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Are You FRANK Enough To Manage Your Own Finances?

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Recently, we were at FRANK by OCBC’s 3rd birthday bash and we had an awesome time eating delightful cupcakes, drinking wholesome specialty coffee, and learning 4 useful tips to manage our finances!

If you are a youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years old, we are pretty sure you have big goals and dreams for your future and if becoming a millionaire is one of them, we want to share with you these 4 useful tips that FRANK by OCBC taught us!

FRANK Tip #1: Save Before You Spend

The first step to financial freedom is to have a habit of saving regularly. You can choose to save your money in the bank or you can take up a long term savings plan that guarantees your principal and offers you an attractive interest rates.

If you are keen to start saving up, the OCBC Monthly Savings Account is a good start because it offers you 0.4% interest rate a year if no withdrawal is made within the month!

We advise that you keep this savings account as a spare account for your savings and do not make any withdrawals until you save at least 6 months’ worth of income or in case of dire emergencies.

FRANK Tip #2: Amplify Your Wealth

Inflation is an inevitable problem in our society and there is no way we can escape it unless the real value of our money grows. Your $1 bill today may only be worth $0.50 a few years down the road and it will definitely erode in value over time.

As Einstein said, “Compound interest is the 8th wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t pays it.” A monthly savings account only earns you 0.4% interest rate while the inflation rate in 2013 was 2.4%. Hence, the interests that you earn is not able to counter the effects of rising costs if you keep your savings in the account for a long time!

If you are an experienced investor, you would probably invest a lump sum of money at one ago but if you are new to investing and you don’t have much money to begin with, you can still invest by setting aside a regular amount from as low as SGD$100 to invest regularly with the OCBC Blue Chip Investment Plan.

Compounding may be slow process but it is a sure way to grow your money by reinvesting your precious earnings. It’s like building a giant snowball; its rate of growth amplifies as more snow sticks to its increasing surface.

FRANK Tip #3: Protect Yourself

It is important to protect yourself financially and one way you can do that is to insure yourself. You will never know when a crisis will strike and even though you may be young, fit, and healthy; getting a health insurance is important In the event you need to be hospitalised and treated.

The same goes if you are travelling abroad. Always make sure you get a travel insurance before heading overseas because you will never know when your baggage would go missing or when your flight would be delayed and for how long.

FRANK Tip #4: Enjoy Small Indulgences

To live life to the fullest, enjoy all that it has to offer. Reward yourself occasionally but make sure you pay your dues on time and in full. A credit card can come in handy but don’t abuse it. This way, you can meet your financial goals while indulging in the pleasures of life.

So there you go!

Start applying these 4 FRANK Tips and you are well on your way to achieving big goals in the near future!

Here’s wishing FRANK by OCBC a happy 3rd birthday once again!

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[Mark Your Calendars]- Celebrate the Ben & Jerry-est’s Day of the Year with Free Ice Cream on 8 April!

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Mark your calendars, it’s time to celebrate the Ben and Jerry-est day of the year!
Since its first anniversary in 1979, Ben & Jerry’s has thrown open the scoop shop doors and invited everyone and anyone in for a free cup or cone of ice cream. This annual Ben & Jerry’s celebration is a way for the company to have some fun and say thank you to ice cream-loving fans for yet another year of support.

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[Food For Thought]-How We Spend Valentine’s Day 2014

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This year, we celebrated Valentine’s Day rather meaningfully and we hope to make it a tradition every year from now on to continue celebrating Valentine’s Day in such a special and meaningful way.
Yes, there were the usual gift exchange, flowers, dinner, and movie but apart from just celebrating the romance and love that we have for one another on Valentine’s Day; we decided to do something special and that is, to offer others the chance to live again!

And how did we go about saving lives?

Well, we went to the BloodBank @ Dhoby Ghaut and we donated our blood to save lives!

Sounds noble? Probably?

But that’s not the point. We thought of donating our blood on Valentine’s Day because we believe everyone deserves a second chance to love and to feel loved. With the unit of blood that we donated, it can save up to 3 lives for patients undergoing surgery and blood related illnesses and with the both of us donating blood together, we would have save up to 6 lives and that really matters to us!

