Asian Terrace

I went to Asian Terrace located in Solaris for dinner a few nights ago. It's a Thai Vietnamese restaurant. I had Steamed Fish in lime juice, Mango Salad with Soft Shell Crab, Brocolli and Mushrooms with steamed rice. The meal was simply divine and the service was excellent. The waiters were really polite and attentive (which is really difficult to get in KL nowadays).  

Belanga Restaurant

I was in The Gardens again this morning and was walking around looking for a possible breakfast joint when I saw baskets containing packets of nasi outside of the restaurant. There was a choice of Nasi Tumpang (never had it before) and Nasi Berlauk Ikan or Ayam. Both rice dishes originated from Kelantan.

I chose to try the Nasi Berlauk Ayam which comes wrapped in waxed paper. The meal, although prepacked, was warm and to be quiet honest, I really didn't know what to expect but decided to give it a go since I saw other customers eating it. Once opened, the pack contains some thin slices of egg omelet, a packet of sambal (really yummy), a packet of chicken curry with a small piece of chicken in it, some fresh ulam and of course, rice (in this case plain white rice).

It was simply delicious! At RM3.80 a packet, it was good value for money :)

Flying Chillies Restaurant

I tried out the Flying Chillies restaurant in The Gardens Shopping Mall last week. It serves Thai food and I had Fish Cakes, Papaya Salad (extra spicy --- special order) and Red Curry Chicken with steamed rice. The food was yummy and I really enjoyed the meal :)

I'm a Kiva Lender :)

I recently joined Kiva. I figured that I could and should help someone in need. In case you're wondering what Kiva is, it's a non-profit organization that makes it possible for you to make a small loan to people in need.

When the loan gets paid back, the money becomes available in your account again and you're able to lend it out to someone else and repeat the process all over again or you may choose to withdraw the money and use it for something else. For as little as US$25, Kiva makes it possible for you to lend some money to people who are in other parts of the world in order to help them out with their businesses. I like the idea that you can choose who you lend your money to as they have profiles of the borrowers on the website.

You can learn more about Kiva here.

I don't have much but there are lots of other people in the world who have even less than me. It feels good to be able to share a little bit and to be able to offer some help to someone in this world!

The Locust and the Bird by Hanan Al-Shaykh

This story is about Hanan's (the author) mother's life. This book was originally written in Arabic which was later translated into English. It tells of the story of the sacrifices that her Lebanese mother , Kamila, had to make for love.

Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

In the fourth book of the Shopaholic series, Becky marries Luke but the wedding preparations aren't smooth sailing as two people get busy planning for their wedding --- her mom and Luke's mom and there's a small problem --- both weddings are planned for the same day but on different sides of the planet (one in England and the other in New York)! 

Shopaholic Takes Manhattan by Sophie Kinsella

This is the third book in the Shopaholic series. In this book, Becky Bloomwood moves to the Big Apple with her boyfriend Luke Brandon and continues having her shopaholic misadventures in New York.

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

This is the second of a the Shopaholic series of books that I've been meaning to read but never really got around to purchasing before this (too pricey to pay at regular prices for the whole range). Thank goodness, I found four of the books in this series at the latest Big Bad Wolf Warehouse sale at a fraction of the original price!

Becky Bloomwood is a finance journalist with financial problems! As always, Sophie Kinsella's books are humourous.

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

What are the odds that you find a picture on the ground one day, pick it up, and then you experience a string of good luck even in situations when good luck is pretty slim (such as in a war)?

Yup, another Nicholas Sparks novel. In this one, a US Marine finds a picture of a young woman half buried in the dirt towards the end of one of his early morning runs in Iraq. He takes the picture back to base and puts it on the message board thinking that it belonged to someone there. But when the photo still went unclaimed despite being on the message board for many days, he takes the photo down and puts it in his wallet. Soon after, he experiences streaks of good luck --- he wins poker games and survives combat that kills his close friends.

When he goes back home, he sets out to look for the woman in the picture --- his lucky charm. When he does meet her, he finds himself attracted to her and falls for her while not telling her how he came to be in her life. Was it destiny that made him look for her?

This novel has been made into a movie which is due to be released in April 2012. As always, I prefer to read the novel first before watching the movie as I somehow feel that movies lack the details presented in the book. Besides, when you watch a movie, you're watching someone else's (the director's) interpretation of the novel and most times, this may not be the same interpretation that you will make when you read the novel yourself.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

This story is about Ronnie, a troubled teenage girl whose parents are divorced goes to spend the summer with her father. Her father, a former concert pianist is now living in a house on the beach. While there, she falls in love with William, an unlikely match for her, who changes her. This is a story about first love as well as love between parents and children.

Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Mr Darcy, of Pride and Prejudice, the ideal man... but does he really exist? Well, Emily Albright has had meetings with Mr Darcy himself while she was on tour to England with the Jane Austen Book Club (which, by the way, is made up of little old ladies and an old man! Just as there is the perfect man, there is also the anti-Mr Darcy in this book whose name is Spike Hargreaves. A nice humourous read. 

you need this book to get what you want by mark palmer & scott solder

Interesting title...that was what I was thinking when I picked up this book at the Big Bad Wold Warehouse sale. This book is about using psychology to get into other people's heads in order to get what you want.

How to be a Property Goddess by Smita Talati

This is a guide for women who want to be home owners. It covers all aspects of home ownership from buying and home maintenance to selling, investing and renting homes. 

MooGoo Anti-Ageing Face Cream

The MooGoo Anti-Ageing Face Cream 

and the "milk carton" that it comes in

I bought the MooGoo Anti-Ageing Face Cream after reading rave reviews about this product online. I've been using it for the past three weeks and let me tell you, I just love it. I've got oily skin and what I like about this face cream is that it's not oily and feels great on the skin.

It comes in a 75g pump bottle packaged in a milk carton. I absolutely adore the milk carton packaging (Hey, what can I say, I just think that the packaging is so right for the product line which is basically made from milk products)!

I use it after washing my face and I normally use about half a pump for both my face and neck. A little bit goes a long way and I expect this product will last me a long time.

This cream contains Resveratrol and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, both of which are anti-oxidants. It also has a light fresh scent that goes away fairly quickly.

To be quite honest, I'm not sure if my skin looks any better now than before I started using the product but hey, it's an organic product that feels great on my skin and to me, that is all that I need. I'm all for using safe products on my skin nowadays.

