When calculating our monthly expenses, usually the first few things that would come to mind are your utility bills, your phone bills and perhaps the few big purchases you made during the month. What may not be so immediately obvious, are the transport costs you incur on a daily basis!
I used to be one of those people who didn’t really think much about my transport costs, and just topped-up my EZ-link card whenever I needed to. However, after a few months, I realised that there was something that was really burning a deep hole in my pocket. After some calculations, I realised how much transport was costing me each month! Don’t make the same mistakes I did. Here are a few tips to help you save on your daily transport costs
Take Early Morning Trains
If you take the MRT to work every day, why not wake up a bit earlier to enjoy free rides? If you tap out at certain selected stations (Bayfront, Bras Basah, Bugis, Chinatown, City Hall, Clarke Quay, Dhoby Ghaut, Esplanade, Lavender, Marina Bay, Orchard, Outram Park, Promenade, Raffles Place, Somerset and Tanjong Pagar) before 7.45am, your train ride is completely free! But what if you missed the cut-off time by a few minutes? It’s alright, you’ll still get 50 cents off your train fare if you tap out between 7.45 and 8.00am. For you to eligible for this fare rebate, the tap-in station cannot be any of the 16 stations that were listed.
Besides getting a free ride, you’ll also be able to enjoy less crowded trains, and be able to grab breakfast at a nearby bakery or coffee shop before stepping into the office! With this scheme, you could potentially shave off almost half of your entire transportation costs each month. Imagine all the things you could do with the money you saved on MRT rides alone.
Get A Concession Card
“Wait, aren’t those just for students?” you might ask. Well, now there’s also a concession card for working adults. While this concession card is certainly more pricey that that of a student concession card ($120 for the adult card), you will definitely save in the long run if you use public transport on a heavy basis. This concession card applies to both trains and buses, so you’re able to take as much public transportation you want without worrying about topping up.
Carpool
If you have colleagues who live in the area, and all of you drive, why not carpool? Each of you can take turns to be the driver, and pick everyone up to go to work together. Not only is this more fun than staring into space on the MRT or bus every morning, you also get to save on your fuel, as you won’t be using your car every day.
If you don’t have any colleagues who live in the area, why not using carpooling apps and sites, such as Tripda and Ryde. With these carpooling apps, you can find people who are going in the same direction and are willing to carpool with you. If you’re a driver, you can also find people who need to go to areas near where you’re going, then they can contribute a token sum to help you offset your transportation costs!
“How to analyse a company?” – This is a question that almost every new investor will ask. Especially for first-time investors, this can be a very daunting task, where does one begin? Without proper financial education and experience, it is definitely hard to know what are the signs of a good or bad company.
There are 2 ways to analyse a company.
1) Fundamental Analysis
2) Technical Analysis
Fundamental Analysis
What are the differences you may ask. Fundamental analysis looks at both the macro and micro economics. We look at the prospects of the industry and the way the business positions itself to grow. Fundamental analysis looks into the financial statements (Income statement & Balance sheet) and dives into all the nitty gritty details of the company such as management, business model, etc. This the type of analysis that Warren Buffet and many other value investors subscribe to. A company with good fundamentals will stand strong through the test of time and be able to ride through the market cycles. Couple a company with good fundamentals and at the right valuation, you’ll be paid off handsomely for your labour. When you do your research, you are taking calculated risk and you avoid exposing yourself to taking on unnecessary risks that may not want to take on. Investing is not simply buying or selling, it requires making sense of the ocean of numbers you see. When first starting out, I can assure you that it’s information overload and all you see are numbers that do not make sense. Give yourself time, start with one set of numbers at a time and with practice, you will eventually be able to make sense of everything!
Technical Analysis
Technical analysis on the other hand, is more focused on the entry and exit timing when trading. Pure technical analysis will ignore the fundamentals of a company. These are the people who looks at charts, chart patterns, price-volume action and technical indicators. They also tend to enter and exit a trade very quickly because they are riding on the hype of the market. A company without solid fundamentals may rise due to speculators buying up the share prices hoping the next fool buys it higher. But these stellar movements will not sustain without fundamentals just like how a skyscraper needs a solid foundation. They will not stand the test of time and will come crashing down as shown by the not-so-recent crash of the trio (Asiasons, Blumont, LionGold). However, let’s not discredit technical analysis just yet. Technical analysis has a lot of advantages and can give you hints of when the stock will move in a certain direction. Every single bit of information in investing is important and the one who has the most accurate information is the one who profits. I urge you to keep an open-mind about technical analysis because although it starts off confusing, just like with every other thing, it will reward you just as well.
