
Career
5 Things to Do Immediately if You Get Retrenched
Retrenchment is like naked mud wrestling. While you can’t avoid humiliating exposure or eating dirt, you can at least win the match. It’s about making the best of a bad situation. Retrenchment...
7 January 2012

Transportation
5 Simple Ways to Save on Parking in Singapore
Parking fees are bogus. Living space I understand…but paying for a space for your car? That’s as close as you’ll ever come to paying for nothing. Yep, thanks to parking lots,...
6 January 2012

Opinion
Pay Cut for Singaporean Ministers: Why They’re Still Overpaid!
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to a Ministerial pay cut this week. Singapore’s political leaders, who are the highest paid in the world, are facing pay reductions of 37%...
5 January 2012

Career
5 Easy Side Businesses You Can Run While Working
With the economy deflating faster than my ego at a school reunion, I’ve been thinking about padding my income. That means a side business, and one that won’t get me...
1 January 2012

Transportation
Owning a Prius in Singapore: The Pros and Cons
The Toyota Prius is hybrid-electric car. Like most Singaporeans, my knowledge of it extends to: “Every time you drive it, a dead tree comes back to life. Or something.” The...
30 December 2011

Opinion
Providing For Parents in Singapore: Can We Give Enough?
Ever since my family perished on Krypton, I’ve had a soft spot for elderly parents. They aren’t who they used to be, because apparently time sucks. And while most Singaporeans would...
28 December 2011

Shopping
5 Great Christmas Gifts For Under $20
Christmas is around the corner, and I’ve got about 200 presents to get. It’s my gift and my curse: everyone loves my presents. Except the police and fire department. But...
22 December 2011

Invest
Forex Trading: Pros and Cons
Forex trading is like driving too fast without a seatbelt: intoxicating, sexy, and potentially lethal. It promises fast cash, a 24 hour market, and easy access. With brokers accepting lower...
17 December 2011

Transportation
Chauffeur Services in Singapore: Too Expensive?
Getting a cab in town requires a booking, with an added fee and a long wait, or supernatural powers. If you’re new in Singapore, you’ll also be confused; this might...
12 December 2011

Career
How Much Do Hawkers Really Make?
Yesterday I discovered two great perks of working for MoneySmart: First, I have a convenient excuse to annoy people with endlessly amusing (to me) questions. Second, it means not having...
2 December 2011

Transportation
Car Repair in Singapore: Find the Right Mechanic
They say finding a mechanic is like interviewing a job applicant. Which is a total load of horse dung. Job applicants don’t have a wrench clamped around your… carburettor. And what questions...
1 December 2011

Invest
Structured Deposits: Are They a Good Deal?
Ever since the fall of Lehman Brothers, structured deposits have been the financial world’s equivalent of leprosy. If you’re selling them, no one even wants to inhale near you. But as of...
30 November 2011

Wedding
7 Cheapskate Ways to Host a Bachelor Party for Under $500
Before we get started, a warning: the following list, if properly adhered to, will result in (1) a good bachelor party, (2) you being branded a cheapskate for life, and...
28 November 2011

Career
The Truth About Degree Holders
It’s cool to diss education these days. Every other week, I find at least one tweet espousing the glory of ignorance. It’s bad advice. And hypocritically, it often comes from people...
18 November 2011

Family
Puppy Love: Can You Afford It?
Who doesn’t love a fuzzy-wuzzy puppy or kitty?! Especially for the kids. So cute! Until you realize that Spike or Meow-Meow eats more canned food than they stock in Changi prison...
14 November 2011

Car Insurance
Types of Car Insurance in Singapore
Car insurance: it’s mandatory. I don’t know why they print brochures with people holding up car keys, spouting phrases like “love your ride” or “smooth drive”. As if they need...
13 October 2011

Property
Progressive Payment Scheme for Singapore Property
It’s been four years since the progressive payment scheme became the norm. By now, property buyers have been frowning so long their faces could fit in a raisin commercial. But...
13 October 2011

Credit Cards
Credit Cards VS Debit Cards in Singapore
Credit cards give you access to money that isn’t yours. It’s the same as borrowing money, except without the crying and impassioned pleading (that part comes later). Debit cards just...
9 October 2011

Wedding
7 Ways to Cut Your Wedding Venue Costs in Singapore
Finding a wedding venue sucks. With few exceptions, they are all insanely expensive. Their prices have numbers you’d expect to see somewhere else entirely, like on a population census of mainland...
6 October 2011

Home Loans
Fixed vs Floating Rate Home Loan: Which is Better?
Because home loans aren’t confusing enough, banks offer two different kinds of interest rates. We’re talking about fixed and floating home loans, and how to pick the one that best suits...
2 October 2011

Transportation
Ride or Drive?: The Cost of Car Ownership vs Public Transport in Singapore
The last time I got on board an MRT train, it was packed tighter than a can of sardines. I squeezed in nonetheless as I was rushing to the hospital. By...
20 September 2011

Car Insurance
How are Car Insurance Premiums Calculated in Singapore?
Car insurance premiums are fun and easy to calculate, assuming you have a PhD in accounting. Seriously though, there are huge differences in premiums, even between one owner and the next....
31 August 2011