uh what's that thing called a a higher percentage of rebate lah from singapore power right, are you aware yes okay so so the singapore power I think there's also uh I don't think you own a car so I think if you do, I think I think SPC there's also a


higher percentage I think it's SPC lah not not not other, ya, so oh okay I so I'm not I'm not I guess I'm not surprised lah especially when you mentioned this is your main card, or or only credit card right


, okay so anyway I think uh why do you continue to, uh put money in a savings bank because , I have had, friends tell me you know take your money and invest ah especially my financial advisor lah which is my friend also lah


ya because they say uh bank interest rates are, I mean all I also know not very attractive ya so how do you feel


, ya ,


rainy day cash, ah okay uh, , okay ya well


uh I I mean I mean I would I'm talking normally to you I feel like uh and and you me you you know that, uh ya sometimes I will share information like uh like for example, uh I have a, I have


I have this savings POSB savings account right ya so I'm still, uh, not doing much with the the money inside uh in terms of investments because you know last year I sold a flat, so most of the money most of the money is still there and then my financial advisor is aware that I sold a flat so she she actually uh ask me about eh do you want to increase your


investment in the insurance products that I buy ya then I said uh and and this was before, COVID ah, right this was before COVID so I think I met, her earlier, earlier earlier this year or maybe late


I I think earlier this year so that was before uh the circuit breaker and all, ya, and then I I told her I'm not willing to, invest and we're talking about, like still forty forty plus thousand I'm not going to invest because I want


to uh uh, hopefully work overseas lah in the future so I may need that cash because you mentioned that, uh it's important to have a certain, amount of cash that you can, uh move lah right


so so actually yes


(mmhmm), ah, ah I


I start out I started out with her because uh I mean before they all began to call themselves financial advisors they were insurance agents mah, ya so I got my first uh insurance policy, uh like after I became uh


a full time teacher so I I got my first uh, policies and then subsequent policies from her, lah, ya so a lot of my investments are actually insurance products, ya and of course uh they are tied to the


global economy lah so or even the the asia asian markets so of course during this period uh I think, my investments are in a way suffering or, ya, so of course cannot cash out anytime soon ah


ya , anyway uh, getting a loan I used, who's who stuck where me, yes yes hi


yes, , actually I'm not I , I had a flat right so so that that would


uh that was that was a loan lor that was a housing, loan from a bank ya, so uh I I, I I don't have other I don't have experiences in other kinds of loans ah, can't uh I don't


think I have ya, so but because I was because I because I sold the flat already, uh in a way I'm I'm no longer servicing this loan ah, ya so it was supposed to be I think I was on a thirty year kind


of a uh, it was thirty year period lah ya, I hope I'm not mixing this up with uh, you know anything from HDB lah so that's my experience lor, ya, yes


, , ya


oh so you, oh so you actually pay the interest first before you get the money ah, oh, (uh huh)


[orh], oh, oh uh so you have you have uh you've gotten such a loan for a few times


oh okay so and, is there any advantage I mean uh of paying the interest first and then getting, the money after that, because you can also pay the interest like


at the and what ya, (uh huh)


(uh huh), okay, (uh huh), (uh huh)


okay, so borrowing from a bank is is cheaper lah


balance funds I mean borrowing money from the bank through this is cheaper, eh, ten times ten ten times cheaper okay oh okay I'm I'm more I'm more like asking uh


okay maybe I'm not understanding this well I'm more like asking why why pay you why, do you pay the interest first you can also pay the interest at the end of the six months what and the same amount, ah


oh, [orh], okay right balance ah so, okay so so you're confirm you're you you just now you were comparing balance funds transfer with what ah with with what what what was that you're comparing with


ah right right right right right right right right right right okay okay and then money lenders will be different lah ha the percentage I guess the interest rate,


okay okay okay okay okay so anyway uh so how's your wife doing, ya so


okay working okay, right, so uh can I just uh ya so this may be a bit, private, so how about joint accounts I think of course you have uh individuals saving account do you have a joint account


no ah


(uh huh), oh, oh okay like that ah okay uh without telling without without uh I think the system will notify you lah right if you withdraw money from the


joint account is it !huh! is it is it like that, or can you actually tell tell the bank not to inform the other person, ya


oh, cannot cannot switch off this notification ah


cannot cannot there's no there's no you can't, you think, (uh huh), if if I am


oh, okay okay okay right so but but the thing is right uh, if if if you put money into the joint account again is the the


it's not really for the interest rate right, ya, it's just somewhere to put money ah, ah but when you put money into joint account, ya so


, [orh], I think that's if they have a own account first ah, ya


I will think about like, , when I have, like my own, when do you remember when you had a first do you remember when you have a first have a bank account


is it, ya I I, I actually I actually you you I actually cannot remember ya and I also cannot remember when I got a when I started to have a ATM card I but I don't think I had a ATM card when I was like a student


like you know like a secondary school student, you know or beyond I think I always had I always had allowance lah ya it's I think it's only when I started work, okay maybe not, ah army ya when I started army then I I think I applied for ATM card


ya, so so this question a bit hard for me to answer I mean I I would, I naturally want to let my uh children if I do have children uh have their own ATM card, uh


you know maybe around the age I got it but maybe now it's, not very relevant ah I mean it was relevant for me then ah because you get a pay serving NS right then you you withdraw money from that your bank account right and then use that money right ya but uh I think


these days maybe they maybe, my children will start earlier like start to have a card earlier than I did yourself, what do you think


ya, oh uh


I mean the ATM is a very simple way to manage, a bank account lah I mean uh we we're not thinking about like letting letting, uh, a child have access to E banking for example so I also not sure you know if children can be allowed to manage their account


ya, uh showing, yes ya


uh, part three negative experiences, I


, I think uh the best the best example


would be uh, , ah yes why am I , why am I taking so long coronavirus the coronavirus ya ya so so you know I I bought tickets to go to japan uh


to look at cherry blossoms, uh, a few of ya ya so so slowly there were information coming out from all over telling me or showing me that I shouldn't, fly to japan


so so it became very clear when scoot sent me an email saying they have cancelled my, uh plane tickets so if I have no plane ticket to, uh Tokyo then I can't go to japan right so ya ya so I wanted to


actually I'm not I I shouldn't be so happy about this because uh, besides looking at uh cherry blossoms I I I really felt like uh being at a, different country uh I have


a bit of space to think, uh, I mean besides enjoying the country lah I have a bit of space to think because uh I'll be travelling, uh a great distance uh, I may have told you I plan to go from Tokyo to Niigata and then upwards to Hokkaido lah


ya and I wanted to go to Hokkaido actually uh, to see if there is work, or there are people I can meet there to uh, to get a working opportunity lah, ya so the coronavirus wasn't


wasn't helpful, and right now, uh, in a way I'm waiting to book, uh my next flight to to japan ah, maybe to hong kong first to see some friends but eventually to japan because I I still want to do the same the same itinerary now now that I have to do it just that I have to do a year a year later lah


ya because I've I've effectively planned planned the trip already ya how about yourself, ya ya


(uh huh), ya,


and and you actually disagree ah, you you disagree but do you tell your seniors you disagree, !huh! if you are a


ya ha, (uh huh) oh, ya


ya, oh if it doesn't work lah, try their way first ah, ya, so so you you're referring you're referring to your previous job right how about your current job


also like that ah, ya


okay, but but no one force you to do , or it it it it still happens in your new job lah uh your current job lah is it, oh okay okay


okay lor I think you're still you're still flexible enough or understanding enough lah uh because uh your it's it's also your job right right to to listen to to your superiors or seniors ah ya


did do you have do you have ever had a time where you feel the world is against you, ya


okay,


, , oh, uh


the, I think not so not so extreme for me leh, I mean, uh uh if people are against me people are against me ah like for example, uh okay that's just now you mention parents right ah like parents don't agree with you then I guess they're against you right but


the world is against me is very very extreme ah so I I would actually say no leh no ya, ya so so so and actually I feel, this statement or is, is illogical lah is illogical lah it probably means it probably means everything you want you cannot get


or something that you want a lot you cannot get it's it's because of every not say everyone like there's so many reasons, ya I I cannot, I I I'm sure I I don't get my way all the time lah but I I don't think I'll ever get to the stage where though I will feel the world is against me


ya it's like, it's like the the world don't want you to succeed eh like nobody in this world want you to succeed, ya, ya like society don't want you to succeed !wah! it I think it'll be very terrible if I actually, start feeling like that


but heartbroken, uh I've definitely felt heartbroken, ya, so you you would know that, ya ya and you know this ah I was heartbroken when I had I had the flat, so uh my wife my wife said uh my ex-wife said I have to


uh we have to split so I was clearly heartbroken then ah, ya and I will actually say, uh this morning when I woke up, I I actually still dreamt of her uh ya ya ya


so so so I, I think my heart is no longer, uh in such great pain, ya but I I seem to uh at least my mind lah my mind cannot, cannot seem to uh forget this


and I don't think I ever forget this uh marriage that I, had lah ya, so so because the word is heartbroken mah so if the word is something else I would not have said this lah, ya, so ya ya ya and


ya, two years already right oh more time okay, okay I I shaved this morning ya


so so we're not supposed to, laugh, uh but I I I try to look good for this uh for this uh session it's just that uh, I actually woke up earlier than usual so because of uh the dream I believe ya and also I don't want to oversleep and then miss this uh


this uh webex session mah, ya how about yourself, do you have a time where you were heartbroken, hopefully not as painful as mine ah, ya


oh, ya we


okay


oh then then your heartbroken is like, your heart break then break a little bit more break a little bit more with every year right, that's quite painful leh ya okay


oh both both lah both both ya, how about how about this one were you ever looked down by your friends or family uh the friends or relatives ya family ya