If you are working or living near Outram or Woodlands, there are two other BloodBanks located there but the BloodBank that is centrally located would be the one at Dhoby Ghaut. In fact, the BloodBank @ Dhoby Ghaut is really convenient and easily accessible via the North-South Line and North-East Line Trains.

Is it scary to donate blood?

Yes, it probably would be for first-timers donating blood but when you donate blood regularly, the fear would subside and every time when you donate blood, your confidence will surly increase.

It was Jacqueline’s 4th donation and it was my 11th donation. Even though we’re regular blood donors, the fear of needles sometimes still exist and one tip we would give to first-timers to overcome the fear of needles is to not look at the needles but rather, to look away and listen closely to the instructions from the nurses as they will make you feel more relaxed and not so tensed up.

The processes involved in blood donation are really simple.

All potential blood donors will first have to register themselves by filling up a questionnaire. Following which, a medical screening will be done by a medical officer and you will have your blood pressure, height, and weight measured. Once you have been screened and cleared by the medical officer, you will then go for a blood test to determine if you are suitable to donate blood. If successful, you will then proceed for the blood donation where your blood will be drawn.

The entire process should take no more than an hour and you can even make an appointment to donate blood too. Prior to the actual blood donation taking place, the nurse will also prescribe you with some iron tablets that will aid your body in the replenishment of red blood cells. A normal healthy person can donate blood every 12 weeks [approximately 3 months] and so in a year, you probably will be able to donate up to 4 times!

However, before you go and donate your blood, make sure you satisfy the criteria for blood donation.

Currently, as of 14 February 2014, the blood stocks for Blood Type Group A and Blood Type Group O are on the low side. If you have Blood Type Group A or Blood Type Group O, we highly encourage you to step out with courage and donate blood to those whom really need it.

You too can make a difference and help save lives! To find out how you can donate blood and what are the criteria for donating blood, you can check out the Singapore Blood Donor Web for more information.

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[RSAF45@SA]- A Preview of the Republic of Singapore Airforce @ Singapore Airshow 2014

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It was a lively Saturday morning at the Changi Exhibition Centre where family members of serviceman and servicewoman gathered together for the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s [RSAF] 45th Anniversary Family Day celebrations.

Thanks to the gracious invitation from the RSAF, we had a very fun and enjoyable time commemorating the RSAF’s 45th Anniversary and we certainly had learn a lot more about the RSAF through the static display and the various enriching exhibits that are put up by the RSAF. If you are heading down to the Singapore Airshow 2014 in the coming week, don’t miss them out!

The little kids eyeing on the One Force Application that is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

At the static display ground, aviation enthusiasts can look forward to 17 types of RSAF aircraft and weapon systems.

Key highlights of the static display include the F-15SG, G550-AEW, SPYDER Air Defence System, and as well as the Heron 1 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle [UAV] and Hermes 450 UAV. Other aircraft types on display include the F-16D+ and the F-5S/T fighter aircraft, C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, AH-64D Apache attack helicopter, CH- 47D Chinook, and Super Puma helicopters. Other ground-based air defence systems on display include the Mechanised IGLA, I-Hawk, RBS-70 and Mistral.

To highlight the RSAF’s journey through the years, there will be a pavilion where visitors can learn more about the RSAF.

The RSAF Pavilion comprises three distinct zones: Zone 1 – Our Air Force Heritage and Transformation, Zone 2 – Experiencing our Air Force Capabilities, and Zone 3 – Our People, Our Tribe. These three zones will provide visitors with a better understanding of the history and transformation of the RSAF and it will also showcase the 3rd Generation RSAF’s operational capabilities and people.

Apart from learning about the rich heritage of the RSAF and the exciting developments that are underway, we even had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to board the RSAF CH-47 Chinhook for a scenic flight from Changi Air Base.

It was an interesting experience onboard the RSAF CH-47 Chinhook as we had a stunning view of Singapore and some iconic landmarks such as Gardens By The Bay and the Marina Bay Sands. The professional RSAF Pilot and Air Crew Specialists hosted us with great care and it was definitely an experience of a lifetime.

Here’s one exciting piece of news for all of you!

