Save Some Ringgits & The Environment By Renting A Laptop Instead

Apart from the more commonly known ways of saving, such as automating your savings into another account, avoiding impulse purchases, and tracking your expenses, the truth is there are unconventional ways to save as well.

Growing your vegetables on your balcony, cooking instead of ordering food deliveries, or even renting a laptop instead of forking out a huge chunk of your savings to buy one.

For most of us, getting a laptop can be a very personal yet expensive process. We scout for the right device online and offline, compare specs, dwell on which one to buy for a few days, and then buy it a week later. Not forgetting the habitual “no” to the additional RM200 for a year’s technical support and service whilst promising yourself that you’ll never let anything happen to your brand new laptop.

Rent The Right Device With Rentalworks

As nice as it may seem to have a personal laptop that you can call your own, you could potentially save hundreds, or even thousands in the long run, by renting an equally capable pre-loved laptop from Rentalworks.

With well-known brands such as HP, Lenovo, Dell, and Acer, Rentalworks provides an array of laptops that can serve both students and working professionals alike, starting at only RM89 a month.

Who Exactly Is Rentalworks?

Founded in 2007, Rentalworks is an IT Asset Lifecycle Management Service Provider. Taking a circular economy approach, they specialise in assisting businesses to finance, lease, maintain, and refresh IT devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other tech accessories through an environmentally sustainable model. At the end of every lease tenure, all IT devices are then processed and refurbished responsibly to a pre-loved status, where its lifecycle is extended and managed. After these IT devices have reached the end of their lifecycle, they will then be sent for recycling.

Established in Malaysia with footprints in Singapore and Hong Kong, Rentalworks offers a variety of business solutions that include Short-Term and Long-Term Device Leasing, Device as a Service (DaaS), Asset Refresh, and Secure Data Sanitisation Service.

With their expertise and experience, and a team of professionals from finance, IT, cybersecurity, and logistics backgrounds, they’re now offering their pre-loved laptop rental services directly to consumers.

Packaged With Dedicated Technical Support

Sometimes, the unexpected does happen. The undeniable blue screen of death pops up, your battery doesn’t last for more than an hour, or the lag is just driving you crazy. In a normal situation, you’d be desperately googling how to fix your laptop or making the dreaded trip to the repair shop.

With Rentalworks, all devices are bundled with Rentalworks Premium Support which includes dedicated technical support and service, so you won’t have to go through all the trouble by yourself. May it be a hardware or software issue, with Rentalworks Premium Support, your rented device is covered.

Flexible Tenures For Your Budget

If you’re a student with two or more years ahead of you, or at the starting point of your career, you may be prioritising staying thrifty for the first few years or months until you’re earning a substantial amount to purchase a personal laptop.

Until then, renting a laptop with Rentalworks does allow you to improve your cash flow and focus on saving while staying on top of your work with a reliable laptop. With flexible tenures of 12, 18, and 24 months, you can get a laptop depending on your needs and your budget.

From a cost perspective, imagine that you’d only be spending RM89 a month for a high-quality Intel i5 5
th
 Generation preloved laptop for either study or work, compared to purchasing a laptop that could deteriorate and lose its value quickly, this would make a viable option for those interested in a subscription model. Moreover, you can always have the option to switch to a different laptop model depending on your needs and budget.

***

If you’re looking to maximise your savings this year in both conventional and unconventional ways, consider renting a laptop with Rentalworks. By looking at it as a subscription, renting a laptop of your choice from well-known brands, you’ll also be benefiting from bundled technical support and keeping your savings in check while supporting a circular economy for a better sustainable environment. For more information, head to
Rentalwork’s website here
!

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Katrina Balan Quiroz

Katrina Balan Quiroz

Copywriter. Katrina is fueled by a need to turn a confusing wall of text into something comprehensible, and drip coffee.

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UOB Revises UOB PRVI Miles Card And UOB Preferred Platinum Card

UOB has made some changes to two of its credit cards for the new year, the UOB PRVI Miles Card and the UOB Preferred Platinum Card. The revisions to both cards will take effect on 1 January 2020.

UOB PRVI Miles Card

The benefits of the UOB PRVI Miles Card remain largely the same. Cardholders still get 5x UNIRinggit on overseas spend, airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. However, there is a change to the limitation on the eligible spend for the card’s 5x UNIRinggit rewards points, allowing cardholders to collect a higher number of UNIRinggit points.

Previously, the 5x UNIRinggit points were limited to a combined eligible spend of RM5,000 per month for each cardmember; any expenditure above this amount would only garner 1x UNIRinggit. From 1 January, this RM5,000 cap will only apply to spend on airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. There will be no cap on 5x UNIRinggit points for overseas spend.

Another addition to the UOB PRVI Miles Card is the introduction of Bonus UNIRinggit. From 1 January to 31 December 2020, UOB PRVI Miles cardholders are entitled to an additional 2,000 Bonus UNIRinggit if they perform a minimum of three retail transactions (minimum RM10 per transaction) in one month. As this condition is simple enough to fulfil, most cardholders should be able to collect the extra 2,000 points with ease. Each cardholder is entitled to a maximum of 2,000 Bonus UNIRinggit per month and UOB will be giving out a maximum payout of 12 million UNIRinggit per month.

Meanwhile, the UOB PRVI Miles Card’s airport Grab promotion has been extended to 31 December 2020. Cardholders are eligible for 50% discount on Grab rides to and from Malaysian airports when they use their PRVI Miles Card as their default GrabPay credit card and key in the given promo code. Each promo code is valid for four redemptions per customer throughout the discount period and there is a maximum cap of 600 overall redemptions per month set by UOB.

UOB Preferred Platinum Card

Previously, the UOB Preferred Platinum Card awards 3x UNIRinggit for overseas spend, 2x UNIRinggit for dining spend, and 1x UNIRinggit for other eligible spend. Now, the UOB Preferred Platinum Card will award 3x UNIRinggit for overseas, dining, and recurring spend, and 1x UNIRinggit for other eligible spend – making it easier for cardmembers to collect more UNIRinggit rewards points after the revision.

