Entries Tagged 'Money' ↓

I just got back from RHB Bank where I do a lot of my banking. Its not my favourite bank but its convenient location-wise. Thus far, bar a few hiccups here and there they have served me relatively well. I too had been a loyal user of their internet banking since its inception.

So, imagine my horror when I went to the bank today and saw a new directive for New Service Charges by RHB Bank.

Right at the bottom under an obscure column called e-banking, were the words:-

Transfer between own accounts - RM0.50

Transfer from own account to 3rd party RHB account - RM1.00

I was stunned. Was RHB planning to charge me for using their online banking feature to facilitate online transfers between accounts?!

A check with the cashier told me that yes, it will come into effect next week. There was no date on the directive and no date of coming into effect.

I have shot off an email to the RHB Internet Banking centre to seek clarification. I also called up Maybank to see if Maybank charges for inter-maybank transfers and the answer was an emphatic NO.

If RHB decides to go ahead and charge me for using their online services, well, I’ll just stop using the bank altogether! Yes they are convenient, but I don’t think I should be made to PAY for an online transaction, do you?

I will update when I get confirmed news.

I was reading the Giddy Tigress’ tips for being frugal and found myself agreeing whole heartedly with her tips. Well, except for the cloth menstrual pads bit. I’m unfortunately going to have to continue spending hardearned money on that bit of luxury in my life!

So what do you reckon Paris B’s frugal tips are? Let me set down 5 lifestyle tips for saving money, which I have been putting in practice for some time, not just with the recent fuel hike.

1) Don’t have a maid

Why have the stress of letting someone else intrude into your home life? If all you are keeping a maid for is to clean the house, then you can do it yourself. Besides ending up with a clean house, you end up with muscles in your arms from wringing out the mop; strong thigh muscles from squatting down to scrub the bathroom floor and a trim tummy from bending up and down to clean your shelves.

I complain a lot about cleaning house and I do toy with the idea of getting in someone part time just to clean and iron but at the end of the day, I’d rather just keep the money and get my little bit of exercise. Besides if you split up the tasks so you do a little a day it doesn’t add up to very much in the end.

2) Cancel your gym membership

#1 above takes care of the exercise and if you leave the fan off, you even have a free sauna too on a hot day! If you live in a condominium, why are you joining a gym anyway?! Just pop down to the condo pool and do 20 laps a day. Guaranteed you’ll feel better. Besides you are already paying all those maintenance fees - might as well use the facilities!

3) Dine in when possible

Cooking isn’t hard. If you ask me, people who say they can’t cook are just lazy. With a little bit of effort, anyone can cook. It might not be as delicious as what you will get in a restaurant, but it will be healthier without all the excess oil and MSG and its a lot cheaper too! Along the way, you’ll polish up some domestic skills which may stand you in good stead. Cleaning up? Now that’s another matter altogether. We Malaysians take eating out so much for granted, that I think many of us have stopped appreciating it. Aim to dine out less and when you do, you can afford to eat nicer stuff in a nicer place and enjoy yourself better too.

For myself, I’m picking up baking too to. Having a new kitchen and oven helps! Then again, I do enjoy cooking and baking. I find it therapeutic. My sis says I’m a Martha Stewert wanna be. If only!

4) Have a discount card? Use it!

Hands up who finds their wallet bursting with all sorts of plastic cards from the many retailers and stores. I’m not even getting to credit cards yet! Look through your loyalty and discount cards terms and promotions and see where you can use them to get discounts. I don’t like the idea of points because points just encourage you to spend more. But getting a discount is different. Even 10% is better than nothing. So, either plan your purchases from certain stores in advance and use the cards, or ask at the cashier counter which credit cards or loyalty cards offer discounts. Its your money so spend it wisely!

Sometimes, I come across newspapers or magazines with discount coupons in them. You may notice that TM is sending out some coupons with their telephone bills too. See which are suitable and clip them out.

