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.

3 Huge Retirement Mistakes Singaporeans Need to Avoid Making
Opinion
3 Huge Retirement Mistakes Singaporeans Need to Avoid Making
Forget about buying that big house or fancy car. In Singapore, you’ve reached the pinnacle of financial success when you have enough to retire on without having to rely on...
3 January 2017
3 Budgeting Tips for Singaporeans Who Aren’t Earning a Steady Paycheck
Career
3 Budgeting Tips for Singaporeans Who Aren’t Earning a Steady Paycheck
The life of a freelancer is distinctly different from those of his office-going, salary-earning peers.
3 January 2017
8 Hipster Cafes in Singapore Where You Can Enjoy a Main Course For No More Than $15
Dining
8 Hipster Cafes in Singapore Where You Can Enjoy a Main Course For No More Than $15
Everyone loves a good, sit-down restaurant meal every now and then, but let’s be honest here—cafes are definitely the stars of Singapore’s F&B scene right now.
30 December 2016
3 Things You Might be Doing That are Sabotaging Your Child’s Ability to Manage His Finances in the Future
Family
3 Things You Might be Doing That are Sabotaging Your Child’s Ability to Manage His Finances in the Future
Any parent will tell you they want the best for their kid. What differs is what each one considers the “best”. Some parents will wield the cane to ensure their...
30 December 2016
Here’s How You Can Stay at Some of the World’s Most Luxurious Hotels Without Paying a Ton of Money
Travel
Here’s How You Can Stay at Some of the World’s Most Luxurious Hotels Without Paying a Ton of Money
Singaporean foodies all over the island have been using The Entertainer to enjoy one-for-one meals at restaurants. The app has become a must-have for people who like to eat out...
29 December 2016
3 Ways Perfectly Competent Singaporean Employees Sabotage Their Careers
Career
3 Ways Perfectly Competent Singaporean Employees Sabotage Their Careers
That colleague of yours who’s so spectacularly incompetent that even the interns make him look stupid? Either his days of being employed are numbered, or he’s working for a family...
29 December 2016
Want to Spend Your Sabbatical in Thailand? Here’s How to Do It
Travel
Want to Spend Your Sabbatical in Thailand? Here’s How to Do It
It would be pretty awesome to be able to eat $2 pad thai every day of the week, in between $8 massages and shopping sprees at hip malls where everything...
27 December 2016
5 Biggest Reasons Hiring Managers Have Rejected Your Resume
Career
5 Biggest Reasons Hiring Managers Have Rejected Your Resume
’Member those days when you could hop to a new job every 6 months and people would still scramble to hire you? Those days are over thanks to the slowing...
27 December 2016
cheers app
Dining
The New Cheers 1-for-1 App Is Going to Change the Way You Buy Drinks in Singapore
If James Bond had been Singaporean, he’d have been stuck ordering Tiger Beer rather than martinis just to cut costs. That’s why Cheers is something we’ve been waiting for our...
23 December 2016
4 Ways Singaporeans Can Make a Bit of Spare Cash Over the Christmas and New Year Holidays
Budgeting
4 Ways Singaporeans Can Make a Bit of Spare Cash Over the Christmas and New Year Holidays
Is Christmas really a time for giving? Well, not if you’re a retail or F&B business—for these folks, the holiday season is a time to profit, as people gear up...
22 December 2016
4 Money Hacks All Fresh Grads in Singapore Need to Use
Budgeting
4 Money Hacks All Fresh Grads in Singapore Need to Use
The other day, I randomly ended up deep in conversation with these two university students in their early 20s. They were talking about opening bottles and clubbing 3 times a...
22 December 2016
The MOE System Has Churned Out PISA Top Scorers, But Is It Really Heading in the Right Direction?
Education
The MOE System Has Churned Out PISA Top Scorers, But Is It Really Heading in the Right Direction?
Looks like all those tuition hours paid off when Singaporean topped the PISA test in all three categories—reading, mathematics and science. While some people muttered about the sacrifices kids have...
22 December 2016
Before Dropping All Your Cash on Your First Home, Make Sure You’re Not Making These 3 Mistakes
Property
Before Dropping All Your Cash on Your First Home, Make Sure You’re Not Making These 3 Mistakes
When Singaporeans complain about the rising cost of living, what they’re really thinking about is the high cost of accommodation. (Okay, cars are expensive too, but you can survive without...