Before 1 January 2020

After 1 January 2020

3x UNIRinggit for overseas spend

2x UNIRinggit for dining spend

1x UNIRinggit for other eligible spend

3x UNIRinggit for overseas, dining, and recurring spend

1x UNIRinggit for other eligible spend

For the purposes of the UOB Preferred Platinum Card’s benefits, the new category of recurring spend covers automatic payments made to eligible mobile service providers and gym memberships. The card will also reward other recurring spend under the merchant category code (MCC) 5968, but excludes insurance, utilities, and government payments.

In 2019, UOB Preferred Platinum Cardmembers were entitled to a 50% discount for Grab rides to and from Malaysian airports. For the year 2020, this discount is no longer applicable. Instead, cardholders who use the Preferred Platinum Card as their default GrabPay credit card will be eligible to receive RM5 off GrabFood or Grab ride transactions when they apply the given promo code. UOB is allocating a maximum of 1,000 redemptions per month for GrabFood and Grab rides respectively on a first-come, first-served basis.

JomPay transactions no longer eligible for UNIRinggit Points

Both the UOB Preferred Platinum Card and the UOB PRVI Miles Card have a list of transactions that are excluded from earning UNIRinggit Points. These include top-ups, financial services payments, utility bills, petrol, and transportation transactions. However, there is one notable addition to the exclusion list of both credit cards after the revision: JomPay transactions. Effective 1 January, JomPay transactions on the UOB Preferred Platinum and UOB PRVI Miles cards will no longer be awarded UNIRinggit points.

This particular change reflects a similar revision made to another one of UOB’s credit cards, the UOB YOLO. JomPay transactions will be removed from
cashback eligibility for the UOB YOLO Card
 on 1 January 2020 as well.

You can view the updated terms and conditions for the
UOB Preferred Platinum Card here
 and the
UOB PRVI Miles Card here
.

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Jacie Tan

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Are Malaysian Debit Card charges set to rise?

Credit cards are one of the best tools to

manage a person’s personal finance. However, not everyone is eligible for a

credit card or might prefer not get into debt. The next best thing is a
debit card
, which essentially offers similar features minus the risk of overspending.

Unlike credit cards, debit cards in

Malaysia also have the benefit of not being tied to many types of fees and

charges. There are neither annual fees nor penalty charges, as they are linked

to your bank account and how much money you have available in it.

However, recent changes in the US suggest

that consumers may be charged a fee each time we make a transaction with our

debit card. The Malay Mail reported that a recent US court ruling now allows merchants to pass swipe fees onto their customers.

Previously, merchants were required to

absorb fees imposed by banks under agreements with credit card platform

operators Visa and Mastercard. But ever since these agreements were overruled

last year consumers in the US have begun to experience extra charges on their

debit card transactions, charges that

can be anywhere between 1.5 and 2.5 percent.

For now the situation has yet to reach our

shores, and
the

matter has gone on appeal
 just a few days ago in the US but should

merchants be allowed to pass on fees to the consumer – would anyone still want

to use a debit card if they did?

In

a follow up report in the Malay Mail, consumer groups such as FOMCA (Federation

of Malaysian Consumers Associations) and Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association

were undoubtedly against such a ruling being implemented here. They felt that

charging a transaction fee would burden consumers and one source even likened

the idea to ‘highway robbery’. It is essentially charging customers to use

their own money.

Though Bank Negara has neither confirmed

nor speculated on the possibility of such fees on the whole it would be safe to

assume that such a move would not only be a burden to Malaysians, but might

also serve to discourage the use of debit cards, thus hindering
Bank Negara’s

efforts to reduce credit card debt.

These are just some of the benefits of

debit cards which will be lost to consumers should banks start discouraging

debit card use:

Debit cards are a safer

alternative compared to cash. They also double as ATM cards and can be used to

withdraw cash for emergencies.

Debit cards offer more

convenient payment methods such as online transactions. Many utility bills

these prefer payments via internet banking and standing instructions.

Debit cards help you control

your spending as you cannot spend more than what is available in your bank

account.

Debit cards offer special

benefits such as merchant related discounts and reward points.

Debit cards are not restricted

by the holder’s income or age. Unlike credit cards, debit cards are more

accessible as long as the holder has enough funds to fulfill their transaction

and can be issued to valid customers as young as 12 years-old.

The debit card is an important financial management

tool that enables a person to manage spending and payment without fear of

racking up interest charges. If merchants insist on passing on their

swipe fees onto consumers it would force them to resort to cash transactions

which runs wholly against to the government’s vision of a cashless society.

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Brendon Lee

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Boost’s FlexiRedeem Campaign Allows Users To Redeem Rewards Using Boost Stars And Cash

Boost is running a BoostUp Day: FlexiRedeem Special campaign between tomorrow and 17 March 2022, which allows users to redeem items from its Rewards Catalogue using a mix of Boost Stars and money from their Boost Wallet.

On top of that, Boost is also allowing all members to receive 8x bonus Boost Stars for the payments made when making FlexiRedeem redemptions. This is regardless of their membership tier in the BoostUP loyalty programme:
Red Recruit, Silver Sergeant, and Gold General
, which usually offers a multiplier of only 1x, 2x, and 3x points for every RM1 spent, respectively.

So for instance, if you’d like to redeem an item with 2,000 Boost Stars and RM20 via the FlexiRedeem campaign, you’ll be eligible to receive 8x bonus Boost stars for the RM20 payment even if you’re only a Silver Sergeant. This gives you 160 Boost Stars, instead of the 40 Boost Stars that you would have usually gotten outside of this campaign.

Each eligible user is allowed to make multiple redemptions under this campaign; just head on over to the “FlexiRedeem” tab in the BoostUP Rewards Catalogue within your Boost app. Of course, each redemption is subject to the item’s availability. Finally, the bonus Boost Stars earned will be credited into your BoostUP account within seven working days after the end of the campaign period, and will be reflected in your “Boost Stars History” page.

Earlier this year, Boost had announced that it will be allowing more flexible redemptions in 2022, where users can redeem rewards with a combination of Boost Stars and cash. This is among other initiatives that it is also hoping to introduce this year, including
a buy-now-pay-later solution
.

