six to eight people lah then the toilet is also quite big and the environment there is so clean, ya, and it's safe lah I like the place so how about you do you have any like positive experience in any place like ya


(ppc)


I also have like a uh a you know skincare I will recommend to someone, actually bought uh one skin care from lucky plaza, you know the skincare is very good and


there's like uh one set of skincare, so uh the skincare actually have uh one soap, one night cream one morning cream, so night night cream right you only use at night then the morning cream is for sunblock so whenever like you go out or


anywhere you can, use it lah so, , I like the, thing, like I like the , soap because K whenever you use the soap right you can feel then your skin will peel off


and it's very nice so after one week you can see the result, ya


ya correct very nice product and after the product you use for two weeks right you need to, use for one month actually, and the product right, after that product you can actually use uh maintenance, ya they have maintenance for that product means


after that product you use right then your skin is getting better, you can actually buy another one, product which also, very good means it will like maintain your skin to be that nice only, like you have to be very


but you have to be very , you have to be very


actually I also have, encounter the, skincare uh before COVID when I was uh employed


ya uh I love, I love this one, bubble tea brand I mean like the shop I love iTea uh it's cheap it's affordable, then you can choose, your like sugar level


and it's, the the staff there is friendly lah, so far every shop I go every store I go all the staff there is very friendly then I like the drink so much because you can choose your sugar level


and when you already choose


but I I just love the, bubble tea and, the pearl is also worth it you know like you don't have to ask for extra pearl and the pearl is already like, a lot, so I like lah and when you ask for twenty five percent is really twenty five percent like


it won't be too sweet or too, too too bitter all lah, so what about you do you have like someone eh I mean like bubble tea you love


so do have uh you know I like using makeup right, then surprisingly uh this product uh, uh naked ya that one is called naked ya Urban Decay


you know what the foundation, actually is , like one bottle cost you eighty dollar and you know what, uh it's very, very affordable, it's not very affordable lah it's quite expensive but it's okay lah


but you know when you use it right, uh it will cover your, like uh dark spots ya the foundation only don't need to use concealer and one more thing, the the foundation actually can last you only for two months but


actually it it can call uh it can last more than that, and ya, I I love it you know the the foundation can last longer than I expected lah, cause I thought that going to, like (uh huh)


only like one month but then it's like, three months I can use three months plus so it is worth and nice I like the product, ya, so do you


this one restaurant it's not restaurant it's actually coffee shop, nearby my house right I like the I like the, the, western food because I like the chicken you know whenever they cook the chicken it's so crispy


you know from I'm, uh from, I thirteen years old until now, the same auntie is selling and, she is very friendly and, the chicken is still very very crispy, until now so ya


then the the price of the food also is very very affordable, you know only like uh four dollar for one meal then the chicken only one twenty for one piece then you know and I also like the, bun ya usually bun


people don't eat bun just like that but I eat bun just like that because they fried the bun right I don't know but, very very nice, so ya, so what you you have like any restaurant that you like or the food you love


part one finance (ppc), (ppc) (ppc) uh, hello, hi hi Inshira


I forget lah uh, I don't have a debit cards I got credit card, oh, okay credit card I will uh may use like


, I purchase something with my credit card then after that I go and pay them after a month when my pay comes in ya they will deduct, how about how about you


(hmm) okay that's good you have habit of saving money


okay that's good do you think uh


uh what is like a finance advice that you will give uh for your five years ago, ya one of the financial advice that you would give to the uh to you like for me or anyone like five years ago


ya


savings actually I had savings but now because of COVID nineteen not employed then all my savings have been draining, how about you


ya exactly


no I'm not married yet, and uh I still haven't plan on my marriage savings or plans or anything yet I'm just too scared of marriage


how do you spend money each day uh, uh like uh, uh how like have what have you been spending too much on on each day


(hmm) is it


oh okay uh, , how do you manage your cash flow like uh, your income equate your savings expenses and like a insurance investments something like that


(mmhmm) me I, I have a insurance which my mom take uh, until now she is paying ya so uh if let's say that insurance ah when you are sick or admitted in hospital only


if you let's say you walk in to hospital it doesn't work uh it doesn't claim back or it doesn't helps you at all unless if you admitted in hospital then only uh you can uh actually claim back how many days have been in uh hospitalized and


what are the medication and , extra extra benefit, so on that if you not hospitalised my insurance doesn't work so that is my mum take from young uh so far I've not hospitalised until now still healthy (ppc) and uh


I actually wanted to ask you one thing you like did you like uh have you thought about, on CPF contribution by for your like own self without working or if you have extra cash you want to contribute your CPF


[mm] (ppc) ya


ya okay


actually when I working uh my own project ya actually I when I working my own project for parcel right if I earn more I will contribute a bit more if I don't earn anything I don't contribute for CPF so far for this year I only got contribute once uh


after that I never contribute because only that month, uh very good money then after that all the business go down because of COVID lah then I'm I couldn't I couldn't uh contribute CPF for myself


but must ah but must must contribute CPF if is self-employed or either we work other, uh in company ah we also must put CPF because in future it will be very helpful and it's very important to buy house if you have planning to married in future


uh so far I don't know about (mmhmm) actually my parents also still working they never retire so so far I don't know anything about retire but, if I got a chance to hear from people I may learn what is about retire until what age you must work and how much you need to be inside and how you can uh manage your finance after you retired a lot of things can learn but I still haven't uh


I will cross people who are retired


but actually like you see ah nowadays uh all the old people working their salary very less like you see one one seven one six day work for five years like they got a lot of debt of house to pay they got uh


uh need take care their self they need take care transport if they take insurance ah uh, uh then if they pay ah one or two or three, insurance ah later they got nothing balance to save also then when they retired also also they can get money lah but until that they must suffer some people early really gone early not gone


(ppc), ya they pay until all with so I also don't know what to advise them lah uh, uh once I see people who retire maybe they can tell by their own self how to manage and everything because uh they are the one retiring then they need to manage mah so it'll be easier if they tell also


if you ask me I may recommend uh people who actually stay nearby their parents uh, uh to apply a bond, a bond uh then to grant I mean a a grant


to buy a house so that it will be a bit cheaper then they if can try to not take a HDB loan to pay up all the renovation try to save up money and buy all the items so that they don't have to pay any debt to HDB loans then uh


then slowly start your family like uh a year later then three of them maybe can plan staying in a three room flat first and if they're if they're lucky lah if they're, lucky they stay in DBSS building in ten years' time they also can see uh extra cash then they can


uh buy uh upgrade their house, then they can renovate fully like they want so if they are lucky if they not lucky they have to save up money both of them have to put hardworking then maybe they have some side business without working uh to help them support if let's say one of them lost a job


they have a side income to support their self until they get a job then, then in ten years or fifteen years time if they paid enough for the house they can maybe upgrade their house some people invest uh, by selling their house buying a condo then in three years' four years' time very fast they will sell off the condo then they they go back to HDB flat and they still have extra cash so some retired people also do that


ya I actually, okay, okay I spending too much on games like uh I every time in Play store


uh like to play the buy the character the diamonds, to to continue, playing the game then like uh, uh the games is like uh very addictive ah


uh each time when you buy ah when you when you know you have money ah you feel like putting again, and then you like to pay pay pay pay pay pay pay then finish , so if is my money on spending is on the game too much lah,


ya what do you think one uh, uh should own a credit card do you think you do you think one of uh one should own a credit card


no I mean have you think of like owning your own credit card


(mmhmm)


get I mean take interest ya you need to pay interest more okay how about like uh what do you like uh, uh, something like, what can you do to earn extra income or to improve your income level have you ever thought of that


okay


me I so far haven't think about uh, uh any extra, income to improve because now still in COVID nineteen uh in third phase so still no idea of thinking about that now maybe next year onwards can be a very good start to think of and a plan planning off to go in uh very good uh decision


to make an extra income or improve our income level now because of a lot of uh COVID things still not okay, but things are not back to normal so it's a bit hard for now, then I just wanted to ask you another thing in a post or post-COVID world ah what changes are you making in terms of your spending and saving habit


(mmhmm) okay , me I also still not sure about that but I I know ah because of the


COVID world ah everybody does spend a lot okay everybody does spend a lot even though they are at home they still have expenditure if let's say you circuit breaker you at home also ya you still somehow have to spend you go work also you need to spend you never go work also need to spend so I don't


think is a saving is a saving or extra income or anything extra you can save or no I don't think so there is a saving habits on COVID nineteen world or situation also, (ppc)


ya like no difference because you see if not it ya exactly if no COVID nineteen also, you somehow you have travelling expenditure for your work your family your debt your bill your insurance a lot of things and then your savings for your for your your clothings your favourite and everything correct


then if COVID-nineteen also you stay home you still spending you still travel to go hospital you still travel to go here and there to to give food or take care or fetch your child or et cetera et cetera, COVID uh the first phase one ah we actually need to wear mask cannot go uh cannot be in crowded place but you confirm will go all the place where you want to buy food you confirm will feel !wah! all the shop closed must travel must buy food


there you must go market also buy things ya seriously you see, uh without a mask ah I mean let's say now not COVID ah now not COVID you purchase the mask is also very cheap but after COVID start started ah you want to purchase the mask or sanitizer very expensive


ya that's why, (uh) in the phone is it


bad experience actually I have but uh


uh I wasn't, so I was working there about five months already so what happened was the fifth month


uh my shop is uh going to close down the company going to close down totally so we are clearing out of uh stock and uh finishing all the stocks ah (ppc) that time was period right uh got one customer purchase Ayam Brand


