I like to keep my excess foreign currency after I return from a holiday overseas. Today, however, I made the brave decision to exchange some of my left over foreign currency. I plan to make the money grow by investing it when the opportunity presents itself :)
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal finance. Show all posts
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Credit Card Daily Periodic Rate Calculator
Ever wonder how much interest you would be racking up for each day that you are late in paying your credit card bills? Well, wonder no more. This calculator will help shed the light on the matter.
I punched in the figures for my outstanding bill amount (and yes, I was late paying my credit card bill this month) and after punching in the figures, and seeing how much I owed the bank with each day that I am late, I was motivated to get out there as soon as possible to pay the bill! Why let the bank make money out of me (with an 18% interest rate slapped on credit card debt, banks are getting a return that is way higher than what they can get in the stock market!).
Anyway, I just found this calculator to be a nifty tool to get me motivated to not be late in paying my credit card bills.
I punched in the figures for my outstanding bill amount (and yes, I was late paying my credit card bill this month) and after punching in the figures, and seeing how much I owed the bank with each day that I am late, I was motivated to get out there as soon as possible to pay the bill! Why let the bank make money out of me (with an 18% interest rate slapped on credit card debt, banks are getting a return that is way higher than what they can get in the stock market!).
Anyway, I just found this calculator to be a nifty tool to get me motivated to not be late in paying my credit card bills.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Pay It Down! by Jean Chatzky
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.
Monday, December 05, 2011
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).
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).
Monday, October 03, 2011
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.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
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!
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!
Monday, July 18, 2011
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!
BANKING
5. Save with an Online Bank
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!
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
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!
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).
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
29. Drive Less, Walk More
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).
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.
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.
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
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
62. Paper
63. Paper Again
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
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
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
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
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 WeekendsI 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 GymWhy 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.RECYCLE
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 $$$.
PHONE CALLS
75. International Calls
I use Skype for international phone calls. Why pay telco prices when I can do it over the net for nothing more than the price of the broadband service which I'm already paying for anyway.
76. Mobile Phone
I subscribe to a prepaid plan that allows me to purchase air time as I need.
77. Mobile Phone Reward Points
Don't forget to take advantage of your mobile phone service provider's reward points. I use the reward points that I have accumulated to trade for free air time or sms.
78. Time Your Top Ups
Top Up when there is a promotion. A few days ago, I got a message from my telco saying that they would give me RM10 free if I topped up RM60. One word of caution though: only act on this deal if you need the credit. Otherwise, give it a miss. I have taken up on this deal in the past when I needed the credit but I'm giving it a pass this time around as I still have quite a bit of credit left on my account.
72. Learning
Is there anything that you wish you knew how to do? Before you pull out your wallet, consider learning it off the web first. I learned to use Adobe Ilustrator, Photoshop and refreshed my 10 years of unused AutoCad knowledge from YouTube. You can find some pretty amazing instructional videos there.
73. Free Software
There are many free softwares available on the web for FREE. So before you go out and purchase any programme, make sure to search online to see if you can get the software or compatible programme for free.
74. Share
I download free chic litt books (in PDF) online and that saves me a tonne of $$$.
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.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Make your Credit Card Work for YOU!
Credit cards are not bad things if you use them wisely. I pay mine in full each month as I see no reason why I should let them charge me interest for my purchases. I make sure that I have the money to pay for whatever I buy each month which means that every purchase needs to be thought of in advanced, in short, planned.
Let me tell you this: I didn't start out this way. I have had my fair share of credit card debt in the past which I worked very hard to pay down and off. I put a running tally of my credit card balance on my fridge. It gave me a constant reminder of why I should control my spending and at the end of each month, I would happily extract the amount that I paid and watch the outstanding balance reduce. For me, that was motivating.
Well, all that, I am proud to say, is in the past. Now, I make my credit cards work for me. I'm currently using my Maybank Amex a lot as each ringgit that I charge earns 5 treats points. I also pay my bills using my Maybank Amex whenever possible such as my Streamyx, phone and DBKL bills. In addition, I make sure that I pay my bills and make purchases over the weekends so that I get to enjoy the 5% cash back rewards. The cash back is capped up to RM50 a month and that adds up to a savings of RM600 a year!
The 5 treats points given for every ringgit spent adds up pretty quickly too and with 2000 treat points, you can redeem a RM10 voucher from one of the retailers participating in the treats points program. So yeah, if you're like me, you'll be saving a huge amount of money if you make your credit cards work for you instead of what most people out there do, work hard to pay off their credit cards.
