Kingfisher - Durable Spectacle for Kids

My 6yo has been wearing her Kingfisher spectacle for almost 2 years and it finally gave way a few days ago when his brother pulled her specs when they were fighting. One of the lenses cracked and the frame broke too. It is time though coz the frame has been bent and out of shape for on so many occasions.

We went to get a new spectacle for her just now and she picked the same brand too. I am glad that she did. I hope this one will last for another 2 years. It cost us RM250 plus the lenses. :D

One Month to Chinese New Year

Hey, one more month to Chinese New Year too! And I have not done any preparation except buying new clothings for my children.

Only if I have a helper around, I think I can steal sometime to bake some cookies. As it is, for this year's CNY, we have to spend more money and buy, buy and buy.

New Disburator for RM200

My old Toyota KE70 must be started every day. If one day we forgot to start it, we have to remove the battery and send it for charging. Jump start won't work at all.

Every since, I undergo the surgery, I don't drive the Toyota anymore because the steering is way too heavy for my tummy's muscle. I will suffer pain for days if I drive the car.

If I don't drive the car, on some days it will be left undriven because hubby prefers to ride his motorbike to work to save cost.

We have no choice but to spend money to change the disburator. Now, the car can start even after 2 days of not starting the engine. :) But the timing is way too high. The car must visit the workshop again soon.

The DVD Player

Before the CNY, some DVD that is played our Orbit DVD player (bought from Tesco for less than RM100) will display black & white picture. So we thought that the DVD is going bonkers soon.

After the CNY, all DVDs that are played on the DVD player displayed black & white picture. Time to get a new DVD player then. Besides the colour, it has problem opening and closing.

DVD player is a must if not no movies for us to watch and no cartoon for the children because we do not have satellite TV and hubby has no time to bring me to the cinema. So off we went to buy the cheapest DVD player available. We bought a Pensonic at RM109. Can't afford to buy a branded and expensive DVD player, if not the Collection Agency will surely come after us!

Happy with our new purchase, we tried it with the movie Bolt. It is no longer black & white but black, white & green only!

So...the problem is not with our DVD player but with the TV! Only the AV part; other channels, no problem. Looks like we spent money on the wrong item! =(

Now, instead of sending the TV for repair, I am hoping that the 29” TV that my sister promised to give me will return from the repair shop soon.

No Birthday Present

and that is what I thought.

In the first place, I wanted a watch to replace my old ones but decided not to spend on it because I don't really need to wear one these days. That will save hubby at least RM100.

For my birthday dinner, I wanted to eat Singapore Bee Hoon from one of the restaurants in Port Dickson but last minute decided not too; again to save money. I cooked my own Fried Bee Hoon.

At the end of the day, we spent almost RM200! Dim Sum for breakfast, bought watches for my girls, a dozen of Big Apple's Donuts, ice-creams, waffles, Satay Celup, chesse cake and a surprise gift from hubby!

So much of wanting to save money eh!

I can't understand Man when it comes to Spending

Hubby asked me to buy a new sink for my apartment because the student requested it to be changed because it is a lil bit dented. Hubby managed to get RM50 for them for the sink because the sink is still in good condition, it is only dented not leaking!

When it comes to hard earn money, I am very trifty. I went to buy the cheapest sink I can find; exactly the same as the one in my apartment; an aluminium sink which cost only RM46. I was so happy about it because we don't have to top up the cost to replace the sink.

When I told hubby about it, he was not happy because I bought the same as the current one and it is cheap. He said that the student might not notice that the old one has been replaced. He wants something nicer and looks more expensive! So we went to change to a stainless steel one which look more shiny and of course more expensive; RM78 a unit.

Haiya! Why spend so much? As long as the new sink not dented ok already what?

Greenpan

I just spent SG$109.38 to buy 2 units of Greenpan for my sister’s house warming gift. They are non stick pans using Thermolon(tm) non-stick Technology, heat resistant up to 450 C/ 850 F and no PTFE - no use of PFOA. Don’t ask me what is that, I have no idea! Hahaha.

The introductory price is SG$69 after 15% discount. Looks cheap right but the delivery charges is SG$18.50. On top of that there is 25% Tax of the total invoice amount. Even the delivery charges were tax at 25%!!!

So I ended up paying RM255 for 2 pcs of that frying pan. I never spend that much buy cooking utensil before and never will for myself! Since she is moving to her new house next week and I can’t afford to sponsor an air-conditioner as she requested and this is the 2nd item in her wanted list and only I can buy coz I am always online! So, I close both eyes and click “Buy”! LOL.

Since her new house is not that far from our parent’s, she is shifting her stuff little by little. If the house is out of this state, she will sure need company like Boston Moving company to help her move.

Fighting Credit Fees

I have a few credit cards but only once I spent more than half of the credit limit; once I did not paid in full the outstanding amount because I used the credit card to furnish my new bought apartment that cost me thousands of dollars and once I used the card for cash advance.

Wondering why I did all the above only once? It is because of the fees that I have to pay for all the above transaction. When I look at the amount, it is not worth it paying unless you really have no other option.

