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it’s raining tonight in gadong. the first time in ages. it has been so hot, hot, hot. average temperature, i think around 34 degrees C. so thankful to God, so relieved for the gift of rain.
today’s the first time i prayed since moving here. using my qiblah compass, i’ve ascertained the direction towards makkah is at 90. so i performed Maghrib prayers just now. the annoying thing about sharing a bathroom is i gotta be careful. like living in a coed dorm. oh yeah. didn’t i say im in a coed flat? groaaan. well, beggars cant be choosers.
anyway, i cooked some rice today. just had it with some pesto sauce and my aunt’s fried chicken. dropped by her place earlier. i’ve stocked up some food in my room and bought a new kettle, so i don’t hv to leave my room. im thinking of getting a tv, but there’s no point really if i can’t get malaysian tv. obviously i can’t get astro coz i don’t know how long im gonna be here. and theres no aerial socket in my room. but … if the movable aerial can receive malaysian tv, i wouldnt mind. as it is, i hv spent too much already since moving.
the thing about combating depression is to keep on moving, moving, moving. so today, i made a list of things i needed to do.
one to do thing is to remit money by TT at maybank in gadong.
my first time doing it. took out a few hundred and went to the bank. it’s next to Sugar Bun. so, i took out some money from HSBC at Gadong Centrepoint, then went to Maybank. at the counter, the officer gv me a form to fill … then i queued up again. took ages! there were only like less than 5 of us. maybe coz it’s lunch time … i don’t know. so, it’s done. i had to pay $30 per transaction. the charge is not dependent on how much though. apparently you can remit at a non-banking facility for about $8 – 12. but i dont feel too secure doing that. this is ok.
so, then went home and paid some bills online.
at this rate, i will never be able to save enough to go back to school.
maybe it’s my CIMB credit card. hv been spending too much.
the only solution is not to go home too much. the last two times i went home, i really let my credit card rip!
but ive got enough stuff now. i hv a cool handphone, a digital recorder, a camera, a laptop. as far as electronic stuff goes, that’s all i need.
so, i just need to pay this off, and save money for travelling.
as for HSBC, ive made some payment yesterday. then promptly, went to spend it on fabric. LOLOL! but, hey … it’s a necessity. it’s gifts for my aunts. once a year, ok.
so that’s that. now all i need to do is pay off my HSBC credit card and use it for buying my flight ticket home.
sigh.
spendspendspend.
what’s it like living here?
hmmm. slightly boring.
i would hv preferred my own place. at least i hv the freedom to venture beyond this room.
i don’t really watch tv. i don’t want to bump too much into my guy housemates. and my girl housemate goes out a lot. she has a busy social life.
i’m ok just i cant stand the fact that i hv to share the loo with guys. argh. my bf is ok. he’s clean.
anyway. the only thing that makes my day these days is watching safira. as i said, the acting is a bit stilted and the scripts is not that great … but at least it’s something to look forward to. groaaan … am i pathetic or what?
there was a repeat of the tv magazine prog 360 (degrees) on TV3 about car repossession and those guys that tow away the cars for the banks.
these guys say they are just doing their job.
hmmm … what can i say? well, i’ve been there. ie, i’ve had my car repossessed.
well, i had gone through some really DARK times that i’d never thought i’d go through. this is why this blog is called down & out … coz heck, i was REALLY down and out at various points throughout my life.
anyway, what happened was … because i was constantly resigning from some job or another, i didn’t have enough savings to pay for my installments. some people say you need to have at least 3 months savings if you want to quit. some people say 6 months. needless to say, i didn’t follow that rule. so, i was broke most of the time.
then it happened that i had not paid my car loan for 3 mths, maybe almost 4 … i can’t remember. but the notice was out. and everytime i saw a car tow truck on the road, i get nervous.
at that time, i was sharing my car with my boyfriend, who didn’t have a car. so, that day, he’d send me to work and went to his apartment to work on his stuff. when he came out, the car was gone.
it felt so surreal. i asked him to do a police report but i can’t remember whether he did. i think i called the bank.
