Send a free DaySpring Ecard Today

I always enjoy receiving cards with heartfelt message. Today, I finally managed to take a breather and want to send ecards to my loved ones, to let them know I care.  I love the meaningful messages and often feel uplifted when I see them. If you don't have time for anything, at least make time for this. Drop someone a note, to show you appreciate or care for them.

Words laced with grace and love, is always well-received. It dawned on me that no matter what, it is important for us to speak with gentless and show we care. No one cares how much you know, until he / she knows how much you care.

Connecting people through the words of God through encouragement. How sweet.

Staying on Our A-Game for Ladies

What if you could have a career makeover in just half a day?

How much time are you willing to invest into your career? Chances are, you have already invested a lot into your career. Everyday, you are expending time, energy and effort to make your career work.

What if you could have a career makeover in just half a day? Now you can!

This specially designed half-day seminar to get you started on your career makeover. At this seminar, you will:

• Discover your personalized inventory of career strengths and how you can build upon them

• Gain fresh new perspectives on your career pathways

• Learn new strategies for achieving work-life balance and fulfilling your dreams

Investment Tips from the crisis from Dollardex

 Investment Tips from the crisis from Dollardex



1. Don't kid yourself about your risk tolerance

We all know to set our risk level before building a portfolio. But do we fool ourselves into believing we have nerves of steel - and take on too much risk? Shares or commodities always look great during a bull run, but it's easy to forget the downside risks are still high - and arguably get higher as markets reach new peaks.

Examine your own situation and your appetite for risk in a very honest and non-macho fashion. There are no prizes for holding the riskiest portfolio but potentially lots of heartache for over-risky portfolios. No investor should have the majority of their assets in shares or equity funds if they are the type of person who gets nervous every time the indexes turn red.

There are ways to lessen market timing risk, such as to regularly invest your money into the market with a monthly plan. Remember too, if your investment timeframe is short you should seriously consider lowering the risk on your portfolio.

2. Don't panic when markets crash

If you do decide to have a risky portfolio, with more than a small proportion in cash, then it can be a double mistake to panic during a crisis. Although markets are not guaranteed to recover, they usually do. If you sell at the point of crisis you will miss out on the recovery phase. A panicky investor tends to buy high, and sell low - just the opposite of a good investment strategy.

Remember that shares earn more than cash (the risk premium) because they are risky. You should expect ups and downs (not just ups). The best investments over the long term are almost always the most volatile. So if you decide to invest in emerging shares, which have grown much faster than shares in developed countries, also expect them to be most prone to large drops.

3. Understand diversification and risk management

Diversification is one way of smoothing risks and returns, and we've all heard the old saying that you must never put all your eggs in one basket. However, as some investors have found out over the last twelve months, during a crisis many supposedly uncorrelated assets do not provide much diversification protection. Stocks and bonds sank together.

Diversification can be misunderstood and too much expected of it. When we think of two assets that are highly uncorrelated we are tempted to think of them both moving in opposite directions during a crisis, hence buffering our portfolio from losses. This may not be true. For example, the returns of the assets in the chart below are almost perfectly uncorrelated, yet the general trend is still in the same direction. You can imagine how these assets might behave in a crash - both would plummet and the "diversified" investor gets no downside protection.

Don't be pressured or lured into making an investment decision. Any investment that sounds too good to be true, probably is. If a product promises or hints it can obtain above average returns then there must be a catch. The catch could be a more volatile return, an obscure risk condition that one day could bite you, or a too favourable reliance on past performance data.

Great Advice from DollarDex for investment.

Work Life Balance for Singaporean Women

Source: Robert Half
http://www.roberthalf.com.sg/portal/site/rh-sg/menuitem.b0a52206b89cee97e7dfed10c3809fa0/?vgnextoid=164b7052d3571210VgnVCM1000005e80fd0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=6dff20fa5e38f110VgnVCM1000003041fd0aRCRD

Highlights:
* Work-life balance the top priority (59%) for female accounting and finance professionals

* 68% of participants expect to progress their career in the next five years

However, 45% do not think they will reach a senior management position, such as a Directorship, within finance and accounting

* Only 49% of participants claim their organisations have a formal equal opportunities/ diversity policy

Singapore, 21 May 2009 – Female accounting and finance professionals in Singapore today have strong aspirations to move up the corporate ladder; however, obstacles still line their paths in an environment where fair and equal opportunities for women are not yet entirely entrenched. Work-life balance is importantly also the top priority for women and the key to attracting and retaining female talent in this increasingly challenging environment.