I think if friend ya, uh I think if if friends look down on me ah there's a good chance ah I'm, no longer friends with this person or or or maybe I or maybe I, have uh


I slowly uh not say no longer friends but, will just not as close lah, ya because because I think sometimes , if you look at look down at somebody it's it's very clear


it's very clear you actually can sense it, or or maybe you maybe you you sense it but the other person is not actually looking, down at you lah but it is you who feel it right, ya, and I I and I and I think that it is also possible that I may have also looked down


on my friends or relatives but this but that's not what the question is about lah sometimes so so so sometimes I think, the things you're now we're talking about quite negative right, ya but , sometimes we are the we are the ones who are creating the negativity for other people


also, ya so this this question make me think about like have I I feel have I have I experienced this but but have I made other people experience the same thing ya like like the next question about like have you ever felt betrayed right, ya that then I will start the think have I betrayed other people as well


because it's like , is like a coin lah got two sides ah, so I I felt, I felt betrayed, I think again this very extreme word lah so I will say no I've never I don't I don't think I've ever felt betrayed


ya yourself, oh you have ah you you have felt betrayed ah, oh that's very bad ah


okay okay, okay, ya


oh (uh huh), okay ya


oh as well ah the japanese as well, because the, ya the because the management also japanese right, ya I mean the the the the at the top lah okay, so uh


ya so I was looking at this question for a while then I'm like, I wanted to say uh take care or even don't forget, me you know but I I I don't think like it's special enough ah uh dude my laughter is actually very sad because uh I think talk talking about this uh


why why don't you why don't you try you tell me what you will say lah, I I I'm still thinking ya what would you say, ah your wife


ya, !aiya! of course of course ya


okay okay


oh !wow!, okay so but have you have you thought about this question before it it seems like you, you're quite, quick to answer my question or answer this question, have you thought about this before


oh, okay, oh, okay ya I I think, I I will need to


think a bit about this ya but, so off hand I can only say please take care, please don't forget about me but that sounds a bit that sounds a bit , I don't know selfish ya, because it's


and I I I hope I don't have to say such things anytime soon ah ya, ya so ya, so describe a time when you felt like giving up ,


it's usually when I do something that is, physically challenging I think, I'm I'm not physically I'm not physically tough, so uh, I I feel like giving up


I can feel like giving up, a lot, uh but usually I don't give up ah because the task, usually it's not impossible ah, ya so like for example, like, uh let's say uh don't let's say but uh like uh let's say a run a run so when I was a


when I was in school I represented a, the school in uh middle distance running, ya so so I don't think I've ever experience pain ah


like so much pain like when when your heart is beating very fast, and then , you're physically quite tired but yet you have to continue because you, if you stop halfway, or you give up uh it is


I think it's not very, I mean I'm not like tired or the pain is not going to kill me lah it just feels like it, ya, uh so so so so, uh I, I I used to be able to run a lot ya these days not so much because of uh I got a injury in my left leg uh left knee but I remember like


ya when there are there are times when I ran and I feel like giving up, like if I could just sit down and rest it'll be so good ya, yourself,


right ya ya feel like only you, you feel like only you don't have to give up you just feel like ya


ya that's the question ya, , (uh huh)


okay okay, ya ya


ya right ya ya, so ya ya ya ya, something's , ya ya ya something that is very physical lah, ya


okay so what what are things in the world ya, me ah uh I think, I think people who, abuse other people lor


hello, ya people people who are abused lah, uh, here you go eh hang on, uh is it


part two positive experiences, ah


, yes , I think that was again uh last year, uh, I was moving, back to #toa payoh# uh, mainly on my own


so I had to, uh move, a lot of things and I don't drive, ya so I was helped by actually quite a few people but I will just talk about one person which is someone you know


did have I told you that jane helped me, no ah really ah okay ya jane, okay lah no yes in a way the taxi driver ya ya ya, so so jane and I have, uh have was in touch uh


once once in a while we we are we are we are in touch and I actually, uh sold her a table, ya I think if I'm not wrong you you have you may have seen the table before it is in in the study a white colour ikea table lah ya


so ya ya I think you you got a vague idea ya so so he she drove uh, she she drove something like uh I think MVP ah, so you can actually load uh , table into it her car


ya so so that was before I actually move lah so I was selling things right so uh the night of my final, day there, eh not the night ah the night before my final day so the the day that I have to move out lah I actually was still packing lah and then I remember


around one, plus I I took a break and then as I was taking a break I text I text jane and I said eh jane ah I'm I need to, move out by tomorrow or rather I need to move out in, uh I think, twelve hours' time you think you can come by I will pay for your pay pay pay lah right because she drives mah right


so actually she actually came and then she actually came so there were actually three, cars ah maybe I didn't tell you there were actually three cars that came uh so there was my friend edmund there was uh another friend, puni and then jane lor jane came so jane actually didn't accept money from me she helped me move


ya and, and I think till this day I still feel like , , like I still remember lah I'm I'm I'm still thankful lah because uh I I knew I I don't know jane I knew jane longer than I knew one of the friends and then edmund is uh my long time friend lor ya but I I I don't think I know jane very well lor


ya so for someone who I don't really know very well to, come and help me I think, so that was very special lah, ya, hello #kwak leong#


yes can you hear me, yes yes, oh right right so yourself, ya


ya, but I think you can skip eh I think but I mean you say something lah don't have to, ya


ya, ya


ya you told me you told me, ya


but when you join the company you were already the company was already here for a few years already right you told me I think, ya ya ya so so when you when you join the company the management was still mostly singaporean right


and then a few years, , oh so so ya ya it became japanese managing the locals lah right, uh so so that was that was when


uh, your your japanese superior was helpful towards you lah, okay


so uh, but so but your your working hours reduced from sixteen hours to like twelve, I don't know, ya uh ya oh ya ya


and and I think you mentioned before, uh I don't I I, I think you mentioned to me uh I think last year, oh no no not last year two years ago like because the japanese have this culture about of drinking mah right, so you also experienced a bit of that right


because but that actually ya, oh okay, ya ya because it will also extend your time with them ya so I I think I guess ah ya but because the way I I understand it is ya it was good but yet also maybe not so good lah ya ya but ya ya ya the the drinking culture ya anyway speaking about drinking right


uh what is what is the best meal you ever had


oh for you ha, so that does (mmhmm), actually I was I was thinking uh of saying uh the best meal I've ever had is not in, this country ah ya I mean I mean because the


because I think uh like you said like steamboat is food right but , uh you eat food with you can eat it alone or you can eat it with other people mah so I was thinking more like ya what if you eat it out of a country, you know like the environment is a bit different


or, or that place that you never you'll probably never return to, ya so actually it's uh, (hmm) , I I'm trying to make the answer the the question easier to answer because I can say uh the best meal in singapore, or the best meal at home or the best meal like for example in japan


ya so so I think the best meal I've ever had, uh is probably, uh, going to be a home cooked meal lah, ya and and and and


and I it can be cooked by myself, but it probably cooked by someone else because then I can actually focus on, enjoying the food lah ya, so I find hard to answer this question but I think the best meal I've ever had is probably a home cooked meal by someone


ya , no I know I know not a very direct answer yes so


okay I I think okay don't laugh okay I mean uh you'll laugh okay so I think, okay so uh , I've I've ever you know I I I ride bicycles right, ya so I've ever given someone a bicycle


ya so uh it's a secondhand bicycle and and is a bit embarrassing but uh, but it's okay for the purposes of this recording uh I gave this person that, I I think I like a bicycle


like uh, I think a few months after our ah the course we attended ended, ya, so but it's a secondhand bike lah so it wasn't it wasn't very it wasn't terribly expensive uh I knew that this person was riding a


bicycle to do, foodpanda deliveries right, so so I was like, uh I think you should ride a, a a better bike because I I've seen I've seen the bike that she rides so it's uh I feel it it felt a little bit heavy felt look like a bit old you know ya


so I was like oh let me go on carousell to see if there's something suitable, lah ya so I bought a bike whereby, uh that kind of bike where you can cycle uh, if you have a skirt you know that kind, uh, and then uh it


also it also uh, enabled her to cycle upright because she cycle a mountain bike so for mountain bike you got to lean forward, ya I think you will know lah ya so that's why I've I got this person lor ya


but but sadly you know what happen, hello can you hear me, ya so a few months later right a few months a few months later she lock the bike at a bus stop ah and then the next day ah it was missing,