Ayam Brand Asam maggie, oh oh it's a packet one you need to go and cook at home so as a cashier, ya the blue colour one so I actually it's only two dollar plus lah


okay and I she paid me properly so I give her a receipt okay so she stay in a condo this shop is under a, condo so uh she went back to her house okay uh the next day I'm also working okay I'm also working but I afternoon shift so afternoon shift so uh I'm the only person in the shop uh my morning staff has to go back home because half day so I stay until night


so uh actually my colleague supposed to be with me if she never take half day but uh I come across this case ah alone eh I very s, stress already I don't know what to do


the people will come buy barbeque item, they will buy alcohol they will buy, cigarette they will buy tidbits all the children come buy top up the maid all come top up top up top up


uh packet for your drink in a in transparent plastics in coffee (ppc) shop coffee shop oh ya ya ya, so transparent plastic a bit bigger one she, come back with that transparent plastic inside got ah, got uh


got egg what ah she put the maggie she put inside transparent plastic come to my table she put on my table like that she just slam the food on my table lucky never


uh tear or anything lah but the she put on my uh, table and she say yesterday I purchase and the it's I think it's expire then I ask her where is the maggie packet then she say uh I ask my daughter


to bring down then she the daughter go up, to the house and bring back the maggie packet and I see the date it's not expired okay it's not expired and uh, I it's, still got one year plus to use, then uh this lady say no it's confirm expired because the maggie I cook okay I cook ah got so much oil I feel I I don't taste the maggie


I I don't feel the crunch on the maggie I don't feel anything so it's so much of oil I think it's spoiled then I say no cannot be the expire date is, before and end you cook so you also got put oil chicken many oil it confirm got many oil mah


then blame my shop that the maggie got more oil then I say this maggie packet they only got curry powder maggie and then put hot water no even don't even have oil then how, and blame this all then if if everything goes to that also right you must blame the manufacturing you cannot blame me mah some more you bring the you cook the food you put in the plastic and you bring to my table you only purchase two dollars you stay in condo okay you only purchase two dollars you take condos


the you come and say this maggie oil uh, uh because of uh my shop because of me is it, then I say is a is is the you must contact the company and then you must show them receipt then you must say it's, this kind of problem you must leave a comment but you cannot ask for refund because it's not expired we never sell the item for uh it's an expired and uh expired item what we also check we also stock check mah


then after that I her we cannot refund then she say no I die die need the refund I don't want then I say this food you better go and throw away, you don't give me ah I not going to keep that to eat then she say (ppc) she say we better uh


what ah uh, refund me and I want to purchase something else then I say you give me the receipt, cause my system need to key in so your receipt you you you purchase right that one I give you so you must uh return me so that I can


uh refund you back and I need to have the uh receipt then she say I throw inside the dustbin yesterday so you want me to go and dip my hand inside dustbin and take the receipt for you is it, then I say uh then I can't I can't uh refund for you ma'am I'm so sorry


then if you really want a refund then I will need a receipt or valid reason you see ah you not even expired then how to refund, secondly you don't have receipt how to refund then the two dollars I pay my own money to refund you is it then she say no I don't care I die die want she don't want to let other customer come in and serve uh serve their


uh then you serve her ya she keep on like don't want to go from the place then like my long queue like getting bigger and bigger and bigger some of them angry and walk off some of them next day come and complain, !wah! I tell you they all stay condo ah they purchase two dollar item also very they calculative but if you see them in town or area anywhere ah they will spend so much money but this two dollar item they


want die die want refund want refund, and some more they give me stupid reason they don't seriously like very unfair lah okay as as I working I paid my own two dollar because you know


don't have a receipt so if I if I refund right that two dollars will be end of the day be in my account, ya we argue also not worth it you have to pay two dollars to tally, ya if I need give back give her uh, refund receipt and uh, uh and uh the item to be refund so need to scan back all right so end of the day it won't be tally so I need to pay two dollars for that item then I tell my manager


my manager also never refund me stupid lah you know I also have I work so hard, ya ya, work so hard then if I, item like glass anything also cut from my salary okay no exchange or no send back company get a new one


secondly uh these kind of customer ask me for refund okay pay out from my own pocket money, okay is two dollars only but it's ya also two dollars the money, it come out from my my own salary so if one hour I paid for five dollars or six dollars then two dollars is expensive for me


ya right, I no choice lah cause got this kind of rude customer don't want to give way for other people my manager, call me on that day while she's talking two dollar lah he has a a take back item then I say the maggie she cook how to take back then he say no no that one don't take that one ask her throw then the I tell the customer this one


you cook one you throw ah not your this one you throw I also become really angry already because I never get any fault or anything then I good to the customer for what, uh right


okay I have a restaurant uh


uh it's not a restaurant coffee shop ah okay normally you, go buy indian fried rice it's only three fifty to four dollar if you (ppc) want add extra confirm, four fifty or five dollars max ah ya, we actually uh come across one coffee shop near my house ah uh that indian shop ah uh sell uh fried rice ah okay I go order


okay I say this fried rice just add more chilli Padi chilli Padi is a small small spicy chili correct you just cut and put only so this uh three fifty fried rice suddenly become seven fifty then I ask him why you need to add chili


you add uh another four dollar fifty cent for what, I mean four dollars for what then uh chili Padi if you wanna add chili #padi four dollars ah then he say uh chili Padi we don't have what one person went NTUC and buy so the chili Padi come with packet so is expensive so uh he tell me the reason that and charge me seven fifty then I say I'm not going to pay


for this food and uh I don't want this food you take and go then he say no you order already you must pay then I say cannot I'm not going to pay for extra chili uh four dollars the you must uh you must uh, if you cheat people ah you cheat reasonable lah you don't cheat people unreasonable then then I tell him chilli Padi I also got purchase only two dollar one packet then you ask me uh four you charge me four dollars ah what service charge for chilli uh chilli that your person went there buy then come back


then come back then two dollars two dollar ah not fair right, then I I hate that shop until now ah it's been three years already I never purchase any food from that shop even my friends my colleagues my my, relative or my family ah want to go buy food over there ah they ask me what I want ah I say I don't want to eat there you don't ask me he say you no need to come we buy for you food from there because the food is nice over there but the price is not


so I tell my family I don't want friends also ask me don't want they want to eat there also I say don't want then because of me ah they don't go there eat also they go place because of me if not I won't eat, because I so angry until I I tell him I told your boss I know that boss he got two shop in that area so you can see him often then I tell him you charge me this kind of price I gonna tell your boss one day I not happy with you


then because this reason is really like very Jialat leh you you you cannot be like uh paying the two dollars for the chilli (ppc) Padi when he purchase then for service from here to NTUC he walk


correct right


uh previously I share one ah this one yesterday I go uh, uh PastaMania to eat again I went with my friend Inshira so when we go eat right uh my now because of COVID-nineteen right, sitting down on table so I only can go order so when I want to go order right


already uh have my orders so I need to go to the counter to pay and uh, to to bring the, item to my my table then I actually was uh queuing behind two person so there's a box where they stand in each each person they so I don't have a box okay so uh


uh there's another way where you'll be walking to the delivery people who is standing there walking there so there's another box over there so one starts come and tell me ma'am you stand at that box so when I turn at that box, these two people uh still in the queue so the first person was in the queue left already so is the next turn would be that the another guy so when another guy


come forward so my my box I was standing right, I just go to the next two uh box that the the two was, standing so when one person go off I need to go to the next box so when I go to the next before the next box got one, one person uh I don't want to say the race lah the one person actually move up move forward without queuing behind me just move to the box where I supposed to be moved then


he just cut queue then when he see me ah he he see me he knows you know and he just act like never acknowledge me or never say sorry or anything just stand ah still can stare at me roll the eyes on me so I like !huh! what


he cut queue I keep quiet and still he can roll eyes and roll eyes and uh just like very rude reaction he give if I want ah I can just a big fuss but I feel everybody is at uh having difficulty because of COVID-nineteen rules and regulation


so I don't want to make you it difficulty ya lah so I just keep quiet after that guy move I scared before any other people cut queue then I won't be moving I will just standing in the same place for quite long for my food so I just uh quickly go to the box so that nobody can cut my queue so


there's the yesterday I got


positive experience, okay let me start uh, , how like uh Inshira can you like describe a moment when you have a positive experience with the customer service


agent or over the phone for a product service product or service


!oh!