These are the conclusions of Singapore’s first detailed survey of women within the finance and accounting profession in Singapore, jointly launched by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (“ACCA”) and Robert Half Singapore (“Robert Half”). Conducted in March 2009, the survey polled over 700 female finance and accounting professionals across all age groups from a wide range of organisation type, size and industry sector.

The survey found that many women in accounting and finance in Singapore see themselves as career mobile and hold ambitions to develop beyond their current role. When asked where they see themselves in five years, 68% expect to advance their careers, with 32% saying in a new role with their current employer and an even higher 36% citing a senior position in a different firm. The majority of the respondents from the 35 years or younger (44%) age group expect to move on to a more senior role with a different employer, suggesting that younger female workers in general have higher job mobility and are strongly motivated to advance their careers.

However, against the backdrop of a highly mobile female workforce, the survey found that support for female workers in career development and leadership development is currently not forthcoming in many organisations. 27% of respondents claim they do not receive any training support from their companies, with those from the 36 to 45 years age group receiving less support than their peers. During the last 12 months, 64% of respondents had not attended a leadership course and those employed by smaller organisations were less likely to do so than their counterparts in larger firms.

Correspondingly, a significant number of female employees (45%) do not think they will reach a senior management position, such as a Directorship, within finance and accounting. Indeed, 39% of the respondents said their Board of Directors do not have any female representation, with approximately one third (31%) citing that only 1-20% of their board members were female directors. Reasons for this imbalance allude largely to existing gender inequality within their organisations, with comments such as “Such positions are usually given to men” or “There are very few women at the top management levels and these continued to be male oriented”.

The lack of equal opportunities for women is also underscored by the fact that only 49% of participants claim their organisations have a formal equal opportunities/diversity policy. Much obviously still has to be improved on this front, as a sizable 32% do not have such a policy in place, while 21% of respondents are simply unaware if it even exists in their organisations. When asked where an equal opportunities policy would have the greatest impact, 30% said on organisation culture, while a combined 28% saw it as a tool to attract and retain both new and current female employees.

Lastly, but very importantly, even in today’s challenging economic market, female employees are clearly still seeking more balance and flexibility in their lives and the relationship between work and family commitments. According to the survey, work-life balance is the top priority (59%) for female accounting and finance professionals, with respondents ranking flexible hours (61%) and the ability to work from home (51%) as the top flexible benefits that organisations needed to offer to attract and retain female employees. So important is it that the majority of respondents (53%) would leave their current job for one that offered an improved work-life balance, even if it means less pay.

However, contrary to their desire to enjoy an improved work-life balance, an overwhelming 74% of respondents said they are now working longer hours compared to a year ago. The main reasons cited were increased responsibilities (34%) and an increase in workload (24%). Seven percent cited organisation growth which could imply that while business is growing, extra resources are not being brought in to cope with the growth. On average, female accounting and finance professionals work 46.1 hours with those who are married without children working the most number of hours (46.4 hours per week) and those married with children working the least number (45.8 hours).

Mr Tim Hird, Managing Director, Robert Half, comments, “The results of our survey underscore the challenges that female professionals face in Singapore. While women continue to seek greater career advancements, barriers to progression evidently still remain in the workplace today. With Singapore still facing a shortage of skilled professionals despite the weak job market, it is more important than ever that organisations put in place practices to ensure that the funnel of female employees moving up the corporate ladder continues, or risk losing valuable members of the team.

Corporate leaders need to start planning for the eventual market recovery and understand the implications of a talent shortage as we emerge from the recession. Removing these barriers and improving access to flexible benefits is the first step in ensuring that top female talent are not just brought into the workforce, but most importantly, retained.”

