It has been at least three-quarters of not-so-great news. With inflation and employment uncertainties, companies have been tightening their belts. There has not been much marketing budget and freebies for retail consumers for some time now. Even if there is, it is quite selective. Before this runs out in 500 quantity only, get the Marina Square shopping app via this link: https://onelink.to/marinasquare.sg, using my referral code – AU5SFS. This gets us a $5 Marina Square eVoucher each.
First come first served – Up to 500 sign ups only so be quick.
a. Click the link to go to apple store or google play store. Once it is installed, open the app and click on create your account
b. Then key in your personal details. When you reach the bottom, press on “Referral” and key in AU5SFS. This is required to get your $5 eVoucher at MSQ.
c. Once successful, you will be directed to the app homepage and a notification will appear. You need to navigate to My Wallet -> MSQ Voucher Wallet.
d. If you are a fan of daily points, you can go to the homepage. Click on the bottom right, and choose the Game option. Every day at 12 midnight, the system resets and you can claim MSQ squares. (Their currency) Every 200 squares gets you $2 parking. You can play around and explore the app to see what you want to redeem.
One very good thing about MSQ (Marina Square) is that even after the pandemic. With each $50 spent in the mall, they will credit a $3 parking voucher directly to your app. You will need to go to the information counter to redeem it and it is pretty fuss-free.
All rights then. Wish you all a good weekend and good luck in getting the vouchers.
As a global city with a robust economy, Singapore’s real estate market is driven by a confluence of factors. We have a well-regulated environment, a highly developed infrastructure, and a strategic location. The city-state’s status as a major international financial centre, and a reputation for safety.
We have a wide range of properties and by-products in real estate. From high-end residential properties in the heart of Orchard Road, trophy assets to hardcore township out of CCR. Especially in the OC Region which has seen significant rises in property prices over the last 3 years.
I’ve always been a fan of investing and also owning real assets. In Singapore, we are quite a different animal as compared to the rest of the world. Two main factors will be:
Our really long-term and sound housing board strategy
Our high occupancy rate
These did not just come by chance. There is a drive from the government which was successful. The plan for FDI and local brands going overseas made the difference. That was how we succeeded in making our name and reputation known to the rest of the world.
Owning real estate is more of an emotional decision sometimes and one has to be prudent. As we do not have a crystal ball, we always have to depend on experience and research to make decisions. Most recently, many people would have been priced out of certain types of real estate. There are still other ways of getting into real estate with a lower notional or quantum via investing.
One way is Reits Investing and again everyone should really do their own due diligence. I’m not a fan of chasing market upside. (All that said, it really also depends on the situation). I put in some monies into Reits and also into Syfe Reits portfolio when markets were lower 2 months ago. My expectations of a Federal interest rate reduction were taken into consideration.
I’m a little concerned about picking stocks usually. First of all it is because of my own experience, second because most of the time I was too busy while I was working. Many times, I am unable to adjust my portfolio due to market changes and sad to say, the losses then slowly became bigger. Either I cut loss or I continued to be a long-term holder. Heh.
During COVID, there were several businesses, robos, investing firms that came up. It was pretty interesting. That was also when I discovered Real Vantage. I have invested in that for almost 3 years now and they are sort of an overseas REITs player who makes deals available to the retail investor. The investing form is similar to REITs but in the form of debt or fixed income.
They are a local firm with founders formerly in REITs or real estate businesses. They source deals globally but over the last three years, I’ve seen deals from the United States, the United Kingdom, From HongKong, mostly Australia and once for Singapore (if I remember correctly it was to fund the development of a pair of bungalows or Semi-Detached). Technically, appreciation depends on the deal. Most of these investments is similar to a fixed income investment where you receive coupons on a monthly or quarterly basis.
One thing I’m certain is that they are pretty sustainable. It isn’t some fly-by-night firm and there’s some shared interest. It is a little bit like crowdfunding for the masses but it is licensed and done properly. I’m quite comfortable with how they do things and it does look like they are expanding slowly as business picks up.