This product gets a thumbs up from me. Try it, you might be surprised.

Read my other reviews on MooGoo products
MooGoo Full Cream
MooGoo Cow Lick Lip Balm
MooGoo Milk Shampoo and Conditioner

Put More Cash in Your Pocket by Loral Langemeier

This book is about making more money by doing things that you already are doing (but most probably aren't charging for). It lists possible money making ventures and goes about showing you the steps that you have to consider such as the resources that you have or will need for your venture, your personality, deciding how much money you need to make in a month, how much time it will take for you to receive your first payment, testing the market, replicating and duplicating a business model that is already out there (as this implies that there is a ready market out there wanting what you have to offer), five key distinctions about your venture that makes you stand out in the market, your talk track where you describe your venture in a sentence or two and even the ask-for-the-cash talk track when you need to ask for payment.

This is a fantastic book for anyone thinking of doing some freelance work on the side to generate more income.   

Mid Valley Megamall Parking Ticket

I went to Mid Valley Megamall today. Isn't their parking ticket design so adorable?

The Gift by Cecilia Ahern

This book is told in a story about Lou, a successful man who is constantly busy climbing the corporate ladder at the expense of his family and loved ones. One morning, he buys Gabe, a homeless man who sits outside his office building, a coffee and thus begins the friendship between the two men. When the mail room in his office is underhanded, Lou takes Gabe on to help out in the mail room. As time goes by, Gabe presents Lou with choices, one of which is being able to be at two places at one time by just taking a pill.

This book is about cherishing those around you and spending with them the most valuable asset (more valuable than money, gold, oil, etc) that all of us have been granted with --- time. The gift of spending time with your loved ones is the one valuable gift that you can give others. This book reminds us that most of us are just way too busy doing our own thing and thinking about ourselves that we simply fail to spend enough time with our loved ones. I know that I'm certainly one of them and I needed to read this book!   

Pay It Down! by Jean Chatzky

In this book, Jean Chatsky shares her advice on how to track your spending, strategies of finding money so that you can pay off your debts and then build your savings after you've managed to successfully pay off all of your debts all on just $10 a day. 

I found this book in the latest Big Bad Wolf Sale and  purchased it because I have read a book written by Jean before and I wanted to see if I could gain any real down to earth ideas about thinking about money. 

The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach

I've been reading a load of books ever since carting back loads of books from the most recent Big Bad Wolf Sale. I haven't been doing a great job at updating my blog with reviews of the books that I've read though...

So, I hope to play catch up with my book reviews within the next few weeks. So here goes...

The Automatic Millionaire presents you with the idea of a financial plan that is automated, one that you can forget about once you have set it in place.

I like the idea how this book presents the idea that you can even make giving to charity (something that is often overlooked when making financial plans) automatic (apart from the other obvious aspects of financial planning that you should automate such as you retirement plan, savings cushion for a rainy day, home ownership and paying off debts).

MooGoo Milk Shampoo

In my quest to make safer choices, I have decided to go organic. I was browsing the shelves in Caring Pharmacy in 1 Mont Kiara when I came across MooGoo products from Australia. Curious, I went home and googled them up. I discovered that many people were raving about their products.

I went back to Caring Pharmacy the next day to make my very first MooGoo product purchase --- their Milk Shampoo. Upon trying out the product for the very first time, I found it strange that the shampoo was runny and water-like in consistency and so, I made an enquiry via the MooGoo Australia website.

Their response to my question about the consistency was that what I had wasn't right and they asked for the batch number so that they could look into the matter and that I should refer the matter to their local partner, Triniare, in KL.

Okay, so I contacted the KL partner, Triniare, via the MooGoo Malaysia website and was informed by Sabrina, of Triniare, that there was nothing wrong with the product. In fact, here's the reply that I got from them:

"No worries about the Shampoo.
MooGoo Australia had some ingredients changed to further improve the shampoo and there is no problem with it."


Basically, Triniare gave me the brush off. There wasn't even any interest in finding out more about the concern that I was raising.

Unhappy, with their response, I forwarded the reply from Triniare to MooGoo Australia.

Strangely, enough, the next day, I didn't get a response from MooGoo in Australia but I got a response from the Triniare who by the way, has suddenly been inspired to show some interest in the matter. I can only assume that MooGoo Australia forwarded my email to Triniare. This is what Sabrina wrote:

" Good morning,

Btw, could you provide us the batch no printed on your shampoo and which outlet did you purchase the Shampoo?

We would like to determine that the Shampoo you 've got is the new batch or otherwise."

I supplied them with the batch number as requested. Later, I got this response:

" Thank you for your reply.

I have sent this batch number to MooGoo Australia and now awaiting for their feedback.

We can do a 1 to 1 exchange for you , however the Shampoos I have here with me may be similar to what you have.

Anyway, is it possible for you to provide us your contact number so that we can call you?"

Note that the request for my contact number "so that they can contact me" is their way of not having any written record of their further communication with me.

I received a call from Sabrina, of Triniare, the next morning who didn't apologize for putting out defective products on the shelves to be sold. In fact, what she said to me was that they were willing to replace the product "out of goodwill"!!! Goodwill??? This is NOT goodwill! It is the company's responsibility to make good a defective product! They're not doing me any favours --- in fact, this is all a hassle for me. I have paid good money for the product and I want my money's worth. Nothing more. Is that too much to ask for???

I think it is high time that companies in Malaysia learn a thing or two about good customer service. When you make a mistake, you (1) admit to it and (2) make good your mistakes.

So, anyone out there thinking of buying the MooGoo Milk Shampoo in Malaysia, please check to make sure that the consistency of the shampoo is not watery, if it is, its defective and don't buy it because trying to get a replacement is one hell of a hassle.

MooGoo Australia, being aware of the issue that I was having, offered to arrange for a replacement to be shipped out to me from Australia if their local KL partner, Triniare, failed to sort out the issue on this end within the next few days.

Thumbs up to MooGoo Australia for their fantastic customer service but as for their local partner, Triniare, well, they have a llooooonnnngggg way to go (personally, they have absolutely NO idea what customer service really means).

It's a shame that MooGoo Australia has teamed up with such an incompetent partner in Malaysia.

The Coffee and Spice Company

I redeemed my Groupon (RM5 for RM10 cash voucher for all food and beverages) at The Coffee and Spice Company in 1-Utama today. I had a late lunch at about 4 PM. Sorry, no pics as I was feeling a tad lazy today and was also hungry (thus, the reason behind no pics as I attacked the food the moment it arrived!!!).

