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.

insurance policies for freelancers
Career
Insurance Policies For Freelancers – What Should Be In It?
Freelancing isn’t about sitting at hipster cafes, thoughtfully sipping on your flat white as you type occasionally on your Macbook. As a freelancer, I’ve worked not just in cafes, but...
5 March 2018
5 Affordable Holiday Destinations Not Often Visited by Singaporeans
Travel
5 Affordable Holiday Destinations Not Often Visited by Singaporeans
You would think that, coming from such a small country, the rest of the world would seem huge to Singaporeans. But it’s actually quite the opposite. Singaporeans are insanely frequent...
1 March 2018
3 Ways Singapore Workplaces Can Support Gender Equality and Raise the Birthrate
Family
3 Ways Singapore Workplaces Can Support Gender Equality and Raise the Birthrate
It’s obvious that work-life balance, or the lack of it, has had a strong part to play in lowering Singapore’s birthrate. No matter how much money you can claim from...
28 February 2018
Visiting Singapore on a Budget? 5 Free or Cheap Things in Singapore to Take Advantage Of
Entertainment
Visiting Singapore on a Budget? 5 Free or Cheap Things in Singapore to Take Advantage Of
For those who’ve been travelling in other Southeast Asian countries, prices in Singapore, especially of accommodation and attractions, can be enough to send them running across the Causeway to Malaysia.
26 February 2018
3 Awesome Things Singaporeans Should be Looking Forward To Over the Next Decade
Opinion
3 Awesome Things Singaporeans Should be Looking Forward To Over the Next Decade
Apparently, Singaporeans aren’t very optimistic about the future. A 2016 survey found that Singaporean millennials are amongst the world’s gloomiest, with only Japan, Greece and Italy (countries with economies that...
19 February 2018
5 Factors Other Than Prestige Parents Should Consider When Picking a Secondary School for Their Child
Education
5 Factors Other Than Prestige Parents Should Consider When Picking a Secondary School for Their Child
To truly kiasu parents, the most important factors when choosing a primary school for their kids are the PSLE cut-off point and the school’s level of prestige. A kid who...
14 February 2018
5 Other European Cities to Explore from Berlin When Scoot Starts Flying There
Travel
5 Other European Cities to Explore from Berlin When Scoot Starts Flying There
Scoot recently announced that it will begin flying to Berlin in the second half of 2018. This will be the budget airline’s third long-haul destination, after Athens and Honolulu.
11 February 2018
Top 3 Reasons Overseas Singaporeans Decide to Move Back Home
Opinion
Top 3 Reasons Overseas Singaporeans Decide to Move Back Home
Singaporeans are always complaining about how they wish they could migrate to another country to escape the poor work-life balance, bad weather and what have you.
8 February 2018
visa paywave cashless payment singapore
Opinion
5 Tips to Help Singaporeans Survive the Transition to Cashless Payments
The government seems pretty determined to turn Singapore into a cashless society, and has announced that the public transport system will go fully cashless by 2020… which is less than...
7 February 2018
mrt singapore 2018
Transportation
6 Ways to Reduce Your Reliance on the Ailing MRT System
Not to be superstitious or anything, but the MRT seems to have been born under a bad sign. Not only has it been plagued by an increasing number of breakdowns,...
7 February 2018
medisave account singapore
Healthcare
Your Medisave Account – What Can You Actually Use It For?
You may not be able to touch the money in your CPF Ordinary and Special Accounts till you’re older, but you know it’ll be there for you, ready to give...
2 February 2018
Budgeting For Retirement? Here are 6 Ways Your Spending Habits Will Change When You Retire
Budgeting
Budgeting For Retirement? Here are 6 Ways Your Spending Habits Will Change When You Retire
How much money do you need to retire? Estimates vary wildly. The Straits Times says you need $1 million. But in reality, just as some of us drive around in...