Pros
Global investing
Investing amount is small. Easy to fund via SGD
Options to invest in local CCY or the investment CCY (Risk will be FX risks)
Quite an experienced team
They have been around for more than 3 years now
Every opportunity comes with a webinar to understand the investment better
Q&A to answer all the questions
Pretty good reviews on the internet.
Cons
Some mixture of foreign currency
Limited to mostly income sort of returns
For people who are not too open to non-financial and well-known financial institutions, it is probably a stumbling block.
What is HDB? Singapore’s Housing and Development Board (HDB) is a pivotal institution in the city-state’s journey towards modern urban living. Established more than 60 years ago, HDB has played a crucial role in transforming Singapore’s housing landscape. We have evolved from a nation grappling with inadequate living conditions into an efficient, high-quality public housing model. Other than affordable homes, it aims to foster vibrant communities and promote a high standard of living.
In the most recent announcement of cooling measures the LTV of resale HDB loans is reduced from 80% to 75%. What does this mean? In very layman’s terms, it just means for a 1 million dollar value of HDB property valuation; one can loan up to 750,000 SGD instead of 800,000 SGD. The recent news of a record price of 1.77 million on a single HDB home, means that the LTV will be reduced by 5% should resale buyers continue the same purchasing trend.
It is quite clear that the cooling measure is to ensure the resale HDB price is at sustainable rates. In my own opinion, the gov has all the statistics. The new prices of HDB to say, million-dollar HDB are rare. (i.e. location, HDB size, layouts, rarity, duplex) is still dependent on multiple factors. Not many can afford to pay top dollar for a resale leasehold property. I’m not an agent nor am I in public service. I strongly believe that there are rationable explanations behind every decision (Be it a good or bad one) and in this aspect, the focus of this issue is really about a few points.
Demand for HDB. Increasing supply so that demand will go back to normal.
It is highly likely given our gov focus on statistical approaches many times (Not saying all the time) This 5% is probably the way they manage the resale affordability (Based on the median House Pricing and resale pricing) If this cooling measure is insufficient, I don’t think they will stop at just 5% until it slows down. To put it simply, there’s no crisis and no bubble. Our home assets remain to be our assets.
Young homeowners assistance (i.e. first-time home-buyers). Standard, Plus, Prime new HDB changes. Providing the incentives to stay at CCR, RCR or OCR depending on one’s choice. The new incentives also help low to mid-income households to own homes with benefits, subsidies and incentives islandwide.
To be honest, this strategy seems to be a rejuvenation of places to own in small Singapore as well and every school is a good school strategy. All these policies in my view are linked to one another for a more inclusive society. Just to see the entire big picture – The execution needs some finesse. Singapore Government is the basis, once they have declared, they will do all to execute it. The issue is just a matter of when that will be done.
How is that going to affect private housing going forward? I’m not too sure but I’m kind of swayed to the fact that it will slow down that price hike in housing. Being land scarce, it is hard to believe that prices will drop in the near term. My definition of the near term is 10 years just because the properties, living spaces, and amenities take years to develop and create a natural habitat for the township.
For some sense within me, there will be more generation changes. More people will hold on to their HDB. Less property flipping will happen and like ever before, only the rich get richer assuming they get the right properties.
The Housing Board is a testament to addressing housing challenges with foresight and ingenuity. By constantly pushing the envelope in housing design and community development, HDB not only meets the needs of today’s residents but also paves the way for a better, more inclusive future.
Conclusion
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes for other services at Referral and Recommendations
Life is like a game. You play a game and this game cannot unwind or move back or restart. You will face good and bad decisions. More often, you will face a dilemma. I like to listen, adapt and use psychology to understand and comprehend most things. I find that humans are a handful and psychology is the best way to understand someone instead of a concept or a model.
Our life, work and family revolve around integrating these into our day-to-day life. When faced with challenges, it saps the energy out of us and makes us feel down, upset or even dejected at times. However, the same can be said about joy and happiness. More importantly, these moments never last forever and instead come and go like the rides of a roller coaster. It is a simple measurement of life that nothing lasts forever.
