by Penny on March 16, 2010
For a while now I’ve been very tempted to plan for a getaway. Whether it’s a local one or one to some place far out of the country, it doesn’t matter. Of course it’s best if it’s to some place I’ve never been before.
With Air Asia having so many promotions offering cheap tickets, it’s sometimes hard to resist. Also, with so many people around us making so many trips and enjoying their vacations, it makes it even harder to brush off the travel bugs that bite.
Now that I have some flexibility in terms of time, not having to apply for annual leave to jive with job requirements, I feel a lot more comfortable about making impulsive trips. Even if it’s a short escapade for just 3 days, I think I’ll be just as thrilled and fulfilled. It doesn’t have to be one of those Outer Banks beach rentals holiday that I do hope to make one fine day.
Now if I were to make a rash decision and click on those bookings on Air Asia one of these days, where do you think I should head off to – Vietnam, Thailand, China? All these places are great for shopping and when I do travel, that’s one thing I really look forward to. I believe these 3 countries offer rather cheap shopping opportunities compared to other cities.
So where to, where to?
by Penny on March 13, 2010
Have you thought about how the impending implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) will affect your shopping or spending habits? Suddenly the price of things will be increased by 4% of tax, and that is assuming the price of the item itself does not increase in price. I shudder to think how much more we will spend on our overall basic needs, not even including shopping for leisure!
Will you be cutting back on your shopping? I suspect I will in the early months. But I also believe as time goes by and we have accepted that the tax is a fact of life and things are just going to cost more, we will settle back into our habits like before. Do you think so?
Oh well, I may just stock up on necessities like my skin care products before the GST is implemented. Skin care can cost quite a bit so it may be a smart thing for me to buy them before the tax system starts, of course provided that I watch the expiry date of the products too.
What are some of your tips to help with savings when the GST is in place? Although the government is going back and forth about its implementation date, I’m quite sure it will come along somehow. It’s just a matter of time. I just don’t like to be caught by surprise with a sudden short notice of implementation. So I like to set myself up to be ready for it.
Just when we thought things are getting better, suddenly we have increase interest rates and now the additional tax to pay. I guess if this comes with a pay rise it shouldn’t be too difficult to cope. But I do wonder if people will get increments at all as a lot of companies are still not quite out of the economic downturn. A friend in the US was telling me there still aren’t that many available jobs in Philadelphia so she’s very glad to be holding on to one even without any raise in the last 2 years.
So for those shopaholic friends out there, do be careful with your spending in the near future…I know I will be, at least until I’ve grown used to the idea of the GST.
by Penny on March 12, 2010
Just wondering if anyone out there has read this book by Dale Carnegie: How to Develop Self-Confidence And Influence People By Public Speaking? I’m considering getting this book as I think I need to be more skillful in this area. So if anyone has read this book or any other suggested titles for people who have public speaking anxiety, I would appreciate your tips.
If I do get this book in the end, I will write a review here to share with everyone. In the meantime, would appreciate if you can give me some ideas and feedback if you have any, ok?
by Penny on March 4, 2010
I’ve been told that a term life insurance policy is one of the most expensive types of insurance policies around. Do correct me if I’m wrong as I’ve not asked for or don’t remember getting any term life insurance quotes before.
But a few months ago I learned that I’m actually eligible to take up a product bundling from Public Mutual where the term life policy is considerably cheaper than what the market has to offer.
You can check out the rates here and see if it is indeed a cheaper option. However, take note that only investors of Public Mutual can take advantage of this package.
I’ll be considering this policy. If you know of cheaper options than this one, do highlight and share 
by Penny on February 27, 2010
During the Chinese New Year period we were in Johor Bahru and we got some pineapple tarts and Chinese cookies from Lavender Cake Shop. I have to admit that in the beginning I wasn’t much of a fan. The only thing that caught my eyes were the nice packaging of the products. They come in nice tin designs like the one below:
What’s impressive about the pineapple tarts from Lavender Cake Shop starts with the individually wrapped pastry. Also, it comes in a rather large cube like pictured in the close up shot below.
If you are thinking that it’s an oversized piece of pineapple tart, well you’ll be glad for it the moment you take a bite into it. The pastry is soft and buttery and the pineapple jam is not too sweet and in the right texture. And amidst the jam, you’ll find an occasional raisin hidden in it too. The taste of the entire tart blends in very well making it one of the best mouth watering pineapple tarts I’ve ever had.
Be warned that it gets addictive biting into these tarts, and these big sized tarts make it easy for us to over eat too. I definitely don’t want to be on of those nordictrack fitness machine working off the calories after indulging in these heavenly yummies!
Does anyone know whether there are any Lavender Cake Shop outlets in Klang Valley? I would love to try out other pastries they have too now that I know how fantastic they are!