If you have already bought your entrance tickets to the Singapore Airshow 2014, you can register at the RSAF Facebook Page to try your luck and ballot for tickets to ride on the RSAF’s C-130 Hercules Aircraft or the CH-47 Chinook Helicopter and enjoy a bird’s eye view of our island state.

Ending the day on a very positive note, the key highlight of the RSAF45@SA is the aerial display by the RSAF Black Knights. Though the RSAF Black Knights is not a full-time aerobatic team, the Black Knights’ performance is definitely world-class.

We witnessed the aerobatic team’s precise and spectacular manoeuvres in action while at the same time, experienced the thrilling adrenaline rush as the engines from the F-16C Fighting Falcons roars away.

If you are visiting the Singapore Airshow 2014 next week, here are 3 tips that we think will be helpful:

1. Wear a cap, bring along a mini-electric fan, and drink lots of water as the weather can be quite hot.

2. Get as close as you can to the aerial display site so that you can take lots of pictures but don’t forget to bring along a zoom lens.

3. To enhance your visiting experience at the RSAF45@SA, download the One Force Application that is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. You can stand to redeem some exclusive RSAF goodies at the RSAF Pavilion.

We would like to thank the wonderful team of servicemen from the RSAF whom showed us around and hosted us with warmth hospitality!

Last but not the least, Happy 45th Anniversary RSAF!

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Total Defence 2014: Because You Played A Part

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Total Defence Day falls on 15 February, the day Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942 during World War II. It serves as a reminder to Singaporeans that everyone has a part to play in defending our country.
[Image Credit to Wikipedia]

We were recently invited to the Total Defence Conference that was held at Food For Thought, National Museum of Singapore, and there, we managed to scoop up some exciting news about the Total Defence campaign for this year!

The concept of Total Defence was introduced in 1984 and it serves to highlight the important role that every Singaporean plays in the defence of Singapore! Even till today, Total Defence is still relevant and it is Singapore’s comprehensive defence strategy that encompasses five key aspects; military, civil, economic, social, and psychological defence.

[Image Credit to MINDEF]

What does it take to keep our country safe, our people united, and our future secure?

With the theme, “30 Years of Total Defence: Because You Played A Part”, the 2014 Total Defence campaign seeks to reaffirm the role that everyday Singaporeans have played, whether big or small, individually or part of a larger group, in keeping our country strong, safe, and secure over the years.

[Image Credit to MINDEF]

A nine-day interactive exhibition, “Total Defence 30: An Experiential Showcase” will be held at the National Museum of Singapore from 15 to 23 February 2014 and it presents insightful and honest perspectives on how Singaporeans from different walks of life make meaning of Total Defence in their daily lives.

[Image Credit to Wikipedia]

Visitors to National Museum of Singapore can also catch the forum theatre performance, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice?” which will be staged across the nine days. The play transports the audience to the year 2022 where crisis scenarios that Singapore may face in the future unfold on stage and members of the audience are invited to participate and comment during this interactive performance. Bringing audience experience to a more personal and reflective level, the forum theatre aims to encourage the audience to evaluate their values and priorities and find new ways of tackling challenges.

Other activities available to the public during the nine days of the interactive exhibition include a Total Defence Walking Trail, which will bring participants back to the year 1942, when Singapore fell to the Japanese.

As part of the 2014 Total Defence campaign to commemorate 30 years of Total Defence, a short film to bring out the theme “30 Years of Total Defence: Because You Played A Part” was also commissioned.

Titled “Hands”, the two-minute film comprises five mini-stories, inspired by real stories of everyday Singaporeans, and it expresses the different ways that Singaporeans have played a part in Total Defence. It is directed by award-winning local filmmaker, Mr Meng Ong.

Event Details

What:
Total Defence 30: An Experiential Showcase

When:
Sat 15 Feb, Fri 21 Feb and Sat 22 Feb | 9am to 10pm
Sun 16 Feb – Thu 20 Feb and Sun 23 Feb | 9am to 8pm

Where:
National Museum of Singapore
93 Stamford Road
Singapore 178897

Admission Fees:
Free

Now, 15 February is one day after Valentine’s Day and if you’re racking your brains for some ideas about how you can spend some meaningful and quality time with your family members and loved ones, you might want to consider heading down to the National Museum of Singapore that weekend. Who knows, when you are at the National Museum of Singapore, you might unknowingly discover that even up till today, you are still playing an active role and contributing towards Total Defence.