Comparing ourselves with other makes a good benchmark on where one would like to be at a certain point in time but it should not turn into envious or jealousy. Let’s say that let us be glad we can do the things we do, no other should influence you into turning green nor should that affect your decision to change your values and principles.
More often than not, we as humans are more resilient than we think we are. Most of us need time to get over things, some people are made different, and they move on faster than the rest. It is not a good or bad thing. What I meant to say is that there are trigger points in life that are essential and these triggers are due to an in-built mechanism that moves subconsciously within us. This means, that when one person does not think he can achieve or do this, situational issues may have triggered a situation where, over a period, this person continuously pushes forward better than he thought he was. (In the sub-conscious
As I get on with my morning exercise which I am trying hard to change and get used to in order to reduce the cm on the waistline for my own good. There were alot of thoughts that flowed through my mind. Things such as wisdom words, mentoring and coaching stayed with me even within the last 10 years where I no longer meet my ex boss, inspiration mentor or coach. Here I am trying to be a notice inspiration leader.
Simple headlines and things I learnt
a. What i the one thing that no one takes away from you. This is what my first real boss told me and that is Knowledge. The wisdom of apple is one that no one can take away from you. It is unquantifiable and only shows when you act on certain aspects
b. Learning and training. Is there really a need to learn and train in an environment. I’m learning everyday, I just need the credentials but guess what those around me whom I worked with studied in University of Imperial College, MTI, Colombia, Havard and Cambridge. I learned valuable lessons without going through the official program. Do we really need to study for the sake of studying. We only work 40-50 years of our lives and spending more time in school – Unless I want to be a researcher or educator, I’ll consistently go back to school.
c. No experience, no skills, no other relevant education. We should really rid ourselves of this concept. Who started off with experience, skills and relevant education. Most leaders just forget where they once were and just want to get their shit done quickly and productively. It is hard to find a mentor or coach. Why? because it is a time value and what they can be doing.
d. Spiritual – It is not meant to be a preaching session. When all else fails. Look to where your beliefs bring you. You will be surprised at the result. What is Faith?
i. Scenario 1: When you fall forward and see your friend/partner in front of you, you fall forward with the confidence that the will catch you.
ii. Scenario 2: When you fall backwards and you see your friend/partner still in front of you. you fall backwards without fear and worries. That is faith. (Please do not do this in real life or you will end up hurt)
e. Everything happens for a reason and nothing lasts forever. The question is how long so make the best out of your time.
Conclusion
I meant to write this as a form of inspiration. I am a nobody and I’m not an inspirational leader. However, I aim to be one and no one was a leader at birth. The same can be said about skills and experience. We are born equal and we choose our own path. So, Sulk and Swear all you want – then move on and don’t prove anyone anything. They don’t even care or even know what you are thinking. If you show ethics and integrity, be real and honest – Things will fall into place eventually.
When you find small success in life, that’s where positivity exudes. This is where you find confidence. The saying “fake it till you make it” holds some truth because marketing sells and you have to keep selling yourself and your own USP until someone values what you are talking about.
Disclaimer
If you like what you are seeing, do remember to check them out and do your diligence. There is no one-size-fits-all investment strategy and no one solution to life. Join my telegram group to find out more about deals and join the community to connect for ideas: Life Journey Telegram
Thank you in advance. It would help in every little way now that I’m in between work.
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes here at Referral Services
I would like to keep things positive on this blog channel. I have no sponsorships of any kind nor do I have any paid users. I keep this blog clean and with the objective of journalling and hopefully or eventually being able to monetise. Any referral or affiliate links are how I keep the lights on this blog going. My time, effort, domain, email, research and other miscellaneous costs are worth something. My rate card per hour is not cheap and when I say not cheap I mean it, it is not cheap.
Whatever I recommend or suggest, I don’t put a gun to anyone’s head to use it. One, like any investment decision – Do your own diligence. It gets under my skin when someone starts to blabber nonsense or type in comments online without using their brains. When I get angry or upset, no one messes with me and trust me – No one does. In my roles, I don’t give two hoots if your corporate rank or life acquires you a “managing director” or “CEO”, as long as you talk shit or do funny things, I shoot my missiles in that way. The toilet cleaner and the CEO are the same = Both Humans. Sometimes the toilet cleaner would make a better people person than the highly-paid CEO.
