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How to get free bus rides any time, any day?

Saturday, June 29, 2013

A few days ago, the Singapore government started a year long trial offering free rides on MRT trains to commuters who journey into 16 stations before 7.45am on weekdays. What about those who take buses? So unfair!

Well, want to get free bus rides any time, any day? Watch the video and be amazed:





This gives "riding on a bus" a new meaning, don't you agree?

What a visit to NTUC Fairprice could teach us about investing in stocks?

Friday, June 28, 2013

I have blogged about how to explain to sceptical family members that investing in the stock market is not the same as gambling. I have blogged about how soon should we start the next generation on investing and I have also recommended a book to this end.

These topics are evergreens. 5, 10 or 20 years later, we will still have people facing these issues, I don't doubt. To deal with these issues, it helps if we are more creative. Using examples from our daily life and using language free from financial jargon will probably see positive results.

For example, I would explain to my niece that when we see good value for money, we buy. So, seeing two 1kg packets of rolled oats selling at $6.95 instead of the usual $9.90, I bought right away. It was almost automatic. I didn't really have to think.


How sure was I that it was a good deal? Well, I probably consume more oats than the average Singaporean. I have oatmeal for breakfast everyday and sometimes for both breakfast and lunch. So, I know the price of rolled oats quite well. This is within my "circle of competence", so to speak.

Extending this example to the stock market, when prices of stocks we are familiar with or within our circle of competence fall to levels which offer good value for money, why do people hesitate to buy? Obviously, there is fear that prices could fall further. Then, what if prices did not fall further?

I blog continually about the importance of having a war chest. However, what is also important is having a reliable stream of income, passive income preferably.

If our war chest is smallish, it could get exhausted quickly. So, we will need a constant stream of income to fill it up. This is why investing for income is so relevant and, indeed, important.

Know people who think that investing in the stock market is too esoteric a subject? You might want to share AK's story about his circle of competence with packets of rolled oats which offered value for money.

Related posts:
1. Investing in the stock market is gambling!
2. If AK71 can cook, so can you!
3. At what age to start investing in stocks?
4. Let your child have fun and a head start in life.
5. Teaching young children financial literacy.

Return the money, Kitty!

Thursday, June 27, 2013

And I thought Hello Kitty was the only money grabbing kitten in this world,





I enjoyed this video. Made me smile.

Hope it made you smile too.

Related post:
McDonald's Hello Kitty.

Repairing my Tag Heuer watch.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

I had to send my Tag Heuer watch for repairs because one hand was free wheeling.

According to the service centre, I must have dropped the watch before and watches don't like to be dropped. They are like living beings, I guess.

Anyway, after seeing the repair bill, I decided that I don't like to drop watches too!


$130. Ouch!

LVMH gave me a nice drawstring bag.


At least this is less expensive compared to my dad's Rolex which cost almost $800 to repair when he dropped it a couple of years ago.

The lesson to learn from these incidents is not to buy expensive watches!

Buy a cheap $40 Casio. Break it, throw it away and buy another!

What? You have a weakness for watches (like I do)?  Oh, dear. Good luck to both of us.

Related posts:
1. My CASIO watch.
2. Vintage ROLEX watch.

McDonald's Singing Bone Hello Kitty (aka Black Kitty).

People have gone crazy (once again) over the Hello Kitty plush toys sold at McDonald's.

This is something which I don't understand and probably never will.

You know what is even more difficult to understand? People paying $50 for a "collectible" Hello Kitty plush toy in the "black" market!


Collect them all?


Well, apparently, there is a black color Hello Kitty which is supposedly a limited edition. To me, it looks like Hello Kitty went for an x-ray and got a really bad overdose of radiation!

Anyway, whatever's your poison, right?

Pssst... Ever wondered where these toys were made in, who made them, how much they were paid and what were their working conditions? I wonder.

Don't pay inflated prices for N95 masks.