(Source:
Boost
)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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EPF: Application For RM10,000 Special Withdrawal To Start From 1 April

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has said that members can begin applying for the special RM10,000 withdrawal facility that was recently announced starting from 1 April 2022.

“The deadline for application is 30 April 2022, while payment starts on 20 April 2022,” the provident fund further said in a statement, adding that the applications are to be done online. The facility is open to members who are aged below 55 years old.

Additionally, the EPF clarified that members are allowed to withdraw from a minimum of RM50 to a maximum of RM10,000, and the funds will be taken from the balance in their Akaun 2 first. Once that is depleted, then members can access their Akaun 1 savings.

Meanwhile, further details – such as the process and mechanics of the application – will be provided at a later date, said the EPF.

Prime minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had
announced the special one-off EPF withdrawal of RM10,000
 yesterday, saying that it is aimed at helping Malaysians who are still struggling from economic repercussions brought on by Covid-19. It came following calls from several parties to allow one last withdrawal, although there were also several who
pushed back against the idea
, citing
concerns of old-age poverty
.

This special RM10,000 withdrawal is the fourth Covid-19-related withdrawal facility to be rolled out by the EPF, with the earlier ones being
i-Lestari
,
i-Sinar
, and
i-Citra
.

(Source:
EPF
)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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Chinese, Indian, or Malay: Which Malaysian Wedding is The Cheapest?

Experiencing an unusual influx of wedding invitations as of late? No worries, you are not alone in your situation as it is indeed the wedding season, making it the topic
du jour
 during lunch breaks and the random water cooler sessions.

Be it in the form of a physical or digital invitation, weddings will always be a subject of fascination for every Malaysian. Haven’t you ever wondered how much weddings
actually
 cost in Malaysia and if the costs differ according to race? To help shine some light on the matter, we’ve reached out to three Malaysians – each of them representing the three different races – who have graciously shared with us their wedding expenses and how they planned for their special day.

Now, let’s see which of the three races’s wedding cost the most, shall we?

#Malay Wedding

The Bride: Suzana, 31, Doctor

How Many Events Did You Have Before Your Actual Reception?

There are a few ways to go about with a Malay wedding but it is not uncommon to combine both
 nikah
 (solemnisation) and wedding reception on the same day. In my situation, my
 nikah
 and reception were two separate events.

What Are The Things That You Did Before Your Wedding ?

With less than four months to plan for my wedding, everything was a race against time as I am stationed in Manjung Hospital, Perak. In between my work breaks, I look up for inspiration on online blogs.

Photo courtesy of Suzana, during her solemnization event.

What Did You Spend On For Your Pre-Wedding Event?

My
nikah
 was a closed-door affair and even so, I ended up planning an event for 150 people. Here’s the breakdown of the things that we have spent on:

 Nikah Outfit
 : RM1000

 Wedding Decorations
 : RM775

A visit to SSF got me flowers, the gift trays (dulang),
 bunga manggar
, and other necessary items for me to DIY the wedding decorations. Apart from that, we also rented a few items from a bridal house such as bantal
nikah
 (the cushion that the bride and bridegroom sits on), a small table for us to sign our marriage papers and
bunga pahar
 holder. RM300 was the package price for all 3 items and it was definitely a steal since the rental for a
single bantal nikah
 can go up to RM100 each.

 Wedding Favours and Signage
 : RM680

I engaged the services of a local chocolatier called Fidani who charged me RM400 for 200 pieces of custom made chocolate. My chocolate boxes, on the other hand, were from Romantika which costed RM200 for 200 paper boxes.

After receiving a RM200 quotation for 100 pieces of wedding tags (on cheap simile paper, how outrageous!) plus signage, I decided to DIY my tags. In the end, I only spent RM80 on art card, mounting board. and mounting spray.

 Wedding Canopy
 : RM2000

Some caterers provide canopy services and while they may be cheaper, you don’t get much choices as the options as the ones that they provide are mostly basic. Here’s a breakdown of how much I was charged :

Canopy – Starts from RM350.00 each, prices vary depending on canopy’s design. My RM2000 package came with :

1 special canopy for bride’s family (fully decorated table and chairs for 10),

4 canopies for the guest (lights and ceiling fan included)

16 round tables (fully decorated)

160 chairs (fully decorated)

2 buffet tables + skirting

 Catering
 : RM2,250

Ideally, I wanted my wedding to be done in a
 kampung
 where everyone gets together to
 merewang
 (helping out). But, of course, that didn’t happen.

 Nikah Overall Cost
 : RM6,705.

What Did You Spend on For Your Reception?

Photo courtesy of Suzana, a sample of her seat placement card

 Venue and Catering
 : RM80,000

We chose Shah Alam Convention Center (SACC) out of convenience. It was RM80 per pax for 1000 guests. There are no venue charges as it was included in the catering package. It is cheaper if we had opted a buffet spread instead of
 makan hidang
.

 Wedding Dais and Backdrop
 : RM6000

SACC provided us with a selection of wedding dais but we enlisted the help of a wedding planner to provide us a dais that matches the fairytale theme that I had in mind.

 Wedding Cards
 : RM1000

We opted for a package from a printing shop and they provided us with:

500 x wedding cards

6 x buntings

1 canvas banner

1 seat placement chart

4 x arrow signs

1 x guestbook

1000 x thank you tags

1000 x bride and bridegroom name stickers (to be placed on wedding favours)

 A/V System
 : RM3000

Photo courtesy of Suzana, her wedding venue and decorations

AV (audio-visual) package which includes:

DJ to handle the music booth

Video projection by 2 on-location AV handlers

2 x projectors

 Photographer
: RM1500

 Wedding Favours/ Door Gift
: RM2000

As this was a repeat order, we received a bigger discount this time around.

 Makeup
: RM600

 Accessories
 : RM230

 Wedding Gown Fabric
 : RM900

Photo courtesy of Suzana, of her and her husband in their wedding outfit

 Reception Outfit
 : RM2500

 Reception Shoes
 : RM600

 Reception Cost
 : RM98,330

 Total For Both Events
 : RM105, 035

What Are the Things That You Felt That You Can Do Without?

Things that can only be used once like
sireh
 holder and accessories, these can be actually be rented so I could have saved a lot more if I chose to do so.