ya I have I do have uh I do have a positive, experience with a customer service agent before because I went to a place to uh Makan uh in a place where it's a very good uh


view from from the the from the sitting area, then uh when you sit down already they will serve you some uh uh treats like a uh uh snacks sweets or chocolate before they start their they uh giving you the menu book then (ppc)


they give you like that then they will come and greet you all the way speak to you very politely, and the staff over there promote their item uh this dish will be very nice you can try if you like this spicy level if you don't like spicy level they will recommend you another dish then uh I got uh


got one customer uh very polite they uh they take care us very well, then the outfit of the restaurant, also very good looking very good view it's a very high floor then the the interior of the restaurant also very grand uh very looks ya very nice the deco like is like


the like a culture uh it's not uh in indian or chinese or malay it's a different kind of thing then (umm), and the the person over there who's waiting for very long also will get some treats I hear some musics then uh got TV


got TV then the customer service got some promotion items to be sold out on that day uh everyday there is different promotion like you know when you go to uh, uh a place right you know soup of the day for that particular day right so for this restaurant they also have uh each day different promo to be promote uh the customer if you ask me I would regularly go there because uh the service is very good the food quality very good the place also very good and the


the price also very good is a reasonable price is not so cheap is not so expensive is uh affordable for the item that we purchase uh, and so far if you ask me I will recommend people to go there and ask them to give more feedback to their loved ones or friends or other people so that we can help them to


uh uh bring bring their restaurant more customer because the service and everything is very good


(mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


(mmhmm) okay


ya recently it recently Inshira you use the skincare right I saw you you suddenly become very fair that's why I think that is the product you are talking about right


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


you need to be what


okay actually I also have encounter the skincare uh, uh before COVID when I was uh employed in a in a place where as cashier so I actually uh come across online and I saw one product so it's actually new


so that product I purchase from malaysia so is singapore SG is thirty dollars so when I purchased is like a three to four working days to be received after shipment and everything, so when I received I actually collected in my workplace okay then I was too curiosity until I just open and see and I didn't try I like can't wait to try when I go back home because I saw a


video uh if you use that uh, uh all the scar all the uh black marks you can be a bit fair but you must use regularly if you stop using it you will come back to your original colour so uh


you have to spend more to purchase that but it really works but every single day when you when you use that your skin is like uh, uh glowing uh, glowing and like a very bright right so you must take care your you manage to take care your face like no pimple and uh no scar or no injury or no scratch by your pets or anything


so like uh so that you, can maintain and you can look you'll be looking glow whenever you go out and you can promote uh the soap to other people people confirm will ask you eh what you using how come your face like that how come so much difference


then you will promote the soap to them then they will uh say can I order from you then they will help them to purchase for them then it will be spread by them to another person by another person another person it sound like uh


you will choose over the brand because of it correct, (mmhmm) like uh I wanted to ask you another thing also uh, uh your you what is your favourite bubble tea do you drink bubble tea uh


uh what kind of bubble tea you love like uh tell me more about your bubble tea, (uh huh)


nowadays is very common for all the sugar level because now one once have uh the Koi have uh released their sugar levels right then all the shop also now


okay actually I am not a, favorable bubble tea person but if I uh company, my friend or my siblings or my cousins or my parents, if any one of them have a urge to drink bubble


tea then I also will purchase myself something but I'm not a uh, uh favorable uh person for bubble tea everyday or every once a week must drink you know I am not a person like that maybe uh, if somebody drinks in front of me and cannot share drink because of COVID-nineteen so uh must purchase uh


by yourself correct so I will have urge to buy so I will just go and get a myself a favorite drink my favorite drink is like uh, I mostly like favourite uh like I don't like a lot of things, but I only like particular one one or two flavors lah which is uh oreo ice blended and uh maybe Ribena ice blended so these two is the very favourite one I normally purchase


I go anywhere also if there is a lot of things new, or uh to try or to taste lah I don't I don't I don't choose that I only go back to my same flavour because I I scared if I purchase something which is new or another thing Sekali I don't like the taste then I have to throw away


correct so I so that's why I just stick to my flavors and uh, if let's say before COVID also that time when schooling time or working time when you cross bubble tea and if you still haven't take your lunch or dinner then I will buy bubble tea lah but not the favorite person lah


okay uh (huh)


(uh huh) (uh huh)


okay I I also


no actually I don't makeup I hate makeup I don't use makeup but I a very good person take care myself uh I love to buy toiletries a lot so let's say like a soap uh normally a I a product recently which like I started about two years back ah uh


uh I started to purchase the product it last me is actually costs ah one bar is actually three dollar forty cent to four dollars lah (ppc), depends on different shop nearby different pricing so if let's say that shop is closed so you have to go to the nearby uh shop that they sell but it will it might be pricing different so uh I purchased that bar soap for my face particular only


uh for only for my face and uh how why I say it last me very long because I cut, the soap into four or six pieces, so it's a very big uh rectangle bar soap so I cut into small small cube so uh each time when the soap the one cube finish I will take out another cube so that bar soap last me about


four to five months so four to five, months is a very good thing that I have spend three to four dollars for that particular soap, so I feel I feel that is the only soap that it last me quite long so other than that that the other toiletries ah uh very fast finish one then only this soap lah very


long can last me uh no problem I don't need to think about the the soap each month to purchase I just have to think after four five months uh five six months to purchase also , so I I cut cost in that soap but actually it's quite expensive soap lah because uh normally one bar soap you won't


it will be selling in a five row or three row uh or few few dollars lah like one dollar two dollar like that ah but it'll be have, more bar soap but this one bar is actually I feel is expensive lah more than three three dollar plus nearly going to be four like that


but if you still uh if let's say if using each, month that soap ah obviously uh, it's it's expensive but if let's say you using that soap for five six month as in a small small cube it's not expensive lah it's actually you saving cost


(mmhmm)


uh


okay actually I have a shop nearby also but uh, it's at uh it's called the place, called #chong pang# so #chong pang# if you go ah this shop ah every morning five O'clock they open open as in they don't open and start over five O'clock lor they start selling the food five O'clock five AM


so when you go five AM to all the way like six seven ah the food will be damn hot the food will be damn hot even they pack in, to a a paper, a food paper so you fold the food inside the paper right it'll be very hot even though you open so you eat there also can you go bring home also can the hot will never become very cold so fast


so if you go around like afternoon twelve O'clock is a second batch they cook and they releasing for selling also so is also is ah, hot so far I went to that place until the day they uh until the time they, start to all the way ending the food no cold all the way hot only and the food is a malay malay food uh


uh malay food and the price ah they started from two dollars so until now, the price not so expensive it become two fifty only if uh if from many years they had sticking to the price two dollars then they uh and because of COVID time they a bit increased to two fifty


okay so when become two fifty then uh after COVID now become three dollars so but the quantity inside also become more, not the same quantity no the quantity become uh rice a bit more the the ingredient (eh) a bit more the chicken more bigger


more crispy then the #bak kut teh# little bit bigger so uh the price also go up the quantity also go up, and the food never cold all the hot so I like the place uh in malay in malay food uh in #chong pang# I like that food stall a lot because whenever I go I buy the hot food I like to eat hot food I don't like to eat food uh


uh cold one you know so uh, because of that, whenever I go #chong pang# maybe a week if I eat at #chong pang# I maybe eat that one four three days like that so it quite nice lah and the taste ah never run ah all the way same day same taste ah


part one finance, can definitely yes I definitely have personal insurance I have life insurance I have hospitalisation insurance occupational disability insurance


I've also got a hospital plans accident plans and of course our savings plans as well lah this is to make sure that we cover all aspects of coverage lah, so these are things that I have bought for myself as well as for my entire family lah so that's err something that I have what about you do you have that too


wonderful I'm glad that at least you have someone to look after these matters most times I have seen , people are so busy with their work they don't have time to look at their own personal finances only to realise it's too late when they want to do something close to either retirement or something untoward had already happened to them you see


so good that you have a financial adviser already in place ah this is important


well uh feels good to have that safety net all in place ah for myself I I don't really have an, endowment plan because I have opted to do more of an investment investment linked kind of plans this is where I grow my my savings through investments in the mutual funds or the investment linked funds ah you know and I think the returns has been


has been quite decent of course we're just recent in this COVID situation the values have uh depress a little bit but overall it's still a positive growth ah over the years and these plants are meant for me to to help


pay for my daughter's uh education which is going to coming come up soon and of course also it'll be something for my retirement years later on but for now still have to work lah no choice


so what percentage of your income do you normally spend on insurance for myself I think it's almost as much as err twenty-five, percent to thirty percent ah so this is where I I ya I set aside to to sock away money and to make sure that you know I don't overspend I just spend what is left behind after setting aside from the income lah


good good good ya I think having a a good, amount for retirement of course nothing's too little lah and of course everybody wants the most out of it lah but you have to work within your budget and do whether you need to thankfully my own my girls are already


coming to age in that sense so the important years are like coming to an end so in terms of coverage-wise err, at least I know I have got that addressed and settled already it's now making sure that the retirement years are okay I've got enough to pay for my hospital plans to make sure there's something to pay for my bills you know


ya so , correct ma'am


yes it'll be nice to drift into the sunset by the beach on our bicycles you know who knows