No smoke without fire. Er... unintended pun on the haze. Anyway, the stories are true. What stories? Stories of profiteering.


All businessmen are out to make money. There is nothing wrong with money making, is there? If there is no money to be made, why go into business?

However, to profit obscenely by taking advantage of a crisis that affects the entire nation, to me, is just a nauseating idea.

This was the official statement issued by CASE just a few days ago:

It has come to the attention of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) that some retail outlets in Singapore have increased the prices of face masks, especially for the N95 face masks during this haze period.

CASE understands that many retailers have run out of stock of face masks due to the high demand for the masks. As such, some retailers may try to profit from the situation by selling face masks at a higher price. There have also been cases where individuals have brought face masks in bulk and resold them to the public at a profit.

CASE urges all suppliers and retailers to remain transparent and abide to the regular recommended retail price. They should not take advantage of the plight of consumers and inflate prices in this critical period of time.

Additionally, CASE advices consumers to exercise caution when purchasing face masks from unknown brands or retailers online. Such masks may not provide adequate protection from the haze. Consumers should also be wary of retailers taking advantage of the situation to sell face masks at unreasonable prices. They should stay vigilant and shop around instead of paying inflated prices at the nearest store.

 
With the haze situation having improved temporarily, we have time to shop around for reasonably priced N95 respirator masks. The haze is likely to return with a vengeance when the wind direction changes again.


Say "NO" to profiteers!

Related post:
Buy 3M N95 respirator masks for less.


My two boxes of 3M N95 8210 masks.
Things will worsen in the coming weeks according to NEA.
Be prepared.

Which stocks have I been accumulating in June 2013?

Monday, June 24, 2013

As share prices decline over a prolonged period, Mr. Market's hope for a swift recovery becomes weaker and weaker. As Mr. Market despairs, he is going to sell stocks at even lower prices. Everything else remaining equal, this means that we can buy stocks with greater margins of safety from Mr. Market.

However, remember that Mr. Market is a fickle creature. His mood swings are well known. So, although waiting for the market to bottom sounds like a great idea, it is only possible to really call the bottom once it has come and gone. Therefore, I made a list of stocks which I would like to buy more of, including the prices which might be good to do so at.

Mr. Market's negativity is centred around expectations of a reduction in global liquidity and increase in interest rates. However, such concerns are really premature since what is really going to happen is a reduction in the growth of global liquidity and, by Ben Bernanke's admission, any increase in short term interest rates is farther into the future.

This suggests that S-REITs which are fundamentally sound will continue to deliver, distributing the income which I have become accustomed to receiving. With prices 15 to 20% lower than the peaks achieved not too long ago, valuations are more reasonable now although I would not say compelling.

So, which stocks have I been accumulating in the current correction?

Marco Polo Marine

I bought more shares of Marco Polo Marine at $0.37 to $0.375. I really like the news that the company bought a new 9,000 BHP AHTS at a bargain from a distressed yard. It would take the company's shipyard 18 months to build one from scratch and buying this AHTS allows Marco Polo Marine to more quickly meet market demands in Indonesia.


"Given the robust demand for OSVs and the gradual and consistent rise in daily charter rates experienced over the past  few months, the Group expects its offshore business to continue to spearhead the growth of its overall chartering revenue," Mr. Sean Lee, CEO, Marco Polo Marine.

Marco Polo Marine's listed Indonesian subsidiary has another 2 AHTS on order and these are being built in their own shipyard. Expected to be delivered sometime in 2014, Marco Polo Marine is likely to register much stronger performance next year. Buying at $0.37 to $0.375 is also a bargain as it is at >15% discount to NAV.

SPH

I got more shares of SPH at $4.22. That is some 10% lower than the top of $4.68 touched in early April a couple of months ago. Volume has also been reducing as price weakened. Sellers are less enthusiastic but without strong buying interest, price could drift lower.