the thing i don’t get is … is it possible for the car repo guy to just take my car without anyone there? i thought (according to this consumer group rep) they hav to allow the driver/owner to take out stuff from the car.
anyway, i went to the bank to talk … i thought i should just give up the car (it would be auctioned if i don’t pay up) but the bank said, even if i let go of the car, i still hv to pay for the difference in balance after the car is bought (of course at a much lower rate). i didn’t decide there and then, but went to see my car at the car repo place near jalan semarak. my car looked really sad. i went there with my bf by taxi and collected my things in the car including the radio/cd set … which after that incident never really worked properly. but it made me so sad to have to leave my car stranded for two weeks in the hot sun. it’s terrible. and so surreal. the car repo place looked really seedy. i don’t know whether i would be able to work in that kind of business. it’s terrible.
but then, i’m the one who was irresponsible … letting my loan lapse like that. sigh.
like i said, those were dark days. and if i’m not careful … i might go down that path again.
then, i did something that i will always regret … i pawned my thick gold bracelet, a gift from my mum. the first time i had ever done such a thing. that was how desperate i was. sold it at Habib Jewels. i don’t know whether they gave me a good price, but it was enough to claim the car. and of course, the stupid bank made me pay for the towing/repo cost which amounted to a few hundred (rm600 i think).
so, i went to the bank, an almost hidden dept reserved for repossession cases. obviously the people waiting to talk to the officers all look glum and depressed. sigh. i don’t ever want to go there again.
the other thing which i wish i hadn’t done is taking a 9-year loan on the car. nine years is too long to pay for a car, okay? but at that time, i thought i wanted a lower monthly installment. but the truth is, there’s not much difference, really, if i were to take the 5-year plan.
see, these are things you do when you don’t think things through.
but, hey … we live and learn.
p/s: it’s easy to get AMBANK car loans, but they are VERY QUICK when it comes to repossessing your car. LOLOLOL!
i’ve just completed filing my taxes. i don’t know whhhhhy i’m always procrastinating. today’s the last day to file individual taxes in Malaysia. i did it through e-filing. LHDN (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri or the Inland Revenue Board Malaysia) sent me an email in March, but well … something always gets in the way.
actually i’d thought of doing it when i was in Malaysia a few weeks ago, but didn’t hv the time. i did go to the tax office but went to actually sort out the cheque they had sent me last year which i received after the 3-month period is up. it’s not the LHDN’s fault. i didn’t open my mailbox for months because i wasn’t living at my apartment due to the stupid water problem and also because i wasn’t working. therefore, i avoided opening my mailbox coz i knew it was gonna be full of BILLS. i couldn’t handle it. made me depressed. anyway, that was really stupid. i was like an ostrich hiding my head in the sand. so, i missed cashing a cheque for quite a significant sum … well, for someone who wasn’t working! in fact, LHDN was very efficient coz i remember doing my taxes quite early last year … and i couldn’t believe that they had sent me the cheque in April.
so, i went to LHDN in Kelana Jaya the other day and talked to the officer … and told him what happened. he was very good. he said he’d send it to my mum’s house since i am now residing overseas. BUT the problem is, he said that since i had not filed my taxes from 2000 to 2004 … i have to sort that out, and they may withhold payments until it’s all done. but he said, when you get them … it’s gonna be a LOT. hmmm … so i said that one of the reasons that i never did my taxes before (before the e-filing system was implemented) because it looked too difficult and scary. although i have an aunt who does taxes, i didn’t want her to know how much i was making (or was not making … hahahahaha … ) plus i was jobhopping … then i was freelancing … then i went back to school. it was all so confusing that i just didn’t want to deal with it. and hey … with taxes … you better deal with it! the taxman will not leave any stones unturned!
so, anyway … he gave me sheets of back taxes forms for every year that i didn’t file my taxes. coz if my employers had paid PCB, that means, i should hv filed taxes, ie they hv records that i was actually employed! no getting out of it, ok! then, he said, on my next tript to Malaysia, i can meet up with them, bring all my documents and they will help me file my taxes. sigh. wading through those documents is what scares me. but actually, before i left for Brunei … i had organised my financial documents and i have one box filled with receipts and stuff that i haven’t sorted out. so, the next trip home will be doing just that. can’t have it hanging over my head anymore. but who knows, i might get a windfall out of this. heheh.