In case you belong to the latter group, you might want to think about going on a shopping diet and concentrating on paying off your credit card debt instead. You'll be surprised to see how paying twice the minimum payment is going to cut down not only on the length of time that it'll take you to finish paying your debt but also how much less interest you'd be paying the credit card company. There are many calculators out there to help you figure out how long it'll take you to pay off your debt. Click here for one such credit card calculator.
Another way you can save on paying interest on your credit cards is if you use the zero% balance transfer programmes that banks offer from time to time. You've got to be very disciplined though. No going out on ANOTHER shopping spree just because credit card A's balance is zero now. Remember, if you use your credit cards, make sure that you have the means to pay them off NOW. Don't think about paying for purchases that you make now with future income because what that's going to mean is that you'd have even less to spend when the future comes because you have to pay for a purchase that you made months ago. Wouldn't that be such a drag?
Use your credit cards wisely. Make them work for you. Don't work for them!
Let me tell you this: I didn't start out this way. I have had my fair share of credit card debt in the past which I worked very hard to pay down and off. I put a running tally of my credit card balance on my fridge. It gave me a constant reminder of why I should control my spending and at the end of each month, I would happily extract the amount that I paid and watch the outstanding balance reduce. For me, that was motivating.
Well, all that, I am proud to say, is in the past. Now, I make my credit cards work for me. I'm currently using my Maybank Amex a lot as each ringgit that I charge earns 5 treats points. I also pay my bills using my Maybank Amex whenever possible such as my Streamyx, phone and DBKL bills. In addition, I make sure that I pay my bills and make purchases over the weekends so that I get to enjoy the 5% cash back rewards. The cash back is capped up to RM50 a month and that adds up to a savings of RM600 a year!
The 5 treats points given for every ringgit spent adds up pretty quickly too and with 2000 treat points, you can redeem a RM10 voucher from one of the retailers participating in the treats points program. So yeah, if you're like me, you'll be saving a huge amount of money if you make your credit cards work for you instead of what most people out there do, work hard to pay off their credit cards.
In case you belong to the latter group, you might want to think about going on a shopping diet and concentrating on paying off your credit card debt instead. You'll be surprised to see how paying twice the minimum payment is going to cut down not only on the length of time that it'll take you to finish paying your debt but also how much less interest you'd be paying the credit card company. There are many calculators out there to help you figure out how long it'll take you to pay off your debt. Click here for one such credit card calculator.
Another way you can save on paying interest on your credit cards is if you use the zero% balance transfer programmes that banks offer from time to time. You've got to be very disciplined though. No going out on ANOTHER shopping spree just because credit card A's balance is zero now. Remember, if you use your credit cards, make sure that you have the means to pay them off NOW. Don't think about paying for purchases that you make now with future income because what that's going to mean is that you'd have even less to spend when the future comes because you have to pay for a purchase that you made months ago. Wouldn't that be such a drag?
Use your credit cards wisely. Make them work for you. Don't work for them!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The New Frugality by Chris Farrell
This is another book which I purchased in order to educate myself on personal financing. Some things I learned from this book about how to be frugal with regards to investing:
- Keep fees razor thin
- Use dollar cost averaging which basically means putting the same amount of money into an investment regularly over a long period
- Rebalance your portfolio regularly
- You have to realise you can't consistently beat the market.
- Invest in index funds; don't bother with actively managed mutual funds.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Make Money Not Excuses by Jean Chatzky
This is another book which I picked up at the last Big Bad Wolf warehouse sale.
This is a personal finance book written by a woman for women. Most women make excuses as to why they are not actively involved in the management of their money and what this book does is tell women to stop being passive and start taking an active interest in managing their money.
This book is full of financial advice that are do-able. She gives a breakdown on how you should funnel your expenses according to the various expense categories:
Housing 35%
Saving 10%
Living 25%
Transportation 15%
Debt Repayment 15%
Housing includes not just the mortgage payment for your home but also the cost of living there such as taxes, insurance, utilities and repairs.
Living expenses include things like clothing, food, donations, entertainment, gifts, travel, etc.
Transportation includes not just payment for your wheels but also gas, insurance and maintenance.
Debt Repayment are payments for debt which don't include payment for your home or your car.
There are also maps to a million throughout this book that illustrates how much you'd earn if you put in a certain amount of money away to invest each month and shows what the amount will be in 10, 20, 30 and 40 years' time.
