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.

5 Reasons Good Grades Don’t Necessarily Mean Your Child Will Succeed in Life
Education
5 Reasons Good Grades Don’t Necessarily Mean Your Child Will Succeed in Life
Ah Boy has an army of tutors towering over him every day after school, making sure he scores those As. His kiasu parents are determined to ensure he gets good...
28 March 2017
taxi surge pricing
Opinion
3 Things That are Going to Happen Thanks to Taxi Surge Pricing
Unsettled by the fact that Uber and GrabCar are eating into their business, taxi companies have decided that instead of lowering fares and taking a cut of their own profits,...
27 March 2017
budget 2017
Opinion
3 Key Finance Tips for Singaporeans From Budget 2017
It’s no secret that we’ve got a fiscally prudent government. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, this is not a government that will spend public money in a way that would...
27 March 2017
4 Phrases To Use At Work That Don’t Sound Like Excuses
Career
4 Phrases To Use At Work That Don’t Sound Like Excuses
Dealing with everyone at the office pining for your attention takes up the bulk of your waking life, and with the little time you have left, you try valiantly to...
24 March 2017
4 Hacks to Improve Your Work Life Balance When You’re Expected to Spend Long Hours at the Office
Career
4 Hacks to Improve Your Work Life Balance When You’re Expected to Spend Long Hours at the Office
Work-life balance doesn’t exist in Singapore. If some bosses had their way, you wouldn’t even have a life to balance with your work.
22 March 2017
3 Dangerous Beliefs the Singapore Education System Instills in Students
Opinion
3 Dangerous Beliefs the Singapore Education System Instills in Students
The Singapore education system is great at churning out top-scorers, later to become doctors, lawyers, bankers and civil servants.
21 March 2017
Why Having More Women in the Workforce Doesn’t Automatically Mean There’s More Equality
Career
Why Having More Women in the Workforce Doesn’t Automatically Mean There’s More Equality
According to many Singaporean men, local women have been dealt a good hand of cards because they don’t have to spend two years of their lives doing NS. There have...
21 March 2017
5 Signs it’s Time to Quit Your Job This Year
Career
5 Signs it’s Time to Quit Your Job This Year
Have you complained about your job today? If you haven’t, you must still be sitting for the O levels. Work-related angst comes with the territory of living in Singapore, but...
20 March 2017
5 Alternative Lifestyles That Can Save You Money
Budgeting
5 Alternative Lifestyles That Can Save You Money
Mainstream society reigns supreme in Singapore. Doing something as “edgy” as cycling to work gets you raised eyebrows (“not hot meh?”), while bringing your own lunch to work makes colleagues...
20 March 2017
Should You Send Your Kids to An Elite Affiliated Primary School?
Family
Should You Send Your Kids to An Elite Affiliated Primary School?
Primary 1 registration is a nail-biting time for kiasu parents islandwide—especially those who don’t want their kid to end up in some neighbourhood primary school, and insist that they go...
20 March 2017
3 Ways to Save Money While Still Enjoying Frequent Overseas Vacations
Travel
3 Ways to Save Money While Still Enjoying Frequent Overseas Vacations
So, you’re one of those serial vacationers who’re always scrolling through the office’s leave calendar to check when you can take off on your next adventure. Well, there’s nothing wrong...
17 March 2017
4 Things You Should be Doing Differently By the Time You Hit Your 30s
Opinion
4 Things You Should be Doing Differently By the Time You Hit Your 30s
Whoever said thirty is the new twenty did not live in Singapore. Unless you want to live with your parents forever or be stuck in the army indefinitely, moving on...
16 March 2017
Is that Coworking Space Subscription Really Worth It for You as a Freelancer?
Career
Is that Coworking Space Subscription Really Worth It for You as a Freelancer?
There comes a time in a freelancer’s life when, after four days of remaining in pyjamas and not moving from in front of your laptop screen that you tell yourself...
15 March 2017
4 Awesome Japanese Destinations that are Cheaper to Visit than Tokyo
Travel
4 Awesome Japanese Destinations that are Cheaper to Visit than Tokyo
I’ve not met a single person who’s visited Japan and didn’t find it amazing. Everything from their incredible attention to detail, ridiculously attentive service, cleanliness and culture is pretty much...
14 March 2017
4 Reasons That Might Make it Just a Little More Worthwhile to Buy a Car Despite the Cost
Transportation
4 Reasons That Might Make it Just a Little More Worthwhile to Buy a Car Despite the Cost
In an ideal world, our public transport system would work perfectly, everybody would be able to skip merrily from their homes to the nearest MRT station in less than ten...
14 March 2017
integrated shield plan
Family
3 Concerns Singaporean Couples Really Have About Having Kids
For years, the government have been scratching their heads, wondering why the Baby Bonus is doing nothing to encourage couples to have more kids.
13 March 2017
Here Are The Skills Singaporeans Need to Be Upgrading Based on Budget 2017
Career
Here Are The Skills Singaporeans Need to Be Upgrading Based on Budget 2017
Many people have no clue how to use their SkillsFuture credits or can’t find anything useful that they can sign up for, and some end up spending them on Korean...
13 March 2017
4 Onboard Perks Singapore Bus Commuters Have Enjoyed Over the Years
Transportation
4 Onboard Perks Singapore Bus Commuters Have Enjoyed Over the Years
The MRT has always taken centre stage in Singapore’s public transport landscape, especially with the expansion of the network in recent years and the frequent breakdowns.
9 March 2017
3 Money-Saving Ways to Plan Your Next Holiday
Travel
3 Money-Saving Ways to Plan Your Next Holiday
We may not get as much time off from work as the folks in France or Finland, where everyone gets at least 25 days of paid annual leave. But nobody...
8 March 2017
4 Easy, Pain-free Ways to Save Water After the Water Price Hike is Implemented
Budgeting
4 Easy, Pain-free Ways to Save Water After the Water Price Hike is Implemented
Ever since the water price hike was announced, people have not been pleased. Unlike beer and cars, water is one thing you can’t go without. So, just suck thumb and...
8 March 2017
4 Beautiful Destinations in Spain That are Cheaper Than Madrid and Barcelona
Travel
4 Beautiful Destinations in Spain That are Cheaper Than Madrid and Barcelona
Singaporean tourists heading to Spain always end up in Madrid and Barcelona, but these two cities are actually the most expensive and most crowded places in the entire country. When...
7 March 2017
5 Things We’d Really Like to See On Our Local Buses
Transportation
5 Things We’d Really Like to See On Our Local Buses
People who rely on buses for their commutes are a dying breed thanks to the expanded MRT network. Those lucky folks who live within walking distance of MRT stations will...
7 March 2017
4 Edutech Startups Singaporean Students and Parents Should Look Out For
Education
4 Edutech Startups Singaporean Students and Parents Should Look Out For
The amount of resources that get poured into making sure the kids of Singapore pass their exams is nothing short of astounding. We have a billion dollar tuition industry, 52%...
6 March 2017
3 Reasons So Many More Singaporeans are Taking Taxis, Uber and GrabCar in 2017
Opinion
3 Reasons So Many More Singaporeans are Taking Taxis, Uber and GrabCar in 2017
Tired of going to work with some guy’s armpit in your face? Well, consider yourself lucky. Believe it or not, the MRT and bus network could be even more crowded...
3 March 2017
4 Tips for Negotiating for a Higher Salary
Career
4 Tips for Negotiating for a Higher Salary
The standard Singaporean response to being paid less than they think they’re worth is to quietly pack up and look for a new job.
3 March 2017