What Is Your Advice for Those Who Are Planning to Get Married Soon?

Start saving from now, even if you do not have a partner in mind yet! It doesn’t matter if you don’t use the money for your wedding, it can always be used for something else like a designer handbag, beach vacation or even a down-payment for your very own home. I was lucky that some of my wedding expenses are borne by my parents but at the same time, I can’t help but wish that I had more time to save up for the things that I wanted.

Chinese Wedding

The Bride: Elaine, 28, Homemaker

How Many Events Did You Have Before Your Actual Reception?

We had 5 events prior to this:

 Registration of Marriage (ROM)

As my husband was working overseas, the gap between the ROM and our actual wedding day was close to 9 months! Our ROM was in February and our actual day in November the same year.

 Exchanging of betrothal gifts (“guo da li”)

I was not particular about this but as it meant a lot to our parents, we proceeded with this before our actual day. This event had to be performed on an auspicious date selected by the fortuneteller.

 Garden ceremony

Photo courtesy of Elaine, of her and her husband cutting their wedding cake

We invited our immediate family members and friends to a simple garden ceremony, followed by some light refreshments and cake.

 Pre-wedding buffet dinner

A buffet dinner at the bride and groom’s homes respectively, a Chinese “bachelor party” so to speak!

 Bride-pick up & traditional Chinese tea ceremony

Photo courtesy of Elaine, of her in her traditional wedding outfit

Ah, the (in)famous bride-pick up event… This event lasted more than 6 hours, believe it or not! We were dead on our feet, honestly speaking.

What Are The Things That You Did Before Your Wedding ?

The wedding date was picked a year in advance and my work began the moment it was confirmed. I drew up an Excel sheet with a wedding timeline of things to do and prepare, complete with datelines and estimated budget. My list includeed:

Confirming the necessary bookings (photographer, videographer, makeup artist, ceremony venue, reception venue)

Design, order and assemble our “save the date” cards, wedding invitations, Thank-You cards, as well as wedding favours and ceremony programs

Order wedding dress and book
 kua
 (traditional Chinese wedding garment)

Buy items online (from Etsy) for the wedding (most were being shipped from the USA, so I ordered them as soon as I could to avoid any delay)

A visit to Malacca to purchase a traditional Chinese tea set and other wedding items

We had some simple engagement photos taken by a friend in Tokyo right after before going back to Malaysia. Also, as my husband was overseas, we had most of our wedding discussion over Skype, LINE, E-mail, and the occasional phone calls.

What Did You Spend On For Your Pre-Wedding Events?

I have forgotten many things (even with my jam-packed Excel sheet) but here are the major things we spent on (2013):

 Ceremony venue
 : RM5,800

 Cake & food for the ceremony
 : RM3,000

Photo courtesy of Elaine, a sample of her wedding reception’s table

 Wedding dress
 : RM2,200 (made to measure, by White And Lacy)

 “Kua” rental
 : RM250

 Photography & videography
 : RM12,000 (3 sessions of photography & 2 sessions of videography; no pre- wedding photography)

 Flowers & decoration for garden ceremony
: RM1,000

 Make-up
 : RM2,700 (3 sessions)

 Flowers for bride-pick up & wedding car
: RM886

Stationery (invites, programs, photobook of engagement photos, etc.)
: Approx. RM1,000

 Shoes
: RM150 (2 pairs)

 Wedding favours (garden ceremony)
: RM400

 Total
 : RM29,386

What Did You Spend on For Your Reception?

Photo courtesy of Elaine, of her in one of her wedding outfits

 Reception
 : RM54, 500

It’s hard to pinpoint how much we spent, as so much went unaccounted for, but the bulk of it was the dinner package: approximately RM900 per table (we had 55 tables!). Of course, in addition to the limited amount of alcohol provided by the restaurant, we spent an additional RM5,000. Decorations, invitations and favours were provided in the package!

 Total for all events
 : RM83,886

What Are the Things That You Felt That You Can Do Without?

We did not feel that it was important to take the cliche pre-wedding photos at a bridal shop. Also, I did not see the need for a
 dai kam jie
 (bride’s chaperone), but we ended up having one out of family obligations anyway.

What Is Your Advice For Those Who Are Planning to Get Married Soon?

Ensure you have a reasonable amount of savings before getting started. We bought/paid for things gradually, month by month. Have an organised timeline so you know which are the more urgent items that need immediate deposits/booking fees. Don’t get peer-pressured into having a “perfect” wedding, just enjoy the process and remember that the wedding is the start line of your marriage, not the goal.

Indian Wedding

The Bride: Rangeeta, IT Specialist, 34

How Many Events Did You Have Before Your Actual Reception?

The thing about Indian movies is that they tend to portray all weddings to be grand, lavish affairs whereby everyone is dressed in their finest
sarees
 and
kurtas
, decked in gold accessories from top to toe. Well, they are not entirely wrong, but there are just a lot of other important factors that sets Indian weddings apart from the rest.

What Are The Things That You Did Before Your Wedding?

For Indian weddings, it is important for the bride and bridegroom to check their compatibility before getting hitched. One of the things that we did was to consult an astrologer who will take our birth dates, our parent’s birth dates and envisage our future based on it. Once we get the okay, it’s time to start planning! In my situation, my husband and I were both based in Melbourne so I had to rely on my family members and a wedding planner to get everything sorted out.

What Did You Spend On For Your Pre-Wedding Events?

There are no pre-wedding events, save for a bachelorette party as we decided to focus our funds on our wedding reception instead.

What Did You Spend on For Your Reception?

Here’s the breakdown of a temple wedding for approximately 1,000 guests:

 Wedding Reception Outfit
 : RM600 (Rented)

Photo courtesy of Rangeeta, of her and her husband in full Indian wedding outfit

 Wedding Planner Fees
 : RM7,000

Honestly, we will be so lost without guidance as this was the first wedding in the family so when in doubt, it’s best to seek for help.

 Wedding Decorations
 : RM5000

The good thing about Brickfields is that if you are not happy with the price at the first store, you can always move on to the second one!

