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.

Singaporeans With Decent Cooking Skills Can Make Money in These 5 Ways
Dining
Singaporeans With Decent Cooking Skills Can Make Money in These 5 Ways
I once went to the home of a friend who was a professed foodie and home chef. Her kitchen was more high tech than my friggin’ computer, and was also...
16 June 2016
How to Enjoy a 3D2N Weekend Getaway in Kuala Lumpur for $200
Travel
How to Enjoy a 3D2N Weekend Getaway in Kuala Lumpur for $200
Weekend getaways are one of the things that keep Singaporeans sane and stop us from feeling like life is just one neverending work day. But annual leave is in limited...
15 June 2016
save money 2015
Budgeting
5 Steps Singaporeans at Any Age Can Take to Plan For Retirement
I’ve been dreaming of retirement ever since I started working… that’s how traumatic my first job was. So it’s really never too early to start planning for the day when...
15 June 2016
4 Things Singaporeans Must Do to Make Sure They Don’t Get Screwed Over by Their Employers
Career
4 Things Singaporeans Must Do to Make Sure They Don’t Get Screwed Over by Their Employers
In Singapore, whoever has the cash holds all the power. It’s embarrassing but true that employers in Singapore do not have the best reputation when it comes to treating their...
14 June 2016
5 Things You Should Bear in Mind Before Listing Your Place on Airbnb in Singapore
Property
5 Things You Should Bear in Mind Before Listing Your Place on Airbnb in Singapore
It’s a modern day horror story–the tragic tale of how two HDB flat owners got their homes confiscated by the authorities after renting out their flats on Airbnb has struck...
13 June 2016
3 Things Employers Should Understand About Singaporean Millennials’ Attitudes at Work
Career
3 Things Employers Should Understand About Singaporean Millennials’ Attitudes at Work
It’s pretty safe to say that baby boomer bosses in Singapore hate having to hire millennials, other than for the reason that they’re cheap.
13 June 2016
5 Alternatives to a 5-Star Hotel Staycation in Singapore
Budgeting
5 Alternatives to a 5-Star Hotel Staycation in Singapore
Singaporeans have this curious habit of going on staycations—in other words, paying hundreds of dollars to stay in a hotel that’s at most an hour’s drive from where they live....
10 June 2016
4 Things Shopping Mall Landlords in Singapore Should Do With All Those Vacant Units
Budgeting
4 Things Shopping Mall Landlords in Singapore Should Do With All Those Vacant Units
It seems like just yesterday when all the cool kids were hanging out in shopping malls. These days, the only people who think the Orchard Road malls are cool are...
10 June 2016
Singaporeans are Flocking to These 5 Travel Destinations Nobody Wanted to Visit 10 Years Ago
Travel
Singaporeans are Flocking to These 5 Travel Destinations Nobody Wanted to Visit 10 Years Ago
Singaporeans are some of the world’s most prolific tourists. If you want to know all the good shopping spots in Bangkok, the best restaurants in Hong Kong or the nicest...
9 June 2016
3 Ways Singaporean Parents Should Teach Their Kids How to Manage Money
Family
3 Ways Singaporean Parents Should Teach Their Kids How to Manage Money
Singaporean parents, if you want to ensure your kid has a bright financial future, flooding him with tuition and enrichment classes isn’t going to get him there, especially not if...
9 June 2016
4 Areas of Study for Singaporean Students Who Aspire to Become Freelancers
Career
4 Areas of Study for Singaporean Students Who Aspire to Become Freelancers
Singaporean students have long flocked to courses that can easily funnel them into high paying jobs—that’s why there’s so much competition for courses like medicine, business, law and accounting.
8 June 2016
3 Things Fresh Grads in Singapore Should Remember Before Signing On to Their First Job
Career
3 Things Fresh Grads in Singapore Should Remember Before Signing On to Their First Job
School’s out for most of Singapore’s university students, and soon Raffles Place will receive an injection of fresh-faced graduates in spanking new G2000 office wear.
7 June 2016
Singaporeans Thinking of Taking Out a Payday Loan Should Read This First
Personal Loans
Singaporeans Thinking of Taking Out a Payday Loan Should Read This First
On the surface, Singaporeans look like a serious, hardworking, prudent bunch who don’t take any risks and always do the responsible thing.
