MSAM 2012

About many-many moons ago, the local papers were carrying an advertisement for several days and it looked like this:

MSAM 2012, that's what it is.  2 large house like tents were manned at our KK Sports Complex compound.  MSAM stands for ""Minggu Saham Amanah Malaysia", organised by PNB and ASNB.  I am quite confident that all Malaysians know who they are, err...... unless you are living in a cocoon :-P.

According to their statistics, Sabahans are the largest group of people putting their money in their trust funds.  All sorts there are, all of them starts with the letter "A", followed by "S" and the remaining of anything.  Since this is the first time such big event is being held in KK, I explored what's there to muse myself of.  I was there awhile ago. *grin.........  I hardworking or naut..... this story so freshie.... I could not believe it myself, the antonym of lazy wo.

So here are the pics I took, or rather Beary was the one taking pics with my phone.  My camera konked out, remember?  I'm still thriving in deciding a good replacement camera.  Can't someone invent a camera with wifi connection?  For quick uploading?  Or is there one in the market that I didn't know of (myself living in a cocoon :-PP) 

 I gained weight.  Shut up!! (Maybe its the angle? *wishful thinking)

Inside the tent.  Alot of interactive displays.  Oooo..... Impressive.

Behind me, people mountain people sea.

If you are wondering, I was there after dinner...... still in my working clothes.  Yes, that's how I looked like everyday at work.  Of course, in the morning the perfect fresh look with make-up.  By afternoon, I didn't even bother to do any touch-up, not even lipstick.  Like I said, I'm not a make-up girl.  

Guess who're with me in this pic?

LOL, this is a funny game.  But I heard a lot of people
won something from this.  Care to try? 

Snakes and ladders game for the youngs.

Chop! Chop! Chop!

No, I do not know what the commotion was about or rather why everyone were holding either a red or silver coloured booklet.  They got it at the entrance.  I didn't bother to queue for it 'coz I was never a lucky girl.  Never won anything at random in my life.  *yao ming disgust face* 

And finally, my portrayal of Victoria Beckham and her Evogue.  Do I have her coolness? Her chic-ness?   *vomit rainbow.  Maybe not.  Okay-la, not the newly launched special edition.  But a girl can dream, right?

Oh god, I have got to get a new camera.  These pics looked bad :( 

There are still alot more to offer in this exhibition as there are various booths being displayed.  If you are curious as on which share counters does PNB or ASNB chuck its confident in, this is a good place to start.    The whole idea of this exhibition is to provide exposure and creating awareness to the public on unit trust / mutual fund investment.  Y not organise a visit by sunrise?  'Coz that will be the last day of the exhibition :O.

As for me, its nearly 2am.  Snoozing off time.  Nightey sweets *smooch. 

** RM53,096.29  

** To know my last balance, click here. 

** My figure is so anti in comparison with the exhibition's mission.  Need to refocus after a much much love spending spree.  No, I did not regret.  A girl needs to feel fabulous..... and that's what I did ♥ ♥ ♥ .

** BTW, something to ponder upon.  Got this from the exhibition:

Monthly debt pymt / monthly income = income vs debt ratio

MM : The 3 Buckets (Part 1)

Celebrities / Sports Stars Gone Bankrupt or Deep in Debts :

Mike Tyson

Dennis Rodman

Allen Iverson 

Toni Braxton

Nicholas Cage

Stephen Baldwin 

Michael Jackson

Whitney Houston

Does this list surprise you?  They were once multi-millionaires.  All were professionals in the career of their choice.  They've made the right career move.  Their move brought to them loads of luxurious lifestyles.  Money seems to come easy for them.  But one day, BANG!!  Either insolvency comes or almost there knocking at their doors.  What happened?

The list of stars in financial grunt goes on and on.  Just do a simple google search, the list can be dumbfounded. 