 Wedding Favours
 : RM5000

Our custom candles costed RM5 each with 4 different scents to choose from – Lavender, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Lemongrass

 Catering
 : RM28,000

As our wedding is in the temple, we can only opt for vegetarian cuisine. It costed RM18 per pax.

 Venue
: RM20,000

Since we wanted a location that everyone has access to, we ended up having our wedding at a temple in Brickfields. Our venue provided us a free
 mandap
 (also known as a dais) as well so our costs on that were saved.

Photo courtesy of Rangeeta, of her and her husband during their wedding ceremony

 Volunteers
 : RM180

We had RELA Volunteers to help out with traffic and parking.

 Wedding Cards
 : RM800

We only printed 800 wedding cards as the rest are digital invites via social media.

 A/V System
 : RM6,000

Apart from the sound system, we had 3 projectors rigged up to the main set as well.

 Photographer/Videographer
 : RM3,800

 Performers
 : RM3200

 Accessories
 : RM702

 Accessories for Bridesmaid
 : RM244.80

 Makeup Artist
 : RM500

 Reception Shoes
 : RM680

 Total Reception Cost
 : RM81,706.80

What Are the Things That You Felt That You Can Do Without?

Some of the items were sourced from the factory outlets in Melbourne which turned out to be cheaper back at home. Moral of the story; always check for substitutes as you may never know if there’s a replica of something that you like but for a lower price.

What Is Your Advice For Those Who Are Planning to Get Married Soon?

Take your time when it comes to planning your wedding, you don’t need> to be rushed into planning especially if it’s for your big day as it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and desire to make everything as perfect as possible. Don’t be afraid to voice out your concerns if some things are not what you had in mind and more importantly, enjoy your wedding as it’s a one in a lifetime experience.

And the Cheapest Wedding Goes to…

While the Indian wedding’s expenses are the lowest here, do note that the cost may vary and differ from one wedding to another depending on the type of wedding as well as other factors such as location, brands, budget, and more.

We hope that the experiences shared by our Malaysian friends can provide you an insight on how much wedding costs in general. Bear in mind that while weddings can be costly affairs, there are many ways to go about when it comes to
 saving costs
 and dealing with your expenses (personal loans being one of the ways you can finance your wedding the but again,
 you will need to decide if this is the best method for you
 ).

As for big-ticket items, do note you can always pay for some of the items with a credit card (and get discounts too!) as you work your way towards achieving your dream wedding. Can’t wait to tie the knot but don’t have a credit card? No worries as you can always
 check out our best credit cards and take full advantage of all the rewards with our comparison tool.

Let us know if you have any comments on this article as well as tips for wedding planning in the comments below!

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UOB Increases Monthly Spend Requirement For UOB ONE Platinum To RM1,500

UOB Bank is revising the minimum monthly spend requirement of its UOB ONE Platinum credit card, which determines whether cardholders qualify for the maximum 10% cash rebate provided by the card for selected transactions. Set to take effect starting from 1 April 2023, this requirement will be increased from RM1,200 to RM1,500 per month.

Upon meeting the new RM1,500 monthly spend requirement, UOB ONE Platinum cardholders will then be able to enjoy 10% cash rebate for four spend categories: petrol, groceries, dining, and Grab transactions (capped at RM15 per category). If they do not meet the requirement, they will only earn a cash rebate of 0.2% for the categories. A separate unlimited 0.2% rebate provided for all other retails, meanwhile, is applicable regardless of whether you meet the monthly spend requirement or not.

Here’s a quick table to summarise this latest update to the UOB ONE Platinum card for your convenience:

Before 1 April 2023
After 1 April 2023
Monthly cash rebate cap
Monthly spend more than RM1,200

– 10% cash rebate for petrol, groceries, dining, Grab transactions
– 0.2% cash rebate for other retail purchases
Monthly spend more than RM1,500

– 10% cash rebate for petrol, groceries, dining, Grab transactions
– 0.2% cash rebate for other retail purchases
– RM15 (per category for petrol, groceries, dining, Grab transactions)
– Unlimited for 0.2% for other retail purchases
Monthly spend less than RM1,200

– 0.2% cash rebate for petrol, groceries, dining, Grab transactions
– 0.2% cash rebate for other retail purchases
Monthly spend less than RM1,500

– 0.2% cash rebate for petrol, groceries, dining, Grab transactions
– 0.2% cash rebate for other retail purchases
– RM15 (per category for petrol, groceries, dining, Grab transactions)
– Unlimited for 0.2% for other retail purchases

Other benefits of the
UOB ONE Platinum card
 remains unchanged; you can continue to enjoy perks such as discounts of up to 15% on dining at selected restaurants, and 0% interest easi-payment plans. The annual income requirement for the card is also still set at RM48,000, while the annual fee is at RM68.

As for the
UOB ONE Classic card
 – a lower variant of the UOB ONE credit card that offers the same 10% cash rebate for petrol, groceries, dining, and Grab transactions, but with a lower RM10 monthly cap – no new revisions are introduced. Cardholders will still need to spend a minimum of RM500 in order to enjoy the maximum cash rebate rate, or else, they will also only earn 0.2% cash rebate for the four spend categories. Its annual income requirement (RM24,000) and annual fee (RM68), too, remains unchanged.

(Source:
UOB
)

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Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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Budget 2020 Malaysia And You

Today at 4pm, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng tabled the national Budget for the upcoming year. Although Budget 2020 did not introduce as many new taxes or new subsidy schemes as last year’s first-ever Pakatan Harapan Budget, it still brings a number of interesting initiatives to the table – all in line with its theme of “Shared Prosperity: Sustainable And Inclusive Growth Towards High Income Economy”.

Here are the main highlights of what was announced in Budget 2020 and how it affects you, the people of Malaysia.

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TNG eWallet: Users Can Now Make Cashless Payments At Over 130,000 Merchants In Singapore

Touch ‘n Go (TNG) eWallet said that its users can now make cashless payments at more than 130,000 participating merchants in Singapore, making it the Malaysian e-wallet with the widest cross-border payment coverage in the republic island. This comes following the
launch of the cross-border QR code payment linkage
 between the two countries by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) at the end of last month.

