Talk About Finance

Today I feel very 'ummphed', after realising that I was very unproductive for the past few days at work. Of course I do handle those works requiring immediate and urgent attention but that's just about it. Well, my discipline is still very slack, not doing what I planned to do 50% of the time but I am working to keep track of my progress.

It was pay day yesterday, and I quickly settled off all my commitments for the month, for fear that I spend my money elsewhere. End up, I have only RM100 left for June expenses. Ya, definitely cannot survive. Will need to use my FD savings to cover it and practise prudent savings for the next few months to cover back that sum. Luckily no more wedding dinners to attend until Dec. But I have Cambodia trip coming up this mid June. Ah, my long awaited Angkor Wat, here I come!

Why the dire financial situation? Blame my lack of monitoring on my expenses. Especially since I commit to the haircare treatment to treat my serious dandruff and hair fall problem. It was an additional RM500 for my monthly commitment. Talk about taking advantage of the 0% balance transfer offered by Std Chtd for 6 months. My initial intention was to take the 12 months instalment with 7% interest p.a.

I charged the full sum to my CIMB credit card, thinking that the 'convert into monthly instalment' thing is all year long thing. So I was shocked when I heard that CIMB was not having that promotion currently. Moral of the story, always call up your cc company before you charge a huge sum if you want to convert it into instalments. Hence, I called up UOB and Std Chtd to compare the interest rates for balance transfer. Std Chtd charged lower. So I called up Std Chtd again to enquire on credit card cancellation and balance transfer.

Why I have two Std Chtd credit cards? Because a Std Chtd personnel called me up to offer the cards. I wasn't interested but she told me there would be RM200 cash back per card. And 2 years waiver of annual fees. So I have a total of RM400 cash back (2 cards) and after deducting the RM100 government tax (2 cards), I still have a free RM300 to spend. Just don't cancel the cards within 6 months or else she won't get the commission. So the cheapskate me agreed and I had a 1.5months of free petrol. And I didn't use the credit cards thereafter. They were safely kept in my room.

Yup, I have a CIMB cc, my first card, for points collection. Then a UOB cc for rebates. And now 2 Std Chtd cards. So total 4. And nope, I don't simply charge my cards, except before CNY. I want to cancel one Std Chtd card because I wouldn't want to pay an additional government tax for a card I am not using. I need to keep one because I want the cheaper interest rate for balance transfer. But the Std Chtd staff were so kind as to offer me RM100 cash back per card to keep both cards. And offered me 0% balance transfer for 6 months instalment. I did read somewhere that whenever a customer cancels a credit card, it actually incurs loss to the bank because it is not cheap to produce a card.

I did feel bad for using Std Chtd cash back without charging much to the cards. And there are freebies some more. So... What the heck, just go for it. And here I am, diligently paying off all the commitments first using interbank giro transfer. It is so convenient now that it is only RM0.10 transaction charge to other banks. Last time I used to withdraw the cash and deposit manually into each individual bank. What to do, need to save up the RM2 fee since I have commitments with different banks. Luckily those banks were situated close to each other and are located along my way home.

Talk about financial management eh. M.U.S.T. monitor and analyse my expenses again. But until then, I need to spend prudently and frugally until Dec. Then, I am a free lady again. But my LG Nexus 4 will have to wait. I don't think I want to add another RM100++ monthly commitment, at least not until I settle my Std Chtd balance transfer first. I don't like having too much debts at one go, at least not those which will suffocate me. Well, lesser or more economical outing for me then!