Remember in my 1st MM post, I mentioned that money comes easy.  Whether its a RM1,000 monthly salary or RM1million business income, the truth is, everyone knows how to attain this part.  Its just the mode of attaining them that's different.  Some people prefer to work for others in exchange for a decent dough while the ambitious others do businesses.  THERE IS NOTHING WRONG with your career choice.  It is only a matter of time that everyone will get to their destination of choice.  YES, I SAID EVERYONE!!  Provided your actions correspond with your aims, of course!!

We can change our lives.

We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish.

~ Tony Robbins 

So, revealing fact no. 1 here.  You do not have to work madly racing for a high paying job in order to get a good life.  Yes, high pay accelerates in reaching your dream destination, but if you fail to juggle the 3 buckets, you may as well end up just as any one of the stars above.  

QUESTION: Have you met people who nag nonstop of their financial woes even when they just got a pay raise? (I'm asking a very ironic question here le, 'coz I think I am that person le :P).

Okay2 *self slap face*, gonna move on and teach this kitty and you all what the above superstars have failed to juggle, i.e. the 3 buckets.

Reintroducing the below image again.   

I must self praise myself again as I am very lousy at drawing.  But the image is simple and fetchingly good, right?  *vainmode.  Okay-lah, boleh tahan saja (marginally satisfactory only)  :PPP.  As long as it helps in our learning process, I am satisfied.

To recap , what you are seeing is the liquid that flows out of the left faucet is the "S" sign with 2 vertical bars running through it.  The liquid will be captured by the 1st bucket. 

Introducing the 1st bucket : Your "NEEDS" bucket. Anything that falls in the category of "surviving" will fill this bucket.  Food, drinks, clothes, clean air, shelter & etc etc.  The bucket does not conform to a standard size. You name your needs, and the bucket will accomodate accordingly.  Some people may even include cellphones, pc, spiritual comfort and etc etc.  Like said, everyone has their own individual needs bucket.  Only when you have satisfactorily fill this bucket, any $$$ excess will flow out into your next bucket.

AHA!! So, for those with non fancy-ful income, do not despair. There is opportunity for you to move faster than the rest.  Define your Needs bucket.

The bucket includes protection too, or in other words, "security".  Some people may argue that there is a need for job security.  But for the purpose of this learning curve, the job part has been covered by the faucet.  We are managing money after the job/business produces a return.  So you make sure your faucet is of strong and sturdy, of the hardest steel/material.  We are learning to be sustainable, manageable and hopefully future-able.

The other structure of security is Insurances, which forms the core for protection.   Personally, I have been battling this mentality thinking that insurances are important.  In financial planning, the hierarchy to practice is PROTECTION, SAVING, then INVEST.  I am at times pro while other times against it.  I am especially against it when sales agents kept pushing for a sale, but not able to help in visualizing I have a need for more protection *raging mad.  Nevertheless, I am angelic enough to be patient while he/she finishes her stuff *batting eyelashes. 

I find myself not appreciating insurances, not until when I start managing my 2nd bucket, which then I learn to understand its priority.  There's so much more to understand about Insurances.  Maybe a future post will be done on this.  But for now, we need to move on on what lies ahead when the Needs bucket is filled. 

What will you do with the excess money in hand?  Remember, the bucket's size is dependent on you.  Once that's filled, the excess amount will most likely be saved or you starting on venturing for some luxury.  And that, ladies & gentlemen, will bring us to the next bucket, WANTS.

To be continued.....

From Blah to ♥ ♥ ♥

What sorcery is this!!  Hot hot sun scorching above my head.  I swear today's temperature, or to accurately describe, of recent days, almost melted me.  Just to state things clear, I am a Sabahan and my land is currently experiencing the dry season, which explicitly explains my agony.  Boo!!  