I know right ya ya the bike the bike uh even though it's secondhand ah it's not like, twenty thirty dollars okay, okay but never mind it's okay so what's the best surprise or gift you've ever given someone ya


okay, oh


surprise trip ah, so you don't tell her where where you are going, and then then you buy you buy tickets ah


that is not a surprise what, oh oh so when you tell her this ah it's the surprise lah


ya because she didn't she didn't expect you to say okay let's go for your for your birthday let's go to malaysia, so that's the surprise ah, counted meh like that counted meh, okay you okay you anyway it's your wife lah you says so I was okay so so so you you have ever you have ever uh announced


like trips like that lah and then your wife is surprised lah, but but going to Guangzhou is not a surprise leh, or or can it be a surprise


normal lah okay so then if it's a third time or fourth time then it's a surprise lah, is it, maybe okay so anyway uh, ya we we I think some questions are quite never mind just ask


so, uh ya so, is there any event or concert that you cannot wait to attend


oh I I have eh I have ya ya, so if if it's an if it's an if it's an event that I'm involved in right in some way right like maybe hosting, or teaching


then then then there's a part of me that cannot wait, ya but but very often ah, uh there's a bigger part that, wish that I have more time to prepare, ya, so so so but but this this part like this part of not cannot wait right is is always there lah like ah I can't wait to do this because I know it'll be fun ah so it can be uh


uh a lot of different types of events ah, ya so this, there's this question called the describe a time when you laughed too hard, do you remember do you remember a time


ya, actually nothing comes to mind also, ya ya ya, I I don't know I don't know I wonder if it's because uh, uh it


I I can I I maybe chin you find me a funny person do you find me a funny person, really ah okay same lah okay okay so, so I I find I find myself funny so I feel that people find me funny ya so so during the day


uh, when I make people laugh if I do if I do make people laugh then, I guess I also laugh right ya, so over time ah I feel like something must be really funny , ya to for me I I I I I


I don't know I I I feel that something that's really funny for other people right I I I can maybe only smile or lor ya I I kind of become like desensitised already , ya ya ya ya ya, so because laughing too hard it's like


you laugh until your stomach hurts that kind, you know ya right, do you can can you remember a time like that, no right think I think ya, ya so I I think there are some people who really


they when they find something funny ah the whole body can react one, I I'm not I'm not such a person so I I really cannot remember when you you you laugh and then you start to roll on the floor that kind of thing ya but this the next the next thing is a bit uh better I think for us to answer


so uh, when you when do you remember a time when you took a risk and was rewarded with success, risk eh, ya it, investment is it


, ah, yes


ya ya,


okay one year, you still doing investing right, are you are you still ya okay, but for one year you


so there was actually oh oh, the first year was not not bad lah so that's why, so that's why you continue doing it lah is it


okay, me, uh, okay lah anyway it's not, the highest risk or most success right so I guess it's the course that I took lah with you the digital marketing course


uh I don't think the I don't think the risk was very I don't think the risk was very big because we are not, after taking that course we're not guaranteed jobs right, uh although there was opportunity to, to go for interviews and all but


it was still an, uh investment of time lah because I guess you can learn about digital marketing and then not do anything about it after the course ends, right I I I think maybe I, I'm not too sure about other uh all of our classmates but maybe one or two


uh or a few don't really do anything related to digital marketing right now, ya like like work work wise or even interest wise you know ya so so recently I told you maybe uh I have opportunity to teach digital marketing


and this is just like two years, uh after doing the same course with you and you know that I don't have a lot of industry experience so I think, I think quite successful lah considering the situation I mean now it's just uh do the powerpoint presentation teach the class and then get the money right ya so I guess hopefully can convert soon ah


ya ya ya, and this is also uh something that makes me, uh persevere lah, ya so studying for the same course, but I never quite forgot that, uh I I always want to apply what I study lah


I mean whether is it, two years later five years later or ten years later ya I believe that if we keep thinking about something it will happen lor it's like how I keep thinking about teaching adults, uh I think it will happen ah somehow


I have to have faith ah ya ya I I see I see, really actually I want to tell our lecturers leh, ya ya ya ya, okay hang on


like that, red button


yup, so we're supposed to clap now, , okay uh, so we're supposed to be talking about some financial related topics so I I I think finance is quite an important part of my personal life because uh


uh I think we're still young and I want to save as much money as possible for my future, so I try to the only investment that I've tried so far is an endowment plan with uh I think it's with the one of the banks so ya what about you andrea


uh, I guess maybe the difference between you and I, is that uh you already have a house and you're married and I'm still single and I still live with my parents so , I don't know what kind of challenges you face in saving but uh maybe you can give me some sort of advice about how you save towards your house and buying a house in singapore uh so that I know what to look forward to in the future


I see but do you really think that , whatever that you had in your CPF, uh I mean because I don't think you've worked for more than twenty years now was it all sufficient to actually buy a house in singapore and do you think uh


in the shortest possible time you would be able to finish up paying for your house so that you know you finally have something that's finally yours you know and you're not paying for it, I mean obviously for the loans anymore


I see because oh sorry ya


I see but given our standard of living I think it's also quite hard to have it, all uh, you know like uh, to actually buy a house and then start a family and then you know to also afford a car in singapore uh I don't know but


I don't think I would ever want to buy a car in singapore cause I think it's so expensive and not only that I think the transport system in singapore is pretty good as well so like you can pretty much get anywhere and everywhere you want to without having a personal car


ya so I mean I would rather invest my money into a property I think there's more that you get more returns out of it than buying a car and also you know if you're going to start a family, eventually when we have kids and all that it will obviously cost quite a lot to raise them in singapore so


did you have like any challenges like when you were trying before you got married you were trying to like save up for your marriage and also for your house and to pay for like your renovation , like what kind of like financial challenges did you face maybe you can share with me so I will know what to expect in the future


(mmhmm)


overspend


right I understand I mean I don't know like I still live with my parents and I I I earn a stable income but sometimes I still find myself like struggling so much financially , maybe because I I try to save more than uh what I should actually keep aside for my general day to day expenses because


I'm so I'm not obsessed with saving but I just I just have this fear and anxiety that one day I will run out of money and I don't want to be in that situation so even my credit card limits I have kept them uh like each credit card


they are capped at not more than three thousand dollars so just in case you know I I hit a limit I can use off, my next month salary or the next two months of my salary to just pay it off rather than you know to go into debt and then I you know usually when you have like credit card debt it just leads to a whole new like issue in your life and in singapore


I think a lot of like youngsters are like getting into credit card debt which is something that I keep reminding myself that I should never get into because uh credit card can be so tempting, uh every time I go out uh I see something and I don't need but I want and I'm like you know it's okay I I don't think I should invest in it but something


inside of me still tells me eh why not you got a credit card just swipe it first and you know you can always pay it some other time , ya so you know it's always this temptation and the more number of credit cards you carry uh the more temptation it comes along with it to the point that I I own three credit cards but I've actually locked up one


and then I only keep one in my wallet and the other one I keep it in like , another card holder which I only when I go out sometimes then I take it uh along with me so this way uh I manage what I put on each card and I know how to settle it on a on a monthly basis


ya because uh I think it's very important for us young people to like keep saving for our future and especially if in case one day we want to change our job , like especially in very unprecedented times like this during COVID like so many people have been losing their jobs uh and I don't want to


be not say I don't want to be one of them but if I'm ever in that situation one day uh I've read in a financial article once before that if you ever want to change your job, you must have at least three months of your salary saved and put aside so that can tide you over during the period of time that you are looking for a new job and trying to change your job ya so I try to you know always read up a lot about saving


uh and personal finances and wherever I can try to invest my money and make my money grow because I don't want my money to just sit in the bank and do nothing for me usually banks offer very low interest rates so ya


(mmhmm), ya I can I can understand that also because sometimes actually my mom is financially dependent on me she's a


I I've told her like uh it was my decision to tell her to not go and work cause she's quite old already and because I'm working I told her that I will financially support her, so I try to pay for a lot of things at home and you know so that she can now enjoy her retirement years and I think she deserves it because she's worked very hard when uh me my other sibling were growing up so uh


I try to keep my big expenses for things that are much more needed like essential things that are needed in the house and, at the end of the day I mean even though I I feel like I'm paying so much but it does give me a sense of like satisfaction like I'm actually doing this for the house and for the family


ya so I I feel like you know uh having uh like a a separate bank account to actually put aside savings for like all this kind of like, needy times and like rainy days it comes about very helpful like what I personally do is I have one account that I save money for like just uh emergency cases and then


I have another account where I just save for travelling because I like to travel as well so whenever I want to travel I don't need to wait for next month's salary to buy my ticket I have enough money to pay for it first ya so that's what I feel like is is very important


I I do do have a few friends who are actually in financial debt already and they're around my age group in like, their late twenties early thirties and I feel like it's quite, difficult you know if you're going to be in that situation this young any especially if you're not married


and you already have to go and do I mean you already you have to like invest I mean not say invest but put in so much of your time and effort to ensure you're paying off your debts because you can't run away from your debts and I feel like it's quite sad for them as well because , you know this is the age where we should be saving and we should be saving for our future like our marriage uh or to start a family or what we wanted to do and being in a financial debt this young actually you know causes you to


you know it puts like an impediment on like what you want to enjoy in life like it really stops you from enjoying life to the fullest because you were not financially wise at one time when you went to swipe all your credit cards uh and like I mentioned before like I think in this


in these times in our generation now like there're lot of young singaporeans who are in a lot of credit card debt especially they fall prey to credit card , and honestly if you ask me uh if I could educate someone I don't have a lot of financial knowledge but if I could educate someone based on all my personal experiences I would actually tell the person you know if you don't need a credit card don't don't get one because it's


it's really not helpful at all ya so I don't know you know this is my personal opinion I would rather just use the money that I have because if I'm going to use money that I don't have then clearly, I'm going to be getting myself and drown myself in a lot of financial in a financial crisis in the future


yup, uh you know uh speaking of credit cards uh I wasn't feel like a lot of money is actually going to our CPF and I don't know if personally uh that's a good thing for you uh but I feel personally that I could use a lot of my money from CPF


for other things as well, uh you know like I know they say that CPF is really good because they helps you with housing and healthcare and you know especially generations in our parents from our parents' age they they are very supportive of like CPF contributions because


it helped them buy their first house and everything but personally for me right now , I still see uh I I have like a lot of friends who tell me even after how much you've saved in your CPF and you want to buy a house when you get married , it's still not enough and this kind of like makes me you know wonder then what is it that is going to our CPF and how much of it is really really helpful in helping us to purchase a house in singapore


