To be richer, do not indulge in creature comforts (Part 2).

Some readers might remember that I had a blog post in January with a similar title. In that blog post, I revealed that I was probably one of Starbucks' least favourite people. I know, I am putting it ever so nicely.

Unless it is free or heavily discounted in price, I don't drink Starbucks' coffee.

Now, what about Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf?

Alamak! AK is taking a pot shot at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf next?

Aiyoh, do you really think I am so bad? No lah! I am just sharing here how I am going to get a free coffee from them lah.

Yes, I know. I am terrible.

Related post:
To be richer, do not indulge in creature comforts. Really?

Why have I been silent on Mr. Lee's passing (till now)?

So many people have blogged about the passing of our country's founding Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. Some asked me why I have not said anything in my blog?

Well, apart from the fact that other bloggers have done such a good job of it, I am really not very good at writing eulogies. I do feel very sad and, actually, it goes beyond sadness. It is a deep sense of loss.



After all, even after he retired as Prime Minister, he was still very active, dispensing good advice and, for a while, it felt as if he would always be there for us.

Anyway, why am I blogging about him now?


Mr. Lee Kuan Yew "wore the same exercise shorts for 17 years. And when it tore, he patched it up, or his wife patched it up for him." 

This was revealed by Law and Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. K Shanmugam.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew was a very frugal person.

I might not understand all of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's great wisdom even if I tried but I can certainly identify with his frugal habits.

When I see some of my relatives throwing away perfectly good clothing just because they were out of fashion or children not finishing their food just because they didn't like it, I would feel very sad. I would worry, probably needlessly.

I remember the hard times my family had to go through. I remember being told never to waste food and, till today, I will finish all the food on my plate. When I buy cooked food, I would tell the vendor to give me less rice because I don't want to throw away what I cannot finish.

Once, I actually told my brother in law's sister to finish her food when she left so much unfinished. She looked at me, irritated, and asked if I would like to finish it for her. If I wasn't going to do it, keep quiet. I was surprised. She was quite a few years younger than I was and I probably expected her to listen. Anyway, it wasn't a response I was expecting.

Life is too good now, perhaps.

Waste not, want not. This is something we should all try to remember. Not something to do with meritocracy or good governance, perhaps, but this is something Mr. Lee Kuan Yew would probably want us to remember too.

Farewell, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. Thank you for all that you have done for Singapore. We owe you a great debt that can never be repaid. May you rest in peace.

Related posts:
1. Some of my stuff (Part 1).
2. Saving time and money but lost face?
3. An essential habit to becoming richer.

A dollar saved is a dollar earned.

I was chatting with a fellow blogger recently on FB and he says he enjoys saving $1 coins:

Photo shared by the reader.

And I told him I do too. So, here are never seen before images of AK's pouch of $1 coins (and I only keep the old ones which I like more than the new ones):

Saving is a habit. No matter how little we save. If we do it regularly, it does add up.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu.

Some friends were surprised at what I would do to save $1 before: Queue for S$1.00 parking fee redemption?

Remember what is the very first step to becoming richer? Clue.

Related post:
If we are not rich, don't act rich.
"I cannot save money because I don't make much."

If AK can grow money trees, so can you!

Not too long ago, I revealed that I bought a money tree and a few other plants for my planter at home. I have spent some time re-potting them and I want to show them off:

The money tree is the tallest plant in the pot.

Re-potting the cacti was more daunting a task.

I hope I didn't damage their roots or something in the process. It would be totally inauspicious if the money tree should die on me.

What else do I do from time to time on weekends other than growing a money tree?

Well, I enjoy picking fruits from another money tree which I have been growing for many years. 

Another money tree? It must be quite big to be bearing fruits, you might think.

Surprisingly, I don't need a pot or soil for this money tree. I just need a calculator, a pen and some paper. Got you!

Yes, it involves real money this time.

I am quite happy to spend some quality time with my money tree and my "money tree".

Like what you see? You can do it too. Believe it.