Malaysians have actually been able to make payments for selected products and services in Singapore via TNG eWallet much earlier – since 2022 – but this is
only limited to Alipay+ merchants
. With the cross-border linkage between DuitNow and NETS (Singapore’s version of DuitNow) now live, TNG eWallet users visiting Singapore will be able to conveniently make cashless payments at even more local hawkers, simply by scanning the NETS QR code via the NETS payment terminals or SGQR.

Of course, this also means that Singaporeans coming over to Malaysia will also be able to use their own e-wallets to scan and pay at more than 1.5 million DuitNow merchants in our country.

While making payments, TNG eWallet users will be able to see the live foreign exchange rates displayed in their app. TNG eWallet also assured that its users will be able to enjoy competitive rates when using its app to make cross-border payments.

Chief executive officer of TNG Digital, Alan Ni said that this new seamless and secure transaction feature has helped to expand TNG eWallet’s payment ecosystem. “As a company that emphasises addressing customers’ needs, we are excited that this feature broadens cashless payment acceptance for our users. Today, Malaysians travelling to Singapore can have peace of mind as they enjoy the convenience of making cashless payments, knowing the foreign exchange rate upfront, and tracking their expenses instantly,” he said.

Ni also highlighted that these same features are also extended to the TNG Visa prepaid card, which acts as a complementary payment channel to the TNG eWallet for merchants who only accept cards.

(Image: Metro)

“We are also excited to welcome visitors from Singapore to Malaysia to enjoy the seamless convenience of using their respective e-wallets to make payments at more than 1.5 million merchant touchpoints nationwide by scanning the DuitNow QR code. This cross-border payment feature will not only help to support the tourism industry, but also increase economic activity among the small and medium-sized retail businesses supported by TNG eWallet,” said Ni.

Aside from Singapore, TNG eWallet users are also able to make cashless payments at
various other countries
, including China, South Korea, Germany, France, and the UK – but these are enabled by Chinese digital payment solutions provider, Alipay+. Unlike in Singapore, where you can just scan the NETS QR code (similar to how you’d scan our own DuitNow QR code), payments in these other countries will require you to pull up your Alipay+ QR code under the “Pay” function (tap on “Pay” on you TNG eWallet homescreen, then swipe up to select your preferred country), and present the QR code to be scanned by the merchant.

(Source:
The Sun Daily
)

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About THE AUTHOR

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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How To Make A Complaint Against A Financial Institution

Unhappy with a bank or other financial institution?

Want to file a complaint against a financial institution but don’t know how?

First of all, you should know that you absolutely have the right to lodge a complaint if you are not satisfied or cannot come to a mutual understanding with banks and insurance companies regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). For example:

Mr. Wang discovered in his latest current account statement that there was a cash out of RM5,000 via cheque numbered 23456. Upon checking his cheque book, he found a few cheques missing and one of them was this exact cheque. After an investigation by the police, it was found that his signature was forged and that the culprit produced a fake identity card with a fake MyKad number when cashing out at the bank, but the bank refuses to return Mr.Wang’s money.

Shouldn’t the bank officer have noticed this and called Mr. Wang to verify the transaction? – Here is a situation that can be disputed!

Let us take this opportunity to protect your right as a consumer, so you don’t get the run-around.

What do I need to do before I can file a complaint?

Identify your problem first before you make a complaint to your institution. If you think the financial institution has been unfair or misleading, discriminated against you, or violated any company policy, you may file your complaint against them. Don’t forget to keep a copy for yourself!

Attempt to settle your problem with the institution

The first step you
 must attempt
is to resolve your problems directly with the institution – try to talk and discuss with the person-in-charge or department.

If you feel that your complaint has not been resolved fully or in a satisfactory manner, you can proceed to make a formal complaint to the
Complaint Unit
 of your institution via email or fax. The Complaint unit is a department established by each institution to handle all complaints and feedback brought forward by customers.

They will take about two weeks to investigate further and review your complaint. If they anticipate that your complaint would take longer than two weeks to be resolved, a representative will update you on the progress accordingly.
No matter how small the problem, your institution should be responsible to solve it.

Still not happy? Refer your complaint to the FMB

Not to worry! You can still defend your rights with the
Financial Mediation Bureau
 (FMB). FMB is an independent organisation that mediates disputes between the public and financial institutions.

Prepare the final decision letter from your institution and submit the letter to FMB within 6 months of the date it was issued to you.

Once you have submitted your documentation, the FMB will review your complaint and may meet with you or together with your institution and will make a decision on your case after looking at the law, industry rules and practices of the issues at hand.

Their services are completely free, but bear in mind that there is a limit to the amount that you can claim:

Claim

Claim Limit

Banking/Financial complaint

RM100,000 (excluding fraud cases relating to payment services, credit cards, charge cards, ATM cards, and cheques for which the limit will not exceed RM25,000)

Insurance/Takaful complaint

RM200,000 (Motor and Fire Insurance/Takaful)

RM100,000 (Others)

RM5,000 (3rd party property damage)

Alternatively, there’s also BNM

Here’s another option for you to file your complaint. If your complaint does not fall within in the scope of the FMB, you may refer your complaint directly to Bank Negara Malaysia through
BNMLINK
 and
BNMTELELINK
. These departments represent BNM’s important points of contact to facilitate prompt and efficient response to members of the public on matters related to the financial sector.

BNMTELELINK can be reached via mail, e-mail, fax or phone. In addition to this, you can also visit the BNMLINK if you wish to discuss your problems in person as they also provide face to face services to walk-in customers.

FMB and BNM weren’t helpful. What do I do now?

If you are not satisfied with the decisions of FMB or BNM, you may seek legal advice on taking legal action to resolve your problem.

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    azida

    2 years ago

i would like to make a report on the appointed Bank Collector. how and where?

14

Reply

    Wong seok luan

    1 year ago

Want to make a complaint about Hong Leong Bank service and attitude

22

Reply

    Ms Tham

    1 year ago

I want to complain about Hong Leong Bank on its charges on my housing Fire Insurance which has been billed in monthly repayment but still asking me to pay for it.

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    Sunny Leow

    4 months ago

I want to complaint of unprofessional service & UnAuthorized transaction matter from UOB Bank Malaysia.