1 February 2018
best cash rebates for dining and entertainment
Credit Cards
The Best Cash Rebates for Dining and Entertainment in Singapore – This Is The Credit Card to Get
What is the Singaporean definition of the good life? Dining at nice restaurants and having fun in the company of friends and family, of course. And if you are looking...
1 February 2018
3 Ways Your Tenants Might Abuse Your Property When You Rent it Out
Property
3 Ways Your Tenants Might Abuse Your Property When You Rent it Out
You’ve spent the better part of your life paying for this property, which is as much an asset as a home to you. So of course, you’re determined to make...
31 January 2018
EZ-link payment hawker centre food
Dining
5 Reasons You Should Use EZ-Link to Pay For Your Hawker Meals
Since time immemorial, Singaporean hawkers have stashed their coins in plastic containers, jingling them as they search for change for their customers. All that might soon change as the first hawker...
30 January 2018
pay gst
Travel
Do You Need to Pay GST When You Buy Stuff on Overseas Holidays?
When Singaporeans go on overseas holidays, shopping is a mandatory activity. People are willing to travel hours to get to factory outlets in Europe and the US, and Singaporeans are...
29 January 2018
minimalist lifestyle
Budgeting
5 Ways You Can Live a Minimalist Lifestyle and Save Money at the Same Time
Minimalism is a lifestyle that promises to help us escape clutter, live simply and inexpensively, and look zen while doing it. But despite the simple, even austere lifestyle minimalism is...
28 January 2018
dynamic pricing taxi companies singapore comfortdelgro
Transportation
What Does ComfortDelGro’s Introduction of Dynamic Pricing Mean for Singaporeans?
When businesses work together, consumers sometimes benefit. For instance, nobody’s complaining about the Scoot and Tigerair merger, which has resulted in Scoot opening up more long-haul destinations.
26 January 2018
hygge lifestyle singapore
Opinion
3 Money-Saving Ways to Live the Scandinavian Hygge Lifestyle
We may not have winter in Singapore, but the Scandinavian concept of hygge has resonated for some Singaporeans. There is even a cafe/shop hybrid at Haji Lane named HYGGE, which...
25 January 2018
initial coin offering
Invest
Initial Coin Offering – How Do You Tell a Genuine ICO From a Scam?
Regular money has gone out of style, it seems. These days, more and more Singaporeans are becoming interested in investing in cryptocurrency, despite the fact that the Bitcoin bubble seems...
24 January 2018
long-distance relationship singapore
Budgeting
4 Tips for Maintaining a Long-Distance Relationship Without Going Broke
If you thought dating was tough with one half of the couple stuck on Tekong during BMT, wait till you get into a legitimate, literal long-distance relationship.
24 January 2018
childcare singapore
Family
My First Skool Raises Fees – Are Parents Paying Too Much?
Your child may not be old enough for you to worry about tuition just yet, but get ready to pay all the same. My First Skool, the NTUC-run childcare/infantcare centre...
20 January 2018
paypal convert currency
Shopping
Amazon Singapore vs Lazada vs Wish: Which Online Shopping Site is Best for Singapore?
Singaporeans are spoilt for choice when it comes to online shopping sites. More and more international retailers are offering affordable or even free shipping to Singapore. And for those that...
17 January 2018
SIBOR Forecast 2018 – Here’s Why So Many Singaporeans Should Be Refinancing Now
Home Loans
SIBOR Forecast 2018 – Here’s Why So Many Singaporeans Should Be Refinancing Now
If you are currently on a SIBOR-based home loan package, you need to take action now. The Singapore Interbank Offered Rate has risen sharply in 2018 and the SIBOR forecast is headed to...
17 January 2018
tired morning worker coffee
Career
5 Survival Tips for Non-Morning People Who Have to Be Up Early for Work
There are morning people, and then there’s everyone else. If you feel like stabbing your eyes out each time your alarm goes off in the morning and can’t even look...
11 January 2018