I initially started off, with one company that was because my ex-colleague moved on to a company that he represents so I got something from there oh plus also something that my, my parents got for me earlier on and I continued with that


then of course I was introduced to another company therefore I bought from, another insurer in singapore both are both are giants in singapore and since then I've only just kept to between these two lah because from the portfolio that they offer it is already enough to address my needs ah so I've just been keeping to


to these two err, there have been a lot of encouragements to consider independent advisers out there that can offer a spread of products to address my needs but when I looked at it it's like you know I'm starting all over again so I just kept within that two and


and just continue to work with these two lah err plus the fact that you know it's it's something where okay, the relationship is already there I don't want to start something new lah


accident, uh, (hmm)


a different form of insurance lah in that sense


good that's right uh I think for me similarly if you need to drive a car you have no choice but to buy a car insurance , err I've of course I I've stayed away from those err buy off the internet or buy off the web because it's super cheap kind of thing I I I stay with one provider because I know that at least


err well I suppose it's it's something where the comfort level lah and that there someone you know you can always go to and when you're in the accident situation you just want to call one person or one number to set help you settle


uh getting a property of course within your own home fire insurance's important I just realise I just learned that next block one unit got into a fire recently and, the first thing that came was actually the guy who was selling fire extinguisher he was running around trying to tell people please you know I think it's time to get yourself


even a fire extinguisher but yes definitely for my own property I need to have travelling overseas definitely you really need to have travel insurance , you don't know ah what personal liability you can fall into and that's the important part of travel insurance err


, having children I think that part is our usual savings and health plans I don't have a domestic helper any more previously I used to but that's also something I needed to get, and err engaging commercial activities I think the only aspect is probably in in the renovation that I needed to do I probably have to buy at least some third party public liability to make sure that in case I am responsible for something then


err I have to, bear the cost lah other than that I think that that's essentially what I have also done, for for them ah ya for the insurances , okay so do you think CPF insurance coverage is enough for your insurance coverage what are your thoughts on dependents' protection scheme MediShield Life


EverShield and MediSave okay so maybe let me start then uh in that sense CPF insurance when it comes to MediShield Life that's far too little, I personally would like to be treated quickly comfortably which means I would have to


be treated probably in a private hospital, and, don't want to wait in line for for coverage from the government hospitals so MediShield Life I know it doesn't cover sufficiently for that dependents I think right now my kids are still dependent on me so definitely it is uh nice to have anywhere you've been quietly


playing paying for it ah I I know it's there but you know you've you've been quietly paying for it ElderShield once you get silver hairs you will, automatically err get ElderShield already and this is one aspect which I have begun to see the its importance when you get older


disability can happen and the cost of having someone to look after you that's expensive so ElderShield plans are pretty useful lah in that sense err MediSave is not exactly your insurance ah MediSave is actually your money part of your salary ah so that part I think we need to


have a proper understanding that MediSave is not MediShield Life ya your thoughts


you are so right I want to make sure to we that means we must vote the right people into the game


of course that will be another topic for that another day ,


you are the paymaster ah no choice , I would also certainly approach someone who is knowledgeable


and you you if you're sick you go and see a doctor, and if that topic is not in in my knowledge then you better go and speak to some who's an expert if you want to DIY make sure you know what you're doing lah because you bear the responsibility in that sense not to say that if you get to an agent


that you have no responsibility to take but ultimately like you say you write the cheques the only thing is I think err when there's so much information out there you can't really distil what is right what is wrong and, some of that could be opinions that


can likely cause you to to to suffer losses ah if you actually take that opinion to be a fact, so for me I think just stick with someone who really knows what the person is doing and like you say you put through a robust discussion and you get the benefits of both worlds lah so definitely only thing that I'm mostly afraid is the youngsters these days when they think they know a lot from reading the web


I really wonder if they know where the truth lies, versus what is an opinion that is expressed you know and and come on honestly speaking you don't have time to research to find out you're probably so busy with either looking after your kids or working your butts off where got time


really ya


ya it's worth it lah,


, , you need the you need the consistent stuff


agreed, ya for me when I buy insurance essentially is the person whom I'm working with you can smell if that person is really


doing the best for you or wanting the best for you, the product can be uh more expensive but I think if the advice is given and the consistency in in offering and service is good err I think


I I would I would look for that in that sense unfortunately you know you see a lot of online sales nowadays, and they also encouraging to buy online for for, a cheaper offering but I'm only I'm only skeptical lah that


the service level itself may be compromised and you could be waiting waiting waiting just to get yourself ah uh, hurt for claims or for service who knows maybe by then too late err then not so good lah err and also at the same time I would I would prefer to deal with someone who is in singapore lah or at least local


then there is some there are some stability you know you have seen many newspaper articles they they pack up and go, that's the the sad part lah ya you're leaving the in the you you insured ah err in a lurch in that sense ya


(ppl) (ppb) I have started to use more and more contactless (uh) and cashless kind of payments (ppb) it really


part three negative experience


(mmhmm) correct


not meaningful work and I think it can be solved, by the programming itself right


correct and you already have enough evidence to go fix the problem ah and then, this is this is already a clear-cut case


unfortunately unfortunately I was calling a telco recently and, this telco was telling because I wanted to make some changes to my services and the first thing you call in please enter your


your telephone number and then they ask you, to verify this no first no the first thing that will that you're greeted is actually press what for english if not it goes in chinese so, that whole conversation if it's managed by someone it would have been a lot faster but the fact is you have to press one for english then after hearing close


to forty seconds then you get options to choose for the next step so, this, this went on and on and on and finally I got fed up, I stopped the conversation


feeling frustrated, I said no I need to get this fixed so I called again and I started the whole process so another time-wasting effect, so , ah


no there wasn't option to get to a human being it is designed to frustrate you so that there will never be a person you get to speak so you have to tow the line so I called again, hopefully with more patience I called I doubt I faithfully listened to the instructions I follow the first second and all these ah you just continue to waste time listening to an automated voice then there came a part where


you can actually say err uh the word or that that service that you want like for example change address or whatever reviewed , and of course the voice recording, either my phone could be problematic or the way I speak just didn't get caught on the system


and he was asking me is this, no then I have to say again and is this no then finally we went back to pressing the buttons again just listening to it just listening to all those instructions just simply lengthen and lengthen and lengthen


somehow I got so frustrated I stopped the call, after close spending close to fifteen minute I was so frustrated, then I told myself nuts I already spent in total close to half an hour talking to a machine and got getting me nowhere


so finally , after cooling down, I called again following faithfully because I kind of remember what the options were , press this press that press this press that, finally got to the part where I could okay I want to do


this and it was pressing this and there were two options and none of the options are make sense to me okay, so I just simply chose one of them and mind you I that conversation was already twelve minutes into the whole thing already ah I told myself this is third third attempt please don't screw up just remain cool


then came to that last option whereby it's either one or two but, those were not the options I wanted so I just said said okay just quickly just press one of the option just to stay on the line once you stay on the line


oh amazingly a voice came and I said !wah! if uh by answering the wrong questions I can actually get to a human person than to faithfully trying to fit whatever answers that are there, so


ah spoke to someone okay then the person said oh, err for this issue uh we don't handle this question then I was like ya okay I know you don't handle this but you know how long I waited to be speaking to a human person ah so can you please help


me with this err okay but you know this number you called is not right err can you call this other number I said , no no no no I'm not going to call again because the number they go to was the one that I dialled, does that okay err no can you help me direct to someone that I can speak to they said okay let me give it a try but in case this thing gets lost ah err you try to call this number again ah


so the moment the person pressed the extension for me uh then it started the whole loop again ah I had to start to answering all the questions again, all over again


just and, I think in that call finally getting to the person I wanted to speak to a was close to forty minutes, , and I got to speak to a human person who was able to finally address my


questions , the second human person , I I was very determined because when they redirected me because the guy who who who took my call said this is not the right address go to another place I told myself don't get angry just relax be patient and continue with this whole conversation this whole selection process and finally come to the human person


who was finally able to okay let me try to do something for you, because you know when the app doesn't work well you are already so frustrated and I didn't account for this time of frustration out of working on the app I was only just telling you the conversation I have ah but the fact was in total I think I spent one hour on automated systems


just to get the the final point to solve my problem, so in these days when everybody is trying to tell you to use the app if not make telephone conversations because okay pandemic we can't really go to the station or to the store to get it fixed you follow that somehow the


the the entire experience has been very poor so poor that you really wonder you know why the heck did I sign up with this , and with this this this telco and you really hope that there is something better that they can fix it you know at least having something more intuitive that they can okay look this is the way a person would think I suppose it takes a lot of brain power


to create many different possible options and then find a way to connect you which also means may be a more expensive sound system lah or a automated system, ah but , I could that company could have lost me as a customer and the spill on effect is you know


my whole family would say okay lah let's just move on ah we don't want this company let's move on to another place that means another four or five lines revenue that could have been lost, so I thought that uh terrible experience , either told me okay maybe if there's a chance to go back to the shop get a ticket number it may wait a bit of time just to get your turn but at least you get to see a human person who's able to adressed it and it's going to be a finalised answer ah than to spend one hour


or more getting frustrated trying to get to a human person to to fix it for you you see so oh my goodness I I sometime I kick myself why do I have to actually get myself into this situation, ah ya I just hope things can be better from the telco in this automated systems ah


that's the most painful part you know you spend time and then not a solution is like !wah! frustrating man really super frustrating


I know that it just prolongs the pain I think if if you can get to a to a manager or or someone human person, I think there is still some empathy that can be felt ah but you know but I think it's a good thing that I'm learning from you here is that sense that you know you have reached the end of that guy's mandate don't torture him any more and move on to a higher level you know


oh my goodness okay I think that's a real point never really considered that part, but certainly I think it's a good idea to actually pass it on to someone because it's really above the pay grade of that person then the there's no really no need to prolong the the pain


the suffering that you can inflict on him lah, , I think so , R eight can you imagine those guys who are receiving it every day I think they can go


bonkers ah and the psychological scarring man I tell you,


yes, oh I see okay , (ugh)


