Stop spending on the wrong things during your HOUSE RENOVATION!

A friend gave me some advice before I begin the renovation of my new HDB flat....

"Spend more on things that will be used everyday....

1. Lighting - invest in LED. no need change bulb (I haven't change my LED lights close to 5 years, but those with normal bulbs, 7-8 times.
2. Bathroom
3. Wardrobes for all rooms
4. Master bed room (assuming this is where you going to sleep)
5. Living and dining area
6. Kitchen - if you do a lot of cooking

Things that need not spend a lot of money:

1. The other two rooms. (esp if you planning to have kids)
e.g. Some friends of mine spent five digit figures to renovate kid's room. But after a few years.....need to renovate again as the kid outgrow it.
Some design it as a home office/study but do not use it. And then they have kids and need to renovate again. Worse are those who make it into mini theaters but use it less than once every week.

2. TV
No point spending above $2000 just get the biggest screen. 2-3 years later can change.
Some people even spend more than $5000!!! Then 2-3 years later they change TV cause new technology come out or their current one is spoilt.....................that expensive TV can only make you look good during housewarming and Chinese New Year. Other than that its pure waste of money unless you spend more than 8 hrs daily in front of it.

3. Sofa
If you are planning to have kids, don't bother to spend more than $5000 on that sofa. No sofa in the world can withstand the vandalism from kids. Just get simple comfortable one and prepare to change every 2-4 years.

4. Gadgets
Technology changes very fast and most gadgets will be due for upgrade within 2 years. I'm always amazed by friends who spend $5000 on a computer only to replace it 2 years later....

People invest too little on their bed.

We spend at least 6 hrs each day sleeping. That works out to be one quarter of your life. In a year we'll spend at least 2190 hours sleeping.

So I'm always surprised when people complain that $3000 to $4000 for a bed is expensive but can spend the same amount of money on gadgets. They can spend $1000 on an iPhone but complain $4000 for a queen bed is expensive!"

I want install a RAIN SHOWER for my new HDB flat bathroom!

It would be so cool!

My CPF gone in 60 seconds!

I went to HDB to collect the keys to my new house!

They wipe out my wife's and I's CPF! MY HARD EARNED MONEY GONE IN 60 SECONDS!

We need to loan about 160k and decided to pay off the loan in 8 years, at a monthly mortgage of about 2k.

The price to pay for a house of our own.....

Why spend more than $200 on a smartphone? My wife bought the latest iPhone and regretted it.....

Perhaps it's a uniquely Singaporean behavior. "Die die" must change handphone when the contract is up, taking advantage of the "fantastic offers" that the telcos offer.

So my wife decided to change her smartphone even though her Samsung S3 was in perfectly good condition. She was looking forward to owning her first iPhone. I advised her that smartphone technology is so cheap now that it does not make sense to spend more than SGD $200 on a phone. Who knows, perhaps the phone companies just collect the old phones, dismantle and put the components in a new cover, and sell as the latest model at a huge profit. I told her to maybe look at Xiaomi, but that didn't went into her head.....

As expected, she did not listen.

So she took my Samsung S2, which my brother gave me 2 years ago, and traded in to get $100 off the iPhone 5S. She paid about $400, after the discount and signing a 2 year contract. She showed off her new toy once it arrived.

Good thing for me, I got phone upgrade to Samsung S3. FREE.

Less than a week with her new phone, she said," I don't like the iphone, screen too small."

So for the next whole week, she went to sell her iPhone 5S. Fortunately, she managed to find a buyer and sold it off at around $850.

With that money, she bought a second hand Samsung S5 and finally got a smartphone with a screen big enough for her.

When I thought it was over (at least for the next 2 years), one night at a gathering, she saw a friend with a Xiaomi and was impressed with the phone. Her friend said he got it for less than $200. She turned to me and said, "Why didn't you tell me about Xiaomi?"

BEWARE! DON'T BE TRICKED INTO DEBT!

PLEASE BE ALERT! DON'T BE TRICKED BY STANCHART!

I received this letter last night and got a shock!

I thought I had received one of the usual cheque payments from my bank until I realized it's another "innovative" marketing strategy to offer customers a personal loan.

Imagine if I wasn't alert enough and just banked in the cheque, I WOULD HAVE PUT MYSELF IN DEBT!

Worse, if the letter was posted wrongly to another address and it lands in the wrong hands, the person can SABOTAGE me by just banking in the cheque and I might be UNKNOWINGLY PUT INTO DEBT!