If you're familiar with 1-Utama, The Coffee and Spice Company is located on the Ground Floor, right across from Jusco, in the newly refurbished old wing.

I must say that I found the quality of food that I received good value for money. I had the Nasi Tomato with Chicken and it was generally good (apart from the fish which I found to be a little bit salty) . The wait staff were particularly polite, attentive and efficient which is a plus point when compared to competitor cafes and best of all, their prices are really affordable for an outlet located in a major shopping mall.

My total bill came up to RM17.50 (Nasi Tomato & a drink) which I paid with the RM10 cash voucher and topped up RM7.50. So in the end, I saved almost 30% on my meal today while trying out a new food outlet.

So...would I go there again? Definitely!  :)

I'm looking forward to trying something else on their menu on my next visit.

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

This is the last book in the Twilight Saga and it also took the longest time for me to read. Don't know why but I didn't find this book as exciting as the previous three. It felt like it took me forever to finish reading this book.

In this book, Bella marries Edward as a human, but later transforms into a vampire. As it turns out, as a vampire, she possesses special powers. Edward and Bella have a child, Renee, who later is imprinted by Jacob, a werewolf...so, the werewolf who was so in love with Bella at one point, is now so in love with her daughter... go figure!

Eclipse by Stephanie Meyer

I read this book like moons and moons ago. I can't believe that I haven't blogged about this book before --- hmmm.... I must have missed blogging it in the midst of all the reading that I've been doing.

I found this book along with two others (New Moon and Breaking Dawn) in the series at the Bookcross zone in 1-Utama. I couldn't believe my luck when I saw all three books there as these books were on my wish list. In fact, I found even the first book, Twilight, at the Bookcross zone as well.

This is the third book in the Twilight Saga series... and it is the continuation of the love triangle between Bella, Jacob and Edward. Fancy being a human and having a werewolf fancy you, and being in love with a vampire!

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

I read this book months ago (so, okay, this is a long overdue blog post!).

This is another one in the Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter, series of adventures. True to Janet Evanovich's style of writing, this book is a fun read (with hunks in it too!!! Ah, Stephanie Plum's a lucky gal! ).

MilkADeal: Two slices of cake from SuChan

I redeemed my MilkADeal voucher for two slices of cake from the new SuChan outlet in the e-Curve recently.

I picked the Tiramisu (since so many people have been giving it rave reviews on the MilkADeal site) and the Black Forest Cake.

 The cakes were packed in a box since I asked for a to go order

The two slices of cake in the box

...and this is the much raved about Tiramisu cake

The verdict:
I found the Tiramisu super sweet (this is probably because I don't like super sweet food). I guess the people who were raving over it have really sweet tooth.

I found the Black Forest Cake okay, but really nothing spectacular.

I'm glad I bought these cakes on a deal and didn't pay full price for them. So, would I go back there for their cakes? Hmmm... maybe not :(

The Big Bad Wolf is Back in Town!

The sale that I've been waiting for all year long is finally here.

...and this is only a third of the hall!

I was at the Big Bad Wolf Sale earlier today (or should I say yesterday, considering that this post is being published at 12:20 am, Tuesday morning). It was HUGE!!! Lots of books --- I was in heaven!!!  :)

Needless to say, I bought loads of books!

I didn't have trouble getting there. In fact, I didn't even have a map with me. I figured that I knew where UPM was and that since MAEPS, the venue of the sale, was somewhere near UPM, I would eventually see signs for it. And so, I headed for UPM, followed the signs showing the directions towards MAEPS and found my way there.

While the hall was really spacious with lots of personal space between customers (so we didn't have to rub shoulders and god forbid, whatever else!), getting to the hall from the car park might be a challenge for some people as it is a fair bit of distance to walk and at some points, it is an uphill climb.

I just treated the walk up and back down to the car park as exercise. In fact, I walked up and down from the hall TWICE as I had TWO shopping sessions --- Shopping Session 1, walked down to the car park to put my purchases away, walked back up, had lunch and after lunch, Shopping Session 2!).

I understand if you're not as crazy as I am and if the very thought of having to walk uphill in the heat turns you off or if you have young children or the elderly with you, I would strongly advise you to take the shuttles (yes, there are shuttles from the car park to the hall).

Pizza Hut on wheels! 

Food isn't an issue as there was a Pizza Hut food service truck just outside the hall. A personal pan pizza with ice lemon tea costs RM10. There was also another vendor selling drinks and hot dogs nearby. There is a fairly big canopied dining area (with fans) outside where you can have a quick bite or just have a drink while you rest your tired feet.

Books, books and more books! :)

Most of the books were going at RM8 each. Others were RM10, RM12, RM15 and RM20. If you're a bibliophile, this is a MUST go event. The sale ends this Sunday, October, 16, 2011.

As always, one visit is NEVER enough! Hmmm... maybe I should go visit the wolf just to see how he's doing soon... ;)

O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Classic Tripledecker Sandwich

I treat vouchers from deal sites such as Groupon as an opportunity to test out food outlets that I have never been to before and so, when a deal came up on Groupon for an O'Briens Irish Sandwich Cafe Classic Tripledecker Sandwich last month, I bought it. I redeemed my Groupon voucher today :)

I went to the O'Briens outlet at the Curve and had my sandwich to go as I was in a hurry. I like it that my sandwich was packed in a paper bag instead of a plastic.

The Tripledecker sandwich 

The verdict: 
I must say that of all the food outlet vouchers that I have redeemed so far, this sandwich is the best! The sandwich is simply mmmmm....yummylicious!!! I particularly like the chicken crisp in the sandwich :) I'm sold!!! This is certainly a must-go-back-for-more sandwich. Thumbs up!

R.I.P Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Strangely enough, early this morning (I go to bed in the wee hours of the morning nowadays), I was just thinking to myself about the dua that Muslims say when they hear the news that someone has passed away. I wake up this morning, turn on my computer as I normally do, and see the news that Steve Jobs has passed away... Rest in peace Steve. Just know that you have lived every single day of your life as if it were your last; you have left a significant mark in the world --- you made geeky products cool.

Battling pancreatic cancer hasn't been easy for you.

"Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die." - Steve Jobs.

We love you, but Allah loves you more. You are in a better place now. 

