-in lunches
Every time you eat out or order-in, you're spending about Rs 200 to 400. Add that up for a month and you're talking about a lot of money. Money that is being wasted because you didn't plan ahead. So be a little firm with yourself. On weekends, decide the menu for the week ahead and pick quick, easy dishes that you can bring for lunch. That's not to say you can't indulge yourself once in a while.

Daily latte
Those daily Barista or Café Coffee Day lattes and cappuccinos are a steady trickle of money out of your wallet. So break the habit, brew your coffee at home, drink a cup or two, fill up a thermos and take it to work. You're then set for the day.

Expensive cellphone plan
Go through your phone bill. Do you use all the things you are paying for? Do you understand all the various things you are being charged for? If not, call up your service provider and find out. Many people get excited and register for extra features that they ultimately never end up using. Cut back on those things or find a better plan based on your usage pattern.

Are You Penny Smart?

 

1. Your company provides you with a medical insurance cover of `1 lakh per year. You:
A. Wonder why you need medical insurance. You are 26 and don’t foresee anything drastic happening in the near future.
B. Are happy the company take the policy—you’d have done it yourself otherwise.
C. Wonder if `1 lakh is enough cover for a person and her family. You wonder if you need to take another policy or enhance the amount on this one.

2. You are due for a huge bonus at the end of the year. You:
A. Are already anticipating what indulgence you can spend it on.
B. Think of putting the down payment on a car, and then the rest can be spent on having a good time. Investment before pleasure is a good idea.
C. Are going to split the money and put it away in securities and mutual funds. There is no such thing as too much investment.

3. Your company has not told you about your tax liability at the beginning of the financial year. You:
A. Are not bothered about this tax thing. Let the end of the year come and you will see what can be done.
B. Have a rough idea how much tax you will pay and ask your office to cut a flat amount every month at source.
C. Are going to see the tax planner right now; you will need to know how to handle investments so that you can save on your tax.

4. Your friend tells you that you should buy life insurance. You:
A. Ask her what good life insurance will do when you are not around to enjoy it.
B. Tell her you are aware of it and have a policy since it will help you save on tax.
C. You proudly show her the three policies you have made, explaining why life insurance is more than just a tax benefit, and how your family is covered should anything happen to you.

Mostly As You have no clue how to handle money. You have not even planned for the end of the year, let alone an uncertain future. It is high time you sat with an expert who can teach you how to plan your finances.

Mostly Bs You understand that savings and investments are good for you, although you are only human and like to splurge now and then. But every once in a while, it is good to take stock of what you are doing with your money and see whether you can change your investments.

Mostly Cs You could give lessons to others who need financial advice. You can afford to chill a bit and buy a car simply because it looks good and because it is good for your soul to splurge a bit now and then.

10 Rules To Follow Once You Move In Together

1. Discuss finances
Figure out how much money each of you will contribute to running your home.

2. Divide chores
You can’t do it all alone, and you shouldn’t have to.

3. Pick out furniture and furnishings together
You both need to feel comfortable in your home, so find the middle ground between lacy pillows and a barcalounger.

4. Establish hygiene and cleanliness rules
Yes, men get annoyed when women nag them about wet towels and dirty bathrooms. “But if one is mature, it will be easy to agree with the spouse who is trying to facilitate a more superior living situation,” says Dr Bhonsle.

5. Don’t neglect your friends and family
It is now, more than ever, that you need to make time for them.

6. Set aside ‘me’ time
Getting your quiet moments will help you better enjoy your time with your spouse.

7. Keep your relationship fresh
There’s no excuse for slacking off on the romance just because you’re married.

8. Privacy is essential.
No one can argue about the merits of taking a shower together, but don’t do away with the mystery in your relationship. Have areas cordoned off for your time alone, which might be useful if you want to take a time-out in the middle of a fight as well.

9. Communicate without arrogance
You may have had a perfectly valid point when you asked him to help with more household chores, but Dr Bhonsle points out, “I’ve had husbands saying that they wouldn’t have minded doing what their wives said if they had asked them nicely, instead of yelling at them or insulting them.”

10. Go out
Takeout and TV while cuddling on the couch can often be tempting, but resist the urge. You need to share new experiences together.

10 Weirdest Beauty Ingredients

 1. Snake venomThe new must-have poison in the latest beauty products wish-list is snake venom, an ingredient believed to steer the wrinkles away from your face. There are no positive results proved from the rancorous beauty ingredient yet people are ready to take the risk.

2. Umbilical cord
Novo Solutions MD has added a new dimension to the famous 'cord of life' - umbilical cord. Their scientists have launched a new anti-ageing product by extracting cell-free blood from the umbilical cord after the baby's delivery for making their famous beauty products line which by the way enjoys a huge success rate.

3. Beauty and the breast
Who would've thought that breast milk meant for your baby will turn into a famous beauty ingredient? Some midwives from Killmaster Soapworks, a natural soap manufacturing company became popular after using human breast milk, an uncanny ingredient for making soaps. Incidentally, they have received great response.

4. The catty smellGet catty and go on a prowl when it comes to choosing your perfumes, literally! The civet musk or civetone, a base substance for making high-end perfumes and colognes, is obtained from perineal glands of cats found in Asia and Africa. A perfect ingredient to unleash your wild instincts, believe perfumers!

5. Smashed cochineal beetles
Before you flaunt that red sexy pout or the hot blush on your cheeks, think again! There is a possibility you may be applying smashed cochineal beetles on your face, an ingredient used to get the deep crimson dye in cosmetics. If you've an aversion towards insects, read your beauty labels more carefully.

6. Whale's vomit
Whale's vomit known as ambergris (yes it has a name!) is used for making perfumes. Easily spotted on some American and Australian beaches, the substance is usually washed up by the waves. But it's only a fixative stuff that remains with an earthly and sweet odour which is used in perfumes.

7. Precious placenta
Placenta has become an essential ingredient for skin creams, applied on the face by beauty-obsessed women! The product now comes with a great packaging and is not at all as gruesome as it sounds.

8. Snail's secretions
From being a tried-n-trusted beauty ritual in the ancient times to being a high-end ingredient in beauty products, the snails' slime has crawled a long way on to heal all the skin problems faced by humans! In fact, it's such a pricey affair now that some women use the raw snail slimes available naturally in the gardens for their skin nourishment.

9. Nightingale's poop
Envy the flawless beauty of Geishas? Well, they sing a different tune when it comes to their facials with nightingale poop as their major ingredient. The uric acid content in this substance is supposed to do wonders for your skin. In fact, several spas in UK are following suit with this alternative beauty route.

10. Bull semen
Shampoo, conditioner and hair spas are passé. The new revolutionary product in hair care as vouched by some Europeans is bull semen. The proteins in the semen are supposed to make your hair healthy and add shine and volume to it.