-------
Update (3 January 2016)

How is my money tree doing?

Not too bad. :)

Related posts:
1. Grow some plants that bring wealth?
2. Create Dividend Machines. (Interview with AK.)

Buffett and Munger don't like to pay full prices. Do you?

It is hard not to mention how important it is to save money whenever I blog or talk because it is so much a part of me. Now, by saving money, I am not just talking about paying ourselves first. I am also talking about how I try to get the best deals.

Today, I thought I was meeting some friends and when I messaged one of them, I found out that I was mistaken. So, I decided to do some window shopping. Nice, lazy Sunday. Then, suddenly, I felt like having a cold Ribena drink. It was kind of strange but I just felt like it.

So, I walked into the supermarket in the mall and saw that it was going for $1.70 a packet. Those that were chilled would cost 15% more! Reminding myself that there was a Watsons in the mall, I decided to check if they had the same drink at a special price.

Wow! Chilled Ribena drink in Watsons was cheaper at $1.50 a packet and the special deal was "Buy 2 for $2". Jackpot! So, basically, I got 2 for the price of 1.

Since I was in Watsons, I decided to see what other good deals they had and I found these:

Usual price: $8.20 each. I paid $8.80 for 2.

I am always getting paper cuts. Using hand mosturisers each time after I wash my hands help to prevent paper cuts. Rosken is an inexpensive brand which I have been using for years and the pharmacies here have special deals once every few months. Those are the times I would buy.

People sometimes laugh at me and ask me:

1. How much can you save?

2. Aren't you spending more by buying more?

Well, I believe that savings no matter how little do add up. If I am able to get more bang for my dollar, why not? If it is something I use regularly, why shouldn't I buy more?

This thinking is not something that I apply only to the small things in life. I am like this with bigger things in life too. 

I will try to find value for money in big ticket items like cars, apartments and stocks too. 

If something has become a habit, it pervades our lives. Always looking for the best deals is a habit for me.

So, how much money did I save in the process of pampering myself with chilled Ribena drinks and buying what is an essential item for me? Well, there could be several answers to this question. So, I will let whoever is interested derive his own answer:

Of course, for those of us who did Economics in school as a subject, we will remember that all of us have imperfect knowledge, so, it could be very difficult, if at all possible to get the best possible deals all the time. 

If we did get the best possible deal sometimes, we were probably lucky. 

However, this shouldn't stop us from trying. For anyone who is always paying full prices, getting better deals is already a fantastic start.

"Whether socks or stocks, I like buying quality merchandise when it is marked down," Warren Buffett.

"... all that is required is a willingness to bet heavily when the odds are extremely favourable, using resources available as a result of prudence and patience in the past," Charlie Munger.

Related posts:
1. Song Stonecold: Getting value out of everything.

2. Seven money habits of AK71's.

3. Shopping online with free shipping saves money.

Hickory dickory dock, AK just bought a clock!

I don't like wall clocks not because they are not pleasing to the eye. I just don't like knocking nails into walls. So, in my apartment, you will see only desk clocks. The problem with the ones I have is that they are quite small and hard for me to see unless I am quite close to them.

So, I decided that I should get a bigger clock, one that I could tell time with easily from anywhere in the living room.

They are hard to find and the few I saw are all so expensive. Their prices are from $59 to $139. Their faces weren't very big either. They were, maybe, 6cm to 8cm across. OK, maybe, I am used to paying $2.00 for a clock but, to be fair, those were tiny with faces 3cm or so across.

Anyway, I decided to just wait and see if I could find a less expensive one in future. No hurry, I told myself. Well, guess what. My patience was recently rewarded:

I found this in an old and dusty looking watch repair shop which has lots of old watches and clocks. It has a white face which is about 13cm across with black hands and numbers. Price? $29.00. Not bad.

It is actually a working alarm clock too! OK, I know. Duh... Aiyoh, humour me lah. A wall clock wouldn't have that function, right?