(ppb) okay looks like we have (uh) finished our due


part two positive experience, okay let me start then, I've always been using Apple, and the Apple


comes with a oh you have you have an option to buy the Apple care ah it's almost three four hundred dollars for an Apple care the laptop can be a, two thousand dollar investment so three hundred out of two thousand's pretty expensive in that sense but I have always always bought it because I


have, benefited so much from that three or four hundred dollar investment, when the screen went wonky, I could change it, no questions asked , even my power adapter the plug that is connecting to it didn't work after close to


three the third year itself I, was able to actually replace it so , therefore you know this, product of Apple care is very important for me and I would buy it and it allows me also to do voice calls to check with you know whoever that's on the other line it's for servicing to give me advice on what needs to be done so I'm very happy that this Apple care is something really worth buying


and must buy what any any Apple user so I know you're not really an Apple user but in case if you will ever get to buy it, err please consider buying that Apple care it just works that's all I can tell you , over to you


yes agreed


can't wait to see it back in church ma'am that's the case ,


!wah!


excellent map


!wow! good for you man I I've only decided I've only recently started buying things online and, and COVID has accelerated this adoption ah otherwise I would usually go to the shop, touch see feel then buy, but because of this COVID pandemic there was really no chance to go anywhere so the only way to


to, do shopping is reading online and I took myself the chances okay let's give it a try and, do you know , induction plate induction cooking, this is where instead of the fire


hot ah you actually have got, a plate that would just cook your food and, I I wanted to give it a try and say okay maybe what's on what's available online that can be a better price


and uh, going through QOOTen Lazada these places these were the two that I frequently use the prices were actually very much more reasonable meaning cheaper than what you see from from the bigger brands like Courts lah or


or or this place you know so I think it has proven to me that, these retail onlines can be a very good alternative to buying things off the shelf from department stores err and


it's delivered to your house fortunately I I've been it has been a positive experience so I didn't like have to fight to return the product or go and get servicing done, otherwise you know the easiest way if you buy from a retail shop you you can actually walk in there and say !hey! can you please go fix this for me and then they will help you to do it but doing it online I think ya lah I'll be left alone if I have to do all this lah so


all this while saving money using online I think has been fun, and , ya lah I probably change even though I can go window shopping but I think maybe I'll look for a better deal online now and and these are the retailers that can do it ah


(ugh)


yes !wah!


, ah make sure now you wash the clothes before you send it back ah you , ,


, I think it's worth going there and take a look and see something maybe a memory from the past and this could be something that is really triggering what you have enjoy in the past then this can be a treasure ah


[orh]


, well unfortunately you can't travel for now so just too bad, , then you go order your A three eighty meal and then you can pretend you are on the plane already


, the meals don't come cheap ah, uh the, uh, I


I I think they will on the air-con lah but I think those takeaway ones are really exorbitant, just to see a SIA logo delivered to your house and you're eating it all by then it would have condensed there's some water vapor condensed already on the food I really wonder this but these people really a lot of money to throw away kind of thing ah


and you could use it to to give charity lah what someone ah, and still enjoy #char kway teow# from the shop and then, you you're filled anyway


good point good point I think it's something worth considering supporting the local smaller players, agreed


ya in a way I just hope the moderator can do something for us she's enjoying her #tao kae noi# seaweed


stuff ya she's she's eating some seaweed #tao kae noi# , , , very good ya


no nothing just , ,


is is there a chance or there is also another segment okay can one never mind it's okay just get one don't worry just carry on, ya lah


okay lah maybe just to finish off lah you know long do you know how to skip, skip ya can ah, my goodness I thought skipping was easy I just recently bought myself I just bought myself a a skipping rope because a friend recommended to me it's something that is from the states and the skipping rope cost me hundred and twenty dollars ah


it's not your twelve dollar skipping rope ah this is a a good heavy skipping rope which has good designs to make sure the the rope doesn't get tangled after a few skips and I thought skipping was easy I tried


every four jumps I stop, but for this friend of mine who has been skipping for the last two years and he's completely swears by it he says it is so helpful for him, that


he he would recommend it to anybody to try and so he was telling me to go get it, and you will see the wonders, so that's something I bought I tried and I was so enthusiastic instead of skipping for five minutes I skip for an hour


I was totally drenched but for a week my muscles were all wobbly I was that's the the thing the word that you can say it was wobbly, uh I took one week to recover and I'm starting to go back into my skipping again uh but


it's a very good workout that it's something worth considering if you are wanting to, to be fit lah you know, so ya, that's that's the skipping rope called cross rope that I bought shipped from the states err it's not cheap ah


it's not cheap but I hope this is a good investment for me


(mmhmm), a very simple philosophy in, correct a simple philosophy for me in terms of this like the the rope that I bought buy this spend this rather than to spend money on medication because you never exercise this is a much healthier choice and it's a much cheaper choice because the medicine


if you take for years to come I think it's going to cost twenty thousand times more than the rope that I would buy lah so, I think so man so it's a worthwhile investment in your own hell I just spend on it lah it's something worth doing in essence


(ppo) ya (mm) (ppb)


good afternoon, good afternoon adrian part one finance so adrian you want to start first okay go ahead


yes I did err back in the university days when err everything was uh so green I didn't know anything much I simply just bought err lots of life insurance


and then as I got older and work longer I realised wait a minute just can't do life insurance then you added and bolted on the other stuff uh as you have mentioned , err critical illness recently and err other sorts of insurance accident and then you you also have err the work plans I mean where where you work wherever you work there's almost always a hospitalization plan and so on


and over the years as well as err I've got a daughter also bought for her endowment and so on so we have all sorts of insurances , and in fact in the last ten years I've got myself a financial advisor as well so that helps to kind of give a better overall picture on term life endowment and all sorts of other err investment products


ya ya (mmhmm) , so on the second question on endowment plan err yes I do have an endowment plan err it's I can't remember


which one because uh my financial advisor had picked and choose from different products from different err different companies uh she's an independent advisor so she's able to pick and choose uh stuff for me , err but I must say that without her help I think I it it's the whole landscape of insurance err and endowments and so on it's very bewildering err and and you know each time we we look at the plan also


we've had to have several discussions before we even decide on what plan it is so yes I do have an endowment plan but I don't quite recall all the details of it , err and it's really ya and you know it's one of those things that , I'm supposed to have a plan that over a period a number of years I would convert many or a number of my life insurances into investment type plans and into critical illnesses which I have done


so as far as I'm concerned I'm fully invested fully insured all ready err in that sense and and therefore err I shouldn't have not nothing to worry there's an a calamity or anything like that


ya ya true true


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


(mmhmm) , true true many of us still have uh to work I still have a mortgage to pay on my current house so err still have to work


to err, !wow! that's a lot ya,


that's good I only spend well probably half of that fifteen percent we're talking about life err critical illness all everything all in , err and err in fact between err candace and myself my wife err she does more of the risky stuff the investment stuff for the family


so she is uh socking oh she she's earning the the bigger bucks so to speak in the in the equities and so on so that that will help our retirement and and so my side of it is really to help fund err you know my our daughter's education ah and and uh so she she will be helping us fund our retirement


, ya sure sure sure


correct ya we just have to keep healthy lah err that that's more important so we'll never need to to shall we say use the nuclear weapon ah ya those things should be kept unused actually !huh! ya


so uh what I I candace and myself uh, planned basically is hopefully uh if we can somehow time it so that by the time we're dead so to speak err we would have spent all our money uh wisely given away all that we don't need to use


uh provided for our immediate family and then we all go into the sunset lah so to speak lah so that that should be the plan lah , ya ya right right


okay the fourth question do you get insurance from a single insurance provider no I would pick and choose as I mentioned just now the financial advisor and myself we will look across a landscape and err do some tweaks err as as she would, use the word because uh err I had a plan I had a portfolio that had a lot of life that


needed to be converted to over the years I've done the some conversions and sort of say balance the portfolio better with some critical illnesses with some hospitalisation plan and all that so it looks more balanced , ya so ya we I and I'm not bound to, buy from any particular company or anything


like that ya I'm sure it's the same with you


ya ya , true true eh you have some comfort level there lah err, ya and it's the same with my financial advisor as well started off as friends and remain as friends and have seen thick and thin and seen her grow as well which is great lah so it's kind like a family friend ya ya I think it's very important there's a trust there


err and that that's good and actually she's also seen me err over the years how I've grown on the portfolio or how far, err managed it until which is she it's good err buying insurance for car for sure


we've got all got to get interest for car but I'll only do all the minimum which is uh to get the road tax and all that stuff getting a property ya the contents insurance yes I do buy a bit uh travelling overseas for sure in case you lose your luggage err re-time your flights and stuff having children


okay I guess this is not really insurance err but I have actually for nicole I actually, had err err bought her err one of those err stamp, cord err the blood tank thing ya so that's a kind of insurance too if you ask me