Well, as Mr. Market would have it, SPH's share price went even lower today, closing at $4.16, the low of the day. The optimism surrounding SPH's plan to bundle Paragon and Clementi Mall into a REIT seems to have evaporated, hinting at the pessimism surrounding all things S-REITs at the moment.

At this time, remind ourselves that the listing of SPH REIT is a good thing for SPH's shareholders. It strengthens SPH's balance sheet without really compromising its revenue stream from its real estate holdings. SPH will see its gearing level reducing to almost zero.

With the promise of a special dividend of 18c per share, post SPH REIT's listing, there is a cushion against further decline in share price which, using Fibo retracement lines, will find support at:

$4.11 (123.6%)
$4.04 (138.2%)
$3.99 (150.0%)
$3.93 (161.8%)

Remember that TA shows where the supports are. There is no promise that the supports will be tested.

Certainly, if the opportunities should present themselves, offers at $3.93 or $3.99 a share cum special dividend of 18c would be more attractive propositions.

NeraTel

This is a stock which I got in at 40.5c a share some time back. This was after the failed take over bid by ST Engineering. I didn't do much research on this company on my own. Neither did I have any experience with it. Instead, I relied on some advice by a very good friend who has been a shareholder for years.

This is a net cash company and has a record of paying consistent and meaningful dividends. Its last payout was 4c a share with an EPS of 5c. At today's closing price of 61c, we are looking at a dividend yield of 6.56% which is very decent. With its recurring revenue streams, dividends are probably sustainable.

So, I bought more shares of NeraTel as its share price retreated from a high of 69.5c. With buy prices of 60c to 63c, the dividend yields are from 6.35% to 6.67%. Any further weakness and a possible test of the rising 200d MA (approximating 57.5c now) for support would see me increasing my long exposure.

Certainly, I cannot tell how share prices will move tomorrow. So, I cannot tell if my additional investments made recently will result in paper losses but I can tell if I have made relatively sound decisions.

By looking at charts, I can tell where supports are expected to be found. So, I can tell where I might be adding to my long positions, given the chance.

Some things we know. Some things we don't.

I know, for sure, that we should have a plan and we should stick to it.

Related posts:
1. Spotlight on Marco Polo Marine.
2. SPH: A REIT investment.
3. REITs: When to buy?
4. REITs: Are we asking the right questions?
5. Be cautious climbing the S-REIT tree.
6. Have a plan, your own plan.

N95 respirator masks for S$ 1.80 each.



Best price in Singapore!

20x N95 Masks for S$ 36.00.

To buy now, follow the link:
Great deals for half the price
(Click the button "Beat the HAZE!")

$3.30 Fillet-O-Fish meal and $8.00 QB House haircut.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

In fact, you could get a Fillet-O-Fish or a Big Mac or a 6 piece McNugget value meal for S$3.30 each! Where in Singapore?

Unfortunately, not in Singapore but in Hong Kong.

Cheap!

When QB House increased their price from S$10 to S$12 here, I was taken aback. That was a 20% increase in price! Anyway, I soon got over it until I saw this:

Cheap!

HK$50 which is about S$8 only!

What did I do? Got myself a haircut and felt quite smug about it. Used the S$4 saved to buy myself a Fillet-O-Fish value meal and I still had 70c left over! Smug City!

Yummy!

We really have to travel to feel how strong the S$ is now and how expensive things have become in our country.

With the S$ so strong, is there more that can be done to reduce the cost of living in Singapore? I wonder.

Related posts:
1. Hong Kong: Ibis Hotel revisited.
2. Save money with low prices and free shipping.

Health Promotion Board: 6 steps to wearing the N95 mask.

If you have gotten your hands on a N95 mask, please wear it when you are out and about but please wear it properly:


Click to enlarge poster:




Not wearing it properly, we might end up inhaling all the particulate matter from the haze anyway. We don't want that.

Check latest PSI reading: NEA.

Related posts:
1. Buy N95 masks at Unity.
2. Buy 3M N95 masks for less.
3. Protect ourselves from the haze.


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