21 December 2016
5 Money Mistakes Fresh Grads Can’t Afford to Make
Budgeting
5 Money Mistakes Fresh Grads Can’t Afford to Make
Getting your first job should mean you’re no longer broke. But the bad habits of many local graduates have made them worse off than when they were jobless, judging by...
20 December 2016
3 Money Moves 30-something Singaporeans Should Make Before it’s Too Late
Opinion
3 Money Moves 30-something Singaporeans Should Make Before it’s Too Late
So you’ve finally bade your twenties a tearful farewell. What’s the first thing you must do? If you said start using anti-ageing facial products, we can guarantee that you’ll age...
20 December 2016
Will Amazon Go Eventually Destroy Millions of Jobs Worldwide?
Opinion
Will Amazon Go Eventually Destroy Millions of Jobs Worldwide?
Even if you don’t shop on Amazon, here’s why you might want to shop at Amazon Go (no relation to Pokémon Go).
20 December 2016
8 Stylish Bars in Singapore’s CBD With Happy Hour Deals
Entertainment
8 Stylish Bars in Singapore’s CBD With Happy Hour Deals
After a long day at your office in the CBD, it’s time to go for your nightly dose of alcohol—preferably a cheap one. But whenever anyone mentions cheap drinks, the...
19 December 2016
4 Tips to Make Your Next Trip to Bangkok Even Cheaper
Travel
4 Tips to Make Your Next Trip to Bangkok Even Cheaper
There’s nothing like a weekend getaway to Bangkok. Hit up Chatuchak Market, Platinum Mall or the Erawan Shrine and you’re sure to hear that familiar Singaporean accent.
19 December 2016
Why are Young Singaporeans Giving Up on Looking for Jobs, and is that Necessarily a Bad Thing?
Career
Why are Young Singaporeans Giving Up on Looking for Jobs, and is that Necessarily a Bad Thing?
It’s not the best time to be a fresh grad in Singapore. Amidst depressing news that fresh grads are entering a difficult market comes this dramatically-titled report that claims that...
19 December 2016
6 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Special People in Your Life
Shopping
6 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Special People in Your Life
Buying Christmas presents is stressful because it actually requires some thoughtfulness. You can’t just get your maid to nip out and choose gifts for the people in your life, and...
17 December 2016
How to Enjoy a Week-long Holiday in Lisbon, Portugal for Under $1,500
Travel
How to Enjoy a Week-long Holiday in Lisbon, Portugal for Under $1,500
For many Singaporeans, their closest brush with Portugal happens when they go to Macao on a casino binge and stuff their faces with Portuguese egg tarts.
16 December 2016
3 Ways Singaporean Companies Can Gamify Work and Stop Their Employees From Being So Damn Unmotivated
Career
3 Ways Singaporean Companies Can Gamify Work and Stop Their Employees From Being So Damn Unmotivated
The promise of a steady paycheck and not being unemployed is no longer enough to motivate millennials to show up at work every day and do a decent job. Younger...
16 December 2016
Can Singaporeans Living Overseas Still Get Credit Card Benefits from Their Singapore Credit Cards?
Credit Cards
Can Singaporeans Living Overseas Still Get Credit Card Benefits from Their Singapore Credit Cards?
So you’ve done the research and applied for a whole bunch of credit cards in order to milk as many cash rebates, air miles and rewards points as you can....
15 December 2016
4 Financial Concerns That Hit Hard When You’re in Your Thirties
Opinion
4 Financial Concerns That Hit Hard When You’re in Your Thirties
For many, being a twenty-something in Singapore is about spending all your cash on hipster cafes and craft beer, signing up for your first credit cards, and posting photos of...
14 December 2016
4 Free and Fun Ways to Keep Your Kids Entertained During This Year’s School Holidays
Family
4 Free and Fun Ways to Keep Your Kids Entertained During This Year’s School Holidays
The school holidays are a time of freedom, fun and sleeping in. Well, that’s if you’re a kid, that is. If you’re a busy parent, you might be wringing your...
14 December 2016