(mmhmm)


(mmhmm), ya, I I guess ya to a certain extent it did did it's like I said it did help our parents' generation in the houses that we lived in before you know we left the nest ya speaking of which do you like have any insurance that you insurance policies that you invested because like uh


when I got older was when I actually realise was, like one or two years ago only I realise the importance of having like uh health insurance and like uh even uh investment insurance you know uh and I have actually also put aside quite a bit of my money like in a year I think I put aside at least quite a bit of an amount


to pay off insurance ya so what about you


(mmhmm), (uh huh), (mmhmm)


right ya I I


coverage ya, I agree I think, I'm actually quite pleased with my financial situation personally but, ya I hope you are also


okay , uh when it comes to negative experiences I think, !wow! actually obviously we would have so many uh


in in life but, uh I think one of the most uh negative experience in my life was probably when I had, to go through like a break up uh with, one of my exes and I thought that you know I was going to spend the rest of my life with him but


uh apparently not so ya this is something that actually really affected me a lot and it took me a while to get over him and I, I don't know I just found it very hard to get over him and but but somehow or rather I even though it took me a few years to get over him I'm I still manage to get over the relationship and now I'm in a better place and I'm actually quite


happy about it ya, into something positive ya ya


(mmhmm),


(mmhmm), ya syllabus ya


, oh no


right but I I'm I'm glad that you know you're way past it now and you're like you're much bigger person than that , I think sometimes when we're younger we don't think through we just get scared and fear just overwhelms us but right now that now that we're older uh things are different because uh we've been through quite a bit so we know how to deal with certain situations


for me I feel that uh you know rather than speaking about a lot of things in the past uh actually this year has been like a total chaos as well given with the COVID situation, I think a lot of negative uh things have been happening as well like for me personally uh you know in the beginning of the year I was already starting to lose my motivation to work cause I wanted to find a new job after working for like five years in this


in this organisation I feel like I want to find something different to grow , you know my knowledge and you know to to obviously just see what I'm capable of , uh and then but then you know came, this opportunity for me to get promoted so everyone say !hey! no stay take take the promotion it will look good for your CV so I decided to listen to them and I continued to stay on and then COVID came and then obviously everything else got you know you know uh


disrupted like you know uh you know people were starting to lose jobs and you know people were starting, to take a pay cut and obviously you know uh job opportunities now uh became scarce and even if you wanted to go and apply for a job people are going to tell you sorry we're cutting headcount rather than take on new headcount


so all these opportunities just started to go away one by one and it all started to make me feel very very demotivated and I was already losing my patience at work, and it just didn't make things easy when when I was at work I just felt like my superior


uh was just throwing me under the bus to another superior and I just felt like you know this is not what I want and this not what I signed up for , and I just felt like all these negative things were all coming together at the same point in time and it just made me very very upset demotivated that to the point that when I came back


from work I just felt like you know every day at work was now starting to be a bad day at work I I will need a glass of wine to make me feel good, so I I started to turn to alcohol a lot and you know the thing about alcohol is that it has this effect on you the moment you start and when you


are not able to stop immediately you actually find yourself getting addicted to it that even if it's not a bad day at work you just now want a reason to go home to a glass of wine , ya and for me personally I mean I think a glass of wine or a glass of whiskey one every night is uh is an all right thing I'm not judging anyone who drinks every day uh because I do indulge in it once in a while


but I feel like when you don't know the difference between enjoying one glass or just taking one glass for the sake of taking it now you you you don't know the difference then it becomes a problem, ya so for me I think this is you know this COVID situation started to really affect me and then you know uh you know it was the circuit breaker and when circuit breaker was lifted it was my


birthday month and I just felt so you know like upset and I was constantly emotional and upset and I just felt like, I couldn't even be happy on my birthday month like because nothing was going the way I wanted to uh I couldn't even go for a holiday which I had booked for for my birthday


uh because of COVID and now I had to cancel my plans of seeing my boyfriend and travelling uh this made me you know even more upset, ya and then on on top of it uh you know my father came back with a bad news and said that he might be getting retrenched because his company wants to uh


you know uh replace him and with the COVID they want to uh cut back on staff and so all these things just came together and I was like okay, this is not a very good experience at all and I felt like all these negative issues just came together at once


ya but eventually slowly but surely like you know I managed to get through every each of it one by one and you know things are obviously picking back up I won't say they're like perfect but at least like I said I'm thankful


that I'm able to wake up everyday and I'm healthy, ya, yup


(mmhmm) , (mmhmm)


(mmhmm) (mmhmm)


(mmhmm), (mmhmm)


yup, yup


ya I can I can totally understand like you know to be contracting something this reminds me of how last year uh , I actually uh I I was in ah because I not say recently but I try to invest a lot in in being healthy and working out and trying to keep fit


so I was doing I I put a a lot of effort and time into my lifestyle last year by going to the gym by working out by eating healthy uh, and then only to realise one day that uh some time last year in august that I had a relapse of my alopecia


my well alopecia is something where you know it uh, your uh immune system gets, attacked and it attacks you hair follicles and uh slowly your you start to lose your hair and you know it you can eventually lead you to being bald I had this uh more than ten years back and all of a sudden I had it again last year


ah and I was very very upset and I was very very shocked because I felt like I didn't deserve it I all I did was try to be healthy and then now I got this issue , so it made me very very upset and it made me so upset to the point that I felt like nobody could understand


how I felt like trying to talk to my boyfriend or to my parents or to my friends , I mean ya there there were times that they were very caring and they were like oh it's okay it's going to get better don't worry too much or don't think but I felt like there was only to a certain extent that people can tell you, that it will get better but you know it's like you having to fight it and I felt like it was like a really great struggle for me to even want to get out of bed you know like I think that was the time that I really felt like in I fell into like a like a pit


where it was so deep and I couldn't get myself out of it and I just felt like I didn't deserve it , and it so hard to get out of bed I wasn't motivated to to work out anymore I wasn't motivated to focus on uh eating healthy I just wanted to indulge in all sorts of unhealthy food because I felt like what's the point ya but uh eventually I I pulled myself together and I told myself


uh look I I'm in control of my life I'm in control of my body I have the, power to change my situation so I decided that I was going to go back and see my specialist and see if that option of seeking medical help was going to help and it did so obviously I became better I put myself through out of that negative situation


uh but the emotions and everything that I faced uh it's something so unforgettable up to today that I'm actually so afraid that one of my greatest fear is that I would, wake up one day and that I would uh have to find out that I have contracted like a terminal illness or a critical illness and then have to live with it for the rest of my life


ya I know this is not helping and I'm actually being quite negative about but this is something that really really scares me a lot, ya


(mmhmm), ya, ya


(mmhmm) (mmhmm), (mmhmm)


(mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm),


(mmhmm),


, ya ya


, yup,


(mmhmm)


ya I I I totally agree as well like I think sometimes when we're faced with a very negative situation we always think that ah this is the worst this is the worst or like you know uh life is testing me or god is testing me and this is my limit and I don't think I can but


eventually when we get out of the situation we actually realise that we're much stronger than, what we thought we couldn't achieve ya like so I think for me uh you know having to deal with negative emotions or negative situations , really does drain me emotionally because it's something that it's it's not a pleasant thing to be very honest and to invest so much of like emotion and you know having to get yourself out of it after that and having to explain to to so many people why you made a certain decision because


you were faced with such a situation you know uh it's it's all very very exhausting but I just feel that sometimes when you need to do step up and do something you know like I said if you are in control of your your your life


you would know what is the best solution for you rather than to always depend on the advice I mean ya there are sometimes people do give quite good advice and you know, we should take the advice of some people but uh certain times I just feel that it would be better if we knew


what we were handling with and how we could handle it better ya to deal with such negative experiences


uh I think for me when I quit this year is uh I think I said uh because I'm I'm a bit of a hypochondriac so I always think that ah I have this uh health condition, and and stuff like that so like I said before my greatest fear is actually waking up and finding out that oh today if I see a doctor and why am I sick and then he tells me


you've been diagnosed with stomach cancer or something like that ya but I know these kind of things you know you shouldn't keep saying it because people always say the more you say it then it ends up becoming true within whether or not it's a superstition but , I I think for me that's my greatest fear it's about you know sometimes I also worry


about like how in the future if I get married late I will not be able to have a kid or if I I give birth my kid will not be normal, ya so these are like little little like fears and anxieties that I carry with me like all the time but uh I try I try to deal with it more in a positive manner these days I try not to think or indulge in so much of a