3

Reply

    Shay

    3 months ago

I want to complain about CIMB rude customer service when i ask abt my unauthorized transaction that CIMB cannot refund back to me. Its impossible to have unauthorized transaction when i never fill in my debit card details in any website or click on suspicious link. I believe this is an insider work since i never revealed my card details to anyone especially website!! Can somebody help me since now CIMB refused to refund me my money saying that they’re nt responsible fr that.

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Maybank Increases ATM Daily Withdrawal Limit From RM5,000 to RM10,000

(Image: The Coverage)

Maybank has announced that the maximum daily ATM (and SRM) withdrawal limit is increased from RM5,000 to RM10,000 starting 13 July 2019.

Customers may change their daily withdrawal limit at any Maybank ATMs in the country. Insert ATM card and key in the PIN, select ” Other transaction” twice then select “Withdrawal limit.” Choose the preferred amount as displayed on the ATM screen, and key in new IC number for verification.

Get in touch with Maybank Group Customer Care at 1300-88-6688 for further assistance and enquiries.

(Source: Maybank (
1
), (
2
))

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The Advantages of Putting All Your Loans in One Bank

Knowing how to manage your debt is an essential skill to have in developing a healthy financial standing. Managing your monthly commitments does not only involve putting the money aside for it, but also the logistic of collating and paying your loans and bills separately to multiple banks. You may also have to perform payments a few times a month, as your loans and bills are likely to have various billing cycles.

While there are good arguments for doing business in different banks, there are also great reasons to keep your loans in just one place.

Easily Keep Track of Your Bills

With multiple
bank loans
 and bills that might be due at various times of the month, you have to constantly monitor your account and adjust your budget to ensure you have enough funds for payment.

Wouldn’t it be great if you can pay your house loan, car loan, credit card bills and personal loan at one go? By consolidating all your debts into one sole loan, you will have a bird’s eye view of when your payment is due, making it easy for budgeting and documentation.

Avoid Transaction Hassles

When you have loans from multiple banks, it means going to various branches located in different areas. Imagine all the parking and traffic you have to deal with. Even if you’re just paying everything via online banking, you still need to remember multiple login passwords, security questions, or fill up your phone storage with several apps you only use for a few things each month.

If you only have one
loan agreement
 with one bank, you only ever need to use one app or visit one website to get all your commitments paid off. Visiting just one building to handle your banking is also not as much trouble as planning your entire day running errands at banks.

How Do We Make This Happen?

While we have laid out the advantages of just having one loan in one bank, is it really practical to do so? The answer is yes, actually. Not only do you benefit from the convenience and added benefits, but you can get a lower aggregate interest rate with a consolidation loan such as the
Alliance One Account
 by Alliance Bank.

How Would This Work?

By consolidating all your loans with Alliance One Account, your existing loans can be paid off in advance (via advance payments with added interest savings) and consolidated into one loan with one interest rate. From now on, you need only to service one loan. It’s not only easier; but because the aggregate interest rate is lower, it saves you money at the same time.

Check out this
Alliance Bank personal loan

Here’s an example of how this can work for you.

Before Consolidation:

Let’s say you have the following outstanding loans:

• Personal loan of RM60,000 (interest rate of 10% p.a.) with a monthly repayment of RM1,500

• Credit cards with an average balance of RM40,000 (interest rate of 18% p.a.) with a monthly repayment of RM2,000

• Home loan with a remaining balance of RM350,000 (interest rate of 4.67% p.a. for 30 years) with a monthly instalment of RM2,000

Your total outstanding loans =
RM450,000
, with monthly repayments of about
RM5,500
.

After Consolidation with Alliance One Account:

• Consolidate all your loans of RM450,000 with Alliance One Account and enjoy interest rate from as low as 7.13 p.a.

Your total outstanding loans =
RM450,000
, with a monthly repayment of
RM2,725
 (monthly interest payment only).

That’s almost 50% in reduction on your monthly repayments! However, do note that if you continue to service the monthly interest only, you may end up paying more interest in the long run!

To apply for the Alliance One Account, you need to have an existing home loan. When you consolidate your home loan and other loans with Alliance One Account, you need only to pay ONE loan at one interest rate.

For more information on how to apply for Alliance One Account, you can visit the Alliance website.

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Enjoy More Savings With These Bank Promo Codes For Lazada, Shopee 3.3 Sale 2023

Frequent online shoppers who have been keeping track of the calendar will no doubt be excited for this Friday, as 3 March 2023 rolls around with one of the year’s biggest online sale event! That’s right, Lazada will be hosting its 12-day long
Epic 11
th
 Birthday Sale
 – following its decision to
bring forward its customary one-day annual birthday sale
 (usually on 27 March) to coincide with the 3.3 Mega Sale Day – while Shopee returns with its
3.3 Mega Shopping Sale
.

As customers, this means you’ll be treated to great discounts and exclusive shopping perks, with loads of promo codes, surprise shopping and free shipping vouchers, flash deals, and special events with generous rebates. Of course, let’s not forget bank partner vouchers that will also sweeten your shopping experience with additional savings too!

We’ve compiled the various bank vouchers that you can redeem for Lazada’s and Shopee’s upcoming sale events here for your ease, so don’t forget to collect them!

Lazada Epic 11
th
 Birthday Sale Bank Vouchers

As always, Lazada’s bank promo codes and vouchers will only be released once its event starts, so get ready to claim your preferred bank vouchers at the stroke of midnight on 3 March. Make sure to act fast
before
 you start shopping; once you’ve claimed them, the vouchers will be yours to use at anytime during the sale event (this differs from Shopee’s voucher collection mechanics, which we’ll explain later in this article).

Remember to also collect
seller vouchers
,
Lazada Bonus
, and
free shipping vouchers
! This is because Lazada lets you stack up to
five
 vouchers for each of your purchase order: Lazada Bonus + platform voucher + bank voucher + free shipping voucher + store voucher. And if you take into account the additional savings that you can also enjoy by utilising LazCoins and the
recently introduced Everyday Cashback
 (for selected stores), then you technically can stack up to
seven
 types of vouchers and discounts to enjoy the best savings for your shopping orders! That’s definitely something you want to keep in mind, especially if you have big-ticket purchases planned.