i’ve only started filing my taxes because of the e-filing system. it’s easy. well, the first time they introduced it in 2006, it think … it was a bit complicated. then, in 2007, it got easier. and now it’s easy peasy.
so, anyway … i had also sorted out my late payment for the 2005 tax which i did not get around to paying because it was all so confusing. i remember that year, when i went to pay at some bank … maybe PB or CIMB, i can’t remember, i was given this forms to fill, and i can’t remember why but i left, and due to always being short of money, i never made the payment. so recently i did. went to CIMB to pay it. just get a form and number and go to the counter. that’s it.
but today, i made the payment for last year’s tax returns via Maybank2u. again, it was a bit confusing initially, coz there is a field for kod bayaran or payment code. what the heck is that? and i didn’t want to call LHDN again using IDD card (such a lengthy process!) coz i had called twice already. so, i chose Bayaran Cukai Pendapatan (tiada skim ansuran). the installment number is weird, but just put ‘0′. that’s it. confirm. but before that, i requested for a TAC number.
anyway, i hope it has been processed successfully coz i’m a few hundred poorer!!!
April 01: let me just add that for those that has missed the deadline … don’t worry! just do it! or go to the tax office (i like the one in kelana jaya) and explain and they will help you.
for first timers … the first time is always hard, but if you go to the tax office, the officers will guide you on how to do e-filing online. then they will print out the documents for you and you can go make payment at the CIMB or Public Bank (if i’m not mistaken). normally your username and password is the same, which is your ic number. once you have registered your digital signature, etc … the second time will be easier.
i’m single and don’t have any dependents. so, i didn’t have much tax deductible items to lower my tax returns. the only thing i included in the form was amount for the computer i had bought last year. and i’d actually kept a few book receipts, but heck they are in malaysia, silly me. so, i didn’t have much to fill. oh, if you are a muslim, you might want to fill in your zakat total; it can be any zakat – fitrah, pendapatan, emas, etc…
so to make life easier … my life that is, i’ve decided to do these from now on:
1. keep a file of all receipts of tax deductible items, such as books, medicine for parents, medical checkups, etc …
2. keep all bank statements (coz i job hop a lot and sometimes i forget how much i earned!! well, u know, stimes during the probation period certain companies even deduct on your MC!). plus it’s also good for applying for loans or credit cards. you don’t have to ask the bank who will charge you for the statements.
3. EA forms … don’t lose them.
4. salary slips.
i guess that’s about it for now … off the top of my head.
but since i will be working in brunei for the next two years, i really don’t have to bother. hahahahaha. oh, btw … employees in brunei don’t have to pay taxes. imagine if one day the brunei govt decided to introduce income tax, i bet bruneians are really going to have a headache! even now, paying for car parking in the urban areas is relatively new and not entirely welcomed.
my aunt who visited malaysia got very upset with the tolls that’s like everywhere. in brunei, these things are FREE, bah!
i know i am in total deep shit when my water was cut about two weeks ago because i had not been paying maintenance fees for almost two years.
i know i am a terrible person but i never intended not to pay … i just somehow didn’t. i was always short of money and most of the time, a week after getting my salary and paying bills and loans, i’ve only got just enough to live on. and i had to make sure i have enough money to get to work.
i am not making excuses. i am just totally deep in financial muck, that i don’t know how to get out of it.
of course, i’m grateful that the management office takes care of the condo (although actually i don’t really like the new management compared to the previous management for various reasons which i shan’t get into here).
i read somewhere that the maintenance office cannot cut off water as it’s a basic necessity enshrined somewhere (maybe a UN charter)? so what they’re doing is not legal but i’m hardly in a position to protest. i just want to get a job and pay if off by instalments as there is absolutely NO WAY that i can afford to pay it in one lump sum.
