Simple Budget, Simple Life

My official adulting started when I moved into my own crib. Older folks will probably laugh at the Millennials. Yes, I won't dispute the fact that we have been well pampered by our parents. I know very well that despite not growing up in a middle-income family, my mum has spoilt us by doing practically everything for us. For that, I'm super grateful. So, with the move to my new home comes new responsibilities in the new year. Honestly, it hasn't been that bad living an independent life. Sure I dont get breakfast or hot meals prepared at every meal time, nor things get magically cleaned, I am getting used to this life. I guess that's because I'm not a stickler for super clean house (I can live with organised mess lol and have yet to unpack all my items HAHA), and I have modern gadgets to save my life, such as: robot cleaner to clean the floor everyday filtered water so there's no need to boil water instant hot water washing machine that's on when ...

Hello! I'm back! My blog has been collecting dust with my previous update 2 months back. Glad to provide good updates that I've finally received the keys to my home :). Reno has also started and we hope to be able to move in by end this year! I guess it's a blessing in disguise that my key collection was delayed till now. This is an excellent time to purchase household items at attractive prices on 11.11 (and upcoming Black Friday!) It's practically sales everywhere now, as it builds up to Xmas. Makes me happy while typing these. Who can resist bargains right? Prior to 11.11, I started carting stuff and comparing prices. Hence, as the clock struck 12am at 11.11, I was frantically paying. In fact, in just 1 day, I spent close to $5.5k on 3 platforms. Taobao, Lazada and Qoo. And hey, I contributed to this record  😛 Items bought includes: dining table electrical laundry system Xiaomi TV ceiling fans lights fridge washing machine sofa toilet...

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...

Each day passing is one step towards old age. Unknowingly, we are in mid 2019. Top-up to CPF SA Anyway, with my bonuses in, I decided to park $7k into my CPF SA for tax relief purposes. I've always been saying that I should do the $7k voluntary top-up at start of the year to gain extra interest, but have never done so hahaha Got my hubby to do the same as well...not without some nagging and me taking control of the transfer  🤦‍♀️ Hubby wasn't super keen as he preferred to keep the cash to pay off our housing loan ASAP. His thoughts on our housing loan For context, our balance to pay is at $500k+ 🙃We are paying equal amounts for the home. Wipe out our CPF, leaving $20k in OA Pay $100k cash upfront (or even more if we can afford) - he feels our investments does not beat 2.6% interest charged by HDB for loan. This is true given majority of our money in savings accounts, SSBs, FDs which gives at best 2% interest? For the remaining amount, to get a 25 years loan ...

It's amusing to re-read my blogpost more than a year ago. Back then, I submitted my 3rd $10 bet. I akin it to TOTO because it's like striking lottery. If you're lucky, you'll get the place you desire (for some, it's literally worth a million-dollar ). If not, you'll just keep betting till you...someday, one day, hopefully, gets it. And I, one year down the road, am still betting on my chance. How interesting. I haven't realise how desperate I must have felt each time I got a rejection. One year down and I've already made 3 additional bets, all of which I didn't even get a number! I felt like a jilted lover every time I receive that heartless email from HDB which says Unfortunately, as your balloted queue position has far exceeded the flat supply, we regret to inform that your application has not been successful. I should have been luckier. After all, I applied numerous times under MCPS. Why didn't I get a number? Why didn't I ...

I've dated my partner for close to 5 years. I always joke that I gave him my youth (that's true). 5 years is a long time. I also joked about how if we're fortunate enough, we would already have a baby (好命的话，我的baby可能1岁咯). Unfortunately, we have been sorely unsuccessful in getting a flat. I probably am more anxious than him because I feel like I've an expiry date, and my biological clock is ticking. I know there are some stories of mummies at 40s and 50s, but I'd rather meet my goal of having kids before 30. I used to think I'd get married and have kids at 23. Then it postponed to 25. And then to 26, and then to 28. It got delayed all because we have not secured our own home. I want to start a family soon. But, without a flat to call our own. It's tough. We are not comfortable staying in each others' houses too. In-laws relations, proximity to workplaces and "it's never the same staying in someone else's home, cause it's never as ...

Having dated my partner for 4 years and knowing that he's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, the natural step is to purchase a flat together. I thought purchasing a flat was going to be easy and smooth - apply and you'll get it. Haha, I probably thought I was very lucky. But I was so wrong. It's all about the timing and luck - whether there are estates you like and whether you'll get a unit based on your ballot number. I've applied for 2 rounds of BTO since 2015 but were unsuccessful because they were mature estates. Location is very important to me. So does the thousands who think so. Honestly, getting a flat now would feel like striking lottery. And, I've only won $10 from TOTO once. So in the latest round of BTO/SOBF, I've made my 3rd try and submitted my $10 bet. It's a gamble, isn't it? This time, I've applied for a SOBF near my estate. The units that I want are less than 15, and my area is HOT, but I hope that I...