For more information about the Total Defence 2014 campaign, visit Total Defence Singapore’s Website.

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[Winner for STREET 50 Valentine’s Day Giveaway]- Mr Teo Yee Long

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Together with STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar, we organised a simple Valentine’s Day Giveaway and we have received quite a number of submissions that were really romantic. Henceforth, we would like to thank all those whom have participated in the giveaway and to be honest, choosing a winner was a really tough and tedious decision.
After rounds of discussions and having sought the opinions of the representative from STREET 50 Restaurant & Bar, we are very happy to announce that Mr Teo Yee Long is the winner for the Valentine’s Day Giveaway. Mr Teo Yee Long will walk away with SGD$140++ worth of dining vouchers that he can use to surprise his spouse with a 4 Course French Dinner and a Bottle of Sparkling Wine on Valentine’s Day!

Here is Mr Teo Yee Long’s submission:

This coming 25th March, we will be celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary and I can clearly still recall that the most romantic gesture that I ever did for my wife was during my wedding proposal to her. To prepare for the big occasion, I collected more than 3000 saga seeds over a few months and I hid them inside my wardrobe after arranging them into a nice heart-shape. I then asked my wife [whom then was my girlfriend] to keep my clothes and she got a big surprise when she opened the door to my wardrobe.

8 years have gone by in the blink of an eye and we now have 2 lovely girls whom we treat as our princesses. I really cherish my wife a lot for the sacrifices that she made for our family. She gave up her career so that she can be a good wife and mother; taking good care of our girls and now that our youngest daughter has just started schooling and is gradually becoming more independent, our hardship days are about to be over and we are definitely looking forward to the days when we can start courting each other all over again; just like the good old days before parenthood.

I would like to take this opportunity to say to my lovely wife Joeanne, that I will always love her and cherish her, just like the way we exchanged our marriage vows 8 years ago. Love was, is, and will always be with us in our hearts.

Congratulations Mr Teo Yee Long!

Once again we will like to thank all the contestants for submitting your entries and we look forward to organising more giveaways in the coming months!

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What Does The Reunion Dinner Mean To Me?

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Every year without fail, my family would celebrate Chinese New Year’s Eve with a reunion dinner and we will have our reunion dinner either at home or at a restaurant. This is a common practise amongst the Chinese community whom celebrates the Lunar New Year and it is a time when everyone in the family would get together to have a hearty meal.

For my family, the reunion dinner is an important occasion and it takes precedence over every other matters. In fact, for the reunion dinner this year, it is the first time that we shifted it to an earlier date so that my brother whom is working with the SPF can join us for the reunion dinner.

Furthermore, it is so common that nowadays, families are shifting their reunion dinners earlier and there are pretty good reasons for doing so. Just imagine, you go to a restaurant for reunion dinner and all the service staffs are just too busy to entertain you and furthermore, the dinner must be done within an hour as the next round of guests will be coming in to dine. Would this be an ideal setting for a reunion dinner?

Probably not. I feel that reunion dinner is one where there is no need to rush but one where everyone can slowly enjoy the delicious food and have good quality conversations with one another.

In all of the reunion dinners that I have with my family, it always begin with a “lo-hei” and there will be some “must-have” dishes such as fish, prawns, abalone, and scallops. Also, I would always look forward to eating a home-cooked vegetarian dish that my grandmother and mother would specially prepare for the occasion.

Now, what does the reunion dinner mean to me and why is it so important to have a reunion dinner?

For me, I consider myself fortunate just to be able to have a reunion dinner with my family and even as I go on to start my own family in future, I would definitely want to continue this tradition of having a reunion dinner with my parents no matter how busy I may be.

In Singapore, all of us are quite privileged because the travelling time from one place to another is usually short. But in other countries like China or even Malaysia, it can take hours just to travel from one city to another city. Yet, how often do we hear of people lamenting about the “long” distance that they have to travel just for a reunion dinner?