Clock looks happy sitting next to my new 40" FHD LED TV.

There is also a story about the TV which I paid very little for a couple of months ago but I will leave that story for another time, maybe.

Related post:
Another personal story of frugality.

Value for money: Rolexes snapped up in Singapore.

"Rolexes flew off the shelves over the weekend after the Swiss franc's surprise appreciation last Thursday sent Singapore's luxury watch enthusiasts on a buying spree before retailers adjust their price tags."
Source: The Straits Times.

Today, a fellow blogger sent me a message:

"I read today that pple are rushing to buy Rolex and other Swiss watches, from a value point do u think it is worth to buy now?"

To be quite honest, the thought of buying a Rolex or two crossed my mind too after reading the news regarding the Swiss Franc last week.

I thought about it a bit more and decided that although the prices of brand new Swiss made watches are certainly going to be higher in future, I would be silly to lock up money in what is a consumption item that is likely to depreciate in value over time even though I might have a margin of safety buying at the pre-adjusted prices. I am very sure, therefore, that it won't be an investment.

Depreciate in value? Don't believe me? Go to shops that sell pre-owned Rolex and other atas Swiss watches to take a look. Most people have relatively short memories but we might want to be reminded that, during bad times, we might even be spoilt for choice in these shops.

Well, it seems that many people disagree with me, going by the newspaper report today. Mr. Market is always right. So, AK is the silly one.

Anyway, my reply:

"Watches are consumption items. We can buy pre-owned Rolex and other Swiss made watches at a fraction of what they would cost brand new.

"I know some people say that luxury watches are investments. Well, I believe that some luxury watches can be investments. These could be highly sought after limited production pieces from very exclusive brands.

"It is not a subject that I have the time or inclination to learn more about. So, I am quite happy to stick to what I know which is that given a choice, I would rather hoard gold and silver than luxury watches."

Since I am not an expert on the subject, I have "invited" an expert to give us his view:

"The Swiss watch market is especially sensitive to economic depressions, and finds itself always having to aim where new money is. This is because high-end wrist watches for the most part are a poor economic investment. You should buy them because you love them, because they are beautiful, and because you want to wear them. Not because you think they will hold or increase in value.

"As a professional talking head on watches I often get asked about investing in watches for profit. The idea that you’ll buy a watch and wait until it increases in value doesn’t made for good sense. Plus, historically it doesn’t happen often even with extremely rare watches. Of course this is not the universally the case, but if I was your investment adviser, I would say stick with watches for wearing not anticipating." Ariel Adams in Forbes. 

Have you bought your Rolex yet?

Related post:
My vintage Rolex.

Saving time, money and my backside but lost face?

In the ongoing saga of the holey backside, I decided to improve the living conditions for my nether regions by addressing the drafty environment through a patch.

Very happy! 

My sister has saved me time and money with her handiwork. 

Thanks, sis!





To be quite honest, one of the things I dislike shopping for the most are pants. 

Very troublesome. 

So, when I find some that I like, I would usually buy at least 2 pairs and hope that they last many years.





A friend who saw my blog post on the hole in my backside couldn't resist giving me a call and he said (not in the exact words):

"OMG! You are the only person I know who actually wears out his clothes to the point of having holes in them! And you actually blog about them? Don't you think it is embarrassing?"

I am so sorry. I didn't know I am supposed to be embarrassed. 





I feel so embarrassed now. 

Thanks for taking the trouble to inform me.
---------------------------
Added on 5 May 2016:

Be frugal! Save money, patch it!

I support the Singapore Police Force's austerity drive (no pun intended)! 





Related posts:
1. An essential habit to becoming richer.
2. What to do when you have a hole in your backside?

To be richer, do not indulge in creature comforts. Really?

I am definitely not one of Starbucks' favourite people as I always tell family, friends and readers of my blog that Starbucks coffee is very expensive. 

I am always using Starbucks as an example of something that is really not a necessity in life. OK, for some of us, we need to drink coffee but do we need to drink Starbucks coffee? OK, definitely, their shareholders don't like me too.