Eating out at a fraction of the price

I went to Nando's for lunch yesterday and had a meal and bottomless soft drink for RM5.30.

I used one of the RM20 Nando's vouchers which I redeemed from Bonuslink something like two months ago! In fact, I redeemed my Bonuslink points for two RM20 Nando's vouchers which means that I've still got another one  :) It's a meal for a fraction of the price and I'm not complaining!

Paying Me

This is what I do nowadays: for everything that I save when I shop or when I get a service done which I would otherwise have to pay someone else to do (i.e. manicure, pedicure, hair color, etc), I put the amount that I saved away into my savings account. In that way, I'll not only be buying things on discounts but I'll also be building up my savings at the same time.  

Mon Meill Swarovski Zirconia Earrings and Necklace

Yay!!! My Groupon order arrived this morning! It was delivered Pos Laju and the mail man was super nice and friendly :)

I redeemed the Groupon on September 11 and got a confirmation email from them saying that my order had been received and that I would receive my order "within 14 working days (not inclusive of Saturdays and Sundays)". So going by that, I received my order on the 14th day which falls within the 14 working days delivery mentioned in their email to me.

I purchased a set of Swarovski Zirconia necklace and earrings set in 18 karat white gold plated 925 silver sterling. I don't know how true the 18 karat white gold plating claim is but time will tell --- if it changes colour, then I'll know that I've been short changed but hopefully, everything will be as stated in the deal and all will be fine (Insya Allah). So take a look at it...

It comes in a gift box

 The back of the jewellery pouch

The earrings and necklace --- nice!

I like that the necklace has two rings along the chain where you can hook the clasp to which allows me to have two lengths to choose from when wearing the necklace. I prefer to wear mine shorter. Solitaires look so much nicer when they sit in the hollow between your collar bones.

And now, it's onto the test to see if it will tarnish over time or not... hopefully not!

The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

Truth be told, I read this book a few months ago but I guess I never got around to blogging about it until now (yeah, that's the procrastinator in me!).

Anyway.... this book, written by Sidney Poitier, is a memoir of his life. Written in the first person's voice, he looks back on his life and career.

He was born and raised in a small island named Cat Island. He had an idyllic life as a child growing up on the island. By thirteen, he had dropped out of school and was working on construction sites. Worried that he would end up in jail, similar to his friend who stole a bicycle for fun, his father sent him off to Miami to live with his elder brother.

He started in his acting career when there weren't any black actors working along side white actors. It is about him breaking barriers and never accepting limits that were presented to him. He has certainly come a long way from his hard beginnings and has made it big. It is most definitely a story of the American Dream. It's an inspiring read.

love

"A woman carries her pet cats as she wades through a flooded street during#typhoon #Nesat in San Mateo, #Rizal, east of #Manila on September 27, 2011." http://twitpic.com/6rgtmb

Something about this picture speaks of love.

The Big Bad Wolf Sale

The much awaited for sale is finally around the corner. I'm looking forward to making my annual book purchase. This time around I'm on the lookout for personal finance books as well as novels.

For those who are contemplating on whether or not to go, listen, it is worth your time going there. The books are dirt cheap (paperback novels at RM8!) and they are new.

This time around, Big Bad Wolf promises an even bigger sale with 1.5 million books! I've been going to the BBW sale ever since it started and during each sale period, I've made two to three visits. One visit is never enough!

The books that I purchased have given me many hours of reading pleasure. If you're like me and you absolutely cannot imagine life without books and you want to stretch your budget, this is the book sale that you MUST go to to stock up on books.

Yes, I've heard some people moan and groan that it's in Serdang, but you know what, Serdang is not out there in the sticks as some of you may want to believe. It's only 20 minutes from KL if you take the PLUS highway. Have a sense of adventure and venture out to this new location. You just might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Will I see you there???

an apple in my oatmeal a day

I've always not liked any form of mushy food. I don't like melted ice cream, so when I do have some, I make sure that I finish it before it melts. I don't like milk in my breakfast cereal, I have mine dry, yes, dry! I don't like porridge because they're mushy.

This week, I hit a personal milestone, two, in fact : 1. I actually was brave enough to purchase a whole box of instant oatmeal when I was at the grocery store earlier this week, 2. I actually found that it's not too bad. Yes, I discovered that if you add apples to the oatmeal, it disguises the mushiness. So in the mornings for the past week, I've been having my instant oatmeal with one chopped up green apple thrown into the mix.

Why am I doing this? Well, don't know what inspired me to stop in the cereal aisle in the supermarket next door and take a look at the contents of the instant oatmeal mix, but I did, and guess what I discovered --- it has 20% iron in each serving! Okay, being anemic, that was enough to convince me to give it a go. What was the worst thing that could happen if I didn't like it, I asked myself --- that I would just give the rest of the box to my mom? I took the plunge and am glad that I did. Now, I just hope that this is getting me closer to my goal of getting my body to consume and hopefully retain more iron. I am tired of being tired (no pun intended there).

LOREAL Stock Clearance Sale

I went to the Loreal Stock Clearance sale in Sri Petaling Hotel today. Okay, granted that it was quite a drive for me to get there but I thought that I'd go to check it out to see if I could pick up some treats at a discount so that I wouldn't kick myself so much if the products didn't work out.

I haven't been to the Loreal Stock Clearance sale for quite a while now and I must say that it has changed quite a bit. Their warehouse sales in the past have been quite a mad house with loads of women pushing their way to get to the products. Back in those days the sales were often held only on one day and some women would take the day off from work just to go to it. Today, shopping was a breeze.

The products are no longer as cheap as they used to be, I'm afraid. I remember the days when the Maybelline  lipsticks used to be RM 10 each. Now, they cost RM19 each. Kinda pricey for a drugstore brand sold at a warehouse sale, if you ask me.

I recently bought the Maybelline Angel Fit Foundation at Watsons for RM32 (and that was a discounted price, the normal price is about RM40). I saw it at the sale today and it was selling at RM22. Strangely enough, it didn't have the same names that they have for the products in the stores. The bottles only had code numbers which can be difficult to buy especially if you're thinking of picking up a bottle after having tested out the colours at the stores earlier on.

