L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Foot Cream.

Almost two years ago, I blogged about moisturisers, admitting that I use them. Well, I still use them! Recently, I discovered shea butter!

"Shea butter is a solid fatty oil made from the nuts of Karite Nut trees, also known as Mangifolia, that grow in the semi-arid savannah regions of West and Central Africa. Shea butter is sometimes called “women’s gold,” because extracting the butter from the nuts gives employment and income to hundreds of thousands of rural African village women. Shea butter is so non-toxic and beneficial that it is used in foods and cooking as well as soaps and beauty products." Source: www.care2.com

I actually bought a big tube (150ml) from L'OCCITANE at the recommendation of a good friend. It says Shea Butter Foot Cream but I use it on my hands and elbows too. It really works and the moisturising effect is long lasting compared to other moisturisers I have used before.

My tube of L'OCCITANE Shea Butter Foot Cream.

Now, instead of using Aesop's Resurrection Hand Balm (which is more expensive), I use this Shea Butter Foot Cream on my feet. Massaging the cream well into my heels before going to sleep, it prevents cracked heels. As it contains lavender essential oil as well, massaging it into my hands, the scent which is very soothing helps me sleep better too.

This is good stuff and to anyone who is thinking of a hand and foot moisturiser, you might want to give this a try. Inexpensive and effective, this can be bought online for US$36.00 per tube and it ships free to your address in Singapore. You could also be eligible for some discounts.

Find out here at this link:
L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream 150ml/5.2oz

Related post:
Should guys use hand moisturisers?

Old Chang Kee: Have my curry puff and eat it too.

Time really flies! It really does not feel like I have been a shareholder of Old Chang Kee since October 2011 but it is true! 

I have been a shareholder of the company for more than a year now.

Today, I made a decision to sell half of my shares in Old Chang Kee. 

Why not hold? Well, it has more than doubled from my buy price.

The decision is not based on TA since it is such a thinly traded and volatile stock. 

The decision is more based on FA as I feel that although it is a great company with characteristics similar to See's Candies which Warren Buffet likes so much, valuation is now rather rich.

Then, here comes the interesting part. 

Why have I chosen to sell at 57c or higher? 

Why not 55c or 56c? 

For those of you who think that AK is a savvy investor with profound insights or thoughts, this could change your mind (hahaha..).

Well, my entry price was 26c a share. A doubling of the share price would see 52c a share. 

Old Chang Kee recently announced a 5c dividend which is payable sometime next month. So, 52c + 5c = 57c. 

Tadah! Rocket science at its best.





Why not sell all my shares then? 

Well, apart from the 5c bumper dividend declared, I really don't know why Mr. Market is so into Old Chang Kee suddenly. 

Could there be something brewing that is more delicious than the comfort fast food that Old Chang Kee is famous for?

Being minority shareholders, we are usually slower in getting any type of news, if at all. So, I am keeping half of my shares (which are free of cost now) just in case. 





Of course, then, I will still receive the bumper dividend to be paid out to shareholders next month. Yummy!

Related posts:
1. Old Chang Kee: Special interim dividend.
2. Old Chang Kee: Initiated long position at 26c.

If we are not rich, don't act rich!

We are familiar with excuses. 

We hear them all the time and, sometimes, we also make some. 

I am being honest. 

Yes, sometimes, I make excuses.

"I cannot save money because I don't make much."

Heard this before?




We have to earn money and save money. 

Basically, that is the way most of us start building up our wealth. 

For those lucky enough not to have to do that, skip to the next step which is to invest. 

Of course, there are those who are extremely lucky who don't need to invest but if you are reading my blog, I don't think you belong to this group of people.

Anyway, this blog post is off the cuff and if you have friends or family members who are not saving money, justifying their inaction by saying they make too little, send them the link to this blog post or share this in any social media, whichever you find easier.

Now, this may sound jaded as I have said it before many times and that is we should run our lives like we would run a business! 

We must try to contain costs and increase revenue!




Contain costs? 

Yes, what do we spend our money on? 

Are they needs or wants? 

If they are wants, cut them immediately. 

Mercilessly. 

If they are needs? 

Are there any cheaper alternatives which do the job just as well?

If we were always going to Starbucks et al for our coffee fix, we could start by bringing a packet of 3 in 1 coffee mix to work every day. 

That's coffee too and I think that would set us back by 20c a day instead of $5 (I don't know how much Starbucks coffee costs and this is just an educated guess)! 

Doesn't sound too difficult, does it? 




Don't brush it off! 

Savings add up especially if we do it in every aspect of our lives!

The worst type of costs is the type we really have great difficulty escaping from due to bad decisions leading to long term commitments. 

Can you think of some?




Here goes. 

Just because our friends or family members have a car (or two) or a condo (or two), it does not mean that we should have them too. 

Just because our friends or family members are married and have two or three children, it does not mean we should do it too. 

Always think carefully, plan ahead before making such huge commitments. 

They could really haunt us later on, otherwise.

For anyone, especially those who have trapped themselves into huge, longer term expenses which they cannot easily escape from, who says they cannot save money because they don't make much? 

