Plan your expenses carefully and be rewarded!

I have received a few emails asking me to help them "plan" their fixed expenses. To be exact, they are asking me which credit card(s) to use for their fixed expenses so they can get the maximum benefits/cash rebates. Coincidentally, all of them prefer cash rebates to miles or points. So this is my advice to all:

Step 1: Write down all the monthly recurring fixed expenses that accept credit card payment that you have.

Insurance 1: $104.75
Insurance 2: $110.35
Insurance 3: $230.20
Insurance 4: $160.15
Telco: $150.00
S&CC: $58.00
SP Services: $200
HDB season parking: $90
Income Tax: $450

Step 2: List down any credit card limitation that these fixed expenses may have.

Insurance 1: $104.75 
Insurance 2: $110.35
Insurance 3: $230.20
Insurance 4: $160.15
(The above 4 only accepts recurring payment by Standard Chartered Bank, DBS/POSB, Maybank, UOB

Telco: $150.00 (Monthly recurring and online payment available)
S&CC: $58.00 (Only Visa/Master)
SP Services: $200 (Only DBS/POSB for recurring payments)
HDB season parking: $90
Income Tax: $450 (Giro or monthly recurring payment by HSBC/ANZ credit card)

Step 3: Try to see if you can hit the tiers of $300 / $600 / $800 / $1000 / $1500.

Applies to insurance, telco bills, S&CC etc.

If your fixed expenses can meet $300 every month, you may use UOB ONE OR Maybank Platinum Visa.

If your fixed expenses can meet $600 every month and can be subdivided into 2 x $300+, you may use UOB ONE ($300) AND Maybank Platinum Visa ($300).

If your fixed expenses can meet $800 every month, you may use UOB ONE.

If your fixed expenses can meet $1000 every month, you may use Maybank Platinum Visa.

If your fixed expenses can meet $1500 every month, you may use UOB ONE.

The above 2 cards will earn you up to 3.33% cash rebates if you can hit the required tiers during the qualifying quarters.(You may click the links for more information)

Step 4: Payment to SP Services

If you are looking at FUSS-FREE monthly recurring payment, pay with the DBS Altitude Visa Signature. You get 3 DBS Points for every $5.

There are times when there is $100 Tunglok voucher for redemption at 4200 points. This will translate to 1.42% which is pretty good in my opinion. Give your family a treat with the voucher!

Click to download DBS Credit Card Recurring Payment form.

POSB Everyday only gives you up to 1% (or $1).
1% cash rebate for SP Services and StarHub is capped at a maximum spend of S$100 per Card account, per calendar month per respective billing organization. For SP Services, recurring charges are applicable only to accounts under the name of the main or supplementary cardholder.


If it is convenient for you and you are looking at the highest % in terms of cash rebate, make trips down to the SP Services, Customer Service Centres to make payment. 

Then pay with the ANZ Travel Visa Signature to enjoy 2.54% in cash rebate (1.4 Travel$ for every $1 spent, 550 Travel$ = $10). You may pay up to 3 months worth of bills in advance.

Step 5: HDB Season Parking

For FUSSFREE method, pay with Giro and get 2% discount.

For maximum cash rebate, pay online with the ANZ Travel Visa Signature to enjoy 2.54% in cash rebate (1.4 Travel$ for every $1 spent, 550 Travel$ = $10).
Note: You will have to remember to pay monthly to earn $0.50 more in cash rebate.

Step 6: Income Tax

Pay your income tax with ANZ Travel Visa Signature for the best returns! More info here.

There is a processing fee of 0.7% applicable (or 0.5% if you are ANZ Signature Priority Banking card member). Processing fee is charged every month and no points will be awarded for the processing fee.

Basically it works this way. You maintain a GIRO arrangement to pay $XXX monthly with IRAS. ANZ will credit $XXX amount to your bank account before the deduction. ANZ then charges $XXX + 0.7% processing fee to your ANZ credit card.