Well, this is one of the perils of being the leader in an industry.  Yes, whenever I think of expensive coffee, I think of Starbucks. 

Depending on how you look at this, it could either be a good thing or a bad thing. So, maybe, they would look at it as a good thing, be flattered and don't dislike me that much.

Anyway, there are times when I would indulge in a bit of Starbucks coffee although I am not much of a coffee drinker, preferring tea most of the time. Iced mocha? I rather like that although friends have told me that it isn't real coffee. It is more like a chocolate plus coffee mixture. Adulterated. OK, I am not into gourmet coffee nor gourmet anything. If I like the taste, it is good for me.

So, when are the times I would indulge? Here is an example:

Yes, I know. I am terrible.

I think some readers would remember that I shared what David Gan said in an interview before:

"Tell you a secret. I have a bad habit. If it is not expensive, I don't buy."

People like David Gan would look down on people like me.

Well, AK has a secret too. Nah, I am not going to say it. I am sure you know what it is.

Anyway, I do agree that there is nothing wrong with indulging once in a while. For example, why have only one Fillet-O-Fish for lunch? Have two!

Easily my favourite thing on the menu at McDonald's but at $3.95 each, it isn't cheap. However, it looks much better when we have this:

It is not about not indulging in creature comforts, it is about looking to get greater value for money and trying not to pay full price for anything.

OK, I am feeling full and doubly happy now.

Related posts:
1. Kopi with Song Stonecold.
2. A meal for $2.00 from McDonald's.
3. Seven money habits of AK71's.

What to do when you have a hole in your backside?

Last evening, when I was walking back to my car after meeting a friend for dinner, I was stopped by a stranger who told me with a smile:

"Excuse me, you have a hole in your backside."






OMG! I was taken aback!

I looked at him and I didn't know what to say to that.

I mean, how would you react if you were in my shoes?

Black hole?

Of course, I have hole in my backside.

All of us do, don't we?






I wondered if he was trying to be funny.

Anyway, I must have stared at him long enough for him to feel uncomfortable after that.

He gave a weak smile and pointed at the back of my pants.






I turned to look and found a big tear in the seat of my pants!

So, that was what he meant.

I smiled and thanked him for telling me.

It must have happened very recently as I didn't see the tear when I did the laundry over the weekend.






I have had this pair of pants for almost 10 years.

I knew it was getting a bit threadbare and even ratty looking in some parts but this particular tear makes it (possibly) indecent to wear out from now on.

Looks like I will have to part ways with another old friend.






Feeling a bit sad but what to do?

Related post:
Parting with an old friend.

Do we need new or is old good enough? (How to be richer? Another personal story of frugality.)

UPDATED (22 DEC 16):

Related post: Never bored in retirement.

Old game but still a fun game!

As I play the game, I am also watching the anime online. All 180 episodes! I can binge watch!

All for FREE!

Wahahaha! Bad AK! Bad AK!
-------------------------
I hear friends talking about getting good ear phones so that they can enjoy music on the go many times before.

A friend actually brought me to a shop in the basement of ION Orchard to look at these super earphones before and when I saw the prices, my jaw dropped.

I don't know if you believe me but a pair of these diminutive ear plugs, yes, they look like ear plugs, could cost more than $300 or $400! 

How could something so small cost so much? It is simply mind boggling! What is more amazing is that some people actually buy the latest (expensive) ear phones as and when they become available!

When recommended to get a pair for myself, I politely declined, saying that I don't have use for earphones. Actually, that is not true. I do use earphones. I use them when I watch movies on my iPad. I use them when I travel. I use them when I go to the gym (once in a blue moon).

However, my earphones didn't cost me $300 or $400. They didn't even cost me $15, if I remember correctly.

So, what do my earphones look like?

I don't know if they still sell earphones like these. They come in a plastic case with a nifty rotating feature to reel in the cords neatly. I like the neat design very much.