Ask what is the logical thing to do? 

Increase revenue!

Increase revenue? 

Yes, find ways of making more money. 

Unless we are severely handicapped mentally or physically, there is no excuse for not being able to make more money in a country like ours where opportunities abound! 

Often, people are just lazy or picky.



There are a few well known bloggers who are private tutors by night. 

I even know a blogger who was a DJ by night! 

I know someone who helps out in his family's chicken rice store on weekends and I have a friend who sells her cakes and cookies to friends who appreciate them.

In case you are wondering, all of them have day jobs and have about the same amount of free time as any other person with a day job, everything else being equal. 

They have a choice on what they would do with their free time just like anyone else.

Please choose and choose wisely.



Once we are on this journey of containing costs and increasing revenue, we should naturally be saving money. 

A pertinent question to ask is how much should we save? 

Personally, I have been asked that before by many people and I always tell them that if they do not feel that they are sacrificing something in the process, they are not saving enough. 

Remember the Starbucks coffee example earlier?

We can do it!

Of course, "sacrifice" is a subjective concept. Someone might think that sacrificing Starbucks coffee for coffee from a neighbourhood coffeeshop is enough. 

Well, there is still savings, I reckon. 

I am not dogmatic when it comes to details. It is the concept that I want to share. 

It is the spirit I wish for every person to embrace.




Perhaps, what is most important to remember is this:

If we are not rich, don't act rich! We have to work harder to save money because we are not rich! If we act rich when we are not, we will never be rich!

For more blog posts on the topic, please refer to the right side bar and look for the box titled "Wealth Creation: Earn and save."




"When you do these things, people assume you are an intelligent, important and responsible person."

I guess I know why some stock market gurus like to show off their expensive purchases now.

LOL! Oops.

Bad AK! Bad AK!



---------------------------------
Related posts:
1. Not enough money to be married.
2. Rich Dad, Poor Dad: 2 are better than 1.

This could interest you:
The Richest Man in Babylon & the Magic Story: Two Classic Parables about Achieving Wealth and Personal Success

The Richest Man in Babylon is a story of Arkad, a person of humble origins who became the richest man in Babylon. Discover the attitudes and behavior that bring wealth and happiness.

The Magic Story is a story about Jay who saw how his once struggling friend became a man of achievement. Find out how his friend did it.

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A new Sun has risen.

SunVic Chemical Holdings made history today appointing a 26 year old as CEO, possibly the youngest CEO of a listed company in Singapore, as reported by The Business Times.

26 year old Sun Xiao will take over from his father, Sun Liping. Sun Xiao graduated from Curtin University of Technology more than two years ago and joined the company as an intern. He became deputy CEO last May.

I think it comes as no surprise that people think Sun Xiao is somewhat young for the job. How often do we hear of an employee with only 2 years of working experience being promoted to the position of CEO?

Mr. Mak Yuen Teen of NUS Business School said that it is the job of the nominating committee to justify the decision. Why is Sun Xiao the best person for the job? How was he chosen?

See what they said:

"The nominating committee and the board have after considering the relevant industrial experience of Mr. Sun Xiao, found him suitable for the position of CEO and have approved his appointment with immediate effect." Duh...

Sun Liping has almost 62% interest in SunVic. Other shareholders can be unhappy and object until the cows come home but this is definitely one of the things which minority shareholders of family controlled companies could possibly have to live with.

Remember my recent blog post? Who you know is important, isn't it?

Related post:
Discrimination: Get real!

Yongnam: The ADR effect!

In October last year, Yongnam had a roadshow for overseas investors. In that roadshow, it was revealed that they were getting their shares traded as ADRs in the USA. This has happened and their ADRs commenced trading on 8 January 2013.

"This market platform will allow Yongnam shares to trade more easily on an international basis, enable the Company to diversify its shareholder base, encourage trading liquidity, and improve access to new capital markets." (Yongnam)

Mr. Market certainly likes the news!

If 26.5c should be taken out, then, I see 28c as the next resistance level to watch with 29c as a much stronger resistance which could be tested under very bullish circumstances.

Of course, we can only wonder if share price would go even higher tomorrow or the day after.

What are ADRs?

ADR stands for American depositary receipt and it is a stock that trades in the United States but represents a specified number of shares in a foreign corporation. ADRs are bought and sold on American markets just like regular stocks, and are issued/sponsored in the U.S. by a bank or brokerage.

ADRs were introduced as a result of the complexities involved in buying shares in foreign countries and the difficulties associated with trading at different prices and currency values. For this reason, U.S. banks simply purchase a bulk lot of shares from the company, bundle the shares into groups, and reissues them. (Source: Investopedia)

Related posts:
1. Yongnam: Worried about warrants?
2. A Christmas collection of charts.

Fly with AK71.

These were two shots I took from my window seat as the plane was flying over Narita, Japan.

These sights made the very uncomfortable flight more bearable.

See some of my past vacation photos in Japan: here.

Related post:
Singapore-Japan-USA