So my credit cards are free for life; meaning my annual fee is waived as long as I swipe 12 times in a year. There is no such thing as credit card with no fees at all.

If you hear people talking about fighting credit fees, they are actually referring to ways to avoid unnecessary credit fees.

As for me, I will avoid getting cash advance from the ATMs. Not only the cash advance fee is high, the interest rate for the cash advances is extremely high too!

Cheapest Dining Table, Cheapest Bed and Cheapest Mattress

That is what I told the furniture shop owner the moment I stepped into her shop. I want the cheapest, please! "Oh, it is for your apartment is it?" Oh she can read my mind! =D

Cheapest Dining Table
After going through the catalogs and some honest advice from her, the cheapest 4 seaters dining table is around RM280 but the top is made of chip board which will surely damage if water spills on it. Ok, we can forget about it, I can't be changing dining table for the students every year. Then she showed me a 6 seaters glass table which is on promotion; RM380. It looks more classy and durable. So I added that to my list.

Cheapest Queen Size Bed
That will be the metal bed and the cheapest is RM200. No other option. Took that too.

Cheapest Mattress
This one I don't care how it looks like, I just want the cheapest and not so thin. She gave me a 6 inch mattress which cost RM140. Took that too.

Total = RM720.00. Request her to round it up to RM700.00, she agreed coz we frequent buy furniture from her. =D

Next, I need to find the cheapest water heater, bedsheet and curtains.

I really need to fully furnish the apartment before October because we have people renting it as holiday apartment and soon the new students are coming in to stay in November.

What To Do When You Overspent Your Credit Card

When I was still working, I count the days to receiving my credit cards statement and eagerly pay all the balance due way before the due date.

Now being jobless, I wish that they don’t turn up at all! LOL. And when they do turn up, I open them with fear and trembling.

Noticed that I used the word “them”? I am using a few credit cards but each for different purposes; one for insurance, one for petrol, one for utility bills and one for shopping. The one that I dread receiving the most is the shopping credit card because I don’t usually track my spending.

Thank God there are Balance transfers. If one credit card goes way above my ability to settle full payment, I just transfer the balance to another card and save on the interest rate. Some don’t even charge interest for a few months. Isn’t that great? But that does not mean that I can continue spending like there’s not tomorrow. ;)

Desperate for Money

I spoke too soon about my apartment rental. It is now down to RM600 a month and I need to provide curtain for the main door 8’x10’, 3 window curtains, rubbish bin, bucket for their children to bathe and new water tab. Earlier they asked for a water heater, a TV and free broadband! Do you think that they are asking too much?

If they are paying like RM800 a month, I wouldn’t mind providing all those. Even though I do not have cash in hand right now but with my good credit history, I know I can get the instant credit offers if I were to apply for one.

I was pressured because he called our neighbour who is also looking for a tenant. This tenant of mine told them how much they are paying for mine and for someone who is desperate to get their apartment rented too will definitely offer a lower price. I was kinda pissed off and told the tenant that if he were to tell them that he is getting mine at RM500, they will definitely offer him RM50 lower.

I just wanna get the deal done with and agreed with his “demands”. I am desperate too. Furthermore I know he won’t be renting my apartment for long due to his vocation. As long as I do not need to pay the whole lump sum of the home loan all by myself, I am happy.

I got free window curtains from my mom’s; she changes curtains every year. The rubbish bin and the bucket, I have a few of them in my other apartment; left by the students. And my mom volunteered to sew for me the door curtain and that save me a lot of money. The ready made curtain would easily cost me RM200-RM300. I bought the curtain cloth at Kamdar, it cost me less than RM50. I save RM150!!!

Apart from that, I gave them some value added services like bringing them grocery shopping at Jaya Jusco just now because they do not have vehicle and have no family and friends around, offered them to find out the whereabouts of Bank Islam and they asked my favor to recommend them on buying good and cheap used car. I also offered my children’s toy for their girls.

I hope they will appreciate all those and stay put in my apartment. I doubt other landlord would do the same because they do not have the free time like I do.

Doing "Business" in Luxury

How much would you spend on a toilet bowl? To some who spend almost an hour daily in the toilet would spend a lot making their toilet as comfortable as it can be. That is the place that no ones will interrupt them while they do their "business" and read their morning papers.

Do you know that some cat lovers would spend as much as $525 for their cat's litter box? I can use that money to replace my toilet bowl till I leave this earth!

Buying Baby Clothes

My sister was backed a few weeks ago and she wanted my baby clothes. After looking through my piles of baby clothes, I was quite ashamed to hand them on to her baby girl. Most of them are stained and faded. Looks like I have reason go shopping for baby clothes soon. No more ogling over those cute baby clothes. I can buy them now BUT I have to make more money in order to do that!

The Cheapest Fitball

After a few months, finally the fitball just pops up in front of me while shopping at Tesco. And the price is unbelievable. It is only RM19.90. The diameter is 26 inch (65cm). Just nice for my size.

RM19.90 wor. The last I saw one, it cost more than RM50. I was wondering whether they stick the wrong price. Who cares! Quickly grab one box (it comes with hand pump too) and head to the cashier counter.

