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Advisers have struggled with this one for years because an investor can spend years trying to save six months’ salary, and then keeping that money liquid for emergencies surrenders big growth potential.

A better rule might be to focus on living expenses rather than gross income. That would allow an emergency fund to cover its intended purpose: paying the bills, not replacing lost paychecks. The necessity of these funds can depend on a variety of factors, including disability insurance protection, the availability of credit and the potential costs a family would face from a job loss, health problems or the breakdown of cars or big-ticket household appliances.

Chances are, viagra pills the average consumer will never face an emergency that requires him or her to come up with six months’ salary within 24 hours, which is why some advisers suggest that emergency funds can do double duty, being an investor’s most conservative bond investments while being accessible if the worst happens.

These are just some random cost saving tips I thought of so I shall write it here.

1. Save electricity on Air-conditioners

Use curtains or shares to block sunlight from entering the room directly through glass windows. Clean your air conditioners filters regularly as well. This reduces the workload of your air conditioners, and thus help save that bit of electricity.

2. Save electricity on refrigerators

Shift your fridge away from heat generating appliances (eg. Stove or cooker). Another common method is to close your fridge immediately once your open and grab your stuff. You don’t want to let too much cold air pharmacy viagra online out, and hot air into the fridge.

3. Using your Local library to get more information before spending to learn.

This is a common tip I used to do, when I want to acquire new knowledge. There are simply tons of books in the library, and wealth of knowledge that we can read up on. There are always people who love to take out money before realizing that the knowledge they are paying for are available in the library.

Remember, these little tips can add up to lots of amount after a long time.

The answer is the percentage of your investments that should be in stocks or stock mutual funds.

This rule became popular in the 1970s and ’80s with the emergence of retirement plans, as individuals tried to come up with a handle on asset allocation without necessarily trying to conquer the subject matter.

In practice, this rule is severely flawed, failing to look at the whole picture. Everything from life expectancy to age at retirement, from amount invested to expected returns and much more, affects a portfolio’s ability to last a lifetime. Most advisers seem to think this rule is ultraconservative online pharmacy viagra and would be more comfortable if the number were readjusted to 130 or 140.

“This rule has completely outlived its usefulness because people are retiring younger and living longer,” says Peg Eddy of Creative Capital Management in San Diego. “People are retiring with 20 years or more to live, and a portfolio that is too conservative just isn’t going to work for them. They need more growth, or they will be too vulnerable to inflation over that longer stretch of time.”

This month is a little bit interesting because I lost the chance in investing in the stocks and shares. A look over the mid week of March sees a bearish market, or the bottom low. Ahh… but anyway its over. Poems trading account was setup with US Stocks exchange trading.

As you guys know I bought a Google online prescription viagra Android HTC Dream phone, so that will cost me around $488 SGD. Plus some increase in my phone bills, about doubling my existing hand phone plans. Nevermind, for the access of mobile internet…

This month I saw two annual fee paid to my Citibank’s Credit card. Ouch, because I had it on Giro auto deduction, it was a bad choice. I plan to cancel one of the Citibank Master Platinum, because its useless. So its I’ve spend $300 on some stupid annual fees, and waived it off. Now it is credit I have to spend it off. Great.

Here’s this month’s breakdown:
Savings and Earnings

$500/month Citibank Step up Account (I guess this is the highest paying account currently)
POSB Mysavings Cancelled !

Expenses

Google Android HTC Dream - $488
2 x Citibank Credit Card Annual Fees (Waived!)- $300 &!@%*#
UOB One card Annual fees (Waived!) - $60

In March, I am just trying to save whatever I can. Having seen the un-stability in all financial markets, nothing is safe and sound. The banks might crumble anytime, but let’s hope the recession doesn’t affect us that bad.

And since the POSB MySavings interest rates has fallen to 0.4%, its time I pull the savings out, bit by bit first. (I was told by the bank teller my interest rates will fall if I withdraw, but hey its already so low, who cares?) On another note, I was thinking to increase my savings to Citibank, since it has a not-so-bad interest rate.

Around the corner on the last day of March, I got a performance bonus from the company I worked in, roughly $2000. Not much, but its very good its times of crisis, and since it is a “reward” for my performance in WY 2008.

I’ve canada viagra just gotten an account from POEMS, an online internet trading platform for buying shares, funds, unit trusts, and options etc… In 2 weeks time I should be able to buy shares online. That would make a better and meaningful experience to write down here.

Nothing much on my expenses list, there isn’t really a need to spend this month. Just a Life insurance premium to Manulife.

Here’s this month’s breakdown:
Savings and Earnings

$2000 Employee Bonus
$500/month Citibank Step up Account (I guess this is the highest paying account currently)
$300/month POSB MySavings (this is just temporary hmm…)

Expenses
Insurance - $600
Some clothes - $100
A new Pillow and pillow case - $100

These are just some random cost saving tips, similar to those from the first post.

1. Buy used or second hand stuff

Look around your house, and you will realize some stuff lying around are simply… old but still useful. We don’t always need new stuff, so viagra natural let’s make good use of old stuff. If you don’t mind, I hope there’s a second hand shop somewhere around your neighbor, with tons of stuff ready for a second life. Buy them and it could save you quite a bit. (eg. My 2nd hand Kawai upright grand piano cost $4,200, but the original price is tagged around $16,000).