Concludes Mrs Penelope Phoon-Cohen, Country Head, ACCA Singapore, “With better education possibilities and career opportunities, women have made a difference to the workplace in the last 50 years and now play an integral part in today’s workforce. As the advancement of women continues in Singapore, it is crucial to understand and ensure that gender equality and fair opportunities exist for female employees. Today, the world is facing unprecedented circumstances. Bringing to the table their unique characteristics and qualifications, women, like their male counterparts, play an important role in tackling the challenges of an increasingly complex economic landscape, and in rebuilding confidence to move businesses forward into the future.”

Make Money while Going on a Holiday

Do you want to save money, make money and yet travel freely? Here is the inside scoop that travel agencies will not tell you and yet, it will make your holiday a memorable one. Have a secret dream of being a merchandiser, well, this is really the stuffs that you want to know, but cannot find in brochures!

The next time you go on a holiday, challenge yourself to turn a holiday trip to a money making venture!

1) Keep your eyes peeled for popular brands / trends

It never hurt to ask the locals for the best places of attractions. When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Check out great sights and sounds with a local, make a new friend! And what is best, is the possibility of seeing something interesting and bringing back a franchise! Do take note of the popular brands in the market, or something that has caught your interest. It may be the latest craze that catches on!

2) Make bulk purchases and sell back home

There are some popular face masks or unique products which are sold elsewhere at a cheap price. You can start surfing the websites and knowing what are some of the popular items sold in the country you are visiting. By doing so, you are able to defray the cost of your travel and it is always fun, to have the feeling of being a merchandiser! Do read up adequately, thus minimizing the probability of getting stuck with a lot of inventory. Keep the items simple and choose items that are relatively easy to be placed in your luggage!

Turn that holiday trip into an investment trip by simply opening your eyes to business ideas! Very often, a travel trip may turn out to be a gem, giving you ideas for even a franchisee! The money spent, is money well-invested! Check out my blog if you want more great tips in turning pleasures into money making ideas.

Insider Tips to Save Money from Travel Experts!

The inside scoop that others will not tell you. From getting the cheapest deals, to finding the best spots in a country. Here is the stuffs that you can't find in brochures!

1) Travel off-season
If you can be flexible about when to go, then travel during off-peak (no June or December school holidays)! Prices can easily be a few hundreds cheaper and no peak surcharge! The queues at amusement parks (such as Disneyland) will also be shorter!

2) Find the cheapest flights
Don't assume that budget airlines will always be the cheapest. This mantra is only true if you book early. Traditional carriers, with the onslaught of poor economy last year, moderated their airfares downwards. Despite slowly creeping up again this year, there are still tie-ups with credit cards and all-taxes packages worth considering. If your dates are flexible, choosing the right day of the week can also slash your flight costs substantially. Friday (people on a holiday) and Sunday flights (people on business trips) are usually the most expensive! Try midweek flights for the best deals and a good bet for long haul flights to UK or USA!

3) Arrange your own excursions
If you are on a package holiday, the tour representatives will be keen to sell you excursions (of course there is comission to be earned!) You can usually get the same trip more cheaply by booking directly. Do your homework!

4) Get the room you want
If you want a room with a king size bed, make sure the hotel knows. Inform them in advance, instead of lamenting about it at the end of the stay. If you want a high floor, just state it. You never know the extra mile the hotel manager may go. I remember staying in Shangrila and receiving a hand written card from the hotel manager to make sure everything was ok for me.

Having the Faith in God's Grace At Work

This is an excellent article from Chip Ingram which I have to share. Many of us have to manage the strugles and dissapointment at work. Have we thought about why do we stumble? It is with the hope that this article can touch you, and remind us, on riding the faith. This is really quite a message, considering my church is doing the Book of Hebrews!

Why do I stumble?

I came into the office early this morning to get some extra time with the Lord. It seems that once the day gets going all the dizziness and people crowd out any quality time to sit, reflect and develop that calm and quiet center to live out of Gods grace.

I’m reading through the book of Hebrews in my personal devotions and was struck this morning by the warning in Hebrews 3:12: “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.” Later in the same chapter, verse 19 he says, “So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.” I know this is nothing new, but it struck me that at the heart of all my issues in relating to God is my struggle with temptation in sin; one simple common denominator – unbelief!

I get stressed out because I don’t believe – God is in control!