To state one other thing clear, I do not mind myself getting tanned, hence, being under the sun.  BUT!!, I am more agitated when I start sweating.  Sweating makes me so un-fabulous!!  I feel sticky, I feel smelly, my body temperature goes up threatening of breakouts, my make-up melts, etc etc etc.  To sum it all, hot weather makes Vkitty a depress meow.  I tried hard for the last 2 days to supress myself from depending on the cooling air-conds in an effort to save this already fragile and warm globe called Earth............. okay, I was more on trying to conserve energy 'coz I wanted to lessen my bill amount :P.   

The TRUTH is, I was on leave for 2 days and wanted desperately to clean and clear the sorta pc, sorta office, sorta wardrobe, sorta store but mostly junk in Cheeky's future bedroom.  The room was designated as his long time ago, but he hesitated to use it.  So Beary and myself just chuck most stuff in and sorta ignoring from cleaning up.  Now that he's grown up and needs his own space, I have gotta get the room ready.  NO MORE DELAY!!  But HOW?? Motion on a hot weather with in mind minimizing energy bill = Sweat!! = Depressing!!  

Weather, Y U make me depress-ful???  The depress-ness also affected my creativity 'coz I wanted to blog too during these 2 days.  Depress = Writer's block = Pathetic me :(  

And so I finally caved in, I asked for air-conditioned environment, but its not at home.  I went out instead.  Sat in Pizza Hut and ordered their new menu.  At this juncture, I guess you can say I indirectly did not save on my energy bill for I was ngomming away......  Yes, smartasses, you with your calculative genious-ness *clap & rolleyes*.  Anyway, I then "recuperate" my emotional self.  What sigh of relief!!  Yes, a huge Sigh!!!  While waiting for the meal to serve, I explored this photo editing appl which eventually I found my fabulous self again.  And here're my masterpieces:

I'm guessing by now, you should have found out that I am actually introducing my new hair colour to you.  LOL, creative or naut?  I mean my introductory?

After a few washes, the colour finally set at my desired shade i.e. auburn.  My 1st day after colouring was all....... bleeding of mahogany *hands on face*.  Was all shocked but thankfully, the reds drained away.  Happy happy me munching away hee hee.

BTW, I really did go to Pizza Hut and here's the proof :

New menu.  My absent mind could not recall the name :P

And I was really into cleaning up the room.  More proof :

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Me bad.  No pic wo.  But just to tell, its a whole lot messy.  I no eye see & no idea from where should I start :( 

Update 20120402 + Sneak-peek on MM

Finally I have a hint of breather after 2 months long of events handling.  Have you been missing me? *grinning

I would love to start telling you the stories of what I did since my last post, but heck, the experiences were not always sweet. And without much of pics, I guess I may bore you to death. Choi, choi, choi!! *touchwood

There's just not much of awesomeness in the past months.  Just work, work, work and meetings, meetings, meetings ensuring things would turn out right, which they did.  Of course the events went great!!  I'll try and describe more about the events next time, if I feel like it....... :P  And so the reward after crunching all my youthfulness in my job..... is a month end pay.  Sounds pathetic? Yes? No? 

Anyway, whether its pathetic as it may or may not sound like, I still need to look forward and forge ahead with my life goals.  Yes, I have goals, how about you?  I have often thought how my life would be if the critical events of my life are differently handled.  Of course, the grass is always greener at the other side of the fence, there's no use crying over spilt milk.....(I've no milk to drink yet by far, thank you!!).   Yet, hope is not always in despair, 'coz as long as you and I focus on the long term goals, the short to medium ones are only minor events to "entertain" our lives.

Hence, I'm going to write another post on money management.  I do not know about you, but my goal has to be attain with some loads.  And when I say loads, please do not imagine infinite number of lorries of hard cold cash.  You don't really need millions to live a happy and carefree (debt free) life.  Some people are just as happy with what little cash they have yet are able to sustain a family life with their plot of farm, or maybe adding a head or two herds. (Farmville??  Joking!!) & etc. etc. etc.  The reason I'm continuing with this topic is because of the positive feedback I got from my last post. Thank you all who commented.  You are my motivators.