For the teenagers, reunion dinners can sometimes be boring probably because they are not engaged during conversations; for the adults, it could be an opportune time to flaunt and “profit”; but for some others, reunion dinners can be quite lonely.

I have shared what the reunion dinner means to me. Now, what does the reunion dinner mean to you?

Come and share your thoughts on National Family Council’s Facebook Page and you might receive an angbao of SGD$30 NTUC Vouchers.

Here’s wishing all of our readers a Happy & Prosperous Lunar New Year!

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Keeping Singapore Clean & Green!

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Although my friends from overseas often tell me how clean and green Singapore is, the fact that littering is still quite rampant in Singapore remains. Whether along the streets or in the drains and rivers, you will definitely be able to find a piece of unwanted trash that is not disposed of properly. It is no wonder why after so many years, Singapore continues to impose a hefty fine to deter potential litterbugs.
[Image Credits to Fabulously Broke]

You might probably say, “Oh come on! It’s just a piece of litter. What’s the big deal about it?” but do you know, when everyone has this kind of mindset, every little bit adds up?

[Image Credits to Global Voices Online]

Both Jacqueline and I were recently having a stroll at Punggol End Beach and we observed many adults and children having fun catching some crabs and fishes. When it was low tide, we ventured further out onto the beach and we discovered quite a number of mudskippers and many other organisms in the sand. If the grounds were all littered with trash, I bet all those organisms that we saw would not have existed and we are really happy that the residents at Punggol really takes good care of mother nature.

However, if you go to Pasir Ris Park or even Changi Beach, it is altogether a different story. Despite having numerous bins placed all over the park, there are trash still lying around and people are openly littering. Is this the right thing to do?

[Image Credit to Coastal Clean Up]

What would you have done if you saw someone littering? Tell the person off? Avoid any conflicts and just pick up the litter that the litterbug has thrown after he or she has left? Or would you just leave the litter lying on the floor and pray that the wind will just blow it away?

Now, if I were to get into such a situation, I will just probably avoid any conflict and just pick up the litter that the litterbug has left and throw it away. However, to really solve the problem, it all boils down to one’s own self-discipline and sense of responsibility to the community. Education is one way of inculcating good moral values but above all, we must exercise the good habit of disposing our unwanted trash properly and over time, I’m sure it will become second nature.

Everyone in Singapore can help keep the environment beautiful and protect the local wildlife by not littering. What would you do to keep Singapore clean?

[Image Credits to Labrador Park]

Come and join the community initiative of Keeping Singapore Clean and share your thoughts and opinions about what we as a community can do to keep our country clean and green! You can visit Keep Singapore Clean’s Website for more information and updates.

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[Chinese New Year Special]- Simple Pineapple Tart Recipe + Video Tutorial

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We are less than 1 week away from Chinese New Year and if you haven’t bought your Chinese New Year goodies yet, why not make some on your own?
Pineapple Tart Recipe

Ingredients

250 grams Plain Flour
150 grams Salted Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar [Optional]
1 Egg Yolk + 1/2 Egg White
1 Egg for Glazing
500 grams Pineapple Paste

Methodology

1. Line the baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Measure 10g of pineapple paste, roll into balls, and put onto a plate. Leave it aside.
3. Cut butter into small pieces and rub into flour till fine crumbs form.
4. Mix egg yolk and egg white then add in to crumbs. Knead lightly till dough is formed.
5. If dough is unable to form into a tart, refrigerate to firm it up.
6. Measure 10g of dough, roll it into a ball, and flatten it.
7. Take 10g of pineapple paste and wrap it with the 10g of dough.
8. Place the dough that contains the pineapple paste onto the greaseproof paper.
9. Glaze the pineapple tarts.
10. Bake at 170 Degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or till light golden in colour.

Tip 1: You can purchase the pineapple paste from Phoon Huat, Bake King, or even NTUC. However, we prefer the ones from Sunlik Trading [located at Seah Street] as they are not so sweet.

Tip 2: Using a pastry blender is much more easier than rubbing in the butter into the flour using your hands.

Here’s a short video tutorial to show you the different processes involved in making the pineapple tart using the above recipe. As this is our very first time doing a video tutorial, please pardon us for the amateur video editing.

Enjoy and have fun baking this weekend!

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