Dear1 Dear2

Saving Every $ 2 5 April, 2012

We emptied our piggy bags again yesterday. The last time we did so was roughly 19 months ago. This time, we emptied both our $1 piggy bank and Baby1′s two 50cents piggy bank. This time, our piggy was only about half full, but both Baby1′s piggies to filled to the brim.

And the grand total is… $1110.

Wow… It never fails to amaze me just how much we can save through a traditional piggy bank. $1110 over 19 months works out to be about $1.94 per day, or just about $1 per person per day.

Just be discipline and systematic and your efforts will pay off. :)

Keep saving!

-Dear1

p.s. This is my first entry posted from our iPad 2. :)

It All Adds Up 22 July, 2011

Dear1 says that our savings account has been growing very slowly, despite us bringing home slightly more pay compared to the same time last year. Hmm… Have we been spending too much in this past year?

Insurance – both personal and car insurance have been accounted for. Holiday – the Taiwan/ Hong Kong trip and Cruise have been accounted for ah. Electronics – no new addition except for the laptop. Pay off car when we converted our OPC to normal plate. Hospital bills when Baby1 was delivered in Thomson Hospital. All the big ticket items have been accounted for, plus some estimation of our monthly expenses on food, household allowances, groceries and car, but why is it that our savings account has not been growing as strongly as it should have been?

Oh, there’s this sum spent when we ate in restaurant during Mother-in-law’s birthday. And we ate out too on Father-in-law’s birthday, and Grandma’s birthday too… And there’s the birthday cake too, for MIL, FIL, brother, sister etc. And sister’s Coach wristlet as a present and brother’s hair tonics too.

And yes, we changed our handphones too. Top up $100 to $200 for each phone, that makes $400 already.

And there’s that 3 new tops, and new shoes, and new skirt, and new bag when Dear2 wanted a change because she felt that she has not been buying any clothes ever since Baby1 was born. Are you really sure there’s no new clothes during this past months!? And what about car? We cut down on Ez-link top up because Dear1 drives nowadays, and replace with approximately $70 per pump, 3 pumps a month on petrol, but what about those Cash Card top up and Parking Coupons when we go out shopping with Baby1 more often?

And ermm, food. 1 Ichiban Sushi, 2 Ichiban Sushi, a couple Fig and Olive (because there is 1 for 1 during lunch hours at Jurong Point!), some Swensens, some mid range eateries when we wanted to “eat something nice” ever so often. “Hardly eat restaurant” becomes “quite often” actually!

And and, BK breakfast every weekend – that alone is more than $10 per meal, compared to a few bucks if we just eat from the market. And that “once in a while” $3.50 fish bee hoon over the $2.50 Youmian actually is not so “once in a while” when it’s at least once every week.

And oh, yes, Baby1, how can we neglect all the expenses on her!? Diapers, milk powder, cereals, wet wipes, toys, clothes, this and thats. Yes, she’s a third person staying in our household now.

Gosh! All the little things add up! Unknowingly, we have been spending more than we thought we are. This is so becoming unhealthy, and we need to have some restraint!

One thing luckily for us, unlike other people, we never believe in spending on credit. We make sure that we are comfortable with the purchase, AND it’s financing before we buy it. Imagine being okay servicing the monthly repayment on one item, and okay servicing a second item, but put together both loans and it becomes not okay, or just passable. I can never agree with people who live on the days waiting for the next pay day, cos it’s here-in-there-out for them.

Enough about other people though, for us, we definitely need to practice more restraint!!

- Dear2

Maybank Promo at Guardian 24 April, 2011

I know I am a bit too late in writing this, but better late than never right?  :p

Maybank is having a promotion at Guardian.  10% rebate when you charge to your Maybank Family and Friends card for the month of April.

It’s a really cool promotion.  10% off as long as you charge to your Maybank Family and Friends card.  Applicable even for discounted items.  Applicable for the whole month of April.  And it’s instant cashback on your credit card bill.  Cool!!

We stocked up on 1.8kg Stage 3 Gain Formula for Baby1.  Currently there’s a discount going for $58+.  Usual price from supermarkets is $66+, sometimes on offer at $62+, right now is $58+.  Good bargain ah!! We have 3 large tins at home now, I’m wondering if I should grab 1 or 2 more tins.  Hmm….

Today is 24 April, so by the time you read this, there’s still 1 more week till the end of April.  Hurry leisurely down to any Guardian now.  Yeah, this is so much more generous unlike those Watsons or Carrefour storewide discount with the POSB Everyday Card.  3% on normal days, extra 3% on 3 days promo for Watsons, and extra 5% only for 2 days of 1 weekend for Carrefour.  It was usually CHIONG!!!!!!!!!!! down to the stores during those pathetic few days for most people, resulting in super duper long queues……… Savings earned, but time wasted queuing?  Duh.

Yes, the best thing about the Maybank card is, it’s instant cashback on your credit card bill.  No need to deduct the points from your next purchase, and no need to wait until 3 months later to see the savings.  Ching Ching Ching $$$.

I like Guardian, and I like the Maybank Family and Friends card, more so especially during the month of April.  :)

- Dear2