This is a free world. We are free to choose, free to select. Don’t undermine others of their selection and choices. If you have comments that don’t help, do the favour and keep it to yourself. Unless there is a solution, don’t just rattle. I’m so sick and tired of overconfident people who don’t even hear themselves and what they say. The worse part is, they still think that they are the best or better than the rest. It is a very dangerous mindset.
I’ve said what I said. I’ll end it here and move on positively. I’m just sad for those who don’t realise it but again, I don’t mince my words. Good luck.
Disclaimer
If you like what you are seeing, do remember to check them out and do your diligence. There is no one-size-fits-all investment strategy and no one solution to life. Join my telegram group to find out more about deals and join the community to connect for ideas: Life Journey Telegram
Thank you in advance. It would help in every little way now that I’m in between work.
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes here at Referral Services
At the start of 2024, there were signs that new offerings were being put out for deal seekers but as it seems, after January, there has been a drag of three months. Nothing much now except for Dobin. Before we start, let me just say that this is an affiliated link and by doing some actions, you do help me in keeping the lights on this blog. Please do try the app out. I have been using it for the past 6 months and I must say it has one of the better apps available without annoying advertisements.
At the same time, I can track expenses and connect my banking apps. Today is the last day for the referral. You can sign up and refer your friends and family to get cash rewards too. Besides that point, the main aim is to use the friendly app for tracking personal expenses. Personally, I prefer this app over the rest since there are no pesky advertisements and they are done here locally in Singapore. Support local I guess.
And remember to connect at least one bank account or one credit car on Dobin.
What You Need to Do:
Open the Dobin App and tap on the referral widget on your home screen.
Share your exclusive referral code with your friends & family.
What Your Friends Need to Do:
Download Dobin and enter your promo code during sign-up.
Connect at least 1 bank account or credit card on Dobin.
Disclaimer
If you like what you are seeing, do remember to check them out and do your diligence. There is no one-size-fits-all investment strategy and no one solution to life. Join my telegram group to find out more about deals and join the community to connect for ideas: Life Journey Telegram
Do use my referral code please: ZUPUNWI
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes here at Referral Services
Consolidation is quite the generic word to use when we consider downsizing, restructuring and/or a natural progression some would say. Similar to any business or investing cycle, there are peaks and troughs across any period. Opportunities and investment ideas are fewer now. Low-hanging fruits are being snapped up quicker than ever before. Deals and good stuff will go out much faster in a phase where people are coming to the realisation that free money is going to be harder to come by.
This is apparent from the closure of the grab pay card (since GXS is there and it can do much better than what it originally can), credit card deals have more excluded components, nerfed perks and an increase in legal T&Cs on rewards. New payment cards have harder requirements to earn referral fees, and investment platforms have started to consolidate. With the way things are, it does look and feel like many are taking a cautious approach. People, families corporations and those with job would hold to ride through this mini storm which I call a transition or consolidation.
This also comes to fact from an unprecedented Covid travel closure which sparks an acceleration in a few sectors. Though many did not expect things to turn out that rough, they still did and made some industries redundant. In return, multiple new entrepreneurship sectors evolved, giving rise to other types of demand.
With that in mind, things will likely slow down in the next 3-6 months with the possibility of an extended period. Certainly, it would not be easy for those finding a good deal. It is however important to stay upbeat and be resilient. Things can only get better.
With that, Just to keep light on this small deal blog, check out the referral shop.
Disclaimer
If you like what you are seeing, do remember to check them out and do your diligence. There is no one-size-fits-all investment strategy and no one solution to life. Join my telegram group to find out more about deals and join the community to connect for ideas: Life Journey Telegram
Thank you in advance. It would help in every little way now that I’m in between work.
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes here at Referral Services
2024 has been kind to us. There’s a bit of budget around most things available to the common man out there. Today is no exception with the introduction of Max Miles Ang Pow for extra miles. This is a limited-time promotion and is valid only until 24th Feb 2024 or up to 1 million max miles. So this is going to go out pretty quick.