I get anxious about what might happen because I don’t believe – God is good!

I get worn out trying to do too much because I don’t believe – God will accomplish what concerns me!

I get frustrated when things don’t work out the way I think they should because I don’t believe – God is all wise; His timing and His methods are perfect!

I get afraid and wonder how we will cover all of our costs because I don’t believe – God is a faithful provider!

In chapter 4 the author encourages those who are struggling because of the persecution and difficulty that they’re facing not to drift away from the Lord through unbelief, but to enter His rest. To rest in the fact that He is in control, that He is good, that He cares and knows about all my needs, and is an all-wise and faithful provider. I love the line in Hebrews 4:10, “For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His.”

This is not a command about being passive because the very next verse commands us to make every effort to enter His rest. It is a command to believe in who God is and what He has done. So that we may rest from our self effort trying to earn God’s favor and to orchestrate what needs to happen in our own strength to fulfill what we think is best.

My prayer for you and me today is that we will take our eyes off of our to-do list and all the demands that we feel and simply ask God, “What does it look like to trust You today?“ What would it look like to trust You when I feel overwhelmed? What would it look like to trust You in this problematic relationship? What would it look like to trust You for my finances? What would it look like to trust You for my future?

As I ponder these questions and look at the relationship between a “sinful and unbelieving heart,” I realize that nearly all of the sins that we commit are rooted first and foremost in our unbelief. It’s when I do not believe God and take shortcuts in an attempt to make life work through – a white lie, a subtle manipulation, attempts to please people, neglecting my body to work more, pretending I’m something more than I am to impress others or gain their favor… and the list goes on.

“Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

So let’s trust today with believing hearts and enter His rest.

Keep pressing ahead,
Chip

3 Money Saving Tips In Singapore

Saving Money in Singapore!
(And where/ when to get cheaper movie tickets)

Do you have a habit of compliling your monthly expenses? Each time I tabulate my monthly expenses, the huge proportion of my expenses that goes to food never fail to amaze me. I have to admit a good 30% of my expenses go to food! How do I cut back on my expenditure while enjoying that occassional high teas and nice restaurants? I do want to save, but not live life painfully. This list came about due to my own money saving circumstance.

Let's think creatively of ways to to live decently and learn how to spend wisely! Everyone do chip in! :)

1. Save Money On Food

For a little luxury (try to limit the number of such occassions), scour through the credit card brochures and find 1 for 1 treats! Check out those restaurants and instead of going for the same restaurants, introduce some variety into your chill out spots! You never know when you might find a gem in the making! This gives you the perfect opportunity to try new places.

Another smart move will be to cook at home! The first thing to take into account is where to eat and where to buy your food from in order to save money.  The wet markets and supermarkets are definitely cheaper alternatives! (I will look into introducing easy to cook and economical receipes for busy women in Singapore). One of my greatest desire is to cook for my loved ones! Perhaps you may want to whip up a meal at home and invite your friends over for the weekend.

2. Locate Those Warehouse/ Factory Outlet Sales
Check out the Straits Time for the ads (Especially Saturday's paper) and you will find a lot of warehouse sales in Genting lane, some obscure places in Tampines or Jurong! Get your comfortable footware and rush for the great bargains. They can range anything from furniture, to Scholl shoes and more. Just look for advertisements in the newspapers to find out where and when the next warehouse sale will be. You can expect prices with more than 50% discount. Be prepared that it may be last season, but still good value nonetheless!

Other great places to go, if you are travelling to nearby Malaysia, check out the Factory Outlet Stores (FOS)!They used to have an outlet at Le Meridien in Singapore, but I wonder where has it gone to.

3. Take Public Transport

For a long while, I have been pampered and often tout sticking my right arm and hailing a cab one of my capability. That is until I started collating my taxi receipts and getting another rude shock there. My transportation expenses (or well, taxi expense), was draining my piggy. Piggy needs a new breath of life, and that is where I figured- make use of the public transport.

I do occassionally treat myself to that cab hailing exercise, but that sense of awareness has taught me better to keep my hands to myself and use my legs a little more. Oh well, nice shapely calves after taking that brisk walk can't hurt!