thought ya exactly and you know give it so much of importance because the more importance you give it then obviously you are you know encouraging your mind to be open to such negativity, ya what about yourself like what is your greatest fear


right ya


done, uh, okay one of like the most positive experience uh that I've ever uh you know like I felt like it was a really great experience in my life was uh when four years


ago when I went to uh, australia for a church uh, it was actually a church seminar so I went to sydney australia, and , I I was very blessed by it because uh, I actually met someone and I I don't know anybody from that particular place so I just decided to attend the conference and I sat down and


there was this person who sat next to me we just made friends on that day and then we just started talking and I told her why I was there I just said oh cause I wanted to come and see you know experience the atmosphere and see what this was all, about so I flew all the way in from singapore and she was actually so so touched by it and she was very very like uh amused that I came all the way from singapore but because that night she was also driving back


uh to her hometown somewhere in the outskirts of sydney so she couldn't take me out for dinner but she was so amused by me that she actually gave me fifty aussie dollars, and told me that like my dinner was on her tonight and, ya I was actually super touched and I think it was like one of the most uh positive experience uh that I've ever felt from a stranger overseas out of singapore out of my own you know hometown


and ya because I feel like this is something that I rarely would experience in my own, country ya so for me to actually experience it out of my own country was really an eye opener and ya it was just a very nice uh blessed feeling that I had


right, ya I mean it's always great to have this kind of like uh feeling where you are you are you know like, ya appreciated and uh important at work because then you are always motivated to to do something more in your career and then you want to obviously upgrade yourself upgrade your skills


so ya like for me I feel that uh I have always been , uh someone where I try to you know take whatever I can learn from uh in my workplace or in my personal life and then I try to use it to grow uh and make uh and grow into a make it into a more positive uh learning experience for me as well


one of the things one of the most uh positive, uh experiences that I've I've, I've always had whenever I was growing up up till now is something where uh I always get this


you know compliments from people that uh I'm a very bubbly cheery person and that whenever I enter a room I'm always smiling like no matter how bad my day was or how good my day was I'm always smiling and this actually puts a smile on their face as well and I actually didn't know that I had this


uh I had this thing uh in me and I didn't know that I was actually I I didn't I don't do it on purpose like whenever I walk into a room I don't purposely smile but I just do it because I feel like oh okay you know like just smile, ya and I never knew that this had like an effect on other people as well and it had such a positive effect on so many people and you know what this year I like


whenever you see someone happy like happiness is such a great positive , uh experience on people because it's it's contagious that it actually spreads, ya so when you when you are actually a bit upset and you you talk to someone who's actually happy and positive


you actually get that positivity from the person so I also try to to you know uh surround myself with uh as many positive people as possible and so that you know that aura will always be positive and filled with a lot of happiness as well ya


thank you


ya


besides being cheery and bubbly what is the nicest thing ah okay I mean I, don't want to sound so like pretentious or what but they they usually say that I look good and I speak good I speak well like clearly so uh that has always been like my positive traits as well and uh oh and about and I'm that I'm that I'm very friendly and I warm up


to people well uh and I think uh part uh partly all, these traits come from my upbringing from my parents when I was also growing up uh , my parents were very particular about us uh you know being mannered-ful to people and being friendly so whenever we were brought anywhere


uh my parents wouldn't want to like you know remind us like remind me and my other siblings that !hey! you you need to greet this uncle you need to greet this auntie like it had to be automatic, so I guess that was the kind of upbringing that my family had and I'm pretty sure a lot of other people also had like similar upbringings as well


right like I I think maybe for you as well like when when you were growing up I think, your mum will always instilled in you that !hey! you need to you know say hello or like you need to smile even ya, so I guess


didn't like ya exactly ya but you know how how, things have actually change now that we're older and we are so in control of our lives we just feel that okay now if I don't like this person , I don't think I need to give this person so much of attention anymore ah all I have to do is to just greet you and probably smile ya rather than I have to engage in a conversation


ya so that's true that's true ya but uh what is it about you that you feel that has always been one of your positive traits or something that you would want to instill in your child , you know something that you've learned or something about you that you know that is positive that has brought about positive experience in your life and that you want your kids to also carry on


that when they are growing up, right


ya, ya I think, , (mmhmm), ya I agree


yup, ya , ya ya definitely it's a good thing and a bad thing because uh you know if you're easy to if you're a very forgiving person then it says a lot about you but at the same time you know we don't want people to take advantage of that as your weakness or take advantage of that kindness as weakness as well


ya so I I guess you know for me another positive experience that I I actually you know sort of encountered uh I won't say was recently but it was probably like , uh you know end of last year, because in my in my job scope I have to work a lot with uh volunteers and so I have to manage them and these volunteers they come from all walks of life and and and so one day uh one of my volunteer I think uh you know had this uh misunderstanding with the


another volunteer and she called me up and she was very upset and she she told me that she's been doing her best and working very hard, but uh the comments that she got from another volunteer was just not nice at all and you know because I I knew where the other volunteer was coming from


so I I wanted to stay neutral as much as possible so I tried to uh you know make her understand and tell her that !hey! you know it's okay uh don't worry and then she started crying so I tried to manage the situation ya to the best


of my ability and then at the end of it all , you know uh suddenly there was this silence from her and I was like !hey! are you there are you okay and then she just actually very shocked and she said alexis I I'm twice your age and you have


more maturity than I do and I'm just so shocked at the way you speak and the way the things that you're telling me and how you're advising me , and actually I was actually taken aback by that comment as well because I did not know that the things that I had said actually impacted her in such a positive manner and that she actually took every word I said


she took it and she actually you know was like very impacted by it and she felt that okay I this is worth listening to and I'm going to make a change based on what she said , and I was actually very shocked and she asked me how is it that I'm actually this mature and then I I I I didn't know I was also a bit loss for words but uh it was only then that I actually realise that !hey! my personal experiences at home having to step up you know being the


uh the pillar of of my family at times where I have to step up and advise my parents what, needs to be done what does not need to be done and at the same time being in a long distance relationship with, my boyfriend uh we can't always invest in uh arguments all the time and even when we end up in arguments


my boyfriend my boyfriend is a no nonsense person so he would tell me you either get your act straight and call me back later when your you're less emotional and more calm or, you know we're not going to discuss this and we'll talk about it when you're when you're more sane about it so all these kind of experience it actually


made me grow as a person but what was it that I didn't realise that I was actually using these experiences to grow into a more positive person and grew into a person where I could actually deal with such, situations and that made me actually feel very happy and it made me feel like a very good person because ya it


has ensured me that uh I've allowed uh room for growth in my personal life despite how old I am ya and that I'm I'm ready for changes when people actually give me constructive criticisms ya


ya hello, ya


yup ya, right


ya and I totally agree I mean you know I think, positivity is very infectious and as much as you are able to , to you know spread that positivity in your life uh to as many people as possible it's actually a good thing I mean I've also learnt a lot in my growing up uh like uh especially being a christian and being used to be in a church group and stuff like that


uh they always used to teach us about you know showing care concern and love for others and not because you are forced to do it but because you want to be genuine about it so I think over the years this is something that I I, like a lot and I decided that !hey! this is something that I'm going to


you know use in my life in the future where I will continue to even if I'm not part of this church group anymore uh, I will continue to you know check up on my friends who've always been there you know to me it's not about talking to a certain friend every day to to show closeness or or how you know how much this person is your best friend but


it's about you know texting the person once in a while and then talking about certain things and you know and the person just gets you ya so these are certain things that I I feel like, you know I want to hold on to and I think they they mean a lot in my life as well because uh you then know that !hey! look you don't take people for granted and


you know you you also know that these are people that you want to keep in your life and these are the people whom uh they had they make a positive impact in your life, ya so I think when we were younger we were always obsessed about you know how many friends we have or how many friends we have on our social media but what has made me realised a lot now that I'm older is that it's not about how many friends you have on your social media or how many friends you have in your social circle


but it's about how many of them will actually be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on or when you're going through a crisis who one actually check up on you and help you through, you know a difficult time so, I think that you know uh having a positive social circle is also very important in your life


ya, (mmhmm)


(mmhmm)


yup ya


ya I agree I think it's also about being very thankful for the people that you have in your life and ya like for me personally uh every day I wake up I try to be thankful for the things that I have in my life rather than what I don't have like I think


one of the things that really affected me a lot was uh during the COVID time and when in singapore we had the circuit breaker , uh I actually watched uh it was on the indian news about how this little girl and this were actually went very viral as well it was all over social media and it was all over the news this little girl in india because her mother is a healthcare worker


so she had uh the she couldn't see her mum for days cause the mum is obviously on the front line of fighting COVID , and she didn't see the mum so she didn't want to eat for days and this girl is as young as three or four years old it means you know she's so young she doesn't know that why the mother cannot come back home


and when I saw that on the news it it really really made me so so you know uh emotional because I I was actually very very shocked at how how comfortable I am you know I I get to be at home with my family and


uh I don't I get to see everybody every day and whereas there's this little girl who is dying to see her mother and hurt to the point that her father had to bring her to the hospital and you know they had to ask the mum to come out of the hospital and she had to to wave at the mother at a distance


only then would she want to go back home and eat, her her her meals and this really really made me realise and made me uh want to be so thankful for all the things that I have in my life, all the relationships that I have in my life with everybody because uh it has made me also you know actually sit down and think that rather than you know not having what I have


uh but if I can continue to you know be thankful for the things that I have it will just make me a more positive person than someone who's actually uh constantly, angry and negative yup