Here are some free miles provided by max miles: Ang Pow Link
Do use my referral link if you would like to sign up: Sign Up Here!
What’s Huat with heymax?
This Lunar New Year, heymax will be gifting every Maxer up to 1,000 Max Miles to share with friends and family as ang baos!
Additionally – you get referral bonuses and new users get more Ang Baos when they sign up! Huat ah!
Not only can you give, but you can also receive up to 10 Ang Baos filled with Max Miles from fellow Maxer
Eligibility for Activity Participation
The event will run from 10 February to 24 February 202 and you will get up to 1000 max miles
Activity Summary
Is there a limit to the number of Max Miles I can earn from ang baos?
Every user can receive and open up to 10 ang baos. There is no cap on the total Max Miles earned.
How can I redeem my Max Miles earned from Huat with heymax?
Any Max Miles earned from Huat with heymax can be redeemed through the usual redemption options as follows:
You can transfer your Max Miles to our 20+ airline and hotel partners. For airline or hotel transfers, the minimum transfer amount is 1,000 Max Miles at a 1:1 ratio.
You can redeem a minimum of 1,000 Max Miles for a $10 gift card.
Will my Max Miles expire if I don’t use them during the campaign period?
Max Miles do not expire. Any Max Miles you earn will remain with you after the campaign ends and can be redeemed through the usual redemption options on heymax.
Disclaimer
If you like what you are seeing, do remember to check them out and do your diligence. There is no one-size-fits-all investment strategy and no one solution to life. Join my telegram group to find out more about deals and join the community to connect for ideas: Life Journey Telegram
Do use my referral link if you would like to sign up: Sign Up Here!
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes here at Referral Services
This year, 2024, GPay has once again come back with Huat Pals, also renamed Huat Along. Get it? The event will take place from 6 Feb to 18 Feb 2024
With the social aspect of CNY back after the Covid years previously, there are some additional items that give you more opportunities to get more goodies. That said, it also means you have to make more effort to get more once again but it never fails to attract a big bunch of folks
Five new Huat Pals — Xixi Haha, Ah Bong, Macho Meow, Hop Pop and Souper Loong – will be added to welcome the Year of the Dragon. Collect a Huat Pal each time you complete any of the following actions on Google Pay.
Join the trading telegram group here: Join the new trading telegram group to trade and share your referral link: https://t.me/huatpalstrading
Step number one: You need to set up and download Google Pay for a start.
You can sign up for a new account here: g.co/payinvite/t74cf8ffrom your mobile app or use this link here at Download Google Pay you’ll earn $3 when you opt-in to Google Pay offers and rewards and make your first payment (min. $10)! Download the app and use my referral code t74cf8f to get started.
Next Step number two: You will need to understand how the mechanics work.
Now, different things tick with different folks so do what comforts you. Do take this article with a pinch of salt and a guide. If up to $88 worth of cash is not worth your effort then do proceed to do what comforts you and gets you more for your time. It should not make you anxious and keep your mind calm.
Once you have collected all 5 Pals you will win one of the following (It is random so please don’t over-react if you don’t get any):
Scratch card worth up to S$88.88; or
Google Pixel devices – Pixel P8 Pro worth $1,549
Google Pixel devices – Pixel P8 worth $1,099
Google Pixel devices – Pixel Buds Pro worth $299
Google Pixel devices – Pixel Buds A-Series worth $149
As usual, gamification will attract throngs of people and only one rare item.
Once again, this game aims to have as much activity as possible. It isn’t a game of fastest fingers first so you kind of need to strategize and spend money in general.
Step number 3: Available and activity required to get goodies (This year there are more options) but also slightly more difficult to get it.
These are the same as what is in your app in the same order so GPay has nicely done it in a way that you can work on the tasks as if it is a list of times to fulfil daily.
A. PAYNOW to merchants (You can do it 1 time daily)
You need to spend a minimum of $5 to make this eligible. A small tip, any payment, or PayNow to business would work. In previous years, the reset timing was 10am. Not sure if that would be the same this time around. From what I understand, topping up to CPF, the shopee account works thus far.