P.S- Having a car in Singapore is one of the most expensive things. Not only are car prices about five times higher than the European car prices but the maintenance costs are huge as well. Do I have to mention ERP? If you really need one for a special occassion, maybe think og renting? If not, buy a weekend car (with it's more user- friendly scheme). Or try car pooling with your friends!

Join our money saving mailing list for more great tips! We will let you know where to get the cheapest movie tickets!

Online exclusive Deal: You can also check out OCBC MSA 123 (which is the monthly Savings Account (As Easy as 1-2-3!) and start saving regularly for your dream goal with very attractive rates! Plus, they're giving away free Shaw movie tickets if you sign up now (Online Exclusive!)

http://womenurock.blogspot.com/p/latest-updates.html

imSaavy has a lot of great articles on financial planning. I tried the quiz and you should too! It'd be interesting to see how much or how little you know about CPF!  Instead of searching everywhere for the local bank numbers. Here is a quick listing- Local Phone List for Banks Fixed Deposits

Hope it'll save everyone some time! :)

10 Tips on What to Prepare Financially for Your Upcoming Marriage

If you have finished school, worked for a few years and is attached, your most likely plan next in the agenda is to get married. Marriage is going to be the most significant decision you will make. It will affect you mentally, emotionally and financially. It also happens to be a national interest to pro-create (legally of course)! Here are some tips on financial matters for which you should look out for if you have decided to tie the knot:

Source: http://www.cpf.gov.sg/imsavvy/blog_post.asp?postid=209343995-1-3427659272
1. Determine what kind of residential flat you are going to stay together. This will depend on the property price both of you can afford. You can consider renting or even stay with parents if you feel that both of you are not prepared to make a large property purchase commitment initially. Do not be pressured by your peers. You do not need to follow the crowd to commit a large loan if you are not ready. It is OK to rent when you get married. Personally, I rented a 3 room HDB flat for 1 year after marriage as I couldn’t find a satisfactory place to buy.
2. Loan Scheme- You will need to borrow money if you are going to purchase a property. Make sure you understand the various schemes such as HDB Concessionary Loan vs Bank Loans.

3. If you are going to purchase a place to stay, you need to budget for renovation. If you are buying from the resale market, you will need to pay the Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) in additional to the downpayment amount which you are unable to take a loan on it.

4. You need to budget for the wedding celebration and honeymoon. To avoid misunderstanding, discuss this openly with your parents and ensure clear communication at all times. Asian parents like to have grand dinner wedding while young people prefer a quiet wedding. So you can see the need for good communication.

5. If you are going to hold a wedding dinner, you will have to pay the bill after the dinner has ended. If you are relying on red-packets (ang-paos) given to you by friends & relatives to help pay for the dinner, you may find some issues with it because you have not fully tally all the ang-paos.

You may wish to pay the dinner using credit card. Usually multiple credit cards can be used. You can ask your parents to pay using credit cards first .You might not want to use your own credit card because you’ll need to ensure your credit limit is not breached if you are going for your honeymoon straightaway. Remember to ensure all credit call bills are settled within the one month grace period.

6. All the above require careful budgeting. If you do not have the money, you need to save or borrow or both. If you are going to borrow to pay that renovation, try to borrow from your own parents first (hopefully they can lend you interest free!). Even if your parents charge you interest (which I feel they shouldn’t), it is better to pay interest to your own parents than to the bank!

7. To save, you must ensure you have a high cash flow now. High cash flow can only be achieved either with high income and/or minimal expenditure. Initially in your career, it is not likely you have a high income. So your only way to have a high amount of money to save is to minimize your expenditure. Avoid luxury spending and ad-hoc holidays. Save up for the ultimate honeymoon holiday!

8. Many young people buy useless insurance when they graduate. Often they are approached by their fellow friends who became insurance agents. Perhaps due to lack of experience, the recommendations are often flawed. Make sure you avoid buying useless or junk insurance.

At this stage, you shouldn’t buy saving plans like endowments and anticipated endowments because your immediate need is to save up for your marriage. Insurance is important but only those that are based on necessities. If in doubt, only consult professional financial planners who will not sell you another unnecessary product.

9. You may wish to postpone investments until you have fully satisfied that you have set aside sufficient budget for your marriage.