I happen to leave my earphones on my desk today because I used them in the gym yesterday. A friend who was visiting remarked at the "antique".

Well, I must have had these ear phones since I was in college or when I was in National Service. I cannot remember exactly. So, they are pretty old but they still work.

I have shared in various blog posts before on the things I have and some of these things I have had for a long time and still using today. (See related posts below.) These ear phones are another example.

I don't see the need to get the latest gadgets which are usually rather expensive, anyway.

If the older stuff still work, unless there is a very good reason, we shouldn't replace them.

Waste not, want not.

Related posts:
1. Some of my stuff (Part 1).
2. Some of my stuff (Part 2).
3. Some of my stuff (Part 3).
4. How I earned $9,216 with a mug?
5. AK denied Starhub extra income!

Grow some plants that bring wealth and good luck?

It has been quite a while since I had my own outdoor space at home. Today, I went to a plant nursery to get myself a few potted plants to start populating my new pad. Here are two of them:

They look quite cheery, don't you think?

I chose these plants because they don't need much care. Perfect for me. However, they do need to be in a bright and preferably shaded location or so I was told. Perfect for the outdoor space I have at home since it doesn't get any direct sunlight.

The one in the blue pot is a Dracaena Fragrans while the one in the black pot is a Pachira. The one in the blue pot is also known as an Iron Tree in Asia. When an Iron Tree flowers, it will bring good luck to the owner. So, I hope it flowers.

I kept an Aloe Vera plant that grew to be a giant before and it flowered multiple times. If you are new to my blog, see the related post at the end of this blog post to look at the photos I took of the Aloe Vera plant before.

The Dracaena Fragrans is also an organic air purifier. Apparently, it removes pollutants such as formaldehyde, xylene and toluene. I am not a chemist. So, don't ask me for details but they sound like nasty stuff. Source: NASA Clean Air Studies.

The Pachira plant is believed to bring wealth and is also known as the Money Tree. It also cleans the air of smoke. Anyone here living or working with smokers? Go get a Pachira plant.

I just found out that it could grow to be 15 feet tall although the size of its pot could limit its growth. Oh, dear. I could be in trouble if mine grows much bigger. I better be mentally prepared. Source: Care for Pachira plants.

Now, I have another thing to do on Sundays apart from the laundry.
---------------------
UPDATE: 19 FEB 2017
My Money Tree today:

Compare to the photo at the top of the blog and you will see how much it has grown in just 2 years.
Also read: Know our goals, have the right conditions and patience.
Related post:
AK's Aloe Vera plant flowered?

Wisdom, wit, some vegetables and a fish.

I was chatting with my mom and she talked about looking at the skies and laughing at the follies of man. I told her she is so poetic and reminded me of 文章. Younger readers might not get the joke.

Have a listen:





I think this was more than 20 years ago. I am feeling my age. Thanks, mom.

I also decided to give myself a lunch treat today and I think it is a lunch that most people would approve of:

Price: $3.50.

Who says AK's lunch is always under $3.00? Who? Who?

Related post:
Old fashion or growing older?

Get a new HEPA filter and breathe cleaner air while in bed.

I blogged about how I have a Sharp air purifier in my room even before the very bad haze experienced last year. What makes an air purifier works is really the HEPA filter that is inside.

"High-efficiency particulate air or HEPA is a type of air filter. HEPA filters are designed to target much smaller pollutants and particles." (Source: Wikipedia)

A HEPA filter.

Those who have a HEPA filter air purifier will know that the HEPA filter comes wrapped in a plastic bag and has to be installed in the machine. Once exposed to the environment, the filter has a lifespan of 2 years. It says so in the manual.

However, I have people tell me that they don't ever change the filter because the machine still works. Well, the machine could be working but the filter is probably degraded so badly that it no longer works to filter out harmful particles. In fact, it could be paying out harmful particles if it is badly degraded.

