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.

6 Tactics Gyms Use to Make You Sign Up Even If You Hate Working Out
Fitness & Beauty
6 Tactics Gyms Use to Make You Sign Up Even If You Hate Working Out
Based on the number of people I know with expensive gym memberships, I should be surrounded by six packs.
31 January 2017
4 Reasons You Should Change Jobs Other Than a Better Salary
Career
4 Reasons You Should Change Jobs Other Than a Better Salary
Singaporean employees have the bad reputation of being job hoppers who’ll jump ship as soon as someone offers them $100 more to to do the same job.
31 January 2017
cheers app
Entertainment
3 Social Activities That Have the Potential to Get Very Expensive
Maintaining a social life can be expensive in Singapore. There is often little to no concern about costs when it comes to spending time with friends, and only in the...
27 January 2017
Are Singaporeans Really Not Brand Conscious Anymore When it Comes to Luxury Goods?
Opinion
Are Singaporeans Really Not Brand Conscious Anymore When it Comes to Luxury Goods?
Singapore is the land of designer handbags. Everywhere you turn, whether you’re trying to keep your balance on the MRT, rushing to work or having a drink at a bar...
26 January 2017
How Can Cyclists and Personal Mobility Device Riders Co-exist Safely with Motorists in Singapore?
Opinion
How Can Cyclists and Personal Mobility Device Riders Co-exist Safely with Motorists in Singapore?
The government’s drive to promote cycling as a viable form of transport has led to folding bicycles and many types of personal mobility devices being allowed on the MRT, the...
26 January 2017
dynamic pricing taxi companies singapore comfortdelgro
Opinion
Four Things Taxi Companies in Singapore Need to Change To Keep Their Drivers
I haven’t taken a taxi in Singapore for over two years. Whenever I need to get somewhere after midnight, it’s almost always cheaper to use Uber or GrabCar… or UberPool...
23 January 2017
7 Ways to Get Fit Thanks to The Entertainer
Fitness & Beauty
7 Ways to Get Fit Thanks to The Entertainer
The New Year might already be over, but we hope you’re one of the three people left in Singapore who’re still hanging on to their resolution to get fit this...
23 January 2017
8 Places in Singapore Where You Can Have Brunch For Less Than $15
Dining
8 Places in Singapore Where You Can Have Brunch For Less Than $15
Some people voluntarily choose to get up at 6am so they can hit the gym, take a free MRT ride to work and have a leisurely breakfast. Most of us...
20 January 2017
3 Things Singaporean Freelancers Should Consider When Planning for Retirement
Budgeting
3 Things Singaporean Freelancers Should Consider When Planning for Retirement
Many Singaporeans turn to freelancing to avoid the pitfalls of getting a “normal” job. Not working for one single boss means retrenchment isn’t an issue for you, and being able...
19 January 2017
3 Silly Ways Many Singaporeans Try to Save Money
Opinion
3 Silly Ways Many Singaporeans Try to Save Money
I’ve done some dumb things to save money, from walking 4km home from the nearest MRT station after missing the last bus to wearing cheap school uniform shirts to a...
18 January 2017
Here’s How Singaporeans Make Themselves Look Bad at a Job Interview
Career
Here’s How Singaporeans Make Themselves Look Bad at a Job Interview
You don’t need need to be Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie to impress somebody at a job interview. On a Tinder date, maybe, but not a job interview, unless you’re...
17 January 2017
3 Things to Know About the Higher Re-Employment Age That Kicks In This Year
Budgeting
3 Things to Know About the Higher Re-Employment Age That Kicks In This Year
Beginning in the second half of 2017, the re-employment age in Singapore will be raised from 65 to 67.
16 January 2017
3 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Actually Stick To Your Resolution to Save More Money
Budgeting
3 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Actually Stick To Your Resolution to Save More Money
There are some things you just never, ever feel like doing. Visiting relatives you suspect secretly hate you over Chinese New Year is one of them. Waking up at 7am...