7 June 2016
What are the Top 10 Trending Asian Travel Destinations Amongst Singaporeans?
Travel
What are the Top 10 Trending Asian Travel Destinations Amongst Singaporeans?
Holidays are serious business here in Singapore. At the beginning of each year, Singaporeans count with bated breath the number of long weekends. Then they start to anticipate making their...
6 June 2016
3 Ways Fresh Grads Can Make Their Crappy Part-Time Jobs Look Good on Their Resumes
Career
3 Ways Fresh Grads Can Make Their Crappy Part-Time Jobs Look Good on Their Resumes
The average Singaporean fresh grad has a resumé as long as his 55-year-old father does, since he’s probably been interning aggressively since the age of 14.
3 June 2016
4 Things to Know So You Don’t Get Ripped Off When Setting Up an Online Business in Singapore
Career
4 Things to Know So You Don’t Get Ripped Off When Setting Up an Online Business in Singapore
Remember the days when virtually every polytechnic student was running some kind of blogshop selling clothes sourced from City Plaza or Bangkok?
1 June 2016
3 High Risk Moments Singaporean Shopaholics Should Avoid
Shopping
3 High Risk Moments Singaporean Shopaholics Should Avoid
Singapore might be the safest country in the world, but for shopholics, it could well be one of the most dangerous.
1 June 2016
Top 3 Ways Kiasu Singaporean Parents Waste Money Unnecessarily
Opinion
Top 3 Ways Kiasu Singaporean Parents Waste Money Unnecessarily
When I was a kid, the main child-related things my parents spent on other than the necessary food and clothes were Enid Blyton books, My Little Pony figurines and that...
31 May 2016
Here’s Why Being “Too Educated” About Insurance is Not a Bad Thing in Singapore
Life Insurance
Here’s Why Being “Too Educated” About Insurance is Not a Bad Thing in Singapore
The kiasu Singaporean strikes again! A recent news report detailed how certain Singaporeans were “overusing” their medical insurance policies and driving the premiums up for the rest of us.
30 May 2016
Here’s Why Uber is NOT Going to Cause COE Prices to Rise in the Short Term
Transportation
Here’s Why Uber is NOT Going to Cause COE Prices to Rise in the Short Term
In the wonderful world of Singapore, COE prices are one of our favourite topics to bitch about over a nice steaming cup of kopi-C or hipster coffee (depending on your...
30 May 2016
4 Expensive Love and Sex-Related Scams Singaporeans are Falling For
Opinion
4 Expensive Love and Sex-Related Scams Singaporeans are Falling For
In Singapore, the relationship between love and money is a bit too close for comfort. First dates are often filled with excessive talk of careers and income, while a marriage...
27 May 2016
travel insurance
Travel
4 Unnecessary Things Singaporean Travellers on a Budget Should Avoid Wasting Money On
Singaporeans are great at wasting money everywhere, not just in their home country. Despite our relatively small population, we’ve all seen those Singlish-speaking tourists storming overseas designer outlets and checking...
27 May 2016
5 Sneaky Ways to Check if There’s Good Work-Life Balance at a Company You’re Interviewing For
Career
5 Sneaky Ways to Check if There’s Good Work-Life Balance at a Company You’re Interviewing For
If you think Singaporeans only care about money, you’re wrong. While money used to be the biggest factor influencing Singaporeans’ career decisions, people now care a lot more about work-life...
26 May 2016
6 of Singapore’s Best Malls For Bargain Hunters Looking For a Good Deal
Shopping
6 of Singapore’s Best Malls For Bargain Hunters Looking For a Good Deal
The last thing we need in Singapore is another H&M or Uniqlo. That’s what Orchard Road landlords are learning the hard way right now. The number of vacant units is...
25 May 2016
Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave? Here are 4 Things You Must Settle
Family
Going Back to Work After Maternity Leave? Here are 4 Things You Must Settle
Having a child, especially your first, is like dealing with an alien invasion—albeit an invasion by a cute, googly-eyed alien. The home can feel like a battlefield, there’s carnage everywhere...
25 May 2016