joannepoh

Articles by Joanne Poh

In my previous life, I was a property lawyer who spent most of my time struggling to get out of bed or stuck in peak hour traffic. These days, as a freelance commercial writer, I work in bed, on the beach, in parks and at cafes, all while being really frugal. I like helping other people save money so they can stop living lives they don't like.

hobbies
Entertainment
7 Hobbies You Can Pick Up for Free Thanks to the Internet
If money were no issue, we would all be passionate amateur pilots, champion ice skaters or expert equestrians. But money is almost always an issue, which is why so many...
10 April 2015
marriage singapore
Opinion
3 Huge Financial Reasons to Delay Marriage and Kids No Matter How Much You Love Each Other
When it comes to marriage and kids, everyone has a different take on when’s the right time. The typical Singaporean position is that one should have an established career before...
9 April 2015
shopping singapore
Shopping
If You’re One of the Many Singaporeans Addicted to Shopping, Here’s How to Save Yourself
Trying to kill off a shopping addiction in Singapore is like trying to go vegan when you work at McDonald’s. With shopping malls on every street corner and shops jostling...
9 April 2015
money mistakes singapore
Opinion
3 Big Money Mistakes Singaporeans in Their 30s are Making
When you’re in your twenties, if you aren’t lucky enough to have a trust fund or a business to inherit, chances are you’re either scrambling to find a job or...
8 April 2015
rent hdb singapore
Property
3 Tricks That Can Get You a Discount On Your Rent in Singapore
While most adult Singaporeans still continue to live with their parents until they get married, renting is becoming an option for more and more locals. Whether they’re married couples in...
6 April 2015
baby bonus singapore
Family
Why Isn’t the Baby Bonus Working? Singaporeans Share Their Gripes
It’s pretty safe to say the Baby Bonus isn’t working. Singapore’s birth rate continues to be so low you would think babies were going out of style—on the other hand,...
31 March 2015
luxury spa singapore
Fitness & Beauty
7 Luxurious Spas Where You Can Get a 1 Hour Massage For Under $80
There’s a reason Singaporeans in Thailand or JB go for spa treatments so often it’s almost as if they’re banned back home. An hour or two can set you back...
30 March 2015
pregnant singapore
Family
How Much is Getting Pregnant Going to Cost You in Singapore?
Sometimes it seems like getting pregnant is all too easy for those who don’t want it to happen or aren’t prepared for it, while others spend thousands on IVF with...
30 March 2015
money saving gamify
Budgeting
4 Ways to Gamify Money-Saving and Make it Fun
Nobody says “Woo! I love skydiving, playing the guitar and saving money.” In fact, for many people, especially those whose wardrobes resemble a massive landfill, saving money is like being...
25 March 2015
3 Luxuries Middle Class Singaporeans Enjoy
High Life
3 Luxuries Middle Class Singaporeans Enjoy
Many people I know are secretly in debt. While homes and cars are some of the biggest expenses Singaporeans incur, a sizeable number of these people actually live with their...
25 March 2015
working mom singapore
Opinion
Should Singapore Companies Do More to Accommodate New Mothers in Singapore?
For most mothers in Singapore, the birth of a baby does not herald hours of snuggling with the little one as flowers bloom and rainbows dart across the sky. No,...
24 March 2015
Singaporeans Need to Stop Wasting Money by Doing These 3 Mindless Things
Opinion
Singaporeans Need to Stop Wasting Money by Doing These 3 Mindless Things
In spite of our “world class education system”, Singaporeans aren’t always that good at using their brains. They know that this country is expensive, yet most people’s idea of taking...
23 March 2015
4 Affordable Rustic Getaways Not Far from Singapore
Travel
4 Affordable Rustic Getaways Not Far from Singapore
When Singaporeans think of taking a rustic getaway, images of staying at luxurious jungle resorts or glamping on exotic safaris come to mind. That’s what happens when you live in...
20 March 2015
skillsfuture courses singapore
Career
6 Cool Courses to Take Using Your SkillsFuture Credit
By now, you might have heard that the government is giving everyone over the age of 25 $500 to spend on skills upgrading courses under the SkillsFuture scheme. To my...
20 March 2015
home renovation
Renovation Loans
Embarking on a Full Home Renovation? Here’s How To Not Screw Up Your Finances
My idea of home renovation might involve lots of Blu-Tack and masking tape, but don’t let that stop you from hiring a real interior designer if you don’t want to...
19 March 2015
travel insurance injury claim
Travel Insurance
Here’s How To Claim Your Travel Insurance If You Get Injured or Robbed Overseas
So you thought your holiday would be a frolick in paradise, but it’s turning out to be more like a walk in the Haw Par Villa Ten Courts of Hell....
19 March 2015
3 Totally Insane Things Singaporeans Spend Too Much Money On
Entertainment
3 Totally Insane Things Singaporeans Spend Too Much Money On
They might look straight-laced, but Singaporeans can be a pretty zany bunch. If you don’t believe me, just visit any Singapore Pools outlet the day before the yearly Chinese New...
18 March 2015
Find Work Overseas Easily With These 3 Qualifications
Career
Find Work Overseas Easily With These 3 Qualifications
If you’ve ever spent time really travelling and not just blitzing overseas shopping malls with your entire Singaporean clan in tow, you would have noticed that there’s a proliferation of...
18 March 2015
budget airlines cheap flights
Travel Insurance
Here’s Why You Should Never Buy Travel Insurance From Airlines
Travel insurance is supposed to give you peace of mind, but for all those people who just passively buy the travel insurance policy offered by the airline they’re buying tickets...
17 March 2015
daiso singapore
Shopping
9 Weird and Quirky Things You Can Buy at Daiso for $2
There are many things I wish they sold at Daiso, like car COEs and Macbooks. Instead, Daiso chooses to fill their shelves with household items, food, stationery and… some items...
17 March 2015
hippie save money singapore
Budgeting
How Living Like a True Hippie Can Help You Save Money in Singapore
Back in the 60s and 70s, hippies were a persecuted bunch in Singapore. Long hair on men was banned (the law was silent on long nose hair though) and the...
17 March 2015
singapore public transport
Transportation
3 Hacks to Use on Public Transport in Singapore
Every time someone declares haughtily that the Singapore public transport system is way better that in London/New York/Timbuktu, I bristle a little inside, because these people are never one of...
17 March 2015
5 Extravagant After School Activities Singaporean Kids are Enjoying
Entertainment
5 Extravagant After School Activities Singaporean Kids are Enjoying
It can be disconcerting to see someone who isn’t even old enough to watch an R(A) movie in the cinemas cruise past you at the wheel of a Porsche, but...
17 March 2015
community centre singapore
Entertainment
5 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Learn at Community Centres in Singapore
Mention community centres in Singapore and the first things that come to mind are line dancing, karaoke and kids’ art and craft. Let’s face it, community centres or community clubs...
11 March 2015
4 Things Every Singaporean Must Do to Prepare for Passing On No Matter How Far Off It May Seem
Budgeting
4 Things Every Singaporean Must Do to Prepare for Passing On No Matter How Far Off It May Seem
One of Singaporeans’ favourite sayings is that it’s cheaper to die in Singapore than it is to fall sick. Unfortunately, dying isn’t all that cheap either, as your family members...
6 March 2015