(mm)


I also think that you know uh savings I think savings is really important especially, uh, towards your retirement and and and you know you never know when you might need extra money and and uh saving savings will definitely be important


but , I've only recently started saving , ya


okay ah the the thing that I learnt is that uh it's never too early to save no matter how much you're earning cause I always thought that you know, uh I need to earn more, in order for me to start saving but actually I think the earlier you start, is better


so when we , went to when we started to uh buy a house and all that there were a lot of things that we were not uh aware of are not told about so we have to do our own research and things like that so when when it comes to


saving for the house, uh, uh and things like that you need to like uh look at your, at your uh, how much you're earning monthly and then uh do a calculation on your own to see roughly how much you'll be getting


for your, CPF loan and then from there you see how much more cash you would need uh uh in terms of which what type of house that you are planning to buy uh if you want to buy a bigger house then obviously you might need more cash and then plan towards that


, okay you can do that I mean they they have a twenty five year, loan uh that the CPF gives you right so but if you choose to pay uh more every month that is up to you you can still you can still uh pay up the house as as fast as you want to it depends on your your financial


uh, uh stability how much you're willing to pay off that loan uh, if not then it's calculated for you uh monthly for twenty five years how much you are willing to pay if you don't want to pay cash for your house then you you make sure that the amount that you're paying to your CPF is is uh


you know adequate for the house that you are purchasing ya then you, so when you purchase the house you, I mean it's a brand new flat it's like a BTO then uh you definitely need to do uh, reno so it might be it depends on on your preference if you just want uh just the basic reno you know just the basic things then obviously you can save a lot more money but if you have bigger dreams you want more elaborate things for your house then that's going to cost more


but if you get a resale uh there's pros and cons also there's uh how much reno you need to do if if you need to do uh, you know more reno if the house is not in a good condition then it also going to take up more of your finances as compared to if it's the house is in better condition then your renovation cost might be lower so either ways you know you have to weigh your pros and cons and see what exactly you're looking for


actually I think for me it was a little bit different because uh, I didn't really uh, you know I didn't really plan it, much in advance when I was when we planned to get married I think we had about a year or the year and a half when we decided so so I only had that much time to to save uh to start saving and the difference is I was also studying at that time so


I was only working like half day so my salary was uh, was quite limited so within that I had to also, uh pay off for my education and then my previous uh education loan as well so I was like you know I had a lot of things to pay so how and what I did to manage that situation is also uh I found other ways to uh


you know to to generate income because I I know I needed to so I started to give, tuition or I uh since I do baking I I decided to you know do take as much as I can just it for the extra income and then I put that all into to saving so uh I also had written to have a plan like


a timeline of okay this month what do I need to settle before the wedding or the house you know we need to see, what exactly we need to settle when are we going to start the reno and how much we need for the reno and then uh you just really have to be very disciplined during that that one year that we plan the wedding and the house just be very disciplined to make sure you don't uh overspend ya


ya,


(mmhmm)


yup, ya I agree uh with you I mean but at least you started saving much earlier so for me it's just only like recently but ya I think I for me what I've learned also through this COVID like


I after this COVID I need to, uh really work on the the savings uh to make sure that you know that money is not touchable you know, I can just put it aside and let it grow so ya I've been speaking to my husband also about it and the credit card thing uh I agree


uh we do have a credit card but we also make sure before either of us decide to use it we need to talk about it so that helps with uh to prevent prevent the impulsive buying which I, I, I'm I'm an impulsive person so I tend to like you know


if I'm stressed I need to go out and buy something right so this helps I I mean I've learnt because now after planning the wedding and the house and doing the reno I've learnt the importance of like our finances so I always make sure to


plan and to ask myself do we really need this like is it necessary before I make any big purchases and things like that, ya


ticket


yup (mmhmm), , ya


actually actually I think it's it's I mean as much as we would want to take out all the finances and and we think that oh we can actually save it and use it for other things, but I think in the long run uh it will be beneficial especially for people who do not have saving you know so at that when they reach their retirement age at least they they have some income coming in for them rather than not having anything at all and then that might become a a bigger uh


uh problem to the society and then we might have to end up paying higher taxes to to you know because we are a growing uh we are ageing population, so I think in terms of the long run this is a good plan but I also feel personally that maybe they could lower the retirement


uh the the age you know people get to take the money out but with that said I can also uh see from another point of view where our life expectancy now is is, is is increasing so if you allow people to take out the money earlier then it might also still lead to the same problem again of people having to bear more taxes


to to finance the ageing population ya but in terms of buying house I I think the money that we put in our CPF or what might never maybe be enough uh because, property or land price in singapore is definitely really high because of the of of our our this uh interest that the land that we have you know we just have to keep building higher uh and things like that but


ya but I think CPF does help a lot, uh when it come to,


ya I I also have, uh insurance and it came in handy for me when I was like, recently , like when which is about two three years ago and I I was admitted in hospital so the insurance did did come in handy initially I just had a very simple


rider that you take from the CPF, but now uh I do have a uh, full coverage kind of plan but just that, I am not very detailed about it what I mean when I need anything I just message my uh


agent and then he will give me the advice that I need but ya, but I do believe in in uh, insurance and I'm actually looking especially after this COVID thing I'm looking into, more of like uh, they have more advanced plans and things like ya yup


ya so you took something negative and you managed to change it into something positive ya ha okay for me oh my one of my negative experience was when I was in school, at about fifteen years old because you know uh


I was brought up in a way to the understand that education is like really really important, so when I uh I don't know why in that year they decided to try something new so they said no exams for sec three right our only end of the year exam so when they did that


you know that was I was like okay it's time to play no need to study you know there's no exams and things like that so but when it came to end of the year it was a bit too late to study the whole year's worth of uh, you know whatever we studied ya so I for the first time I I didn't make it


uh like I didn't I only managed to pass a few subjects and so overall it's considered a fail so when you know I when I saw my results I I couldn't uh take it I I didn't know what to do I I don't know how to face my parents because I


I came from a a school where there's only express and special express so if let's say I feel I'm not able to do my O levels then that means that I would have to do either N levels or you know and and that mean that I would need to go to another school


so uh, there was only a few options available and things like that so, I didn't know how to face my parents and I didn't know how to tell them so I decided to at fifteen decide to overdose on on on some medication and hope that you know the next day that problem would be solved I I won't have to face them


ya but uh ya I mean my sister uh, saw what was happening and then she went to tell my parents and then I had to the school was involved and then I have to go through counselling through the school and then


you know slowly work my way and then do something about my O levels then and and move on from there so, there was one negative experience in my life that I don't think I will ever forget, ya


, ya


(mmhmm),


ya ya I I I understand I mean this year has been kind of hard or somehow it has affected uh our lives in one way or another ya especially during the circuit breaker you know work from home and


then it alters my it altered my sleep patterns and there was a point where I, I just couldn't sleep and then I need to wake up in the morning for work right but I I struggled with that and then uh at night it's the same cycle again I I I cannot sleep and things like that so I remember it really affected me quite badly that there was a point where


I was just breaking down and I don't know why am I so upset you know but I was upset and then like my husband was sleeping and I had to wake him up and just tell him that you know I just need someone there with me otherwise I don't know I I was having weird thoughts


like it was I don't even know what it was but it was just weird and scary thoughts that I I didn't know what I what I would have done at that point so I had to wake him up and just tell him just just be with me and he we just ended up just, you know sitting down and watching TV for a while at least until I felt a little bit sleepy


then we went to bed so that was also kind of scary experience that I had during the COVID time and then I found out that uh, my one of my uncles in the US he had contracted COVID and it was, also very uh difficult experience for us because


uh there's no way if anything we can even fly over to see him or anything you know he had to be confined in his basement away from his even his immediate family and then every day having to you know think about it and and I, it's just a bit scary knowing that you know someone who had it and you can't do anything about it ya


ya I mean I understand I mean I would be scared too but I think uh sometimes certain things are out of our control right I mean ya we can try to be healthy and all that but sometimes some things you you just don't know it's just


don't worry so much about it but just you know deal with one day at a time is what I would think, ya but I've also had a similar experience like just before my ROM like a few months before my ROM I suddenly had like this big cyst on my face okay it couldn't come anywhere else but it came on my face and I'm like how it's a bit


it was I mean it's a it might be a superficial problem you know like oh I'm going to get married I won't look nice in the photos because I have a cyst on my face and everybody's going to see it what am I going to do about it ya it affected me really really badly also like , I went to see normal doctors I went to see GPs I went to uh


like those aesthetic clinics even the aesthetic clinic said that they couldn't do anything about it it's too big and referred me to hospital I had to go to A and E and then eh I thought okay if I go A and E they're going to do something on the spot no they just decided to give me a jab


and then they sent me home made an appointment I had to see uh what do you call plastic surgeon in the end you know they say that would be the best option because if, I do surgery on my face there's going to be a scar so even with plastic surgery apparently there's going to be a scar but it's just that the scar might be a little bit more beautiful than


the normal scars that you see so I was getting prepared to have this permanent scar on my face and then uh, I I was really upset in in those months I think it was about at least uh


five to six months that I had to deal with that you know initially I thought was a pimple and I'm putting face mask and trying to do whatever I can uh I went for facial and all that and and nothing helped until one one day I I don't know uh


