The Money Decision

Every year, our money loses its value to inflation. And to ensure its value does not depreciate, it has to work against 3% p.a inflation. Think about this, for every $1000, we lose $343 in 10 years; for every 100k, one loses 34k to inflation!

Hence it is definitely useful to work around making our hard earned money work for us. Having talked to Eugene, it boils down to two options: work with risk, or work with time.

Lower risk = Longer Time

Shorter Time = Higher Risk 

These following options looks workable with low risk, yet bears restriction on flexibility of cash flow.

# Putting Savings into Savings Account 

With OCBC 360 Account, one earns up to 2.2 % interest by fulfilling criteria such as $500 expenditure/mth; crediting salary and paying 3 bills with the account. And 1% for me, since salary cannot be credited into the account, which means missing out on 1.2% interest rate. 

# Putting Money into Fixed Deposit 

While it gets more returns than some Savings Account, with 1.2%  to 1.8% interest p.a, it locks the money away for 5 years, which kills the possibility of property purchase or car purchase in the short term.  

#Getting an Endowment Plan

This usually involve shelving away savings for a decade, earning about 2.5% interest rate. Singles like me would be strapped. Neither can I get a car, nor a property with ease should I gets married within ten years. 

#Putting Money into CPF Ordinary Account 

One can top up to a cap of about 20k per year into Ordinary Account. These money earns an interest rate of 2.5%, more than many of the savings account. Drawback: it cannot be withdrawn. Winning factor: It can be used to buy property. 

#Putting Money into CPF Special Account (Retirement Fund) 

Money earns 4% interest rate currently, and can only be withdrawn after 55 years old. To qualify for a monthly payout of $1750 - $1900 after 55 years old,  one must have at least about 241k in the Special Account. Money that will sit and beat inflation, all the way until about 3 decades later. It means, I may be restricted with reducing mortgage, and have to lose more on housing loan interest. 

The Awkward Late 20s

Single. Possibility of getting a property at 35, or within the next 5 years. Possibly of getting a car within the next decade. Wants to beat inflation, yet adverse to risk taking. Needs liquid cash on ultra big ticket items within the decade. This portfolio is really a tough nut to crack. 

How to strike a balance, really?

Getting Ready for 2017!

2017 will be a horrendous year for the Fire Rabbit, so says the Chinese Horoscope. Health will take a toil, there will be a huge outflow of money, couples will break easily. No wonder I am feeling anxious! :P

It's also times like this, one has to stay in control of expenses and consciously gear the mind towards the positive direction. 

Spent the day budgeting for 2017. The new year will see no extra cash, coupled with measly savings, possibly bleeding on my CPF ordinary account if I cannot secure a scholarship to take up my desired Masters Course. All ready for these. 

Hence, I have projected 2017 to be the YEAR FOR LEARNING!

The first project to kick in will be my driving course. And then looking forward to a China Trip with friends in July. The greatest investment/risk I am taking has to be the intent to take up Masters of Arts in Contemporary China, costing a whooping 22k if I cannot secure the scholarship. Possibly the sole relief, I can  opt to tap on CPF Education Scheme and defer payment until after finishing the Course. With these 3 major events for next year, the year ahead seems to be happening!

The decision to upgrade was fraught with confusion. Initially, I couldn't decide on what to study. I would definitely like a break from work cycle in school. The only course I could think of, which will be useful for future employment and taps on my niche, would be translation. Yet the idea of it turns me off, and I certainly wouldn't want to drag myself though it for a year. MACC was a Masters Course my previous mentee updated me about. The curriculum is definitely something which could be useful in Public Service. Area studies about China, ain't that the future trend?

With all the learning planned, I will also see some income from tuition. I do still find joy interacting with youths. Browsing through language books with sound and interesting pedagogy leaves me stimulated to no end. So, the few tuition lessons for the first half of the year will help ease my expenditure, before school term starts at the second half of the year. :)

PS: Having explored various budgeting template, I find this to be the most useful. Hope it benefits you too!

2017 and beyond will undoubtedly be plagued with some uncertainty,but it left me room to step out of my comfort zone and start exploring my life for the decades to come! 

Rite of Passage

I have just signed up for driving! Well, it's part of the bucket list which I have not got around doing. Because I am prone to giving excuses.

"No, how can I take a week of MC twice, when 100 kids under my care during curriculum time?!" "Oh no, surely I can't have it extracted now? It's Chinese New Year and I don't want a swollen face when I do visiting." "Ouch, June hols, only 2 weeks protected time, I'm flying overseas! No time to do it!" Hence, my wisdom teeth never got around being extracted.

And then come the driving license, probably a decade late. "Can't do it first half of the year since you hardly get the time out of school without feeling shacked." "Can't do it second half of the year since the kids are going for N Levels." "Can't do it now, since it will cut back on my savings." Get the drift? For me, there will always be a hundred and one excuses for not doing something. And I have a way of talking myself out from doing. Almost always.

In any case, I am pretty excited about learning driving and signed up for all the necessary procedures towards my driving license! Hooray!

It almost feels like university days, with the IDEA of freedom to do things which I have put back doing for a long while, simply because there are so many things going on at work. However, living frugally takes getting used to.