Here's what I bought:
1. Loreal Derma Genesis Pore Minimising Smoother (Gel Cream) for RM27 (This product contains Hyaluronic Acid and it was a curiosity purchase as I've read so many good things about Hyaluronic Acid)
2. Loreal Touche Magique Concealer for RM20 (I've read great reviews about this product)
3. Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (Waterproof) in 01 Black for RM23 (I've read great reviews about this product too). The package includes the gel liner as well as its own eyeliner brush.
4. Maybelline Clear Skin Minerals BB Cream in Fresh  for RM14 (This was my curiosity purchase. I've tried out the testers at the store many times before but never got around to forking out around RM20, normal price, for it. It's a small tube that's easy to carry in my bag and it comes with SPF 26)
5. Two Maybelline Eyestudio Eyeliner Pencils for RM6 each (for my mom)
6. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Permanent Hair Color for RM14 (This is my staple purchase)

The good thing is because everything was kinda pricey, I wasn't going crazy and getting EVERYTHING I saw. I was quite reasonable in selecting my purchases.

If you're thinking of going to the sale, it runs till Sunday, September 18, 2011.

Learning Photography

Knowing how to REALLY use a camera and being able to take good photographs is something that has always been sort of a mystery for me. So... I've decided to come out of the darkness and learn how to operate a camera. As always, I went to youtube.com (Thank God for youtube --- where would I be without it???).

I found this channel called PhotographersOnUTube and have so far watched 3 of the videos and wow... it suddenly is all making sense to me!!! They make fantastic videos for newbie learners of photography. I would strongly recommend that you watch their videos if you're interested in getting started with photography.

Buying Stuff on Sale

How many times have you bought something that you didn't even know you wanted before you saw it on sale at the store? I know that I have been guilty of the crime one too many times.

Buying things that you want and need on sale makes a lot of sense and yes, you're saving bucks. On the other hand.  buying things that you don't really need just because the price has just been slashed 50% doesn't make sense --- that would only mean that you spent money on something that you didn't even know that you needed before you set foot into the store.

Be aware of what's going on when you step foot into a mall or a store. Millions of money are spent researching the psychology of spending. There is a reason why stores are such comfortable places to be in --- they try to keep you there as long as they can. Remember, the longer you're in the store, the more likely you are to spend money on things that you don't really need.

The solution? Make a list of the things that you want. If there's any new product that you want to research on before buying, go to the store during a normal day when there isn't a sale (you're less likely to spend minus a price discount). Make your decision and then walk out of the store and wait for the next sale (in Malaysia, sales are often, so you wouldn't have to wait too long for the next one). Sometimes, if it's something you really didn't care about very much for in the very first place, you might even forget about wanting it at all in the very first place (yay! money saved!). If you still decide to make the purchase when the next sale rolls around, remember, anything not on your list shouldn't be purchased no matter how good a deal it is.

I normally go shopping to do my research on new products that I want to purchase during normal days. I have to make sure that I've done enough research before I purchase anything so that I won't be cluttering my home with things that don't work for me.

Recently, I've been going to drugstores to try out anti-aging serum testers. I know that I want to buy an anti-aging serum as my current serum looks like it will last me another month or so. Since there are so many brands and products out there, I'm using this time to do my research and make my decision. When the next sale comes around, I'll be ready to purchase the product that I want.

One thing to note: The product that I'll be buying may not be the cheapest on the market. The cheapest product may not be the best product (nobody wants premature wrinkles.... hey, nobody wants wrinkles, period!) as I'm making an investment on my skin and how I look (yes, vain thought, I know!). This will be a long term investment in me!!! Why wait for a sale, you ask? Well, that will be when I'll be purchasing a product of value and one that I need at a lower price and thus saving money! 

nail trimmer

i keep losing my nail clippers... yup, don't know where they're all hiding.  i had to go out and buy another nail trimmer since my nails were getting really long and they were getting to the point where they were bothering me and getting in the way of me using the keyboard comfortably. I got this set from Daiso (where else???) for RM5.  i figured that i might as well get the whole set since it was going at the same price as purchasing just the trimmer.  a spare tweezers might come in useful on those days that i can't locate my existing ones!  hopefully i won't misplace this set!

IT Fair in Mid Valley

Thought I was early for the IT Fair in Mid Valley (I arrived at 10:45 AM for the 11 AM opening) but it seemed as if the rest of the world beat me to it (check out the pic)! People were waiting in front of the still closed shutters!!!

I purchased the three user Kaspersky Anti Virus programme for RM72 (normal price RM99). It's another investment on my business.

Merdeka

Happy Merdeka Day Malaysia!

Pagi Raya Aidil Fitri

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri Ayah. Ida mintak ampun Ayah. It's been four years (I only know this because Ita mentioned it). I have lost count of the number of years. I don't want to think of the number of years that you have left us. Pagi Raya is just not the same without you, Ayah. I miss you dearly.

Dubai Visa Information

Thought it might be useful for you to know that Malaysians get a 30-day visa upon arrival at no charge. Here's the full list of countries that qualify for the 30-day visa upon arrival:


Australia, Andorra, Austria
Brunei, Belgium
Denmark
Finland, France
Germany, Greece
Hong Kong
Iceland, Ireland, Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia, Monaco
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway
Portugal
San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
United Kingdom, United States of America


According to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai website, the Tourist Visa can be extended for a further 30 days for AED1230 (approximately RM1000/ USD333) and you're permitted to extend only once.

A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler

This is another one of my many bookcrossing finds. The book begins and ends with the same line, "I am a man you can trust". The story is about Barnaby Gaitlin, an average and ordinary man. He is sort of the family black sheep with a successful dad and older brother who are both doing financially well.

Barnaby works in a company owned by Mrs. Virginia Dibble called Rent-a-Back that helps the elderly or disabled move things around their homes and other sorts of chores that they need help with. When Barnaby was younger, he used to break into houses with his friends but once they were in the homes, he was more interested in looking at the photo albums and personal belongings of the people who lived there rather than steal. On one of these occasions, he was caught and his father had to pay $8700 for the things that he had stolen. This $8700 has always been a point of contention not with his dad, but with his mom who would bring it up ever so often.

Tired of having to put up with his mom's constant reminder of the $8700 that they wasted on him, Barnaby decides to pay her back. He starts to save money by asking for extra hours at work. On one day, one of his clients who happens to be his girlfriend's elderly aunt lost the cash that she was saving in the flour bin and accused Barnaby of theft. His girlfriend Sophia decides to replace the money back without the aunt's or Barnaby's knowledge as she wanted to "clear" his name. To Barnaby this only indicated to him that Sophia too thought that he was guilty of having taken the money from the bread bin. The aunt later finds her money and remembers that it was she who had changed the place where she hid the money earlier on.