Combining the best of both worlds
Allow me to introduce you the third style. This combines both technical analysis and fundamental analysis. This is perhaps a more mixed up approach, which attempts to take the best of both worlds of investing and trading. Personally, I subscribe to this style of investing because I believe that a company with good fundamentals can get cheaper for external reasons such as poor market sentiments, short-term fluctuations, etc. This is when good fundamental analysis meets good technical analysis; to be able to buy fundamentally good companies at the cheapest price with the given opportunity. This style of investing is especially useful when investing in companies for their dividend yield. Dividend yield can be affected by two factors, the dividend payment and the share price. Take for example a company like SingPost, it gives out the same dividend year after year since 2006, 6.25c. The only way to get a better dividend yield out of it is to purchase it at a lower share price. This is where I feel having good technical analysis skills come into play. To be able to spot the bottom of price movements allows you to get better yield. I believe that even good companies can get even cheaper due to external reasons which are short-term in nature. You would effectively be able to apply the “Buy low, sell high” concept as well as value investing. Take time to learn and understand both ways of analysis and you will come out a better investor at the end of the day!
Evolution suggests that men are designed to hunt while women gather. Gender stereotypes also encourage females to stay at home and to take care of the off springs. But…times have changed.
More Women Work
Based on a study by Prudential Company in 2012, approximately 53% of the sample were women breadwinners while only 22% were married or living with a partner who made more than them. Furthermore, other research showed that about 70% of mothers with children aged 17 and under are in the workforce. And, those numbers are just in the United States. Global rise in dual-career bearer household have increased annually.
Image Credits: Kelly Garbato via Flickr
This fact that women are working more nowadays is something both men and women are accepting. The younger generations were raised to empower equality in the household. Moreover, the quality of life is getting harder as economies fail. And so, there is a great need for both men and women to work regardless of gender stereotypes.
Impact on Marriage When She Makes More
On of the largest impact of this contemporary shift is that it may affect the dynamics of the marriage. Psychology argues that men’s view of the self is formed by his work and his drive to achieve. If that is the case then if the wife makes more, it will make him feel far more inferior and insecure.
To avoid that, Farnoosh Torabi, the author of “When She Makes More”, suggests that most couples assume that if one makes more then that person has more responsibilities in the house, which she firmly stands against. According to Torabi, a couple must constantly make a conscious effort to ask the partner about financial decisions and share it openly with each other. Furthermore she gave these two tips: give everyone’s money a meaning, and treat each other once in a while.
Ultimate Financial Goal
The most important financial goal for women is to have enough money to raise their family, and to maintain the same lifestyle in their retirement. This is why young women need to take steps toward understanding investing. When women avoid investing young, they are losing out on the one thing that knowledge cannot buy– time.
Who makes more than whom should not be a huge matter as the couple’s combined earnings will only benefit not only the both of them but also their children. Couples shall work together and communicated openly on financial decisions in order to share the emotional responsibilities and keep the balance in order.
Wouldn’t you want to know where to put your hard-earned money, so it can work by itself? Don’t you want a secure and profitable investment that will bring money in the long run? Well, who doesn’t? But if it was so easy, why isn’t everybody doing it. Because it isn’t that easy and the markets become increasingly unsteady. However, there are certain areas that come close to what you would want to call a safe investment.
Those are areas that are less dependent on the fluctuations of the market. For example – as the world tries to stir towards renewable energy resources, an increasing number of governments are subsidising this particular industry. Hence, the industry grows and becomes more profitable – no matter whether another financial crisis will hit or not. Although nothing is even 100% secure, certain areas of investment are very likely to create profit. Not all are in Europe and North America though.
Investing in Asian markets is nothing new. However, some markets are booming and won’t stop for another decade at least. Singapore is one these markets. This sovereign city-state has the highest concentration of millionaires in the world and therefore plenty of investment power within the country. The construction industry is already booming for over a decade and there isn’t a sign for a halt. Property agents have turned wealthy, as land is being reclaimed and developed with the speed of light.
But there isn’t only property. The government and the Singapore Economic Development Board have opened up the country for foreign investors. The economy is not limited to construction and property, but excels in trade and shipping as Singapore has the busiest port in Asia. Also other sectors, such as technology, tourism and financial services, are welcoming and prosperous. As Singapore’s government stirs the economy towards further development and growth, there isn’t any end in sight for long-term investments.
Another interesting location for investments is Qatar. With the FIFA World Cup 2022 coming up, the investments from within the country are enormous. Qatar is not only investing stadiums and infrastructure, but aims to create a wonderland for tourists, just like Dubai has done. Stocks are being predicted to rise, if not triple within a decade. Different sources recommend the Qatar investment fund. However, there is a bitter taste to the bite. The Arab country has recently been criticised for the unfavourable treatment of their foreign workers. Furthermore, the FIFA is under pressure, due to accusations of bribery during the bidding process and allegations of slave labour. Although the FIFA says a reallocation of the World Cup 2022 will not happen, one should keep it in mind when investing in the Gulf country.
Properties can be in another sense an interesting investment. As certain cities loose their population, others are becoming increasingly popular. Detroit for example has lost half of its inhabitants in forty years. However, there are other urban centres that are already experiencing a scarcity of housing. Berlin for example has a rising demand for housing for ten years straight. The German capital has once been cheap with plenty of living space. Investors have renovated entire neighbourhoods and created upscale living. As the popularity of Berlin isn’t declining, the rents have not only increased, but property has become the hottest commodity in the city. Those who have invested in property early enough have made significant financial benefits.