You will get 1 Travel$ for every $1 charged to your ANZ Travel Visa Signature for the income tax payment, which works out to be 1.81% in cash rebate. Effectively, you get 1.81% - 0.7% = 1.11% for your tax payment! That is better than 0% if you just pay by GIRO!

Moreover, if you hit a minimum spending per year on your credit card (excluding income tax), you will get a rebate on your processing fee! Hence, you will get 1.81% on your income tax payable! More info here.


The above 6 steps are my strategies to planning the payments for my fixed expenses. After I am done with the above, I would just dump the UOB ONE and Maybank Visa Platinum in my drawer and they will never see light again. And I also do not have to worry about the recurring payments at all.

If you need help with your planning, drop me an email and I will try my best to help you! 
Free of charge!



Tags: fixed expenses, credit card, DBS Altitude, UOB ONE, Maybank Visa Platinum, ANZ Travel Visa Signature, POSB Everyday, recurring bill payment, insurance, Singtel, M1, Starhub, S&CC, SP Services, HDB Season parking, income tax, IRAS

Cheap and Good Food: Sarawak Kolo Mee (Tampines)

I do not know why, but I seemed to have cravings for good noodles nowadays. Two out of three of my food posts are about noodles. And they are indeed delicious noodles. Hope you have tested and tasted my recommendations and have agreed with my humble opinion.

This time, I am going to recommend this fantastic noodle stall that has been around for more than 10 years and still counting. Everyday (I was told by the cleaner auntie), if you come at lunch time between 11 - 1pm, expect long queue of more than 20 persons! And it is not because the stall owners are slow, they are fast! People are just willing to queue for good food!

SARAWAK KOLO MEE

Tampines Round Market, Blk 137A #01-45 Tampines Street 11 Singapore 522137

One look at the stall and apart from the variety of noodles sold, you can see the numerous awards won by this stall. There are awards by Makan Sutra, Channel U's Yummy King （优选美食王）, Straitstimes, Channel 8's 面对面 and many more!

BUT, this is not what I came for. I did not come to look at the awards. I came for good food!

As I was there at 1+pm (as advised by my survey team), I was right behind 8 persons only. Well, the noodles better be worth the wait! After queuing for about 15 minutes, it was finally my turn. I ordered a regular size famous Sarawak Kolo Mee. (They came in 4 sizes, $4/5/6/7)

And I present to you, THE SARAWAK KOLO NOODLES! Looked appetising, didn't it?

The famous Sarawak Kolo Mee!

The noodles came with
1) char siew
2) vegetables
3) 2 wantons
4) 1 dumpling
5) 1 deep fried wanton
6) braised pork ribs
7) Kolo mee

I quickly tossed the noodles and began to attack the noodles mercilessly. The noodles were springy and tasted different from the normal wanton noodles that is served in most noodles stall. The Sarawak Kolo Mee did not have the "alkaline" or 碱水 taste in it! Coupled with their special sauce and chili, the overall taste of this noodles was superb! All the other ingredients tasted normal like any other stall but the noodles and sauce itself were delicious!

Last but not least, I would like to talk about the braised pork ribs. Soft and tender pork ribs, deeply and fully braised with soy fragrance, was delectable! The aftertaste that lingered in my mouth was stimulating all the glands in my mouth, so much so that I was literally mouth-watering!

The aftermath

Now the verdict:

Taste: 4.5 out of 5 (the other ingredients were so-so)
Price: 2 purple notes (S$4.00)
Will I return for more: Definitely!
Nearest carpark: Open air carpark around block 137A (ERP system)
Opening hours:  Until 3pm daily (Avoid lunch hours, sometimes they finished at 2.30pm)



Tags: Tampines, round market, sarawak kolo mee,

Get 18.52% savings with ANZ StarCash at Caltex!

Get up to 18.52% savings plus a set of hong baos and mandarin orange carrier with purchase of the ANZ StarCash Card at Caltex from 1 - 28 February 2015. While stocks last!

This is the highest discount you can get from Caltex which is fussfree without minimum sum to meet monthly/quarterly!