For example, if you could save $10 a day, which is $70 a week, and you put it away to invest at 8 percent, it would be 55,615 in 10 years, 179,062 in 20 years, $453,069 in 30 years and $1,061,266 in 40 years. Amazing, huh?
I'm inspired to save!!!
And oh, by the way, she has a website (click on the link) where you'll be able to find more money advice.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi
To be honest, I had absolutely NO idea who Ramit Sethi was when I purchased this book. I only discovered that he's big in the US when I visited his website and youtube and found a bunch of his video clips which were aired on TV in the US.
This is a book which I stumbled upon in the last Big Bad Wolf Warehouse sale. I'm really glad I purchased it.
Okay, the title of the book is kinda corny, but the RICH in the title has more to do about having enough $$$ to lead a rich life doing what you love instead to being RICH in just the monetary sense.
This personal finance book explains in simple terms many things I didn't know before reading the book --- the difference between mutual funds, index funds, lifecycle funds, stocks and bonds, the importance of diversification, asset allocation, dollar cost averaging, etc.
He also offers a lot of common sense advice (but as you and I both know, common sense is not so common anymore) such as why you should have a credit card (it's not all bad, as many people think), the importance of having your investment portfolio diversified and typical asset allocations by age.
He even gives you a script for what to say when you call up your credit card company to negotiate with them for a late fee waiver (note: this is only if you've been paying your bills on time and have missed a due date once and not for repeat offenders!).
He also asks, "How you're going to spend your next $100?" --- now that's a question that forces me to think about how I've been spending my money and how I would like to change my spending habits to include my plans for my future.
I particularly loved the way all the information was presented in the book which made it enjoyable to read and not dry like most of the other personal finance books out there. This is a must have personal finance book if you're clueless.
Here's the first chapter of this book which is entitled Optimize Your Credit Cards (click on the link) which you can download FREE!!! My guess is that you'll be hooked once you've read the first chapter and will want to purchase the book.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Have you really SAVED anything lately???
Here's an interesting thought --- a savings in not a savings until you actually SAVE it!!!
You know how most people say they saved X dollars when they purchased something during a sale? Well, here's an interesting thought --- it isn't a savings until you actually put the money that you "saved" away into a savings/ investment/ retirement account.
Otherwise, you didn't save anything. You only paid less for the item!
With that thought in mind, I'm putting the RM180 that I would have otherwise paid towards my annual fee credit card into my investment account (for those of you who are unaware read this post).
So... have you really saved anything lately???
You know how most people say they saved X dollars when they purchased something during a sale? Well, here's an interesting thought --- it isn't a savings until you actually put the money that you "saved" away into a savings/ investment/ retirement account.
Otherwise, you didn't save anything. You only paid less for the item!
With that thought in mind, I'm putting the RM180 that I would have otherwise paid towards my annual fee credit card into my investment account (for those of you who are unaware read this post).
So... have you really saved anything lately???
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Free Annual Fee Credit Cards
Remember my earlier post about the Maybankard 2 credit cards (click on the link if you haven't read it --- What do you mean you haven't read it yet??? Just kidding!) which are free from annual fees and which, at the moment, are offering the lowest APR (annual percentage rate --- fancy term for what is otherwise known as yearly interest rate)? Well, I just received a phone call yesterday afternoon informing me that my credit cards are ready for collection.
Now I'm going to cancel my annual fee card credit card and that saves me RM180 a year (yes, that's the insane amount of money I have been paying my bank for generating business for them by using my credit card!!!).
What have you done to reduce your expenses?
Now I'm going to cancel my annual fee card credit card and that saves me RM180 a year (yes, that's the insane amount of money I have been paying my bank for generating business for them by using my credit card!!!).
What have you done to reduce your expenses?
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Budgeting: The Envelope System
Here's something that I used to do many, many years ago. I learned this from a friend who I saw practised it (that was how I learned --- by watching).
In the beginning of every month, I would label a few recycled envelopes (earth friendly!) the categories of money in my budget such as travel, fuel, food, clothes, etc. Then, in each envelope, I would put in the amount of money that I had budgeted for each category for the month.
Each time I wanted to buy or had to pay for something, I would take out the required amount from the envelope. When I had extras in the envelope at the end of the month, I would take that money out and save it.
It's a wonderful simple system that puts you in touch with reality if you want to keep track of your spending because when the money's gone in the envelope, it's gone. It gives you an honest reality check about your spending habits.