so, what i did was get two huge plastic bins (like the ones people use as a rubbish bin) and two huge 8 kilo water canisters. i had initially wanted to get the 4 kilo ones but my bf said to just get the 8 kilo ones coz he would help me carry it. haha. i will not listen to his suggestions again coz he only helped me once and then we got into a fight coz i made some comment about him waking up late or something like that. WHATEVER! so i’ve decided to handle my water crisis myself.
honestly, if you – like me – are terrible at paying monthly bills … don’t live in a condo. there are so many fees that you sometimes have no idea what for including a ’sinking fund’ … what is that? as i have not been paying my maintenance fees … i was not eligible to attend/vote at the residents/management meeting. so, i don’t know what is being done or not being done.
i wonder whether there is something wrong with me that i cannot sort out my life. i’m sure there is. i can trace it back to 1997 when the economic recession happened to southeast asia. i was ecstatically happy that i graduated with a second class upper. than they tell me that they can’t continue to sponsor my postgraduate education. i had planned to stay and work in england coz that was where i was happiest. in malaysia, i am just a loser, sort of. had lots of fights with my parents, can’t fit in … totally not happy. although i got a lot of job offers, but i made lousy choices in terms of career and personal life. i just kept making one mistake after another. and ten years on … i’m stuck in a rut. maybe of my own making. but what happened? why couldn’t i swim to the surface?
thursday …
dunno whether it’s pms but i’m like a volcano that’s waiting to erupt. okay, now i’m just a simmering pot of pasta sauce. but earlier … arrrrggggh.
yesterday, i went for two job interviews, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. then, just as i was about to drive off after the afternoon interview, the admin person called me to come for a second interview the next day. i had planned to go to the epf office on thursday to ask about the housing loan withdrawal scheme since i would be free all day. but with the recent turn of events, i would have to squeeze the visit to early morning.
but this morning, i felt so bleaugh, that i thought it would be better to postpone it tomorrow after i’ve gotten all my papers in order. actually i almost went, wore something formal, felt positive. so, i thought i’d go to my apartment and get my papers.
but when i went back to my apartment, i was dismayed by the stinky smell from the toilet. did i tell you that the management cut my water supply? yeah, two weeks already, i think. coz i owe them more than a year’s worth of maintenance fees. anyway, will write about this later. so, even tho i thought i had flushed buckets full of water down the toilet, it seems that it’s not the same like if the water wasn’t cut off. coz i haven’t been home for a few days now so i dunno whether i should pour water down the toilet everyday so that it doesn’t become stagnant? anyway, really spoiled my mood.
anyway, before that, i dropped by my boyfriend’s place to pick up my trolley, and was hoping that he could help me fill these 8 kilo water containers to bring back to my place. but he was just too groggy (i suppose from a cold the night before) that he basically could not open his eyelids, and i just got a bit pissed off even though i shouldn’t and i was hoping that he would wake up to help me but as he wasn’t capable of doing that, i left with my trolley and water containers. i said i would just fill them up at my mum’s place which is like 20 minutes drive away while his apartment is just 5 minutes drive away from my place. so that was a bit annoying but i decided that i might as well solve my own problems coz the last time he helped me with the water, we got into a fight (another long story).
so back at my apartment, i felt like the wind had been taken out of my sails … i felt really down. i had no job, no money, no water … WHATEVER!!
then, i realized that i could pay this month’s car loan by selling my gold necklace. i never thought that i would think of selling it because it was a gift from my late grandmother. that’s about the only thing that i have from her. but i was feeling really desperate. so i took the flimsy gold chain and put it in my pocket. then, i started to gather my stuff and went down to the parking lot.
then, i went back to my boyfriend’s house because i had left a nice pair of black pants to wear to the interview. and more crucially, i really needed to go to the toilet, and there is no water at my apartment! so, i went back there and he was still sick, i suppose, coz he slept until noon. so, when i was about to leave, i realized that the gold chain is gone! AND there is actually a small hole in my pocket! how come i didn’t notice it, right? WHATEVER! really, really spoiled my mood. of course, i didn’t tell my boyfriend about it coz he would only get upset and tell me how careless i had been, blabla … he’s not very good at handling bad news even though it’s got nothing to do with him. it would just make him stressful, especially since he’s also short of money. so, i mustered up the strength to go to the job interview.