If that is what it takes to fulfill my big ticket items, I will budget away, and save away! Just so, to experience these rites of passage at the brink of youth. Call it quarter life crisis if you may, and I will linger in Neverland for just a tad longer. :)

On Startups and Social Enterprises

As many of you came to know, I have recently resigned from my very stable job as a teacher. Having said that, teaching would never be a job one can ever resign from. After all, we teach kids who are born into the family; we teach our pets to behave; we teach ourselves to do crafts or control machines. So I figured I am officially out of an institution, but still very much a teacher. (See the kind of self talking I indulge myself on a daily basis!)

It's ironic. I find my student's words haunting me. At the beginning of this year when the class shared about their goals, a student told me she wants to find herself. I secretly scoffed at such coming-of-age remark. And here I am, trying to gain some perspective on what I want out of my insignificant being, eating my words, just months away.

Anyway, I apologize for digressing. I do however think, in this little breakaway from the planned and secure path, I find myself exploring instead of going through the routine; questioning instead of sitting back and taking in whatever is shoved into my mouth.

It was during Yuching's wedding when I got the opportunity to be seat among-st a group of strangers, running a social enterprise called the thought collective. Well, think Food for thought, a cafe chain which funds their other social work. It really started off as GP tuition for repeat students. Now, it branched into many other side projects which instill social responsibility in youths. It resonates with me, how youths are engaged to contribute to the communities and critically assess notions of community work. They work for sustainable causes, issues they care about. Nope, not the usual VIA or community work in school (Which I shan't make politically incorrect comments). Caring about not just about 'decorating' their environment, but making a difference. Migrant causes, community bonding causes. I am awestruck.

And the other startup I was exposed to constantly was moneysmart. It feeds my facebook threads on a daily basis.

Yet another, which grew from university students was caurosell in which I had an active account. Xiaoyun ever shared that they are still building their database and clientele, with the first few years earning no profit, but pitching fervently to clients and sponsors. Until they are established enough to advertise. That's the spirit of entrepreneurship, with notions of "I have nothing to lose".

You may also want support my de-cluttering efforts by purchasing items you want @ carousell.com/dasaobao  XD


Well, there's departuremag which features travelogue, sleek design with properly curated content. Startup which earns my thumbs-up!

The domestic side of me came to learn about meatman, hardly classified as a startup. Designers who came together to produce cooking videos of local delights, A pet project which caught attention of cookware sponsors, food sponsors etc. See where passion and persistence brought them!

I've never failed to be amazed by these people. Even Xiaoyun.  Heads up if you want to engage her for freelance work, wedding invitations etc. :P

They nourished me with ideas and inspiration in my search of self identity. We can really combine work with passion, isn't is so?

"It's just that sometimes people use thoughts to not participate in life." - Perks of a Wallflower.

给新人献上祝福

这个年龄， 出席的红事特别多。近一个月，就出席了三个婚礼。我常在想，婚礼到底是给新人办的，还是给父母办的。

给长辈办的婚礼，去了无数个，流程八九不离十。这两周我却出席了两个截然不同又颇有新意的婚礼。其中一个仅二十桌，相信来参加的必然是家人与密友。新人毫不忌讳，全场轻松自然地穿着平底鞋。新娘搞音乐，请来了朋友驻唱，搞了个live 音乐点播。同时，搞怪夫妇入场更是有趣，弄了个新娘不见了的短片。结尾部分有各地朋友献上温馨寄语。我觉得是非常温暖的婚礼。

另一个则是堂姐的婚礼。花式、摆桌、桌子上的宾客的照片都是手工制作，小礼品还是自家自制的kaya，亲力亲为。每个环节都很有心意。这是我出席的第一个自助餐婚宴，类似户外派对，舞台甚至不像一般婚宴面对着宾客。对我这个年龄层的朋友来说，能自由走动，到处聊天，颇有一番情趣。然而，一些人可能不以为然，在这个缺乏仪式感的婚宴当中，会让人觉得过于轻浮。

我享受其中。我想婚宴是为父母办的，更是为新人办的。作为宾客，我们的义务是为新人献上最诚挚的祝福，享受他们爱的旅程。对婚礼的环节评头论足，相信在所难免，毕竟讲求面子与排场是华人的潜在特质。能在两者之间取得平衡固然完美，但若只能取其一，追求”真”和“诚”更是难能可贵。

这两个婚宴结束后，我的心是暖暖，因为真爱能够埃个十年二十年风浪，依然迈向婚姻的殿堂。

这便是至真至诚的婚宴了。

Marriage Advice 

Jane Wells

(1886)

Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.

Learn the wisdom of compromise,

for it is better to bend a little than to break.

Believe the best rather than the worst.

People have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them.

Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.

The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.

Please hand this down to your children and your children's children.

Finding Footing

It's been a long time since sitting down and penning thoughts. 

And quite a lot of self love practiced in between. 

Amidst mourning for the death of a relationship, much of life can be found, and they still exist. 

So the major project right after was really to upkeep the room. 

I've discovered Marie Kondo "The life changing magic of tidying" which was much raved about. 

Her magic formula to tidying are real simple, 

# Keep only things that spark joy. 

# De-clutter by category, not location 

And having done that, I went through a therapeutic process of loving what I keep. 

And promised myself, find joy again. :)