I carried my dog and she, she was struggling and she decided to scratch my face and she's happened to scratch that, that part of the face so you see the doctors didn't want to just, you know make a hole and drain out the the the fluid inside because they said that uh the the chances of it coming back uh would be higher cause you're not removing the root of the problem but when my dog decided to do that


for a while it made things worse because it shifted it I had like two spots on my face then but uh eventually it it just, popped on its own and uh it's, touch wood it's been gone ever since so sometimes I think uh but I remember what I did then I I I really uh prayed a lot I tried to uh think about


uh try to just learn to deal with it uh if that's the case then that's the case there's nothing I can do about it ya it's miserable but and life goes on and things like that ya,


ya lor exactly but, , okay let's see what is your greatest fear


negative thought ya


I think the biggest greatest fear that I had was uh is the fear of death that came about when my great grandmother passed away because I was very close to her I used to sleep next to her and all that so when that happen right and then


uh you know whatever happens in your childhood actually does affect you quite quite greatly right so I also had a tuition teacher around that time who's scared me about death you know she went to say things like uh, when you die you're going to go to this place and then you just going to keep reliving like a certain misery like uh being burnt in a hotpot or something like that so so that was very different from what I believed in


or how I was brought up to believe you know oh death is not a bad thing you know you're just going to heaven and things like that, so actually that has you know created this phobia in me like the fear of death that I it does affected me to a point where I it's very difficult for me to go to a funeral


even if I don't know the person I will be very affected I can have like anxiety attacks there and then I I just take I it takes very long for me it can take uh weeks or months to just get over it and to move on with life to not give it any thought


ya yup (uh) okay


clap, okay, okay (hmm) okay


okay, my uh positive, experience would be uh I think with work when I uh, when two years in a row I I received like a, I was one of, the top performers cause we have annual appraisal and all that and


it's also uh compared with uh with uh, staff from the other centres and things like that so there's a benchmark, so from my centre uh I was one of the top performers and two years in a row it


it was something that I never, expected of I, I didn't plan for it but knowing that okay I'm doing what I'm doing and I'm getting somewhere or or I am achieving something and that had helped sets the motivation for me to to have a drive to work harder and to continue what I'm


doing ya okay, appreciated yup,


(mmhmm)


ya, yup


ya I mean ya I I uh agree with that I mean I have seen you being you know yourself and helping people even when things are difficult so, ya agreed, uh


okay no okay , if okay if let's say uh besides you being cheery and bubbly like what do you think is the nicest thing that


someone has ever told you


yup,


yup even if even if I had to see someone that I didn't really like I still have to greet greet that person ya,


greet them ya yup, ya ya agreed,


I think one thing that my mum always taught me is to always be, forgiving I mean being brought up in a in a catholic household you know you're being told that uh they always say this this phrase my mum always say this lah, you know uh


what did jesus teach you like if he got he got slapped, uh, and he didn't get angry or something like that so I she will always use that and and tell me things like that and then I've learnt with our lives being quite short here on earth and then you know what's the point of fighting and


and holding grudges, so I've learned to let things go and if, it's okay to to be, , to let go of your ego and be the first to apologise, I mean uh, ya that is something that I've learnt so I think


, my trait would be that I, sometimes I'm a little bit uh, too nice like I tend to forgive easily and and and I, , I I just don't want problem so I will try to make things work


ya but still, good thing in a bad thing I think,


ya


ya, ya I mean I can tell that you, can self reflect like you are able to, you're able to uh hello, ya ya ya then you are able to reflect on yourself


and to uh you know, make the necessary changes I mean this is something that I, also learnt from my husband cause he's he's, you know we are very quick to like be very defensive when someone actually say something


uh about, us you know without thinking you were like no I don't do that but with him uh he will actually, sit down and think about it and then maybe at a later time he will come and talk to me about it and said okay uh I understand then maybe we will make this thing so this is something that I also learnt from


from him that you know we need to reflect on ourselves we cannot just be so quick and be so defensive all the time, you know we have to really look into it and see how, is that true and if it is then how uh it's not wrong but


maybe we can make a few changes to make things better, cause, there I mean you going to have relationships all around you you know work or at home and all that it's all about relationships so, I think everything is a learning point that you can


uh, pick and then you can work on it to make life better, ya


ya I mean that that I definitely agree and , I've learnt through my wedding about about it, you know like I I didn't want I wanted to be pleasing everybody so I try to include people as my bridesmaids that you know I just didn't know how to say okay you'll be my bridesmaid and I I don't think you should be my bridesmaid you know because of this and that so I just included everybody in a certain group and


then, uh but not everybody is going to be uh appreciative of the things that you do uh and things like that so you sometimes they say you know during a big events are, times where you learn who your true friends are or who are the people who are there for you so I've seen you know who are the uh


who is really going to be there for you I've seen people who are family yet and and step up I've seen people who are family and don't want to be a part of it I've seen people who are friends who go out of their way to help you and I've also seen friends who


just want to know what is it in it for them you know, uh ya, yup


, ya I mean, ya the COVID time I mean it has taught a lot of us a lot of things about the importance of family and


and just to be appreciative I mean to see what is happening in singapore like, I mean, we've got it quite well under control but with the, uh, you know the dorm the, the dormitories what has happened you know I've spoken I I did some volunteering and I spoke to some of them and it's just really sad what they are going through and I think that we have been quite lucky you know we get to spend time with our families ya


okay, okay uh for topic one uh personal finance so uh basically how I normally invest my money or commit uh my wealth or


planning for my retirement is uh like I have my own uh insurance planning that I got for my relative so basically it's more into saving plans like, for twenty years after twenty years eh you can get uh take out full sum around like seventy to hundred K around that range so this part I already plan for my uh uh semi retirement correct


but I also have another method whereby , how I save up I or saved my money also doing bitcoin investments et cetera and that is for the long run correct so how what about you


for my views ah okay for my views basically uh how I manage is before you want to commit uh I mean like it's a strategy lah to plan for like big tickets like you want to buy a car let's say


for me I would say that uh eh let's say you want to uh you have to plan lah what age you want to buy for me I'll plan at thirty years old so twenty one to twenty five years old, I will I will work


uh to save up the money, then each year I have to save at least, uh five K minimum five K no matter what five K, then five years later I have twenty five K


am I right to say so, ya so I have this twenty five K and then I still got five more years to go, uh which I will be thirty years old ah let's say buying a car at thirty years old so five more years eh you can choose whether you want to save even more because by then you already have higher income job uh et cetera or maybe you can do investment


uh to save up even more money to buy car, correct so buy buy car right is just a luxury stuff but also a good transportation this, very convenient let's say you you can bring your family around go and eat et cetera


so by twenty five years old you have minimum twenty five K savings then let's say you buy a normal Honda car ya average around like the car can goes up to, fifty to eighty K


then within this five from twenty six to thirty years old then you can save uh another twenty K by then you can buy a mini range of , the Honda car which is affordable lah but people uh in singapore didn't really plan this part that's why most of them have yet to own their car but this is my part of my strategy lah because I have seen


firsthand or how my friends did it at thirty years old from young uh start to work and save up the money so that's a strategy that I know and I encourage uh people to do it lah, correct then


how do you manage your uh financial uh commitments before marriage, ya


okay , for me very easy lah like right now uh most places right uh, like example drinking let's say uh, only can drink until ten thirty uh


don't don't don't have the feel you know so most of my time like that I don't really go out drink and it uh I mean after COVID because only can drink until ten thirty !aiya! that's too early, basically so, I uh might as well save up the money


to meet our friend and drink maybe some a simple dinner , right now also don't have uh karaoke and not even open yet so I mean it's it's like , great lah I can save up the money best is right now uh cannot travel the world


ya so I save up more money, cause every year we will uh go overseas, then to enjoy spend money I mean once or twice in a year but right now uh due to COVID everything uh changes and we cannot travel to overseas for time being so this add to another saving plan


uh, to me so that eh I don't need to spend this money already I can save up ya so uh uh this one that's what a lot of people are doing right now because you can't travel ah uh in singapore also eh nothing much to do


uh most people work at home you know save even more money, ya uh the transport allowance save up like about of course if let's say they got cook then they save more lah but if let's say they grab grabfood ah they spend more so there's good and bad on how you are going to save up during this uh post COVID nineteen ah


then also uh what do you think of uh uh like financial independence early retire early


understand


for this question very interesting, uh I can advise a person how to get out of that very simple because, uh in the past I have debts as well uh in terms of credit card that I didn't pay everything finish so interest add up together but what I can give the advice is like


whenever you use up I mean any debts let's say any debts don't need to say credit card or anything uh like you use like, parents' money let's say you uh borrow from them let's say five K you want to study for something and then you want to pay them and I mean you want to return them


but how to return so I I will advise lah uh you have to work, uh let's say per month you earn two K, so after CPF it's thousand six you get back thousand six let's say your expenses not that high you per month uh for full maybe you spend like three hundred let's say three hundred then transport two hundred


then you left at least thousand one, I will say lah every month just pay at least minimum five hundred dollar, then you, left like four thousand five, then you just need at least ten more months you can clear your debts already that's what I would advise people to pay their debts not fully if you can't if you can of course you'll pay full one shot but for people who cannot pay full then they have to plan out their budget


ya and also I would, uh , advise lah people should own, a credit card uh not say as annual spend for entertainment but for uh personal usage uh to self upgrade to attend courses et cetera or run a business because you own a business you can't use a debit card


uh, for like E commerce as example because I own a E commerce business and I need a debit uh credit card to to for the cash flow so also have to plan out the budget like uh how you are going to pay back


uh maybe the next few days you have to pay back that's why credit card uh is a very useful card that you can use but also use wisely ya then of course there are what advice would you give someone in order to retire comfortably


understand, can can


understand, for me uh about CPF is I contribute to myself because I I'm self employed ah basically then I I will say that CPF number one ah uh it's very useful for people who can buy house uh retirement planning et cetera


and how do I manage my CPF savings is, I won't I can't give much advice on that , but to me personally ah uh my savings I every month because I'm self employed I will put at least thousand five uh into my CPF uh the contribution uh the three part correct uh original account uh medisave and one more what's that uh