10. Finally, do spend some amount of money engaging a good professional wedding photographer. Years later, the only way your kids can know about your wedding is through photographs. Make sure you have both hard and softcopies of these photographs.

Have a good wedding! Make that AWESOME!

How to Make An Extra $500 a Month

How to Make An Extra $500 a Month
Excllent article By: Audra Lim


Most spend their lives chasing it, while others never seem to have enough of it.

Money.

The Holy Grail that supposedly brings with it promises of everlasting happiness, pleasure and excitement.

While those promises aren’t entirely true, it is always nice to have a little extra cash, just for that decadent Ritz Carlton Champagne brunch and Javanese aromatherapy massage or simply to squirrel away for a rainy day.

We know exactly how comforting some extra cash feels like, so here are three great suggestions on how to make a solid $500 extra a month:

1. eBay

Who hasn’t heard of eBay? Practically synonymous with earning money online, eBay is the place to go to sell stuff you have been keeping but have no use for, such as bags, clothes, books, accessories and that old grandfather clock that has been sitting unappreciated in the corner of the living room. Remember, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. Or, you could buy something cheap and resell it there for a small profit. You can also use eBay’s Daily Deals (http://deals.ebay.com/deals) to pick up items that are going cheap for a limited time only, or visit Ebay, Craigslist, garage sales, flea markets, closeouts and the like for things you think may sell.

Potential earnings: $200 (assuming you sell 20 items at a profit of $10)

2. Sprees/ Bulk Purchases

Singaporeans love shopping, especially if they know they can get a good deal. Many popular items originate from overseas though, and sometimes it is too troublesome, too difficult or costs too much in shipping fees to purchase. In steps the Spree and Bulk Purchase organizer, who typically buys things in bulk from a particular brand or shop overseas, and earns a small profit by selling these value-for-money items at spree websites like http://community.livejournal.com/sgspree/, http://www.topsites.sg/tag/spree and the Singapore Motherhood forum.

Potential earnings: $200 (assuming a profit of $4 from each order, with 50 orders)

3. Earnings from Hobbies

Think about your favourite pastimes. Is there something you are good at, or something you know a lot about? Capitalise on these interests and skills. If you are handy with arts and crafts, make things and sell them on Etsy.com, a site that specializes in handcrafted products and supplies. If you are a Ansel Adams-wannabe and love taking photos, put them up on iStockPhoto.com, where publishers can search for photos using keywords – and you get a percentage if your photo is purchased. If you think you are an expert at finding the most suitable toy for your baby as she grows, write articles and post them online at sites such as AssociatedContent.com, where articles are typically paid US$4-10 each. Or better still, set up your own website and sell your writings as e-books. What you get is quick income with not much further work on your part!

Potential earnings: $100 (assuming you sell 20 items/articles etc at a profit of $5 each)

There are so many other ways to make money, including baking organic wheat-free chocolate cakes from home, providing freelance writing, or public relations, or accounting, or data entry or marketing or design services — and how about giving mobile manicures from your spiffy Kangoo van? As with any other job, many of these ideas take time and effort to turn into fruition, but once you get past that learning curve in terms of understanding e-commerce and market demand, it becomes a cinch to make that extra $500 many times over.

Have any other great ideas to help other women make extra cash? Share with us!
http://womenurock.blogspot.com/p/contact-us.html

Being her own boss = time for kids

Being her own boss = time for kids

Former SingTel manager runs two gyms and invests in shares and properties

By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent (source: http://meltwaternews.com/prerobot/sph.asp?pub=ST&sphurl=www.straitstimes.com//Invest/Story/STIStory_498936.html)

Ms Priscilla Lim, franchisee of women-only gym Contours Express, with (from left) sons Dong Shen, seven, and Dong En, four, and daughters Yun Jie, eight, and Yun Yu, two. Running her own business has given Ms Lim more time to look after her children. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

After working for more than a decade as a manager at SingTel, Ms Priscilla Lim hung up her power suits in 2008 and became a franchisee of an all-women gym, Contours Express.