Sophia then keeps reminding Barnaby that she had used her own savings to replace the "stolen" money and that she has no money to buy what she wants. Tired, Barnaby then goes to Mrs Glynn's house with his colleague, Martine, and takes the money from the bread bin and returns it to Sophia in an envelope with a note that says,"Sophia, you never did realize. I am a man you can trust".

There are a lot of real life observations in A Patchwork Planet. Society is so quick to judge you by your past and will always remind you of your past even though you have moved on and have changed your ways. Status is also very important to many people in life. In this book, Barnaby's mother seem to love Barnaby's best friend, Len, better than she does him. She doesn't let Barnaby cut his own birthday cake before Len arrives. Again, you are not really loved if you aren't as successful as your siblings. Such is the case between Barnaby and his brother whom his mother seem to prefer since he is successful.

Ways I Save Money

Here's a list of some of the things that I do to save money:

CREDIT CARDS
1. Kiss Annual Credit Card Fees Goodbye
I was paying RM180 per year for my annual credit card fee. I have recently migrated to another credit card and saved RM180 a year in credit card fees! The banks are already making so much money from charging you interest, why pay them more in the form of annual fees?

2. Pay It in Full
If you can, pay your credit card bills in full each month. You wouldn't give the guy on the street RM20, would you? So why are you willingly giving it to the bank???

3. Transfer It!
I have used zero transfer programs in the past and it has saved me quite a bit of money in interest. The trick is to pay off in full at the end of each month and I know this is hard, to not use the now free on your credit card to buy more useless stuff that got you into the credit hole in the very first place!

4. Check It!

I check my credit card statements for the following:

a. to make sure that there isn't any mistakes made on them. I normally keep all my credit card receipts and check them against the bill when it arrives.

b. to make sure that all the rewards points have been credited into my account (they add up substantially)

c. to ensure that any cash back rewards have been credited into my account

BANKING
5.  Save with an Online Bank

When I say "online bank", I don't mean online banking. I mean "online bank" as in there is no brick and mortar bank for you to go to. The only Online Bank that I know of at the moment is Maybank's m2u Savers account. Online Banks have less overheads and can therefore pay you more in interest. You can read more about the  Maybank's m2u Savers and how to go about opening an m2u Savers account here.

Do you know how much you are making in your savings account? I did --- apparently not much, in fact the way it was going, I was doing the bank a favour by putting my money in the bank and not getting much back for the service that I provide them. I just recently opened a Maybank m2uSavers account. It gives me more interest per annum compared to other savings accounts.

ELECTRICALS
6. Cable TV? Who needs it anyway???
With Astro planning to increase their charges, who needs it anyway??? I disconnected my cable tv service a few months ago before the price increase charges talk began and saved RM 49 per month, RM588 per year. Besides, Astro is going to increase their charges soon and while many people are complaining, I have no worries as I disconnected my Astro service a long time ago.

7. Switch It Off!

This is something I learned from home: Switch off all lights and electrical appliances that you're not using.

8.  It's Cool to Use the Fan

Honestly, I don't know about some other people but for me, the fan is just fine. If it gets too hot, take a cold shower!

9. Let There Be Light!
I use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They are brighter and energy efficient.

10. Hot Water Heater --- Really???
The hot water heater is really not necessary when living in a hot country like Malaysia. Okay, there are a few cold days when it rains non-stop but for most days, it's pretty hot and you don't need to use the hot water heater. You'll find, as I did, that if you stop using the hot water heater, your electricity bill is reduced quite drastically --- a plus for your wallet.


READING
11. Read More
Reading takes up more time and is much cheaper than watching a movie. Besides, reading is more fun as it allows you to "see" the story as it unfolds for yourself instead of seeing it through the eyes of some movie producer/ director.

12. Shop at Discount Book Stores

Why shop at full price when you can get them at discounted prices? Book Xcess... need I say more?

13. Don't pay full prices for books

If you're like me and you just love reading, you might want to be a member of Popular. For a small upfront fee, you are entitled to 10% off all of your book purchases on normal non-sale days and 20% off all of your book purchases during sales period. In addition, they often have member's discounts each month which you can purchase at 20% off the normal price.

14. Shop at Warehouse Sales

I normally wait for the Big Bad Wold Warehouse Sale organized by the same people at Book Xcess to load up on novels. At RM8 to RM10 a book, you get the books at a fraction (approx 25%) of the normal prices. 

15. Bookcrossing

I'm a bookcrosser. Free books are my favorite. Bookcrossing is a community of people who believe in making the world one big library. It's about educating the world and keeping the world literate. It's like a treat every time I find a book on my wish list at the Bookcross Zone in 1-Utama. MPH is one of the prominent bookcrossers and I have been lucky to have been able to stumble upon quite a number of spanking new books put up by MPH in the bookcrossing zone. Bookcrossing lets me explore reading books by authors that I wouldn't normally read and many times, I have been pleasantly surprised to find authors whose writing I enjoy. Remember though, bookcrossing books are for reading only and have to be released to the wild once you've done reading them. 

MOVIES

16. Pick Your Movie Days

At GSC cinemas, the lowest priced tickets are on Wednesdays and before 12 Noon on weekdays excluding public holidays.

ICE CREAM
17. Pink Wednesday
Whenever I feel like having an ice cream fix, I go to Baskin Robbins on Wednesday. All you have to do is show them something pink and they'll give you two scopes of ice cream for the price of one.

18. Baskin Robbins 31% Off
A not to be missed event if you're a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream fan. They offer 31% discount on all of their ice cream on the months that have the 31st. I'm lucky that there's a Baskin Robbins just a stone's throw away from where I live. I normally go there early in the day to avoid the crowds.

SHOPPING

19. Group Shopping Sites
This seems to be pretty hot now. The number of group shopping sites seem to have sprung up out of nowhere. Some to mention are Groupon, We Buy, Milk a Deal, Everyday, My Deal, Deal Mates and the latest kid on the block, Jigo City. They offer daily deals from restaurants, spas, holidays, hotels, fun experiences, name cards, photo books, photography sessions, etc. at substantial discounts.

I personally like the restaurant deals as it lets me sample restaurants that I wouldn't normally go to for a fraction of the normal price for a meal. One word of caution though, purchase only what you need. I read somewhere recently that statistics show that 20% of all coupons purchases online go to waste. Don't let yours go to waste. Buy the coupons only if it's around the area that you normally go to (ie on your way to work or to somewhere that you normally go to, you get the idea).