Similar developments can be seen in various cities around the world. Brooklyn, London, Paris and Amsterdam are only a few examples. Furthermore, due to the housing crisis and the collapse of the international market in 2008 and 2009, the prices for houses and properties broke down. Five years later the prices are slowing picking up speed with the tendency to rise rather than to fall again. An investment in inner city housing and urban property will in many cases be a profitable one.
Barcelona, Madrid, Austin and other cities are becoming increasingly attractive. As the rents there are down at the moment, these cities provide investors with interesting prospects. The prices on the international housing market were terribly bad for a couple of years. As the crisis is passing and most countries are recovering, the prices will go nowhere but up. While the market in some cities might take some time, other city markets are already starting to boom. Furthermore, the trend of urbanisation is speeding up the process. London, however, is no longer interesting, as the rents have become too expensive which minimises the profit margin dramatically.
Up and rising are also leisure and entertainment. Never before have we consumed such a quantity of entertainment. Hence, the technology sector will not just be interesting, but also offer itself as a profitable investment opportunity. Social Media brands and small start-ups, such as Facebook and Whatsapp have in an extremely short period of time generated a large amount of value and money. Many others are following the example. The technology market has grown tight links to the entertainment and leisure industry. Therefore, it will be interesting to watch what is coming.
Surely there are people that keep reminding us constantly of the bursting dotcom bubble. However, investments in technology are profitable now and in the future. The dotcom bubble was an entity in itself – complex and difficult to understand for investors at the time. Through smart phones, iPads and HD gadgets the world has become more receptive towards this kind of technology. All these devices seem to be irreplaceable already – just imagine where the industry will be in only five years.
Furthermore, it is not only leisure and entertainment, but the finance and business world that aim to catch up with the speed of the technology. Entire industries are upgrading – no matter whether medicine, manufacturing or construction. The technology industry offers a wide range of investing possibilities. Brands like Facebook, Google and Apple are one option. However, there are also special technology funds that offer themselves ideally to long-term investors. These are a perfect alternative for those who don’t want to bother with daily fluctuations.
Like you, I was young and fresh to the world of investing. I was 18 and finally eligible to invest! I remember thinking to myself; I can finally put everything that I have learnt into practice! Along the way, I have learnt so much more, directly and indirectly, about investing.
1) Saving
The first obvious thing about investing is that you can’t even start it when you have nothing to start with. My growing interest in investment was a very strong motivation for me to save. I knew I had to have enough to get into the playground of the rich. Diligently, I put aside half my allowance every week and continued that way for months. Eventually, I had enough to make my first investment. From there on, I never stopped the habit of saving at least half my allowance to put into investments. You’ll be surprised how little you actually need once you begin on this journey of budgeting your week. Also, I advocate cash payments instead of credit cards because it is easier to track how much you have left and be less likely to overspend or spend unnecessarily.
2) No more reckless purchases
Having begun investing and seeing the kind of return it can give, I learnt to forsake a lot of luxury purchases just because my friends around me have it. A $1000 investment can make me $100 or it could buy me some stuff that I don’t really need and impede on my investing journey of creating a sizable portfolio. I chose to focus on growing my investment portfolio instead of indulging in luxury purchases. Of course, that’s not to say that it’s wrong to indulge. Indulge when necessary, not all the time!
Eg. If I wanted to buy something $100, I would want to make that $100 off the market before buying it instead of using my capital of $1000, depleting it to just $900. If you choose not to spend, you’ll still be rewarded with the compounded growth! This method of spending teaches you to delay gratification and to give you time to think twice before making a purchase. Also, you will cherish and enjoy your purchase even more, knowing that it comes from the fruit of your investment. You not only get what you want, you learn valuable lessons about investing as well!
3) Investing shows your true self
Investing will show you your true self and what kind of a person you truly are when money is involved. Are you the same person when you make a lot of money or lose a lot of money? When I first started investing, I definitely did not expect that I would be in for an emotional roller coaster ride. One moment I was feeling good about myself for making the right decision to buy a particular stock. The next moment I was feeling angry at myself for being greedy to want more instead of taking my profits. From profits, they turned into losses. Over the years, I have grown to stabilise my emotions and accept that market swings are normal. I was then able to embrace them and learn to see the bigger picture instead of allowing my emotions to get in the way over short-term market noises.
4) How well can you tolerate risk?
When it comes to risk tolerance, it is all about discipline. When the share price hits your target, are you willing to stick to your target and take your profits? Or, will you continue to let it run hoping that it continues to go further up and disregard your primary research on the existing resistance level? Too often, traders in the market lose money due to the lack of discipline to take profit or to cut their losses. We all know that it is best to ‘Buy low and Sell high’. However, when real money is involved, greed and fear often overcome logic. Discipline is what will keep your rationality and nurture emotional stability. This would eventually translate into profits that you put into your pocket!
MoneyDigest
Anna Agoncillo