2. Keep a list of items and their prices

Keeping in mind what’s the price of an item helps, if you are not sure of the “usual” price of an item. If you know them well, or keep a list, you can easily compare and contrast as to why an item is sold higher than other places, or lower. There maybe 10 products that serves the same function. It is therefore wiser to choose the cheapest, unless it differs with some extra functions you need.

3. Calculating the lifespan of a product

It is frustrating to buy a shoe that costs $50 and it lasts less than 2 years wearing out at the sole or breaking away. While a pair of shoes that cost $150, it could last for at least 6 years. I remember there’s a brand called “Caterpillar” which produces very high quality yet lightweight shoes. If you can “estimate” the lifespan of a product you are buying, I would rather you spend slightly more money to get one that lasts. (eg. IT gadgets, quality apparels)

Remember, these little tips can add up to lots of amount after a long time.

Due to my mistake, or my busy schedule, I missed the due date for my credit card charges payment. I didn’t really paid late, but I paid the bill via one of the bill payment machines after about 6+ pm. To the bank, this is consider “late” because its after their office hour.

So I called UOB Bank, and incredibly, they had an automated call system such that if you are doing a waiver on credit charges, just enter your Identification card no. and your credit card number. After two weeks, an sms was sent to inform me that my charges were waived. Phew…

Here’s this month’s breakdown:

Savings and Earnings

$500/month Citibank Step up Account (I really wondered should I continue with this?)
$300/month POSB MySavings
$8.XX (interest) Passive earnings
+200 from viagra order our government

Expenses

$1550 UOB bill (Last December)
$800 Red Sofa (Last December)

For those of you who owned several credit cards, there’s something called annual fee, where you get the banks to waive your your credit card charges. To waive, you have to call in to the Credit card department, and have a customer service officer to attend to you, and help you to waive it off.

This is online viagra buy a procedure which I (a poor fellow like me) will have to do a few times each year, because I owned a few of them. Imagine the fee for 1 card is $150, that will amount to almost $1000++ because for each and every card, regardless of whether its same type of cards but on Visa/Mastercard, or if its from the same bank, it is still treated as single one. Furthermore if you have a supplementary card, that comes into account too.

My tip here is for you to write down the number of cards you have, and the due date for the fee. Keep track of it so that you know how many cards you owned, and roughly when to call in and waive the fees.

One of the ways credit card companies earn $ from you, is when you forget about this fees, and you simply pay it by auto deducting from a bank account. I know a few rich guys who simply have no time to be bothered with a few thousands dollars (heck, that’s like 1 % of their monthly income!)

So keep track your ins and outs !

This month was a little special, because it includes Chinese New Year 2009, the year of the Ox towards the end of the month. After starting my part time school and getting my new Sofa for Chinese New Year, I still had to pay an amount for my school fees last month. It amounts to $1,550, as the bill.

A little tip for buying CNY stuff; I actually accompanied my parents to minimize the buying of New Year goodies etc, saving costs on food and junk food which are both expensive and useless. For decorations, I actually pasted a word viagra buy viagra online ’吉‘ on the wall of my home，which means ‘Lucky’, using very old red packets.

Speaking of red packets, with the economy downturn and older generation relatives who have long drop out of the workforce, I still do receive red packets, or Ang Baos from them. I felt bad to take from them since I am working, but because of traditions, I have to accept, by exchanging Mandarin Oranges.

There’s an additional to the POSB MySavings account, with a deposit of $1k into the account. Hopefully this will speed up my savings, though I didn’t know why I didn’t put it into the Citibank account.

Here’s a breakdown:

Savings and Earnings

$500/month Citibank Step up Account
$300/month + $1000 POSB MySavings
$7.XX (interest) Passive earnings
$300+ Red packets

Expenses

$0
$40 2X Tshirts
Nothing much, expenses amounting to less than $400 this month.

Its the last month for 2008, and perhaps this is a bad year, or would 2009 be worst ?

In 2008, we all work hard for the first few months, and its only towards the last quarter that we get the financial tsunami waving from United states, to Europe, and to Asia.

I predict 2009 will be worst for personal job security. It is ok if our investment fails, but it will be very bad if our job is not secured.

For those who know I am studying for a part time IT Degree, this will be my last semester. But because I had to retake a course, so I have to pay 2X what my peers are paying, in order to finish my program and graduate.

Luckily I paid the fees separately, using the UOB One Card, and because of the difference of the payment dates apart, I can repay the bank in 2 separate statements, in December 08 and January 09. Why I used UOB one card ? Theres a sms saying whoever spents above $2000 between 15 Nov and 15 Dec gets to receive a free IPod shuffle, and so I am eligible for it.

Heres a breakdown:

Savings and Earnings

$500/mth Citibank Step up
$300/mth POSB MySavings
$6.xx (interest) Passive earnings

Expenses

$148 A Epson TX200 All-in-one printer (Photocopier / Scanner / Printer)
$98 A shelf from IKEA (DIY)
$30 buy viagra online A 7 seater Cab to transport my DIY shelf home.
$700 for a new L-shaped Sofa

I’ll put up pictures of these items in the next few posts.