"The responsible lending guidelines, among the pre-emptive measures by Bank Negara to contain surging household debt, have made a strong impact on most people. Will the guidelines be effective to control the alarming levels of household debt and put the brakes on loan growth?"  ~ The Star Online, March 24, 2012

FYI, Bank Negara is our Central Bank, and the lending guidelines is for our banking institutions. So what do all these mean?

That's my sneak-peek.  Will tell you more next time.

As for myself, I need a re-colouring of my hair badly.  So so so damn neglected my desire on maintaining my FABULOUS-NESS.  And this time, I'm going for probably......... auburn?

Ugly kitty is so out of touch with Fabulous :(

**  RM52,630.01.

**  To know my last balance, click here. 

**  The disturbing news :  Banks to raise credit card balance rates ~ The Star Online, February 15, 2012. 

**  Update : instead of just 3 banking institutions, as of today, most if not all,  Malaysian banks are having the new balance interest rates.

**

Weekly Blessings Wk 10, 2012

♥ This is a weekly post on the many mini encounters I experienced for the past week.  It may be blessings, or at times, applying the singular adjective.  Though maybe insignificant, yet they are capable of staging some vibrancy to this kitty's life.  Counting my blessings every day ♥ ♥ ♥. 

LOVELY TOTE 

Is this a beautiful tote or what?

A gift from Hannie, my dear SIL (hubby side) who just came back from her trip to India.  Allow me to describe how I feel about the gift........ I LUV it!!  I definitely adore the gift, or else I would not have shown it here, right??  Besides her talent in searching great gifts, she actually applies hands on on scrap-booking and crafts making.  She features her creation in her blog, fonmee.com.  And thanks to her hubby i.e. my BIL, I had a great family weekend escape at one of the new hotels in town.  My entire family and theirs, and not forgetting my parents in law ♥ ♥ ♥.  

PROUD PARENT

All parents worry of their children's future, and I am not immune to that worrisome gruesome.  Cheeky's 1st academic exam of his life.  Though its only a minor semester examination, yet it tells his progress on whether he is able to cope with his studies.  If you had known my kid, you would not have expect this kind of results from him.  

Ermmm??.... How should I describe my feeling now?  Total ♥ ♥ ♥.

LOL!

If you do not know the story behind this electricity bill of mine, you can refer to here.  And this month marks the end of the unpaid portion (tunggakan) of this bill as I will officially and fully settle this "nasty bastard" that has been haunting me since my financial whirlwind.  

And to heighten my spirit, I am also officially 1 less credit card to settle.  OFFICIALLY settled last month!!  Woo hoo!!  1 down and 99 more to go. LOL, joking ya!!

I feel truly blessed this week.  How about you? ♥ ♥ ♥

My 1st Post on Money Management

I once attended a MLM evening talk and they were explaining the power of generating an enviable income. In fact, I think if you are to attend most MLM talks, they will be showing you the faucet as the income source.

To me, whether MLM or not, the generating of a decent income is the easier part as compared to what lies after that.  As long as you have the experience, patience, and/or qualification to initiate a business or job, this is not that difficult at all.  Of course, this needs to come with the backup of a healthy economy and positive attitude.  Some of you may argue of the above statement, especially youngsters or the unemployed seeking for jobs, but just bear with me as I am not dwelling on that department.  I am looking more on what happens after earning your 1st pay cheque.

So what happens after kissing your 1st pay cheque from toiling your sweat & blood for one whole month?   Let me tell you what I did:

In my early 20s : Woohoo!!  Party like there's no tomorrow.  Spending is a must.  There's a need to look cool and uptrend.  Minimum savings.  I'm still young what!!  I've got a job!!  I have earnings.  No sweat la!!