With her savings of $120,000, Ms Lim, 36, set up her first gym at Block 253, Serangoon Central Drive, in September of that year. So far, it has more than 300 members. Last December, she opened her second gym at Block 930, Yishun Central, with a partner with a capital of $130,000. It has attracted nearly 150 members.

Ms Lim said she went into business because she wanted the challenge of starting something on her own. Her working hours would also be more flexible, so she could look after her four young children.

Both her father and husband, who run their own firms, were supportive of her move.

Besides her fitness business, Ms Lim likes to invest in shares and commercial properties like shophouses for their stable rental yields. In 2006, she and her husband, Mr Chua Bin Leong, 36, set up a firm, Super Choice Investment, to hold their investment properties, which currently stand at three.

She graduated with an honours degree in electrical and electronic engineering from Bradford University, Yorkshire, England, in 1997.

Her husband is a businessman who manufactures plastic bags. They have four children: daughters Yun Jie, eight, and Yun Yu, two, and sons Dong Shen, seven, and Dong En, four.

Q: Are you a spender or a saver?

I consider myself very generous when it comes to my children's well-being, especially in the areas of education and food. I'm a saver but at times will pamper myself with facials and spas. I use all of my income for family expenses. My hubby saves about half of his every month.

Q: How much do you charge to your credit cards every month?

I use three credit cards out of the six that I have, and I pay off the bills in full every month. Typically, I charge about $4,000 a month, mainly for my children's enrichment and tuition fees. I withdraw about $200 every week from the ATM.

Q: What financial planning have you done for yourself?

My hubby and I are mainly invested in properties and shares and a small amount in fixed deposits and life insurance. I am currently looking into health policies. We have one commercial property and two residential properties. We are also looking into more commercial properties.

Besides property investments, we have about 45 per cent invested in shares, 30 per cent in fixed deposits,


20 per cent in savings and the balance of 5 per cent in US-dollar fixed deposit. We have a few counters - SGX, SingTel and Wilmar, among others - and some are paying regular dividends. We invested earlier in Genting as we saw great potential when its casino here on Sentosa opened.

My hubby helps me to pick stocks and monitors the stock market daily. He does his own research on dividends, growth, management and upcoming trends, through reading company reports and prospectuses. We may hold stocks for six months to a year. And we may let go when we see a 5 per cent rise. For our total portfolio, we have target returns of about 10 per cent for short-term investments and about 30 per cent for longer-term investments.

Q: Moneywise, what were your growing-up years like?
I have an older brother and two younger brothers. My father is a businessman providing fittings and fixtures to shopping malls, and my mother is a housewife. They complement each other and are not spendthrifts. I did not ask for money from my dad unnecessarily when I was young. We lived in my grandmother's shophouse in Albert Street with her and an aunt, before moving to a three-room HDB flat in Bedok when I was seven. During that year, my father started his business with his savings. Prior to that, he was a carpenter and a part-time salesman. He inspired me to work hard and set up a business on my own. My mother is very caring and dedicated. I appreciate every meal she cooks for us and I am now learning from her and have been cooking for my children for a year now.

Q: How did you get interested in investing?
I started my first investment with an initial public offering of China Milk back in 2006 and made a modest profit upon the listing. Slowly, I learnt to invest in shares. The first one was a Singapore-listed China property counter, Pan Hong Property. I made $40,000 out of the $200,000 invested in just a few months in 2005.

Q: What properties do you own?
My hubby and I set up a firm, Super Choice Investment, for our investment properties in 2006. Our first investment was actually back in 2000, when we got married. It was a 1,300 sq ft condominium unit in Sengkang. We bought it for $570,000, and the current market value is estimated to be about $650,000. We are renting it out for $2,500 a month.

I also own a 1,600 sq ft unit in Marine Vista in East Coast, which I bought for $1.4 million in end-2008. It is rented out at $2,600 a month and is currently valued at about $1.2 million. The commercial property we own is a 1,500 sq ft, two-storey shophouse in Bedok, which we bought for $1 million in 2008. We rent it out for $7,500 a month. Its value has also appreciated, although I don't know by how much.

Q: What's the most extravagant thing you have bought?

I bought a Rolex watch with a pink mother of pearl face for $11,000 in 2008. The most extravagant gift I've received is a one-carat diamond ring from my hubby on my birthday last year. He knew I would not have bought it on my own. It cost $16,000.