So please be alert and share this information!

I paid only RM5000 for my Pre-Wedding photo package, and got a great deal! (Part 2)

continued...

We took our photos at Kota Tinggi, one of the "standard locations" in the package, and all in wedding attire. We also agree not to have any “lifestyle shots” in our casual wear. At first, I considered taking photos in my favorite football club jersey. A friend advised that “Lifestyle” shots can be taken at any makeover studio at a fraction of the cost. Also, if we have those shots, the total number of photos for selection will increase too, which may lead to choosing extra photos and getting ripped off! Remember, it’s RM85 per additional photo!

We did the photoshoot over 2 weekdays. We took 2 days leave and stayed in a boutique hotel opposite the studio. Treated it like a holiday lah! We enjoyed the photoshoot even though the weather was hot. It was a unique experience when we took photos in the Kota Tinggi waterfall.

During the photo selection, there we about 200 photos for us to choose. We decide to spend the whole day just choosing the top 32 photos and not add any photos. It took determination but we managed to do it! 

It took us 4 rounds of choosing to finally decide on the top 32 photos, taking a break after each round. We had coffee and wash our faces to refresh ourselves, to make sure we're relaxed and not make any rash decisions. After even round, we stacked up the rejected photos, so there were 4 stacks of photos at the end. Next we arranged the photos on our own so that the 32 photos filled the 10 pages nicely.

Honestly speaking, most of the photos were nice, but we kept reminding ourselves if it's worth paying RM85 for it.

When we finally asked the sales coordinator in, she was puzzled at the 4 stacks of photos on the table. I can still remember the look on her face when I told her those were rejected ones.

She went through the photos and tried to suggest some photos to add in. we rejected all her suggestions. There’s one point when she suggested a photo and I replied, “拍得那么难看!”

When she suggested that we spread the photos to additional pages to make it nicer, I replied, “I’m sure your team can make it look nice”.

She gave up and we didn't spend a cent on extra photos.

In the end, after we agreed on the layout, I asked her how much it will cost if I buy the remaining 168 unedited photos in soft-copy. She quoted me RM3000. Just do the math, it’ll be approximately RM18 a piece, instead of RM85! I didn't agree to buy, but she appeared hopeful that I may spend that money.

Think about it, we were most probably the only ones they can sell the photos to. No businessman will say no to extra income. What’s more, the chance of them earning the extra income gets smaller as the actual wedding day approaches. I decided to ask again when I collect the album and gown. I thought of giving them a RM1000, take-it-or-leave-it offer for the rest of the photos.

We made all payments in cash. The SGD to RM exchange rate was SGD 1 to RM 2.50 then, so we decided not to use our credit cards.

After the wedding, I didn't return to buy the photos. And like what most couples tell me, my wedding album is now sitting in my storeroom, collecting dust....

I paid only RM5000 for my Pre-Wedding photo package, and got a great deal!

I heard many horror stories of couples being ripped off when they take their wedding photos, so my wife and I were determined not to be the "big carrot for others to chop", especially during our "once in a lifetime" event.

After asking around, we decided on the bridal studio my brother used. On a makan trip to JB, I asked him to bring us to the bridal studio to check out their latest package. We were shown a package starting at RM4588, which included the following (as far as I can remember):

1. Pre - Wedding photoshoot at 1 of 3 standard locations in JB or indoor studio
2. Gowns for pre wedding photoshoot (2)
3. Gowns for actual day
4. 1 big album (21 photos, 10 page album)
5. 1 photo for table top
6. 1 long photo for wall
7. 1 small wall photo - consists of 3 4R photos
8. 1 4R photo album
9. Wedding Car decorations
10. Soft copy of selected photos
11. Bouquet

We were lucky my sister-in-law was around to bargain for us. WE DIDN'T NEGOTIATE AT ALL!
My sis-in-law told the sales coordinator, "That time you gave us this & that.... add in lah...." She gave in and offered 32 photos in a 12 page album, estimated value of RM1500 (RM85 per extra photo, RM200 per additional page)!

My wife and only top up able RM400 on a supposedly better type of album, which can last longer.

We made all payments in cash. The SGD to RM exchange rate was SGD 1 to RM 2.50 then, so we decided not to use our credit cards.

So lesson learnt: Bring an expert at bargaining.  

To be continued....