16 January 2017
3 Tips for Freelance Tutors Who Don’t Want to Get Ripped Off by Agencies and Clients
Education
3 Tips for Freelance Tutors Who Don’t Want to Get Ripped Off by Agencies and Clients
We’ve all heard of those superstar tutors who earn over a million bucks a month. But not all tutors are rolling in cash. Many Singaporeans moonlight as private tutors after...
13 January 2017
3 Reasons Why Singapore Might Finally Stand a Chance of Becoming Car-Lite
Opinion
3 Reasons Why Singapore Might Finally Stand a Chance of Becoming Car-Lite
For a moment there, all the government’s exhortations to turn Singapore into a car-lite city seemed to be falling on deaf ears.
12 January 2017
Instead of Hogging Seats at Fastfood and Coffee Joints, Students Can Study at These 5 Free or Cheap Places
Dining
Instead of Hogging Seats at Fastfood and Coffee Joints, Students Can Study at These 5 Free or Cheap Places
Think Starbucks and images of people reading books while sipping on frappucinos spring to mind. Think McDonald’s and greasy burgers getting wolfed down by teenagers in trendy streetwear are the...
12 January 2017
3 Tips Singaporeans Should Heed to Live Comfortably Without a Huge Salary
Opinion
3 Tips Singaporeans Should Heed to Live Comfortably Without a Huge Salary
Many people will tell you that Singapore’s great for the rich, but not so great if you’re not making tons of money.
11 January 2017
3 Ways You Can Make Good Use of Your Child’s Ang Bao Money
Family
3 Ways You Can Make Good Use of Your Child’s Ang Bao Money
Each year, you dress your kid up like a Chinadoll and send him or her, armed with two Mandarin oranges, out into Chinese New Year gatherings with the aim of...
10 January 2017
4 Places Singaporeans Pay to Go to But Can Actually Recreate at Home
Budgeting
4 Places Singaporeans Pay to Go to But Can Actually Recreate at Home
Have you ever asked yourself, in the middle of a karaoke session with drunken friends, why you were actually paying $30 to listen to the world’s worst singer for 2...
9 January 2017
When is a Side Job Worth the Time When You Already Have a Day Job?
Career
When is a Side Job Worth the Time When You Already Have a Day Job?
It might make you uncomfortable that your income depends entirely on your boss’s mood, and the day he sends you packing is also the day you say hello to a...
9 January 2017
3 Things Young Singaporeans Who’ve Given Up on Their Job Searches Should Do in the Meantime
Career
3 Things Young Singaporeans Who’ve Given Up on Their Job Searches Should Do in the Meantime
It’s not been an easy year for the class of 2016. Hiring has slowed this year and entry-level jobs are harder to come by.
6 January 2017
5 Budget Trips in the Region Singaporeans Can Enjoy No Matter What Kind of Holidays They Like
Travel
5 Budget Trips in the Region Singaporeans Can Enjoy No Matter What Kind of Holidays They Like
Whenever one of your colleagues is on leave, there’s a 95% chance he’s not shaking a leg at home but gallivating on an overseas holiday. It’s no secret that Singaporeans...
5 January 2017
6 Fashion Faux Pas You Should Avoid at That Job Interview
Career
6 Fashion Faux Pas You Should Avoid at That Job Interview
Not everybody needs to show up to a job interview in a G2000 suit. Okay fine, if your job interview takes place at a corner office at Marina Bay Financial...
5 January 2017
cut wedding costs singapore
Wedding
4 Things to Cut Out of Your Wedding if You Want to Save a Significant Amount of Cash
People think getting married in Singapore is expensive, but it really costs only $26 to ROM—yes, even on “auspicious” dates like the 8th of August.
4 January 2017
3 Ways Singaporean Parents Can Teach Their Teenage Children How to Manage Money
Family
3 Ways Singaporean Parents Can Teach Their Teenage Children How to Manage Money
Got a teenager in the house? Unbeknownst to you, he’s probably spending a ton of time stalking other kids his age on Instagram, marvelling at the fabulous, expensive lives these...
4 January 2017