ya and then err domestic, correct correct that's for the illness lah in case you know you can you know use the blood our cord blood lah and then domestic helper of course just a minimal err in fact we we did more than minimal uh because nowadays you know a lot more risky and and I think it's important that we be able to cover a a a bigger a bigger range of risks lah


commercial activities err no I I aware I'm not, self-employed I'm employed so I guess the company is insuring me for err accidents, so


ya, doesn't look quite legit right okay ya okay okay true true


oh my (hmm)


oh okay okay


kay err do you think CPF insurance coverage is enough


ya exactly and say I also she also


ya correct


correct track in fact uh


ya it's like for me MediSave err has been used more for my parents in my ya in the last ten years because they've been in and out of hospital and all that so that's been useful , err but obviously it's it's primary care is supposed to be myself lah but it's been useful that well we can use it for our parents ah err and then same to with candace I think she's had to use that for my mother-in-law


err so adequacy of all these coverages I guess no lah err in today's context we need to add on private sector insurance coverage err otherwise this is not going to happen , certainly hope that err MediShield Life premiums and ElderShield premiums won't go up err and I to me mathematically it shouldn't go up because as more and more people err get on to it it should be cheaper to run it and tend to spread the risk


but I don't think the government has been successful in getting more and more people or it's maybe not very efficient doing in it yet so that therein lies a you know a little bit of concern that as we all get older adrian err I I I hope the premiums will be affordable lah


as the you know for these basic coverage, true true yes , ya uh, correct exactly exactly we all have to do that eh actually it's a it's a it's a wise thing to do every every day and make wise choices


would you approach an agent or DIY when it comes to insurance planning oh no I I will go to my financial advisor ah err if DIY well DI I think I guess the mixture of both, you probably need to also reveal the landscape uh not just, talk to and rely on your financial advisor ah uh we have err I have discussions with my financial advisor and I would uh make sure that you know she's on her toes err that you can have a a robust discussion plus and minuses on whatever that's going to


be done err because end of the day I'm the one writing the cheque to do whatever that needs to get done ya, exactly exactly and this is hard-earned money so better make sure it's uh working hard


exactly


true


true true, ya exactly exactly


so you need a couple of good friends good uh advisors who who, who are in knowledgeable in these areas that's good enough lah who people who you know spend their lives looking at stuff so specialized ya so go to the right people open the right doors uh pay a bit a premium but it's worth it I think err so ya ya ya so


but these days uh lessons I guess I learned after twenty years of working you know you made a lot of mistakes along the way then oh !huh! you know, so that's that's why people buy err Toyotas you know and not some crank err err err stuff you know so reliability is


important actually ya boring and reliability actually is important ya, so correct , what do you look look for when buying insurance policy I guess the advisor is important err the insurance policy itself


I guess because the portfolio that I have is balanced already if I look for insurance policy additional one would be maybe one of the plans I have is retiring so therefore I need to replace it that that's a possibility and then of course I look for the same bells and whistles that you would have on that one


err but also a function of err what age we are at now so if I look for a insurance now it's likely to be maybe additional health insurance and a small additional hospital insurance rather than life ya so that that so it's also a function of the age so therefore


different plans require different things so if you're looking for investment type obviously you want a very high rate of return ah but again mowing that against the the amount of risk that you, take lah ya so adrian


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


, true true true


true true easier to get hold of ah ya easy to get a hold of as well ya


angel has a question for us in the chat do you do I prefer to use cash or go chashless when paying for goods and services, I think I still prefer cash old-fashioned as it may be but let's say if I have to go and Tapao something back it's raining heavily okay lah do grab or something that one that's cashless in that sense but err if you ask me of all my transactions in my daily lives probably more of it is cash and credit card rather than


err err cashless err PayNow and all that so still not a err err shall we say embracer of those at the moment


part three negative experience okay part three negative experience (hmm) , on (hmm), I've always started life every day or try to err very positive so I'm now struggling to find out where is the negative experience adrian actually got anything


(hmm), negative oh okay maybe uh I I I I talk about uh IT lah ya IT can be such a pain these days err and err, no names mentioned of course where we have certain IT departments of companies that we'll work for


you know where err I I usually conclude by saying that this is a classic some of the things that's been done in IT help desk ah uh and the apps that we use at our work sometimes it's a case of in my opinion the tail wagging the dog


so let's say we have an enterprise software err that is everybody got to use let's say it's a software that is supposed to be let's say when you buy something err so you generate a purchase order you buy something and then after that you


would you supposed to use that same app application to to be able to process the invoice that comes in and then get it paid the vendor gets paid and so on right and then it it goes into record that such and such has been done it goes into a ledger entry and and then it goes into the profit and loss account and so on


so that's a sort of a end-to-end right a enterprise software lah !huh! , but what happens is err because the enterprise software has, certain rigidity and B has to be done after A C has to be done after B certain sequence show stuff that needs to be done that it sometimes cannot for instance err accommodate certain real life situations so I was


err an example that I have faced before in my working life was , you have to create a vendor in the system so you create a vendor right and the vendor's vendor uh X Y Z you create in the system so we're going to buy a product from these guys so we create a vendor and we need to create a vendor because then the system will recognise it as somebody that the company needs to pay err an invoice from so we create a vendor and creating a vendor can be a project in itself because


we need his financial standing lah we need this company err letterhead lah I mean not letter letterhead or details of the company and sort so there's a bit a fair amount of documentation, so we create a vendor so it's done it's in the system , and then we pay the guy and, because of the service that we use and I'm in real estate and we use this person maybe once in three years because why every time we use this person it's actually he's a broker and he helps us negotiate a lease so leases


don't get negotiated every day and they negotiated every two years three years whatever the tenure is right , so we use him again you know because he's has given us good service so we use him again and guess what when he's done the deal for us for the renewal the second time we have to pay him raises a invoice guess what the system already kicked him out because


the system recognises that uh we have not used this fellow for more than two years so therefore he got kicked out, so this is the part where I get frustrated with IT and said, uh how do you kick this guy out I mean he was in the system he was created it was a project in itself to create him now I've got to go and recreate him again you got to be mad so we get uh this into this debate with the IT department they said oh we don't make the rules this is how the software works


I said okay if A creates a vendor how can you allow or the logic in the system is that B can go and delete it, you need to go back to A right, so it's kind of rude in fact in life if you A create then B go and delete I mean doesn't make sense right so the logic is wrong the department that creates it needs to be told that !hey! this guy is coming to two years if its been inactive will you still want to retain him then if we said yes then you retain ah


right for whatever reasons right but it's just automatically deleted I said you guys really know how to create work ah , so this is frustrating where where you end up this kind of thing is like wait a minute this tool this enterprise tool


is supposed to be able to help you track all these many transactions that accompany does and so on and make life easier for all the people who have to use it the the the vendor manager and so on right but no it's worse you make people do more work just to get an invoice paid and and vendors are frustrated because uh


they don't understand what's going on behind the scenes right then they said you want me to pony up the documents again create me again and, the system they're frustrated and they say like okay next time I quote you for any service I think I'm going to add a bit more for admin and all that , because they they realise they're dealing with a very bureaucratic organization who has allowed the tail to wag the dog I said the the the the hammer is now telling the carpenter what to do cannot be like this the tool cannot so this is the part where what is the balance


between err you know managing the risk of of fraud or whatever it is and going to that one extreme , and then the guys in the engine room can't even get the engine going because of all this bureaucracy in it, so it's a bit sad that you know err we I I have faced this situation before and you know it's like it's a big black hole you complain you talk to the people in IT and they can't give you like their department heads or what are the names to escalate this to I say


this cannot carry on like that and I'm not the only one in the world with this problem right there must be many other cases around the globe that has this problem , then it goes into a big black hole like that's it lah end of story, uh so it's it's it's amazing, and also maybe that's why we all got work to do lah but it's it's I don't think it's very meaningful work if you ask me


ya you think so right so what's so difficult about it right, ya, so ya so sometimes IT can be sometimes it can be


wonderful the stuff that we do with IT we can do so many things right but sometimes when this kind of thing pops up you get very frustrated because there is a solution to it but oh no we've been doing this for the last for many years it's been like, that so it's like


cannot take it I don't know if it's a function of age when we are in the fifties you get a bit more frustrated because but we should be you know more, calm and cool about this which I think I am but it's frustrating to see that people even in IT you all really like to get complaints on this kind of thing I mean I'm not only one right around the globe people are feeding feedback sure ah you it must be unpleasant why would you want this


, uh ya so uh, ya so it's it's it's weird I mean it's not going to be a large fix I mean what we going to get the enterprise uh application software supplier company is going to charge you about ten thousand dollars to do this change


I mean he is gonna be beaten up then as well you know what's wrong with you but you know it's maybe ya then the bureaucracy ah it's just it's sometimes it's very painful for for some organizations, ya ya ya that's true, so, (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


which you press zero you get you you press zero you get a human being right


okay (uh huh)


okay okay


okay, oh, but do you have ya okay okay okay


a human voice , so you managed to speak to someone


okay okay ,


okay call this number okay


(uh huh), then you get this uh the voice recording oh my, !huh!