Dealing out cash makes it more intimate as opposed using credit cards which tend to feel like nothing much when you're paying at the point of sales and not only that, you tend to overspend with credit cards because there isn't a reminder of what the limit for your spending is for the month unlike the cash in envelope where you can see your depleting money levels.
Try it, and you'll be surprised at how much more careful you are with your cash.
In the beginning of every month, I would label a few recycled envelopes (earth friendly!) the categories of money in my budget such as travel, fuel, food, clothes, etc. Then, in each envelope, I would put in the amount of money that I had budgeted for each category for the month.
Each time I wanted to buy or had to pay for something, I would take out the required amount from the envelope. When I had extras in the envelope at the end of the month, I would take that money out and save it.
It's a wonderful simple system that puts you in touch with reality if you want to keep track of your spending because when the money's gone in the envelope, it's gone. It gives you an honest reality check about your spending habits.
Dealing out cash makes it more intimate as opposed using credit cards which tend to feel like nothing much when you're paying at the point of sales and not only that, you tend to overspend with credit cards because there isn't a reminder of what the limit for your spending is for the month unlike the cash in envelope where you can see your depleting money levels.
Try it, and you'll be surprised at how much more careful you are with your cash.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Tracking my daily expenses
I've recently downloaded a free personal budget template from Google docs and have been tracking my spending habits since the beginning of April.
I'm curious to see what I have been spending my money on and I'd like to see if there are areas that I can cut back on (I'm sure there are!!!). Many times we think that we spent x when in reality, we spent x+30. It's easy to fool ourselves when we don't really know what our outgoings are.
I've set myself a daily budget and try to stick to it as best as I can (I'm not always successful I must admit!).
So far, since I began tracking my expenses, there have been two occasions that I have impulse shopped --- something that I am guilty of time and time again. I just can't resist the four-letter-word --- SALE!!!
I don't know why I buy more of the same things that I KNOW I already have... While there are days that I cave in the minute I see something I want on sale, most other days I am pretty good and am able to walk away from a sale, telling myself that if I really want it, can't get it out of my head 3 days down the road, I'll go back to the store and make the purchase. I'm happy to say that on most occasions, I'd have forgotten about the "must have" item by the time I get home :)
I'm curious to see what I have been spending my money on and I'd like to see if there are areas that I can cut back on (I'm sure there are!!!). Many times we think that we spent x when in reality, we spent x+30. It's easy to fool ourselves when we don't really know what our outgoings are.
I've set myself a daily budget and try to stick to it as best as I can (I'm not always successful I must admit!).
So far, since I began tracking my expenses, there have been two occasions that I have impulse shopped --- something that I am guilty of time and time again. I just can't resist the four-letter-word --- SALE!!!
I don't know why I buy more of the same things that I KNOW I already have... While there are days that I cave in the minute I see something I want on sale, most other days I am pretty good and am able to walk away from a sale, telling myself that if I really want it, can't get it out of my head 3 days down the road, I'll go back to the store and make the purchase. I'm happy to say that on most occasions, I'd have forgotten about the "must have" item by the time I get home :)
Friday, April 15, 2011
the best credit card deal in town at the moment
I've been doing some research on credit card deals and found that the Maybankard 2 cards gives you the best deal at the moment.
These cards come in platinum as well as gold. You get two cards when you sign up : an American Express and a choice of a Mastercard or Visa.
These are offer a lifetime free waiver of annual fees and the current finance charge is only 8.88% per annum which is the lowest finance charged offered in the current market.
You pay only RM50 service tax for BOTH cards instead of RM50 for each card.
These cards come in platinum as well as gold. You get two cards when you sign up : an American Express and a choice of a Mastercard or Visa.
These are offer a lifetime free waiver of annual fees and the current finance charge is only 8.88% per annum which is the lowest finance charged offered in the current market.
You pay only RM50 service tax for BOTH cards instead of RM50 for each card.
On top of that, you get 5% cash back when use your American Express card during the weekends. There is a limit to the cash back that you can earn though --- it's only up to RM50, but still, it is still savings and it all adds up.
If you're into point collecting, the Maybankard 2 American Express card rewards you with 5X the retail purchase amount spent on the card.
I'm all for saving money and if i can get the same services from the same bank for less money, why not?
I'm kissing my annual fee credit card goodbye and hello, Maybankard 2 cards!!!
If you're into point collecting, the Maybankard 2 American Express card rewards you with 5X the retail purchase amount spent on the card.
I'm all for saving money and if i can get the same services from the same bank for less money, why not?
I'm kissing my annual fee credit card goodbye and hello, Maybankard 2 cards!!!
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