at the interview, the boss says i’ve got the criteria that they wanted. but of course when it came down to dollars and cents, the moolah, the dough … basically, i’m just too expensive! i said, that’s a typical salary for an EDITOR. he looked surprised. he thought i was asking for the position of SENIOR WRITER. Idiot! Didn’t he read the stupid FORM that i was asked to fill and my cover letter? WHATEVER! then, he said the highest post he can offer me was ASST EDITOR. WHATEVER. During the first interview, i’d told the sales manager that it doesn’t make sense for me to be Senior Writer (coz she said they would promote me if i perform … haaaah! dream on, as if i don’t know their republican tactics – it’s a singapore company and i’ve worked with them before … so, i know their modus operandi) as i’ve been an Editor for the past five years. It’s typical of Singapore publishing companies (based on three that i’ve worked for) to put one person in charge of a magazine, and the person does everything … so basically, you can be writer, senior writer, whatever but you would be doing the job of an editor at LESS PAY!!! so, i said to him, it doesn’t matter to me what you wish to call the position BUT it doesn’t make sense to me to agree to a salary that is below what i had gotten before. or something like that. please lah. i know the game, ok?
i told them that ideally, a magazine should be published 3 months in advance (the norm with big publishing companies in malaysia and overseas who employ sub-editors, editorial assistants, lifestyle editors, photo editors, etc, etc) … then the guy said, oh … we don’t do that. how stupid. they like to work in that stupid hectic style that is so typical of this sort of companies (okay, now i wouldn’t say singapore because i don’t have any statistics, just experience). stretch your staff’s capacities and expand your profit margin. how stupid. WHATEVER. and besides, i’d actually forgotten that they required someone who can speak chinese as well and when i’d sent my application via email i’d missed that particular sentence. so, i don’t know why they called me … maybe they THINK i can speak and write chinese? so, i don’t know whether i should email them and withdraw my application. the guy said he’d call me on Friday regarding the results. but you know what? i don’t think he will. like the numerous other interviews that promise to inform me in a week whether i was successful or otherwise. unlike in england, where for 50 letters that i’d sent, i would get exactly 50 rejection letters back (LOLOLOL) … i mean, they’re good at letter-writing … the British. and that’s what you call service! but in malaysia … if you don’t hear from them in a week, consider yourself REJECTED!
so, anyway … went back to my mum’s house after the interview, i felt hot and bothered. and later around 5pm my mum got really stressed with my 2 and a half year old niece who was having a tantrum that she screamed and when i went up to find out what was wrong, and reprimanded the niece, she said i shouldn’t have done so coz i don’t know what was going on. then i said to my mum, when you scream like that, you make everyone stressed coz as per usual she will start to pick on things and blame everything and everyone but she just can’t discipline the child who basically winds her around her little finger. much as i love her, my niece is a little tyrant who gets away with practically everything.
friday …
early this morning, i discovered that i had gotten my period. duh.
two hours ago, my good friend – a Project Architect – asked me for help. she is about to be served with a bankruptcy notice. apparently it’s about her car which she told me about five years ago, was stolen (probably, she said, by an ex-boyfriend). i never asked her about it in detail because she seemed so distraught. later, she said, she’d been to court and the matter, i thought, was solved.
so, i’m just thinking, if it WAS stolen, wouldn’t the insurance people sort it out?
i hope to meet her tonight for the details.
the news made me a bit jittery coz i am behind two months with my housing loan payment and one month on my car. ulps.
it’s crazy. how come they don’t teach us how to manage our finances at university?
some of us, including moi, are total idiots when it comes to personal financing. suze orman said – more or less – how we conduct our finances is a reflection of ourselves?
latest news …
my friend called the lawyers and then the bank that issued the bankruptcy notice. they’ve agreed to accept her proposal of partial payment and then to continue paying by instalment. phew!
immediately, i checked the epf website on whether i can use my epf savings to pay my housing loan, at least for the next 8 months. seems i’m eligible, so i shall go to the epf office in thursday. will update if successful.
thank God my friend’s situation is ok now. alhamdulillah …
