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.

How Much Does it Cost to Realign Your Teeth and Have a Great Smile in Singapore?
Healthcare
How Much Does it Cost to Realign Your Teeth and Have a Great Smile in Singapore?
Remember when you were in school and used to laugh at those kids with braces, calling them metal mouths? Well guess what, now the tables have turned, and after all...
8 May 2015
fuji rock festival
Entertainment
Fuji Rock Festival – Here’s How You Can Enjoy This Amazing Festival on a Budget
So you think Laneway is for wimps. You want to go to a real music festival, one with mud, tents and portaloos. Fuji Rock Festival, which is happening from 24...
7 May 2015
change job singapore
Career
Is It Really Possible to Switch Jobs to a New Industry Without Suffering a Pay Cut in Singapore?
Nobody these days expects you to stay in your company, or even in your industry, for life. I know a lawyer who didn’t show up again after his first day...
7 May 2015
london travel
Travel
Tips for Reducing the Cost of a Romantic Trip to London
Every Singaporean makes it to London at some point. Even if you have barely travelled, there’s a high chance your very first long overseas trip will involve London. The fact...
5 May 2015
retirement models singapore
Budgeting
3 Alternative Retirement Models Singaporeans Should Consider
Think “retiree” and you get images of some old guy in a Hawaiian shirt, pina colada in hand, lounging in a Bali resort. This guy lives in the lap of...
5 May 2015
buy wine singapore
Shopping
5 Places to Buy Good Wine in Singapore at Low Prices
Anyone can see the logic behind buying a can of Tiger Beer at the supermarket and imbibing it at the void deck of your HDB block. But do the same...
5 May 2015
5 Things Young Singaporeans Waste Lots of Money On Without Realising It
Budgeting
5 Things Young Singaporeans Waste Lots of Money On Without Realising It
We’re young and we’re hot and we just wanna have fun… goes just about every Ke$ha song. Every morning, hordes of young Singaporean professionals click-clack through Raffles Place MRT and...
30 April 2015
happy hour singapore
Entertainment
17 Awesome Places in Singapore With Happy Hour Deals That Last Till 9pm and Beyond
It’s all well and good to tell people to save money on alcohol by going for happy hour. But many bars’ happy hours basically give the middle finger to anybody...
29 April 2015
5 Daily Habits You Should Quit if You Want to Instantly Save Hundreds of Dollars a Year
Budgeting
5 Daily Habits You Should Quit if You Want to Instantly Save Hundreds of Dollars a Year
Losing money can be like a nuclear-scale catastrophe—a sudden serious illness, a stock market crash or the collapse of a business. But it can also be like death from a...
27 April 2015
3 Signs You Are Not Earning Enough Money
Career
3 Signs You Are Not Earning Enough Money
Ask any Singaporean on the streets if they’re making enough money and you’ll be met with a sneer and a cynical remark. Sure, many are just being complainers. But with...
27 April 2015
3 Popular Illegal Jobs Many Singaporeans Secretly Take On
Career
3 Popular Illegal Jobs Many Singaporeans Secretly Take On
Foreigners usually have this image of Singaporeans as this sterile bunch of robots who follow the rules and never take a step out of line. Well, these people have obviously...
27 April 2015
retirement mistakes
Opinion
5 Retirement Mistakes Singaporeans Can Avoid by Making Changes Now
Complaining about the rising cost of living is not going to help you to retire earlier. But these days it seems like that’s the only thing a lot of Singaporeans...
21 April 2015
property singapore
Property
3 Things You Need to Know About Buying Property Near an Upcoming MRT Station
With property prices falling like a coconut above your head, you may be lured into thinking that any deal is a good deal right now. Whether you’re looking for property...
20 April 2015
4 Strategic Ways to Lower the Cost of a Group Outing Without Losing Friends
Entertainment
4 Strategic Ways to Lower the Cost of a Group Outing Without Losing Friends
They say money can’t buy you love, but sometimes you need to spend a little to stop yourself from losing touch with the rest of the human race (and no,...
20 April 2015
penang budget travel
Travel
How to Go on a Week-Long Holiday to Penang for Less Than $350
There’s a big difference between navigating traffic and searching for pirated DVDs in JB and going on holiday to Penang. Think of all the retro things you miss about Singapore—shophouses...
17 April 2015
savings account singapore
Savings Accounts
Your Savings Account Sucks. Here Are Some That Don’t – 2015 Edition
It’s been a year since we published our last list of savings accounts that don’t suck, and a bit has changed. Some of you have eschewed traditional savings accounts in...
15 April 2015
Here’s How To Save Money With the Singapore Dollar Weakening Against the US Dollar
Budgeting
Here’s How To Save Money With the Singapore Dollar Weakening Against the US Dollar
If you went to the Woodbury factory outlets or Disneyland Orlando recently, be glad you had the chance to go, because the US dollar is now worth 1.38 SGD, a...
14 April 2015
hobbies
Entertainment
7 Hobbies You Can Pick Up for Free Thanks to the Internet
If money were no issue, we would all be passionate amateur pilots, champion ice skaters or expert equestrians. But money is almost always an issue, which is why so many...
10 April 2015
marriage singapore
Opinion
3 Huge Financial Reasons to Delay Marriage and Kids No Matter How Much You Love Each Other
When it comes to marriage and kids, everyone has a different take on when’s the right time. The typical Singaporean position is that one should have an established career before...
9 April 2015
shopping singapore
Shopping
If You’re One of the Many Singaporeans Addicted to Shopping, Here’s How to Save Yourself
Trying to kill off a shopping addiction in Singapore is like trying to go vegan when you work at McDonald’s. With shopping malls on every street corner and shops jostling...
9 April 2015
money mistakes singapore
Opinion
3 Big Money Mistakes Singaporeans in Their 30s are Making
When you’re in your twenties, if you aren’t lucky enough to have a trust fund or a business to inherit, chances are you’re either scrambling to find a job or...
8 April 2015
rent hdb singapore
Property
3 Tricks That Can Get You a Discount On Your Rent in Singapore
While most adult Singaporeans still continue to live with their parents until they get married, renting is becoming an option for more and more locals. Whether they’re married couples in...
6 April 2015
baby bonus singapore
Family
Why Isn’t the Baby Bonus Working? Singaporeans Share Their Gripes
It’s pretty safe to say the Baby Bonus isn’t working. Singapore’s birth rate continues to be so low you would think babies were going out of style—on the other hand,...
31 March 2015
luxury spa singapore
Fitness & Beauty
7 Luxurious Spas Where You Can Get a 1 Hour Massage For Under $80
There’s a reason Singaporeans in Thailand or JB go for spa treatments so often it’s almost as if they’re banned back home. An hour or two can set you back...
30 March 2015
pregnant singapore
Family
How Much is Getting Pregnant Going to Cost You in Singapore?
Sometimes it seems like getting pregnant is all too easy for those who don’t want it to happen or aren’t prepared for it, while others spend thousands on IVF with...
30 March 2015