If you do not have a YouTrip account. You can sign up here: via my referral link
You can get $5 when you top up your YouTrip card.
B. Make a FavePay transaction (You can do it 1 time daily)
In all honesty, this is pretty tough and you need to spend a minimum of $5 as well.
C. UBuy movie tickets on Google Pay(You can do it 1 time daily)
I’m not tot sure about you. I’ve have not been to the cinema in years.
D. Send money to a friend (You can do it 1 time daily)
Yup. As simple as it gets. You send money to a friend for $10 and the recipient must be a Google Pay user as well) I believe this is a new rule now.
E. Gift a goody to your friend (You can do it 5 times daily)
Finally, the last daily activity is to give your extra goodies to another friend (Aka trade) Those who know where to trade will know. It takes a bit of effort but yeah just enjoy the process. Join the new trading telegram group to trade and share your referral link: https://t.me/huatpalstrading
Step number 4: Additional game or photo taking or Huat Quiz daily
So random quizzes or daily requests such as taking photos of items will get you additional goodies and these come in random. These are known as Huat Scanner and Huat Quizzes. (It is a QR scanner and answering quizzes) My thoughts are similar to how Google search functions. The more you engage in the activity, the more these requests will pop up. Though random, there is some AI to it (i.e. robots related) We will not know but like any other games you played before, the more active you are, the more likely you are going to level up and do better. One additional aspect is a candy crush-style game in which one needs to score 450 or higher.
Whether it gets difficult, I’m not sure but let’s just have fun.
Side note, thank you google for the media announcement but perhaps you can send it to me earlier than the next event because my day starts, I have a day job and creating all these takes time and effort. You are always welcome to reach out to me to have a chat via my email. I’m happy to explore. Cheers anyway for providing media items so that I do not have to source for those on my own.
Conclusion
I can’t tell anyone this is worth your time to do all these because we have different values in terms of time and what it gives back to you. However, during the promotion period, there will be changes as Google work on bugs and several things to make sure that they can be as fair as possible to everyone. May luck be with you. Remember two things: The more you want something, the less it will come to you. (Because of the state of the mind) & This should not shun you away from doing the proper and real things in life that matters to you. (Be real, be yourself)
If you like what I am sharing or if it resonates with you, do use my referral codes for other services at Referral and Recommendations
These pictures were taken off the Google Media Kit for reference.
To Huat A Long Year and a better 2024 ahead. Cheers.
So it seems like many people are user-friendly and many people are the types who like to have a few user-friendly people around them. We can say that generally, people don’t really use their common sense much. In the workplace, most people have pretty low EQ and are generally politically correct. Most people just have the natural tendency to inconvenience others for their own purposes. You probably hear more Yes men and lackeys instead of someone more competent. Big companies lack the human touch and are too far to understand or feel the work put in by the layers of reporting lines.
Thumbs down to the Head American Honcho JF
When I was fresh out of school, CEOs, CFOs, and COOs seemed like a far-reach. Beyond the touches of anyone. As time went by, I realized that they were just a normal human being with nothing more than a connection than knowledge. Most do not have a vision but work with a team of advisors who have personal gain to their names. The problem with C-suites is that most of them panic at the smallest movement. What they do stand out from us locals is that they speak well and have a good storage of vocabulary in their sack to be used.
Competence-wise, Nah..not many since the days of Bill Gates and Jack Ma. The top-level people today are less visionaries and more workers. Are the people who planned for takeover to blame? I actually do not think so. Rather, I felt that people have been too comfortable and less resilient in themselves. They poop in their pants when shit comes by hence making more mess out of a big mess.
The idea of management is beyond managing people
What is Management? Management is about democracy. You don’t just manage people, but you also share your visionaries and ideas to convince people that you are the right person to follow. You can’t please everyone but at least set some standards and don’t be a half-bucket who sways your ideas once something else comes along. More importantly, it’s the working style and those who work below you will have to look up to you. Then, because it is a democracy, you need more than 50% of the people on your side. It is basic.
Random musings that I get from being as frustrated as hell early in the morning.
Lifejourney 