I secured myself a fitball that cost only RM19.90. :D

Where to Shop for Clothings for Girls

I have 2 girls and a boy. I love shopping for clothing for my girls because the fashion world are created for girls! They have so many options and so many beautiful design unlike boys clothings which is quite boring; short pants, long pants, t-shirt and shirt. You only need to choose different colours of it.

When shopping online, our girls can't try out those beautiful dresses that caught our eyes. That is what getting hold of a good Clothing for Girls Buying Guide is very important. Once you know the basic, you are armed to start shopping!

Once you get all the measurement in hand, you need to decide which type of clothing that you wanna buy; Casual Clothing for Girls or Dress Clothing for Girls. As for me, when shopping online, I will go for Dresses! They are so lovely that we can't get them in our local shopping mall.


This is what I found at ShopWiki; Flower Girls' dresses. Take a look at my pick. My girls would love this and it will be perfect for my sister's coming wedding in November!

Errands make me Broke!

Went to the bank to withdraw money to top up my bank account. At least now I do have to worry for 2 months home loan installment.

Then went to collect i-Kad for the maid. Thank God this is free.

After that, went to my apartment to pay the outstanding water bills not paid by previous tenant and also paid up the Maintenance fee until end of the year.

Then put up "For Rent" sign on my apartment. I really hope and pray that we will get a new and trustworthy tenant really, really soon. If not, I don't know where to find RM1.5k additional every month.

My mistakes too also; I should not depend on tenants to pay my home loan. But what to do, so used to it since the first day we bought our apartments. Now suffer lor.

Now, I am just hoping to get more offers to write paid post and more clicks on my Adsense. And as for hubby, more sales please. Come print at my shop.

My Savings Account Short of Almost RM2k!!!

From time to time I will login to one of the banks to check my balance because for foreign bank you must have minimum RM2k in your savings account if not you will be charged RM5 each monthly whenever the balance is less than RM2k.

That bank is also being use to pay my home loans and insurance. So I have to monitor whether I have enough money in it. As far as I know, this month won't short of cash there.

I still login to be sure. Lo and behold, I saw the amount is less than RM1k! I panicked. More than RM1,900 has been transferred to a credit card. I checked my credit card statement; confirmed, never spend that much.

Who stole my hard earn money???

Tried calling UOB 121, my house phone key not functioning! Can dial telephone number but can't choose whether I want English or Malay or Chinese. Then I called the local bank branch here. The officer told me that the money was being payment for Mastercard. Aha! Must be my husband's. Hmmm...I wonder he bought diamond or LV and for who??? Anniversary was 3 months ago; my birthday long time some more.

Buzz him on Gmail chat, he said he dunno wor! Asked me to check his credit card statement. Found the statement; still in the envelope, unopened; last month one. Since the wife is paying his bills, he can't be bothered to look at his statement! Angry lar.

Found the amount being paid to ING. Who's insurance??? His? Cannot be, his is Manulife. Told hubby to call the agent. It's our son's yearly payment! All this while I thought I am paying his insurance monthly. Must get the agent to set it to monthly next year. One time got to pay so much; it hurts a lot! Especially now when we are really short cash! :(

Old made New

At last I decided to keep my old junk for good. Since the price of petrol has gone up, no point spending more buying a new car; just maintain the current car will do. If the engine gave way, I can always get a used engine from midwest auto recycling. It is better than to suffer month after month paying for car loan.

My old junk has been repainted. It no longer looks like an old junk. Next, the tyre needs to be changed. It easily punctures when the "flowers" are almost gone. Now, I need to decide whether to get a used tyres or a brand new set of tyres. Moolah talk again! :(

Road Tax and Insurance Renewed

Finally I get my Petrol Rebate of RM625.

My dad helped me to renew my insurance; RM75 and road tax; RM57 because the car legally belong to him. Yes, I didn't change the ownership after I bought it from him.

Since it is August already, I took RM400 to give to my mom, I took RM50 and the balance I gave it to my dad for his service charges and the cost of renewal.

So there goes my Petrol Rebate. In way, it paid half of my cost to re-paint the car recently. :D

Where to find the Best Credit Card Rates

I can’t live without the plastic. Can you? They are so convenient that it as become part of my life. Having no credit card is like going shopping without wearing any clothes. I feel naked.

Having said that, owning a credit card is not about owning just any credit card. You must get a credit card that best suits your spending habits to get the most out of it. I will go for Rewards Cards in which I will get Cash Rebates Cards or those with redemption points and no annual fee. I hardly see the APR of the cards because I always pay on time.

But if you plan to spend on something big like buying a laptop, expensive electrical item or even buying a car in which you plan to pay installment, do look for low or 0% APR to save on the interest rate. If your credit history is good or excellent, not only you are eligible for the lowest APR deals from MasterCard or Visa, you will also enjoy their no annual fee, rewards, cash and gas rebates.

So, where can I get the best credit card rates? You may ask. ApplyForCreditCard.com of course. Not only you can compare the credit cards from different provider and choose one that best suits your needs, there is also a very good tips on applying for cards with Low or 0% APR. Please read that first before applying for one.