Anyway, if you own a HEPA filter air purifier and you have not changed the filter in 2 years or more, you might want to get it changed. Of course, you would have to clean the inside of the machine before installing the new filter too.

If you are still not convinced that the filter has to be changed, I changed mine today and here are the photos:

Old HEPA filter.

New HEPA filter.

The filters used to be available in Courts, Best Denki or Harvey Norman but they no longer stock them. I had to go to Sharp's Authorised Service Centre at Alexandra to get the filter. Not very convenient but it is worth the trouble to have clean air in my bedroom while I sleep:

Oh, it is cheaper to get a new HEPA filter than to buy a new air purifier, in case you are wondering. It costs just a bit more than $70 for the model of air purifier that I have.

This is not an advertorial.

This is just AK being kaypoh again.

Related post:
Protect ourselves from the haze while in bed.

With some difficulty, AK says "good-bye".

When I was in secondary school, my family was staying in a HDB 3 room flat and my parents cordoned off a section of the living room for me to use as my bedroom and study area. 

In a way, I had the largest bedroom in the flat!





On hindsight, they did what they could to make our lives comfortable despite the difficult circumstances.

This is another reminder of my mother's love:

My mom bought this for me after I told her that my English Language teacher asked us to listen to the BBC as a means of improving our command of the language. 






She paid $40.00 for this and it worked tirelessly for 29 years.

The price tag stuck in my mind because I thought it was a lot of money back then.

Although I do not tune in to the BBC anymore, I would still tune in to a couple of local radio stations. 

Sound quality might not be amazing but it is clear and crisp.





Still serviceable, I will be giving it away to a co-worker who has greater utility for it. 

I think of it as a chance to unclutter my life as well which I have been doing a lot of recently.

Suddenly, however, it feels hard to say "good-bye".





Thank you for 29 years of faithful service.

Thank you, mom, for giving this to me.

Related posts:
1. Parting with an old friend.
2. My mug from 1987.
3. Ancient t-shirt is still good!

Why did AK buy an atas mattress but a cheapo TV?

Every dollar counts.

UPDATE (DECEMBER 2016):
After more than two years, my cheapo LED HDTV is still brilliant and trouble free. I think it is safe to reveal the brand now:

If  you are not brand conscious, you can get this brand of TV in Giant hypermarts. I feel that it is definitely good value for money.



---------------
2014:
I have been super busy and super tired recently. I would get home at about 11pm, take a shower, read the news a bit and go to bed. So, you can imagine that I have not had much inclination to blog.

Today, I took some time off from work to do my own things and chatted a bit on FB with readers and thought it interesting enough to share with readers who don't follow me on FB:

Some of you might remember that I bought an expensive (but value for money) bed and mattress recently but I have settled for an inexpensive TV even more recently. 

This is even less expensive than the Chimei brand 26" LCD TV I bought 8 years ago for $699 for my old place.

I don't know if I should reveal the brand for my latest purchase or not. I don't want to have readers who might be unhappy with the quality hounding me.

Anyway, with age comes aches and pains and with these come wisdom. This lately acquired wisdom tells me that the bed is more important than the TV. Hence, my decisions.

Unless born with a spoon made of some precious metal in our mouths, all of us have rather limited resources and must make the wisest use of our money.

Related post:
I could not afford it but now I can.

AK says good-bye to another old friend.

Feeling sad.

A shirt which I have had for more than 10 years, maybe 15.

After the latest wash in the machine.

This is one of my favourite shirts and I liked it so much, I bought two that time. Time to let go.





I remember wearing this shirt to meet a fellow financial blogger 3 or 4 years ago. 

I was still very new to blogging and he was very encouraging. 

His fiancée then could tell that it was a shirt from Giordano!





Maybe, I should go shopping for another shirt.

Related post:
Parting with an old friend.

AK meets Richard Mille.

For those who don't follow me on Facebook:

AK  the Giamsiap fellow. LOL.

Added on 18 October 2016:

Source: HWZ

ROFL. ;p

Related post:
Buying a $500,000 watch.