5) Cut down on Electricity

Ditch the electrical items you don’t need or can live without. Do you have an electric kettle or those electrical keep warm pump flask things? They suck electricity like crazy so ditch them.

Still using normal filament bulbs? Time to change to a twirly swirly energy saving bulb.

Limit the number of lights you have on. Not only does lower lighting create a cosier more romantic mood at home, it saves you electricity too. But not at the cost of your sight of course so have proper reading lights.

Use the home computer less - blog from work. LOL….

Ok some of the tips are made in jest but not without an element of truth in them. I’ve made these lifestyle changes for a while now and honestly, although I’m paying about RM110 for a full tank of petrol now, I’m not quite feeling the pinch as severely so I still do have my other little luxuries and the rest of my lifestyle that I’ve gotten accustomed to doesn’t need to suffer quite as much.

Did you feel the need to make a drastic lifestyle change after the fuel hike?

Have a happy weekend everyone!

I’d always had good experiences with Esso Mobil petrol stations. I grew up when it was just either Esso or Mobil and I liked their old tagline of “Put a Tiger in your tank!”. I also used to have an old punching bag of the Esso tiger as a tot and I liked the Esso tiger because I like tigers.

Today, I had one of the worst experiences ever at an Esso Mobil petrol station.. in fact, at ANY petrol station for that matter.

This is the offending Mobil petrol station at 3 1/2 Mile Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur. Mobil or Esso they are tarred with the same brush since they are both merged into Esso Mobil anyway. It is right at a corner of a turning and next to the Maybank building on Jalan Ipoh. If you know where it is, AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS!

This is a picture of the pump which had stopped at RM69.99. I had paid the cashier inside the station RM70 before filling my tank as is procedure. Initially, I thought my tank was full but when I tried to pump more petrol into the tank, nothing happened.

I’m not usually one to quibble but I was in a bit of a foul mood this morning, so I went into the station and checked with the cashier. Casually, she told me “Oh, pam ada masalah” (”Oh the pump has a problem”). As if that was supposed to be the end of the matter?!

When I saw the attendant, he said “Pam ini memang macam ini” (”This pump is already like that”) and then proceeded to get angry with me because I took my time moving my car from the pump.

He said “Satu sen pun nak bising” (”One sen also you want to make noise”)

I got angry at this point and said “Satu sen pun duit!” (”One sen is still money!”)

How would he like if his boss deducted out 1 sen from his pay every day? He’d feel it won’t he? I thought it was all very uncalled for.

If the petrol station was to scam every customer of 1 sen, 100 cars would yield them RM1. 1000 cars would yield RM10. In a month, it could mean extra income of anywhere between RM30-300 - enough to pay a pump attendant perhaps? Was this their dastardly plan?

And yet these petrol stations had the gall to try to hold customers and the government to ransom by threatening a strike if their demands for lower commission rates for credit cards was not upheld. I don’t use credit cards at petrol stations for security reasons so I’m not affected by this.

Now I’m thinking, stopping the pump from giving you your full money’s worth is one way to scam you. Another way might be to deliver less petrol into your tank even though the machine shows the amount you had prepaid.

Is it not enough that us consumers are already affected by high fuel prices? Do we have to give in to these scammer petrol stations?! I will not. I’m boycotting this particular Mobil petrol station at 3 1/5 Mile Jalan Ipoh and I will ask that you do too.

There is a Shell and Caltex just down the road and another 2 Esso stations in the area that have served me well thus far i.e. without blatantly scamming me. Consumers have rights too!

With this latest fuel price increase have you considered what lifestyle changes you have to make other than counting the pennies and tightening your belt?

I’m working on the belt tightening. But before I do, there was one budget busting item I had to get, and then I’m done with the spending money like water for a while. There are a couple of things I’m working on that need the money more than mere frivolities.

Behold!

Eeks! Yes, I know I was asking about a Lumix previously. I went and made many enquiries about the various Lumix models until I was so sure I was about to buy one.