I can't remember about the three so , each of them I put five hundred dollar, correct ah every single month, uh and then that's a savings uh for right now I've been doing it for at least two years already so and that's a savings at least ah you can see the amount


uh inside there uh are untouched and once you're old uh eh eh you older you can use to buy , uh like let's say you are single uh thirty five years old you can buy a house using CPF


all right and then also in, order how to maximise uh maximise their CPF savings for their retirement is basically uh try not to use on unnecessary like let's say uh every month after like let's say after sixty five years old


uh, once you take out like, few hundred dollar I would say try not to lah, because uh if you have a cash savings will be good CPF right is , for you to uh even older until seventy plus also you want to take out maybe you can give it to your next generation uh like your your kids your grandkids


ya uh to help them up because singapore expenses is not cheap at all correct and also my advice uh to give someone in order to reduce their income tax is like , if let's say you are self employed


correct then you, if you are not going to report tax that high then don't


uh ya I have committed something wrong uh, greatly uh during I think secondary school days correct uh, to one of my friend ya uh wouldn't wouldn't want to mention the name but


uh we are we all are close friends basically , but something happened along the way uh in after class , so where we mix wrong we also mix wrong with uh other uh wrong friends whereby all are smokers so we start after after school we go


to a hut where, nobody is watching us ya we started you know smoke , so after that, somehow or rather police came, ya from far we can see uh blue colour shirt we all know okay that's it uh time's up and you cannot run away you can't run away if not uh we we were being chased so we just stay there uh before the police came over uh we faster throw away all the


cigarette but there's a cigarette pack uh there's two packet all right and was, near by me so I don't want don't want to let the police know it's uh me and my friend buy so


uh one of my friend uh, and I uh quietly suggest that eh put at this uh this uh, friend B uh bag, then after that uh we put inside, then after that the police came they say


uh what are you all doing here people reported that you're all smoking with school uniform, then, uh we say that eh we did not smoke we are not smoking I'm sure people saw us uh, sabo us correct then because thank god that


time uh that timing we have a sweet with us so we faster eat the sweet as well so I don't have the breath, ya and they do a bag search, they do the bag search one by one until my friend B then me and my friend A


I was like oh that's it then uh police found out two cigarette box uh at my friend B uh bag, and then he was so worried and he was like oh, uh very helpless and uh police asked why do you have uh cigarette pack


uh where it's underage to buy he said it's not him, ya at all but it's the police keep questioning it's in your bag everything you can't deny it's not yours then uh after that, I was being caught uh with uh uh being caught by like uh they call our discipline master


correct, they have discipline master come to the park because it's nearby our school , near uh quite near uh few blocks away , but ya someone report that's why then after that uh


the friend B parents know about it and cane him and he also have to make public apology, correct uh uh in terms of uh why why he had he had have to buy


uh cigarette everything so from that on lah I I feel very very guilty up till now she did uh he did not know who put the cigarette pack he thought is another uh group of friends that put it inside, ya


correct but ya we don't never keep in contact anymore but this up till now still uh, feel very guilty ah, there if start over again I wouldn't do that I'd rather admit myself


uh the whose parent mine, no it's not my my parents you know, cause I I don't have a cigarette pack it's my friend B uh the parents cane him and all correct then after that ya that was the most regrettable and guilty things that I have done correct correct ya


then of course uh describe an event that make you very angry,


okay, totally understand


I'm sorry my connection a bit bad right now


understand , have a lot, a lot of event that made me very angry okay let's talk about my job I mean my uh, business uh I have to meet up with customers as you as you mentioned customers are always demanding


so I have met up with this customer to share about the solution that I have for him, and everything was okay he liked the idea he liked the solution he keep on say oh think about it think about it, of course I keep solving him uh what is is he really thinking of and then


he is just like oh I have to think about it uh this is not just like uh meet up with him the first time it's I meet up with him for the fifth time, to share the same thing, cause he keep telling me that eh I am interested I'm interested eh I want to uh get your solution everything to help


his business, but the thing is he keep on saying oh understand ah eh not interested, but this one I still okay but what, uh make me very angry is he waste my one hour waiting for him when I was in his uh office and uh he tell me this time let's say uh three PM to meet him he come at four PM


I wait it's okay I wait then I he come already then I share again uh the, details that he wants to know so I share and share then said oh I see but I don't I want but I am not interested I was like, you want but you not interested I don't understand what what you what you want you can just say oh I I like all this picture but I really uh not sure uh don't want impulse buy


then I was uh like impulse buy uh I I I just joke with him lah eh I met you fifth time already leh uh how uh it's not impulse buy any more correct than everything this solution uh going to solve you, and then he said yes but at the end


he told me that he is not the decision maker because he is uh, forty nine not fifty one not sure you know what is forty nine fifty one means uh he's a shareholder of forty forty nine percent fifty one per cent is his uh friend the partner


but then I ask him eh so what uh I mean you have never make any decision for the company he said no then I say eh when I ask you you are the decision maker you said , oh I I I just uh I I thought I can decide but actually I'm I I can't decide then I was like !wow! we in my heart I damn angry at him you waste


my five five times of my days right , to meet up with you, uh you liked it so much but you never share to the decision maker you keep telling me that you are decision maker, so of course I can't show the angry ah expression to him then I said oh I see I see


but I I then I tell him ah in my heart I very angry already instead I, joke with him say !wah! !wah! bro you you you don't play me leh, ya I I I share so so many uh uh fifth time with you already you tell me you not decision maker ah


he said oh no lah no lah then oh so decision maker uh never come office oh no lah he he not in singapore lor ah that uh that's but I in charge of uh singapore at the moment but I can't decide like , [ho] this customer then at the end I didn't want to like connect with him that much lah then I then happened to


found out that he does this to all the salespeople, uh from different different places which makes me very fed up, cause if you want to waste a person time, then just just uh, uh don't play until like this


you waste a person uh waste my, uh five days of my time just to meet you each day at maybe one two hours to share to you to uh to ask you to get this uh solution end up you play all the salesman not sure what experience he got but I don't think it's uh human's uh


rights ah to to play a salesperson lah correct then of course there's many more events that make me angry whereby , I happened to saw a friend came out from a hotel uh uh basically my friend is attached uh got boyfriend already so happen to saw her


coming out from uh a hotel with another guy cause I happen to pass by their hotel uh to go for appointment, but uh that was at chinatown correct, but she saw me she's stunned I was like, !wow!, I then she push away the guy the guy walk off then she told me eh uh just treat it as uh nothing lah ha then I was like !wow! your boyfriend love you so much brought you so many expensive stuff


yet you treat him like this I mean it disgusts me uh disgust, me and I feel very angry for my friend but I don't even dare to tell my friend, uh which me makes me very uh bad also lah I I feels like not that's not right not to tell my friend but if I tell my friend my friend will say eh why why I tell him you know want to


spoil relationship and so on so , ya it's very negative, so in the end I never tell, and, that's why it this event also made me very angry because it's like, they right now not together thank god


that was like two years plus ago, ya I not sure why they not together already but good thing is not together, ya , that that scene made me very angry, that I wanted slap her but I can't I can't I uh you know correct


, for let's say uh like describe a moment that turn out better than expected is I always have a law of attraction basically like I will vision myself eh tomorrow, it is a better day eh because I self employed I do sales and marketing I do E commerce so let's say eh I I will vision myself tomorrow the customer I am going to meet eh I I will have a


big deal that going to close tomorrow, and I got more leads coming in, I always tell that to myself the next year it'll be better even better, then, somehow uh because of law and attraction uh a uh a positive vibe eh it turned out even better than I expected ya the client signed a deal


and refer who refer me his friends, uh then I even can closed his friends even bigger deal, and let's say uh also for my E commerce I didn't expect it to be turn out to be so good where my customers from US brought uh even more products uh every single day repeated customers and and et cetera


so of course uh you have to keep positive every day no matter uh what kind uh things comes out in your life bad or good , and eventually will turn turn out turn out it uh better than you are expected lah, and of course what's the nice thing that someone ever told you recently or in the past


can't hear is it connection issue


okay, my happiest moment in life basically uh whatever that I am doing I am


happy contented I have a faithful girlfriend ya and have a good family and things that I planned out, uh plan out uh turns out uh positive and of course uh that I very thankful for also and of course lah whatever you plans uh comes uh with hard