Pay with ANZ Travel Visa Signature to get the most savings! And you still get Thanks! points when you use the card to pump petrol!


Price of StarCash: $500.00
Price paid: $418.00
Discount: $82.00
Travel$ earned by using ANZ Travel VS: 585 (equivalent to $10.63 as 550 Travel$ = $10)
Total discount: 18.52%

More information here!

Terms and Conditions (Some may not be applicable!)
The listed offers are valid for ANZ Credit Cards issued in Singapore only and calculated based on the following:

1. Premium 95 with Techron at a prevailing pump price of S$2.24 per litre. 40 Thanks! points equivalent to S$1.00. For details of the Thanks! points programme, visit www.caltex.com/sg/products-and-services/thanks-rewards-programme/benefits/
2. 1 ANZ Rewards Points will be issued for every S$5 charged on all other Rewards Points earning ANZ Credit Cards. ANZ Platinum & Switch Platinum Credit Cardmembers who have registered for the ANZ 6X Rewards Programme will receive additional bonus 5 ANZ Rewards Points for every S$5 charged on their Credit Cards, subject to a cap of 7,800 bonus ANZ Rewards Points per calendar month.
3. 2 ANZ Rewards Points for every S$5 charged on ANZ Signature Priority Banking Credit Cards. ANZ Signature Priority Banking Credit Cardmembers who have registered for the ANZ 6X Rewards Programme will receive additional bonus 4 ANZ Rewards Points for every S$5 charged on their Credit Cards, subject to a cap of 7,800 bonus ANZ Rewards Points per calendar month.
4. 500 ANZ Rewards Points are required to redeem S$10 Caltex Petrol Voucher via the ANZ Rewards Programme.
5. 1.4 Travel$ will be issued for every dollar spent on ANZ Travel Visa Signature Credit Card. Cardmembers will also enjoy savings based on Thanks! points at a similar rate as (a).

• ANZ StarCash prepaid card (the "StarCash Card") is issued by Chevron Singapore Pte. Ltd. ("Chevron") and the use of the StarCash Card shall be governed by the terms and conditions set out on www.caltex.com.sg
• The StarCash Card is valid for 12 months from date of purchase and is on sale at all Caltex service stations in Singapore, except Caltex Braddell, Caltex East Coast, Caltex Sembawang and Caltex Upper Thomson.
• The StarCash Cards are available while stocks last.
• The StarCash Card must be purchased with an ANZ Credit Card (excluding corporate cards) to enjoy the discounted price.
• The StarCash Card carries a stored value of S$200 at the time of purchase and can only be used for fuel purchases at all Caltex service stations in Singapore.
• The StarCash Card cannot be used for StarMart or other store purchases at Caltex service stations. Fuel purchases paid with the StarCash Card shall not be entitled to any site discount or discount programs or other privileges/promotions.
• No Caltex Thanks! points will be issued for the purchase of the StarCash Card.
• Thanks! points may be awarded for qualifying fuel purchases made with the StarCash Card, subject to the Caltex Thanks! Cardholder terms and conditions.
• The StarCash Card cannot be topped-up, refunded for cash, rewards points or exchanged for any other products and services other than its intended purpose.
• If the monetary value of Cardmember's fuel purchase exceeds the remaining value on the StarCash Card, the Cardmember must make the balance payment using an ANZ Credit Card.
• ANZ is not an agent of Chevron.
• Any dispute between Cardmember and Chevron, in respect of the StarCash Card, shall be resolved directly between Cardmember and Chevron.
• ANZ and Chevron shall not be liable to Cardmember for any loss and/or cost of damages of any kind resulting from the use of the StarCash Card.
• ANZ and Chevron reserve the right to vary, delete or add to any of these terms and conditions from time to time or to suspend or terminate the Promotion at any time.
• Caltex StarCash full terms and conditions apply. For StarCash Terms and Conditions, click here for more details.

Hurry to Caltex and get your StarCash Card now!



Tags: ANZ Travel Visa Signature, StarCash, Caltex, Techron, CNY, hong bao