Simple Budget, Simple Life

Fancy a free staycation at M Social Hotel and a $50 credit?  If you signed up for the FRANK credit card, you'll get the $50 rebate and receive a free staycation with $400 minimum spend. The last I had a FRANK card was years ago. Back then (think 2012), FRANK account was suitable for undergraduates with their attractive interest rates and customised credit card designs. Their FRANK card was awesome as I recalled a 5% online rebates with low minimum spend. As usual, good things don't last. When FRANK account offered pathetic interests compared to other salary crediting accounts and their FRANK credit card became unattractive due to it's minimum $400 offline spend to start clocking rebates, I cancelled it immediately. Until recently when I spotted this: The credit card still sucks but by spending $400 for a free staycation? Count me in! Furthermore, I received a $50 credit by signing via myinfo which is effectively a 12.5% rebate! Take note that the fr...

I've a happy problem now. I'm expected to get my keys by end this year. I was deliberating on the options to settle the loans  - whether to pay off as much cash as we have, to minimise the loan we have. By some stroke of luck, our parents are extending their money to us...with interest of course, but slightly lesser than HDB loan of 2.6%. Works for us since the interest we pay them is better than what the banks give. With this loan, plus wiping out our CPF (leaving $20k behind), we can actually pay the remaining  with our savings at point of key collection. This is our scenario, amounts adjusted for simplicity: Remaining to pay after downpayment $550,000 Parents loan $200,000 CPF OA $100,000 Remaining balance (to pay using cash?) $250,000 And, I'd have paid off my HDB at point of key collection (though effectively, we still owe our parents money with interest). Use Cash, Grow CPF Our idea is to use as much cash where possible. First, the interest g...