20. Say NO to Clothes/ Shoes/ Bags Shopping
Okay, this one wasn't so easy for me as I have this tendency to pick up something every time I go out to the stores. I recently had a look at what I've purchased and realized that I have loads of stuff which I just recently purchase and have not yet worn (some even still had the price tags on!). So every time I feel like buying something, I think about all the stuff that I already have at home. I find that if I spend time to visit what I have and style them, it's as good as going shopping for new stuff.

21. Cooling It Off!

See something you like in the store? Don't purchase it yet. You may find that you would have forgotten all about it by the time you get home.

22. Don't Pay Full Price

I used to work with a retailer. I know what their markups are on the merchandise which are mostly fabricated in China and there is no way that I'd want to pay for those markups. See something you like in the store? Wait for the sale, hey, there seems to be a never ending stream of sales in Malaysia. Missed the last one? No worries, the next one is just round the corner!

FOOD

23. Put on the Apron!
You know what, if I can do this one, so can you. Yes, I don't like to cook but since trying to cut back on my spending, I've been cooking. If you're like me, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised how cooking your own food might not only taste better (as I was!), it's also probably healthier as you have control over what goes into your food. There are lots of recipes online that you can google up. I recently found this fantastically yummy burger recipe online (click here to get it).

24. Leftovers

If you have any leftovers, transfer them into food savers and put them in the fridge. Hey, that's at least one less meal that you have to prepare later! Some food actually taste much better the day after too.

25. Pack lunch for work
Preparing lunch for work saves a tonne of $$$. It doesn't take a lot of time to prepare, just some planning. I normally make sandwiches for work.

CAR
26. Car Wash
Okay, this one, I have to admit, I have yet to do but I'm happy to announce that I have just bought a pack of car wash and wax last Monday. I normally pay RM10 per car wash and instead, picked up the car wash and wax liquid for RM15 and it's going to last me a very looonngggg time!

27. Fuel Up Over the Weekend
I fuel up my wheels over the weekend and make sure that I pay with my Maybankard 2 Amex card  since I get 5% cash back subjected to a maximum cap of RM50 per month.

28. Hold Back on Buying New Wheels

I've been holding back from purchasing new wheels for a number of years now. The thought of having to pay for something that I know will depreciate in value while I'm still paying the bank back is difficult for me to accept. I'd rather put the money away into a retirement fund.

29. Drive Less, Walk More

I'm lucky that I'm living in an area where the supermarket and banks are within walking distance to me. I save on fuel and parking fees, contribute less to global warming and get more exercise. Win, win, win.

GROCERY SHOPPING
30. Check Your Pantry/ Fridge First
Before you go shopping, make sure to check your pantry and fridge first to see what you're running out of to ensure that you only buy things that you've run out of/ are running low on.

31. Grocery Shop with a List
Going to the supermarket with a shopping list ensures that I stay with the plan (and not picking up just about anything and everything along the way) and don't forget what I went there to buy in the very first place.

32. Time Your Shopping
I shop during the weekends because my Maybank2 Amex card gives me 5% cash back on all of my weekend purchases (it's capped at RM50 per month though).

33.  Avoid Buying Bulk 

Yup, I know, I know, I can hear you say, "but buying bulk saves me money!". Yes, that's true BUT only if you use every last bit of it. No point buying in bulk if you only need a bit and then let the rest go to waste. I personally just buy on a need basis.

34. Load Up on stuff you know you will use
Check the flyers and load up on dry goods that have a long shelf life that you know you'll definitely use.

35. Buy Supermarket Brand Names

I don't know about you, but some of the supermarket brand name products are pretty good. I personally like the First Choice Multigrain Bread sold only in Giant and Cold Storage (they both belong to the same mother company --- Dairy Farm) I've also bought Giant's brand name spices. Some of the Tesco stuff are pretty good too (I've tried some of their cookies, olive oil, jam, cereal, chocolate, sardines, chicken curry, wet wipes, aluminium foil and cling wrap in the past).

36. Check Your Receipts

You might find that the cashier made a mistake when ringing in your purchases or maybe the scanned price doesn't match the shelf price or the price on the flier.

37. Don't Shop on an Empty Stomach

This is sooo true. I recently went shopping on an empty stomach and  found myself buying a lot of stuff! Make sure you have food before you shop. 

38. Shop at Places that have Free Parking

I normally go to Tesco because I get free parking when I shop there.

39. Avoid Trolleys

If you're shopping for one, avoid the trolley and instead reach for the basket as trolleys are a marketing ploy to get you to buy more than you intended to. When the basket gets heavy, you know it's time to head for the cash register.

BILLS

40. Pay Bills during the Weekends
I get 5% cash back by using my Maybank2 Amex card (subject to a maximum of RM50 cash back per month though).

41. Pay Bills Online
The beauty of online banking is that you can pay your do future payments for your bills. No more queuing up, paying your bills late, having to pay for checks or paying for stamps to send your payments.

42. Check Your Bills

Astro was still billing me even when I had terminated their services! Make sure you check your bills to make sure that something like this doesn't happen and if it does, get on the phone with their customer service rep to rectify the problem.

COFFEE/ DRINKS
43. Starbucks
Don't pay full price. Use your Maybank Amex to buy any Starbucks drink and you get another one of the same or lesser value for free (this promotion is good till 31st October, 2011). Click here to see the promotion.


TOILETRIES
43. Cut the Tubes
When you get to the end of your to toothpaste tube, don't throw it out without first cutting open the tube. You'll find that you probably have another 4 to 5 uses still. The same goes for anything else that comes in a tube (ie conditioners, cleansers, body lotion, hand cream, etc).

44. Upside down Bottles
I turn the body lotion bottles upside down when they are near the end to get to most of the product in a bottle.

45. Add a Little Water
For things like shampoo and conditioner, I normally would add a little bit of water to the bottle, close it and then shake it in order to get every last bit out!


NEWSPAPERS
46. Don't buy newspapers
You can always read the news online. I only recommend buying the Saturday newspapers for the appointment pages if you're job hunting as there might be ads advertised in there which are not available online.

47. Read Free Newspapers
Free copies of The Sun are delivered to my condo every week day.


KITCHEN
48. Don't buy garbage bags
I reuse the plastic bags that I get from grocery stores instead of garbage bags.