okay, the second human person


correct ya,


correct ya ya right (uh huh)


cheese


telco


right right right right


ya


(uh huh) , ya I guess uh you know the or these companies I mean I used to work in banks and we used to have a large call centers as well and and really I think err how how they run the calls and the sound of it is not very professional lah and some of it they don't have enough man power behind it so you get


you get err the old team of twenty now they reduced to ten and the ten guys got to cope with the increasing volume so you can imagine lah you know the ten fellows ah eh eh no joke lah, so and then and then they are half-baked they are not properly trained that put on the line and then it gets even worse lah they can't help you lah ya it's true it's true


ya frustrating ya so, ya I mean it's it's I guess when when I guess the it's it's kind of like justice at mercy you know meaning to say we always you know why why I pay good money for this where's my justice where's why am I not getting this thing working you know and on the other side of the line is some poor junior person list


listening to you rant about it and I didn't make the rules here I just follow these procedures you know ah and then you you then hold off then you realise, oh ya this guy is too junior so so sometimes I end up in kind of conversations eh whether it's in a company I work for or product I need to buy I say look let me not give you any more grief you let me know your manager's name I call him instead


no seriously because some of them you know you have reached you reach the end of the guy's decision making mandate he can't give you this rebate back he can't , open this channel for you right give me your boss name I think let me give him the feedback you know maybe some of them do some of them say oh cannot please write in so that sort of stuff lah you know so I guess ya


ya, (mmhmm),


ya ya I know he oh , the other day err you know our mutual friend craig were saying this is above my pay grade lah, I can't I can't answer this you know that kind of thing so that's that's the the limit already lah so you I guess is we have to recognise his time nah he's finished don't lah don't lah to and then you move on because you're going to get them you're going to get frustrated too because you're not going to get any more if you you're squeezing blood out of stone we can't get it you know


and so you know that the the and then the decibel level goes up you know and then your spouse is looking at you my goodness he's tearing his hair out sitting there talk with with someone, no lah not eh and if you have a dog the dog even feels it oh my master looking very frustrated


oh ya the dogs, ya the dog's scared lah, you mean the dog thing , ya, ya ya exactly


ya exactly , !wah! to use the world inflict ah you can't help me any more lah maybe your boss can help me ya something like that lah and not not, more pleasant and more pleasant uh, ya


correct I wouldn't last uh, I wouldn't last one day because you know they'll be four-letter words and whatnot you know and it's terrible so you everyday go home I think it's worse than social workers ah , uh , so thank goodness I'm not in that kind of line ah but but ya you know I think I think I as we all get older we get wiser we we know that okay this is not going to work than you back off and find other ways lah I've tried to get people to uh call people right and and and they can't get this person right and you're you really need to get someone in that department so you know what I do let's say the number is err


four three two seven eight six I will call seven eight seven because seven eight seven should be sitting beside seven eight six eh eh your colleague there or not he don't want to answer phone is it , something like that lah and then you try and get the service that you need to get lah


[oh] ya (ppo), ya Leceh (ppo), (uh) ya well ya


part two, positive experience, okay go ahead


okay (mmhmm)


ya !huh! (ugh)


okay well for Apple users my wife and my daughter uh they are Apple users so I'm the only Samsung user and I always tease them I said you guys have gone to the dark side


anyway , err a product or service that I have used err positively I guess err, just recently today uh , why you know that we are going into the mask that is a hundred persons so therefore more logistics needed so


father ben err was looking for queue poles you know queue poles where you bring the ribbon across and you, you know to attach to another one and so on so err craig and I uh were, you know googling the net to see where can we get all this stuff right soon ya so we we we we ah he he he stumbled along uh one of these err sellers on Carousell and after we made from comparison with some others


turns out okay let's go and take a look so I went to go and take a look err and lo and behold it's very nice it meets all the criteria it's got a nice two-meter length it's got it's black in colour it's matte, it's heavy enough so that you know strong wind it doesn't come down err and the price very good it's like thirty-eight dollars and everybody else were selling like fifty sixty dollars err and it's like !wow! or you know is this guy real or what so went to see him showed me a sample


took a picture of that showed to father ben showed to the rest of the committee and they say eh , really ah thirty-eight dollars is it ya this guy's offering thirty-eight dollars how many do you want twenty okay twenty so we we ordered twenty and it was delivered today we screwed it all in it's all set up now waiting in the church to be deployed and we even had those you know signage accessories on it err and now you can see the signage you know


and we asked father ben do you want a A four size or the A three he said A three better so we asked him why A three , he said because all of us getting old can't read the reading any more so better get the bigger one okay , so ya so it's it's just very nice that we managed to get the


poles and we're now ready for err on I mean for the poles wise we are ready for for the hundred pax, max err err err march err which is supposed to be next month right so we're getting some trial run and all that as well so , so it's great I mean that we could solve the problem it was err fantastic by my opinion and and I think uh I'm sure if there's anything else we need to buy we'll go back to this guy again


he seems to be able to you know come up with stuff err well all all legit I I suddenly oh err I I you can be sure it's made in china lah you know but doesn't matter lah this thing is you know going to be , err something that's not like too many moving parts, if it spoils it spoils you know may you can change the ribbon fifteen dollars no problem


so I think it's it's a good buy in that sense ya so and and all done in jiffy quick time which is good ya so, err every time ya man, you know and then you know sometimes when we look at this err candace will say you see err hand of god works in mysterious ways you know you church wants a queue pole only #gao dim#


because initially for a couple of days I was like queue pole okay let's go and get some second hand ones you know always cheapo like that lah you know go and seek a second and then you know you ask ask seven contacts err from my former colleagues and all that and then all of them like cannot spare lah because everybody is fighting COVID everybody's got queues to manage


right so everybody's got their poles all done and when I spoke to this Carousell seller he said he's been in the last couple of weeks selling a lot of poles, and I said okay uh now now I know why eh but he could still keep the price at thirty-eight, and not increase it in fact he says some retailers are buying from him to resell err


okay lah so he's like he's got a lot of poles left in his house or what I don't know so that's that's the one that I can certainly remember it's only happened yesterday , ya ya so ya those those sort of things other


stuff I guess over the years, uh I would say that even my own house here that I'm staying I think it's a excellent buy err if you call it a product err we bought this house we had a a budget of X dollars and what happened was when we went house err hunting


we we we were shown, many many houses we took our time uh candace and I we took our time and then we one the one day the agent will say eh come and see this house so we said !hey! look that that house in that range is is two X it's


it's it's double the our budget you got to be kidding man don't waste people's time lah you know we are not going to be able to afford it so the agent said never mind lah never mind see the house err no, no need to no need to buy one what it's okay you know like you know a lot of singaporeans err weekend go and see houses show flats and all that lah so okay lah we go so we go and


like they said the rest is history and and and it turns out that the guy wants one point five X I said !huh! it's still fifty percent out of the budget so I told candace I need to go back to my spreadsheet and we're going to probably end up err for the next ten years during the mortgage itself err drink water and eat bread can't do anything much more than that


and she said no no I think this is the buy that we need to do if we don't buy it tonight we we somebody's going to buy it so let's do it I said really ah okay lah so we bought it but over the years it I think has been a, fantastically wise decision so we're so happy ya I mean I apart from the fact that we got it at at a at that at the at now we look back it's a good price but boring important thing a it has been a great home err plenty of space where


one mom dad mother-in-law dog, house cats everybody you know everybody's got enough space I think that's the most important it's become a home it's no longer just a house ya so, so that's I would say that that would be personally for me err one of my most most satisfying product or purchase ah


ya man, (uh huh) okay


(uh huh) oh ya ya ya (uh huh) (uh huh)


uh ya okay correct


okay


exactly, ya in fact err I'm just thinking out loud now definitely something that you would consider as well is you know the SSV


P shop at five zero one Geylang road , in fact nowadays err if we wanted to say buy clothes ah err and which we we (oo) all of us actually you know I think her probably too many T-shirts too many pants too many of clothes lah basically right


so we figured !hey! look we're not just going to go to Muji or something and buy something nice like forty dollars for a blouse or a shirt or whatever said don't bother so what we do is uh candace and I make over head down to five zero one Geylang , look at all the thing sure you you may not find anything you want but suddenly you find a gem you know with this thrift shops you you


you will find something that , !hey! wait a minute err I I like this you know so and and you you better buy it on the spot if you like it because it is not going to be there the next time you go by right so it's this treasure hunting that's quite fun and so and and that stuff could be forty dollars when new but now it's like three dollars hanging there so we said okay go and buy it


come back with it clean it up wear it after a few more weddings she said oh maybe I got tired with it then donate back to the shop so the shop has become our wardrobe , I think that's that's that's that's very satisfying because err wait a minute you having to wear something you like but at the same time help do some charitable thing you know


err so, it's all almost like rental you know or rental of a shirt and then you go and put it back again you know , , [orh] no problem lah no problem but you think we we it was quite quite amazing when one of those collections we did somebody threw in hospital clothes okay somebody had worn the pyjamas you know the top and the bottom and they thrown it inside my goodness this is a biohazard but


ya of course we had to throw it away , so ya I think sometimes thrift shops and online is is good and online also has uh uh second-hand stuff so got to be a bit more careful with those lah ya and then look at the review right where whether this guy's got five star four star or or he have totally unrated then you get a bit worried lah


uh I bought Lego as well Lego bricks you know on online you know they by by the KG okay , ya it's that's quite fun


uh correct correct correct ya , so I I would urge you go go to five zero one Geylang road ah there's there's uh some pretty good buys I've I've bought a, nice uh thirty dollar travel bag as well !whoa! totally scratchless unused , it's one of those err branded stuff as well so I was like !wow! this thing will last me for the next


twenty years but ya it's it's definitely , a three hundred dollar bag that's going for like forty bucks ya ya now we just err, uh, wheel it around the house you know like pretend to travel, terrible,


ya and it's like for that one I I I couldn't understand why people would just go and do that go on a plane that's parked on the tarmac pay, ya pay that kind of money and then in a confined area I don't even know whether they on the air-con or not but it's it's like


uh


certainly not wise lah I would say it's it's just amazing, , correct correct correct if it , ya exactly in fact in fact this pandemic both candace and I have said that maybe in our purchases and


so on we want to help the small trader the small shopkeeper because , all the big boys all NTUC everybody can survive sure we'll still buy stuff at NTUC but let's go to the neighbourhood, shop and you know pick something up as well you know from the mom and pop shop because they are also suffering I think better we help them lah then then can survive better NTUC all this no problem one lah they will survive lah without us so I think where we can I think we should we should do that lah ya in a little bit of way you know all the small small shop lah the hawker centre things like that


ya , ya ya because I think the the the difficult part is yet to come you know we've had a big cushion we jumped on once the cushion gets removed it is not going to be easy ya then