My mid 20s :  Starting to wonder why people are better off than me?  I have a job, not a bad pay, but y people of my age are driving their Mercedez while I was still faithfully riding my Proton?  Keen to find out and started participating in various talks.  Yes, I attended many many many talks and yes, I read many many books.

What I found out was, I wasn't earning a high flying salary.  It was just as average as any other people on the street.  And I toiled myself, forcing myself to wake up everyday in time to witness the sun rising, selling my time and energy to others when I was supposed to enjoy the best age of my life, in return for a pay cheque every month end.  Apparently the 20s' age is also the most productive age with lots of energy.

And so, my best years were spent stuck in offices.  If I was given a choice, I would have chosen freedom anytime.  How about you?  Yet, reality check do not agree with my desire. Sigh!  And so, after attending so many talks, I've selected the below image as my post today: 

This image was seen from one of those MLM talks.  Sooo many talks, I couldn't recall which one la.  But I'll give all credits to them if only I remember. 

So like I said, the faucet is your job/business.  By the motion of turning the tap (energy), the end result is water running out from the faucet.  The water is your dough.  Get me? Easy to start earning money right?   Yet the trap of life is on how you manage the $$$, and that is reflected in the 3 buckets (yes, they looked more like glasses, 'coz that's be best I can find la.  I designed it myself, searching for a long long time for images, you should give credit to me for my genius-ness!! Somemore not competent in using pc le!!)

A closer look at those buckets, they mimic sharply to the Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  Just ask yourself what is it that you need?  What is it that you want?  And pretty soon you will fill up all those buckets.  With the income that you have, can you fill up all 3 buckets?  Or just 1?  Maybe you are able to extend to 2 buckets, but how to achieve the 3rd?

Okay-la, I will mention about it some other time.  Some smartasses are already having all the answers and so I congratulate them, but I am helping to shed some light to those still searching.  Study the image.  It will appear again in my next MM post ;-).

** This was supposed to be a long ass post.  But by kept delaying to complete it, it will take an even longer time to get this post out.  Hence, I decided to break them.  

** Please also take note of my disclaimer ya. 

** BTW, if the above sounded nothing but nonsense, give me a tinkle and I will end here.  Tks.

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29th Feb + My Reality

Despite my really busy life, I do not feel that I should miss this opportunity to blog on a day which only appears once in 4 years.  Yup, I'm talking about the 29th Feb, the so called extra day on a leap year.  If I do not do it now, I will have to wait for another 4 years to come around @_@.   But what should I be blogging about?

Since I have been professing my busy-ness all the time, I thought I may as well let you have a sneak peak on one tiny section of my many loads of work & tasks.  Yes, I multi-tasks, to the max, all the time.  Gosh!!  I once self proclaimed myself as a penjaga pintu (guardian of the office) F**k!  Actually, the malay version sounds more harsh when compared to the english version.  Anyway, after spending 10 years of my working life here, I have shamelessly self promoted myself to the level of ketua penjaga pintu (master guardian of the office) WTF!! Joking ya, still just an ordinary employee stuck in a rut routine of 8 - 5 with frequent odd hour meetings.  

So, here are some pics of my last Saturday's happening event:

Happening or Naut???  In case you are wondering, "NO", I do not have to endure these everyday.  Nevertheless, it's just one of those sort of working day for Vkitty.

That's all the pics I have for now.  Ending here with my humble self wishing every readers of my blog a pleasant and meaningful 29th Feb day. 

**I know my day will be full of event handling, follow-ups, paper work & meeting..... OH YEA!! Sarcasm lives!!

And wait!!, just 2 more pics, the awesome pic of the fabulous Vkitty and her safety helmet......

PRACTICE SAFETY WHEN IN CONSTRUCTION SITE

...... & her 3 days craving for the rendang dish was miraculously served at the end of the event!!!

YUMMEEEEEE!!  

Soooooo yummy was the dish, I had even shamelessly packed enough for my dinner #likeaboss

Okay-lah, the end!