49. Use half of what you normally use
I pour some of the dish washing liquid into an empty pump bottle and mix it with equal amount of water. Let's face it, we sometimes use way to much detergent when doing the dishes.

50. Reuse Kitchen Towels
I sometimes use kitchen towels to dry my pans when I have just washed them and want to use them to cook immediately. I don't throw the kitchen towels out. I save them to wipe the spills off the stove surface after I'm done with my cooking.


REWARD PROGRAMMES
51. Credit Card Reward Programmes
My Maybankard2 cards come with reward programmes (every RM1 spent = 1x Treat points for my Mastercard and every RM1 spent = 5x Treat points for my Amex) so I make sure that I utilise my Amex card as  much as I can in order to earn more points which basically translates to more rewards.

52. Reward Yourself
Rewards programmes are great if you frequently shop at certain places. I'm a member of Bonuslink, One Card and Tesco Club Card. I also have a card for a juice bar that lets me collect points when I make a purchase. I have used rewards points from Bonuslink as well as my credit card to get stuff and vouchers for the stores that I frequent. I've just traded some of my Bonuslink points for a RM40 voucher from Nandos. Prior to that, I traded some of my credit card points for vouchears from Popular, Carrefour and Ayamas.

You've got to check if there is an expiry date on your rewards points (Bonuslink points are good for only three years) so you've got to make sure that you reward yourself before the points expire. My Tesco Club points as well as my One Card points don't have expiry dates --- they're the best since you'll always have them there when you need to use them and not have to worry about them expiring.

53. Sign up for Rewards Programmes
I'm a member of Bonuslink and Tesco Club Card and I make sure that I collect points when I shop at any of their stores/ affiliates.

54. Time your shopping

Shop on days when you can earn more points on your card. For instance, Parkson, an affiliate of Bonuslink, gives 5X points on Bonuslink members pre-sale days.

WORKING OUT

55. Forget the Gym
Why pay expensive gym membership when I can use the gym in my apartment complex for free? What I normally do nowadays though is I workout at home with a gym ball, a yoga mat and an elastic band. There are loads of great workout clips on YouTube that can give you ideas on how to structure your workout.

56. Walk More
I normally listen to my phone when I go out to do errands on foot. It lets me kill two birds with one stone --- I get my errand done and I get to work out without feeling like I'm really working out!


LIFESTYLE HABITS
57. No Spend Day
Try observing a No Spend Day at least once a week. You'll be surprised how much you'll save by just not spending in one day.

58. Journal It
I journal everything that I spend on a spread sheet on Excel. It's amazing how seeing it on a spread sheet controls your urge to spend unnecessarily.

59. Give yourself a daily budget
Set a daily budget and see how much you can save at the end of the day/ month.

60. Bring your own water

I used to buy water when I got thirsty. With a little planning, I fill up my own reuseable bottle with water at home and take it with me when I go out.


RECYCLE

61. I take aluminium, tin, plastic, paper and cardboard down to the recycling center in exchange for cash.

62. Paper

I use both sides of printed paper when I'm printing.

63. Paper Again

I also use the other side of printed paper as a note pad.

REPURPOSE
64. I use what I already have around the house before I go out to buy more. I reuse takeout food containers as trays in the refrigerator to keep things like sauces from spilling.

65. Before you throw something out, take a good look at it and think about how you can repurpose it.
You know that bottle of conditioner that didn't feel so great on your hair? Well, I use mine to shave my legs instead and it's lots cheaper than having to go out and buy shaving cream. You can do the same with the expired body lotion/ cream.

Shampoo that you get from the hotels can be used as a body wash (that is if you find it too nasty to use on your hair) when you go to the swimming pool/ waterpark or when you go travelling.

The body wash that looked better while you were in the shop rather than when you were in the shower can be poured into pump dispenser bottle and diluted with some water and viola! you have hand wash!

The hand cream that you don't really like can be used as body lotion or foot cream. Slather it on before you go to bed.

The face moisturiser that you no longer fancy using on your face because you found a better moisturiser for you face can be used as a hand cream instead.

Got nail polish you no longer use? You can use them to paint your keys so that it would make finding the right keys quicker (particularly if the keys are all about the same size and you've got a bunch of them!).

BEAUTY
66. Foot Spa
I do my own foot spa treatments for a fraction of the cost. There are lots of videos on YouTube.

67. Oil Blotters
I buy my oil blotters from Daiso (yeah, the everything is RM5 shop). The last time I bought oil blotters, I got 300 pieces of oil blotters for just RM5!

68. Cleanser
I happened to try a Rice Bran cleanser which I purchased from Daiso (at only RM5) and was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked it!


HAIR
69. I no longer use hair dyes as I normally colour my hair dark brown or black anyway. Instead, I have swapped my hair dye for henna which is not only ammonia peroxide free, but also costs only a fraction of the hair dye color!


CLOTHES
70. I mend my clothes to get more miles out of them.


GEEK
71. Save the Trees

I try as much as possible not to print on paper if I can. Instead, I try to save as much info as I can in soft copy on my external hard drive.

72. Learning
Is there anything that you wish you knew how to do? Before you pull out your wallet, consider learning it off the web first. I learned to use Adobe Ilustrator, Photoshop and refreshed my 10 years of unused AutoCad knowledge from YouTube. You can find some pretty amazing instructional videos there.

73. Free Software
There are many free softwares available on the web for FREE. So before you go out and purchase any programme, make sure to search online to see if you can get the software or compatible programme for free.

74. Share
I download free chic litt books (in PDF) online and that saves me a tonne of $$$.

PHONE CALLS
75. International Calls
I use Skype for international phone calls. Why pay telco prices when I can do it over the net for nothing more than the price of the broadband service which I'm already paying for anyway.

76. Mobile Phone
I subscribe to a prepaid plan that allows me to purchase air time as I need.

77. Mobile Phone Reward Points
Don't forget to take advantage of your mobile phone service provider's reward points. I use the reward points that I have accumulated to trade for free air time or sms.

78. Time Your Top Ups
Top Up when there is a promotion. A few days ago, I got a message from my telco saying that they would give me RM10 free if I topped up RM60. One word of caution though: only act on this deal if you need the credit. Otherwise, give it a miss. I have taken up on this deal in the past when I needed the credit but I'm giving it a pass this time around as I still have quite a bit of credit left on my account.