I I I I fear that there are harder times coming up next lah !wah! adrian you probably got to get ready to go to church already, !huh! ya ya ya


seaweed stuff what is angel are you there, is it uh hello you're there ya, uh we just ran out of topics we have be talking about good product ya no nothing nothing happened we're just talking ya it's just that I would


ya I still worried a little bit about adrian he needs to go off soon that's like very very soon, oh okay okay then maybe you can shorten it a bit lah ya oh if we have to complete this rest of uh looks like four minutes and a half left we're just still talking about good product that we have bought lah


(mmhmm) ya skip, skipping rope skip ya ya ya I do but uh not very good stamina no not very good stamina, eh you need stamina you know


okay , what kind of skipping rope is this ya uh


okay (uh huh), okay , really


, okay okay


okay it's true it's true , okay I've got a skipping rope which has been you know KIV down in a drawer somewhere so what I've done recently is because we all been working from home right and working from home is of course you sit down all day long and in fact working from home we end up working longer hours nine to nine err which is terrible you know work merged with social with family life everything because you are working from home


but because of that consciously I've had to get up in the morning instead of going straight to the computer and start working after breakfast I will go for a walk first, so trying to do a walk maybe you know Fitbit right I'm I wear Fitbit right tried to clock seven or eight thousand err uh steps on it first


and then at the end of the day five six o'clock go walk again, so that's another two thousand or more if you can, you know to try and finish the day beyond ten thousand and then at least okay lah done my bit err candace err last yesterday friday rode to


err uh rode as in err you know she rode a bicycle to work, ya and it's like thirty-five minutes to reach #ang mo kio# side from here she goes to saint nics ah and then she also rode back err about thirty-five minutes again drenched I say okay this weekend you probably you know that you have muscles in the leg


just like you and err she is also very inspired now she she says maybe you should do this more often I said ya lah not not everyday lah but maybe two three days a week so I think this this like you know getting some activity in it sort of boost your energy actually err for the for the rest of the day


ya so yes right I think ya if we're all that age we better keep away the ya ya


uh correct correct correct correct , you need a lot of skipping ropes ah ya true true true


okay, part one finance, part one finance


okay hi Sarapan, I'm Nathan here, first of all ah uh I bought a flat in year nineteen eighty five that is my first flat, after that about five years after five years I try to sold away my flat


and bought a five room flat that time the transaction fees and the financial fees, HDB, use my CPF com and paid agent fees in cash, from there the property investment is I look into my property in first month after the five years whether I can sold it off or not so I went out and look for the property market outside what's the price going on


so I gone find out the price is reasonable then how about you


Sarapan I think you remove your mask is better I think, okay is err, when when I bought the flat for five years after five years, I intend to sell the house so I look for the buyer to what, buy over my flat to make some investment lah to downgrade


from five room I want to go to downgrade to make some profit, from there I can see that outside sell price is very expensive, (ppc) because I need to do renovation all these so I look for the resale flat, resale flat is much comfortable because already done already I no need to do anything I just go in and do for painting so I look for five room


then shift in from there they, (ppc) I have to pay a five fifteen percent down payment first and later about twenty percent, from here what I know is that if I bought a new flat, I've to pay


oh no I I apply for grant, if I take the grant, I got, I got discount about twenty percent from the flat, so what I do I apply for grant through the resale flat I make the grant to buy from the resale flat


so they deduct the resale flat, the grant about twenty percent, so the price of the house go lesser about forty to fifty thousand, so I make use of this and buy the new uh old flat instead of new flat


so I did pay for the cash only about twenty thousand then I pay down payment, and renovate my all houses not renovate ah simple renovation only toilet only I renovate so from there I only paid the cash to the my agent agent only that's all


it's better to buy a resale flat because maybe the renovation all done already already completed so you no need to do any else ah then look for the new flat I think have to do more


I did take a


I that HDB also gave me a loan, but I say better to take the HDB loan because that time that bank loan is very the interest is very high, so the HDB offer me to take the bank loan because eh HDB loan because I'm I take the loan I buy the HDB flat through grant so the price of the HDB interest all should be okay lah so I take the loan from the HDB rather than take the grant from the DBS bank


the DBS bank also offer me for the, for loan so I think about it and took the HDB loan, (ppc)


after I got a resale flat, and I wait for another five years then I look for another flat also


err from the HDB, I bought a HDB I apply for new flat at the HDB I got a place in the #Bukit Batok# ah, so I went there for the selection but I cannot cannot get it, so I intend to buy a resale flat again, so that time I have bought a resale flat five room then


(ppc) I apply for a loan the HDB rejected my loan cause you have to take a bank loan the the third time already so I took loan from the Standard Chartered bank, have they talk to me nicely, you give me a fixed rate of interest


then the bank offer me also renovation loan also, so from there I think the Standard Chartered bank's offering is very good so I take the loan from them lah so monthly I have to pay about thousand over dollars in the banks for twenty years


for me I put uh I need to pay a transaction fees legal fees, stamp fees, and finally agent fees agent fee I have to pay cash, you can pay this through CPF account both agent fee is cash HDB


only check the cash deposit that the buyer and seller during the cash deposit both sides, so this one HDB won't involved they will after let's let's say after you pay five thousand deposit for the flat, the five thousand will deducted from the price of the house


so HDB just check how much cash you took both, each other take it, so I only pay the just after that I try to pay my instalment through my CPF account, so from there going on now, so I just still paying another


I think three years more I think I settle everything for my HDB flat


since you buy a second hand flat why not you buy a new flat to make a profit, I think you can make profit right because the the HDB new flat I think reasonable now, is not high, so you let's say you sold your house ah I think you still can make money and make a profit and pay everything that's all


so when the age of come to fifty I think you will settle all the property price so will be happy when you retire for another five years you save your CPF accounts if not you have to pay until you retire there is no CPF account there'll be zero account in your CPF


am I right, (hmm)


so is there any plan of buying a new flat, in future , or how about


err any uh condo condominium


for me I think is HDB plan is better because, you know now the condo price is going all time to millions more than a million, so I don't think so I can afford to pay monthly instalment through the, through my pay, cause I see is very expensive


I can't afford to pay for monthly let's say I stuck paying ah I've become a debt, so I've my bank loan will be very high so I've to struggle and to pay everything so I decided to stay in the HDB flat, so try to settle everything as soon as possible


okay speak, share more okay can


okay cause I did try, apply for loan through bank, I think I try many banks to the DBS bank I I applied also rejected, standard uh Citibank I also tried rejected then finally I go to Standard Chartered bank


they offer me a good interest rate, so from there I see the level what they you call the finance officers there advice me how to take loan while how much of the payment everything they advise me, so it's good for me to take from Standard Chartered bank


it's better to get a loan from our CPF account at least the government give us a, ten thousand dollar in our our account we can use for it to buy our furniture, and uh toiletry things all can buy if the government give us ten thousand to buy for this we are very happy


for me I took a bank loan from also in the PSOB also, I let's say I let's say I want to do something in my kitchen or toilet our budget let's say ten thousand I take a loan, I finish off after finish off the ten thousand then I take another loan to renovate my house so I take two time renovation loan


so it's better to do that that way ah because rather than that you take one lump sum is very difficult for you, cause your two payment will be very high you see


okay Sarapan


yes is true I sold my flat uh then I make money I can uh send my children to go for further study, to take their take up their degree courses, so I never took any loan I take the money from my profit I sell


my five room flat I downgrade to four room, from there I make money and, use this money to for my son's education is better to do that way even though let's say you go JB or to malaysia you want to buy some properties no way you can buy property in malaysia is have too far away another five hundred kilometre then you got you have to buy a flat in the HDB


if you buy there I don't think so you can sell straight away maybe the price can be dropped


yes the another way to pay your monthly instalment through your HDB flat, so let's say you paying for six hundred dollar monthly, then you see your ordinary account maybe in thirteen at cost, there's a twelve month payment only the thirteen month you can keep