Then I saw this one and suddenly all thoughts of a Lumix flew out of my head. I’m so fickle! I knew it was a Canon for me. Never mind that my first and only digicam thus far was a Canon that died on me. I knew after testing it that it was “the one”.

So, I’m all gadgeted out now. But at least I know I’ll now have better looking photos instead of having to rely solely on the phone camera!

Speaking of lifestyle changes, I’d like to steal a question off the evening news. With this present price incease in fuel to RM2.70 per litre of petrol, are you prepared to take the public transport instead of drive?

My answer is simple.

Even with the price incease, and even if it means pinching a penny till it squeaks, I will not take the public transportation because:-

1. Public transportation is non existent. The buses are never on time and bus stops are never properly designated. The buses stop anywhere that someone sticks their hand out. Trains (in KL city) are a nightmare. Not all lines service every part of the city and all the lines do not intersect at any point. If I were to take the trains, I’d have to change 3 times for what would be an 8km drive to work.  Taxis aren’t an option for me because (see reason 2)
2. Security. I’m paranoid about personal safety on the public transport and while going to the requisite stop. Some bus stops are isolated and walking to the bus or train stop may prove to be dangerous. While on the bus or train, you have to watch out for pickpockets or people with octopus arms. In a taxi its even worse - strange car + stranger = disaster.  I’m not saying all taxis are bad. I just can’t feel comfortable enough to ride in one alone.
3. Wasted Time. With the uncertain timetables of our public transport system I’d probably need 2 hours to get to work when I can drive there in 10 minutes. I guess at the end of the day, it is how much that time saved is worth vs the money  spent on petrol.

And so, public transport is just not an option for me. I know I’m polluting the environment with my single occupier vehicle, and that driving is eating into my monthly income. But I’d rather have the security, peace of mind, mobility, convenience and time saved by driving myself places.

Would you consider switching your car for the public transport to save money?

With this point to ponder, here’s wishing everyone a happy weekend!

Late yesterday evening, the announcement was made after much speculation, that petrol prices in Malaysia were being increased by a hefty 78 sen. That takes us up from RM1.92 to RM2.70 per litre. RM2.70! I remember when a plate of wantan mee was RM2.70.
That’s a very substantial increase and the biggest ever price hike in the country’s history. You know you are (a) old and (b) bitter when you can recall petrol prices of RM1.10 as a kid. This price increase comes hot on the heels of the denial and statement by the Minister of Domestic Trade just 2 days ago that fuel prices will only be increased in August 2008.

This is also a typical case of “Esok Tak Ada” which were the immortal words of the Prime Minister just a day before Parliament was dissolved to pave way for the General Elections.  If there was a compilation of the most oxymoronic phrases uttered by our leaders, this “Esok Tak Ada” would go down in history right on top at No. 1. (Note to all government agents reading this: Please look up the word oxymoron in the dictionary before arresting me for sedition yes? )

So, with only this amount of petrol left in my car fuel tank

I grudgingly hauled my butt over to the nearest petrol station to fill ‘er up at the never to be seen again price of RM1.92 per litre of petrol.

All in all, it took me an hour to get to the pump, fill up to full tank and drive back home. Was it worth it? I think so. At an increase of 41%  I saved RM23 last night as opposed to pumping my car today.

The man in the car before me was drastic enough to tilt up and lift up the hose of the pump to make sure that every single drop of petrol flowed from the pump into his car tank. Some people looked like they had been sitting in a jam for hours as the first thing they did when they reached the pump was to run for the toilets. Others stood around griping and sharing their misery with other like minded consumers. Interesting how it is in times of adversity such as this that the people will bond.

With the price of fuel going up, so too are the electricity tarrifs effective July 1. Expect your chicken rice to similar rise in price as well as every other consumer good out there. Inflation will soon hit an all time high, I predict, looking into my foggy crystal ball.

It looks like hard times ahead.