Q: What's your retirement plan?
We plan to be financially independent when we are 50. We intend to invest in a few more commercial properties and be able to have a passive income of $12,000 to $15,000 a month. My hubby and I would require about $5,000 a month when our kids are independent.

Q: Home is now...
We live in my parents-in-law's three-storey semi-detached house in Upper Paya Lebar. It has a land area of 7,000 sq ft. We live here with my parents-in-law, two brothers-in-law and their families and my sister-in-law. My father-in-law runs a plastic-making business.

Q: I drive...
A silver Toyota Picnic.

lorna@sph.com.sg
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WORST AND BEST BETS

Q: What has been your worst investment to date?
I started trading in shares in 2005. In early 2007, I began to invest more in the stock market. I bought 100 lots of the property share LC Dev at $62,000 with just a forecast of the company from my broker and without exploring further. I have since lost about 70 per cent on paper.

Q: And your best investment?
My best investment is the two-storey shophouse in Bedok.

Being a Stay Home Mum (Part 1)

Source:  http://hubpages.com/hub/becomingaSAHM

There is no greater joy than watching your children grow and learn, especially when you are the one teaching them. Being a stay at home mom is indeed rewarding, exciting, exhilarating, gratifying and precious. However, it can also be exhausting, stressful, busy, lonely and financially difficult. Consider these points to help you make your decision:
Finances- Living from only one income is often the biggest tie-breaker when making this decision. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be. Many at home parents find a happy medium supplementing with part time or work from home jobs. This helps to offset the stress of drastically reducing your family's income. In most cases, living on a reduced income means that sacrifices are in short order.

What expenses are you willing to cut back on in order to make your goal a reality, like:
- Family vacations
- Eating at home vs. eating out
- Cable TV
- Cut back to one vehicle
- Buy generic brand products
- Clip coupons
- Car Pool
- Make your own bread and other baked goods
- Do your own manicures
-Creating a budget

Women- You are an Amazing Juggler! Learn how to juggle the many balls in our lives

Women- The Best Juggler on Earth!

It is certainly interesting that a recent MasterCard Worldwide Index of Women's Advancement 2010, a biannual survey that measures consumer confidence amid prevailing market expectations, studied a total of 3,306 women and 3,316 men in Singapore. The index, which surveyed 200 women and 200 men in Singapore, shows that the proportion of women in Singapore forming a larger proportion of the labour force than before and women’s regular income has also improved against men. Throughout the region, an estimated 66.5 per cent of women are taking on the role of decision-makers, up from 45.6 per cent last year.


The survey results have certainly highlighted how a woman undergoes to be the “perfect juggler”! Women are known to be better multi- taskers, but even that alone, means juggling between a career women, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and other multiple ad-hoc roles we are expected to play. Now, how does one find better ways of navigating through the landmines? Here are 3 possible solutions to the perennial problem of your juggling act.

1. Defining your priorities

Women do have to recognise that we have to balance and adjust our priorities along the way. There is a season for everything. At times, we may have to put family ahead and take a slower pace at work, while at other points, career can take greater priority if we have good family support. It is certainly helpful to identify the goals you are trying to achieve in your life, write them down and stick them on your fridge or the whiteboard at work to make sure the constant sight of it reminds you to head down the right path.

2. Setting Boundaries to Work Smarter

Very often, we are inclined to say yes, even when our gut feel says no. One of the biggest mistake is to take on a job which requires frequent travelling, when you are not the sort who likes to be away from home. Say no to non-family-friendly assignments and set limits at work, even if you are a perfectionist. As women, we need to learn to be more strategic about the work we take on to survive in the long run. Most of the time, things do not have to be perfect, to move on.

3. Protecting your "ME" time

Most of us do not skip work unless there is something important, so make sure you treat your private time the same way. If celebrity couples take time off to have romantic strolls in the park, so can you. It is important to schedule some precious time together with your spouse, to recreate the romance within. It is very important for ladies to remember their spouse need their companionship too! You may don that managerial outlook when you are at work, but give your men the respect they require back home. Just like scheduling meetings at work, schedule in that movie with your husband and make sure you keep the date.