In the meantime, here are the bank vouchers that you should not forget to claim for
Lazada’s Epic 11
th
 Birthday Sale
 (to be used from 3 – 5 March):

AEON Credit

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM18 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 2,376 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Affin Bank

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM12 off with RM120 minimum spend
Quantity: 144 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM18 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 100 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Alliance Bank

Promo code:
ALBLZD15
Discount: RM15 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 150 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
ALBLZD50
Discount: RM50 off with RM500 minimum spend
Quantity: 50 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

AmBank (debit card)

Promo code:
AMBLZD11
Discount: RM11 off with RM100 minimum spend
Quantity: 500 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

AmBank is also offering an RM10 voucher for customers who save their AmBank debit card on Lazada for the first time between today until 3 March 2023. Available on a first-come first-serve basis to the first 200 eligible customers, the voucher provided has minimum spend requirement of RM80, and is valid for seven calendar days from the date it is issued.

Bank Islam

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM20 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 1,293 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Bank Simpanan Nasional

Promo code:
BSNLZD11
Discount: RM20 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 200 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

CIMB Bank

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM16 off with RM160 minimum spend
Quantity: 450 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM50 off with RM600 minimum spend
Quantity: 250 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Citi & UOB Bank

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM22 off with RM200 minimum spend (Citi & UOB credit cards)
Quantity: 4,500 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM30 off with RM200 minimum spend (Citi Lazada Credit Card only)
Quantity: 3,000 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

HSBC Bank

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM50 off with RM600 minimum spend
Quantity: 500 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM100 off with RM1,200 minimum spend
Quantity: 250 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Mastercard

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM11 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 11,000 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM50 off with RM600 minimum spend
Quantity: 3,000 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM100 off with RM1,200 minimum spend
Quantity: 2,000 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Maybank

Promo code:
MAYLZD11
Discount: RM15 off with RM130 minimum spend (Maybank credit & charge cards)
Quantity: 2,500 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
AMEXLZD11
Discount: RM18 off with RM150 minimum spend (Maybank AMEX cards only)
Quantity: 1,000 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

RHB Bank

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM20 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 1,370 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Promo code:
collect here
Discount: RM60 off with RM500 minimum spend
Quantity: 300 redemptions (collect from midnight 3 March, may replenish at different times of the day)

Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Sale Bank Vouchers

If you have a preference for Shopee instead, its bank partner vouchers are already available to be claimed as of today, but there’s a caveat to its redemption mechanics (we’ve mentioned this in an earlier part of this article, under Lazada’s section!). We’ll share more about this in a later section of this article; for now, make sure to claim the usual
10% instant rebate
,
10% coin cashback
, and
free shipping vouchers
.

In terms of stacking vouchers for more savings, Shopee only allows you to apply up to two vouchers for every purchase that you make: shop voucher + discount/platform OR free shipping. This essentially calls for some care in selecting the vouchers that you would like to stack, so that you ultimately get as much savings as you can.

If you’re ready to start claiming the bank vouchers for
Shopee’s 3.3 Mega Shopping Sale
 (to use on 3 March), here’s the list prepared for you:

AEON Credit

Promo code:
ACS33
Discount: RM15 off with RM130 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

Affin Bank

Promo code:
AFFN33A
Discount: RM15 off with RM130 minimum spend
Quantity: 52 redemptions

Promo code:
AFFN33B
Discount: RM18 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 50 redemptions

Alliance Bank

Promo code:
ABMB15
Discount: RM15 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: 300 redemptions

Promo code:
ABMB50
Discount: RM50 off with RM500 minimum spend
Quantity: 250 redemptions

Bank Islam

Promo code:
BI33
Discount: RM20 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

Bank Simpanan Nasional

Promo code:
BSN33
Discount: RM20 off with RM150 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

HSBC Bank

Promo code:
HSBC25
Discount: RM25 off with RM200 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

Promo code:
HSBC50
Discount: RM50 off with RM600 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

Promo code:
HSBC100
Discount: RM100 off with RM1,200 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

Maybank

Promo code:
MBB33
Discount: RM13 off with RM110 minimum spend (Visa, Mastercard & AMEX credit cards)
Quantity: 1,600 redemptions

Promo code:
MBBAMEX33
Discount: RM13 off with RM90 minimum spend (AMEX credit cards)
Quantity: 800 redemptions

Promo code:
MSCC33
Discount: RM15 off with RM110 minimum spend (Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum credit card only)
Quantity: 800 redemptions

UOB Bank

Promo code:
UOB33
Discount: RM22 off with RM200 minimum spend
Quantity: N/A

***

We’ve highlighted earlier that Lazada and Shopee both have different voucher redemption mechanics – let us quickly clarify this! Essentially, Lazada’s voucher redemption mechanics is based on a “first claim” basis, while Shopee’s relies on a “first redemption” basis.

Terminologies aside, this basically means that once you’ve claimed a Lazada bank voucher, it is guaranteed yours to use whenever you want, as long as it is during the sale event (in this case, the Lazada Epic 11
th
 Birthday Sale). Claiming a Shopee bank voucher, however, does not give you this guarantee; it only puts the claimed voucher in your voucher page for your convenience. During the actual sale day, you will still need to compete with other shoppers and utilize them as quickly as you can, before the vouchers run out.

Another shopping tip for those who shop on Lazada: make sure to collect your
Lazada Bonus
 in the days leading up to the sale! It lets you offset RM10 from every RM100 that you spend, essentially giving you a 10% discount. Even better, it can be stacked with every other voucher on the platform!

And finally, don’t forget to use your cashback credit cards when you shop during
Lazada’s Epic 11
th
 Birthday Sale
 and
Shopee’s 3.3 Mega Shopping Sale
. With all the savings that you’re already able to enjoy via the sale events, the cashback that you can earn through your cards is the icing on the cake. Not sure which cashback credit cards to use for online shopping? Here’s our list of
best cashback credit cards for online shopping
 to help you out! Happy shopping come 3 March!

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Affin Bank

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About THE AUTHOR

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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New Year New You: Getting Your Home Top Shape

Home is where the heart is, it’s also the special place from which you start and end each day. However, some homes easily become a source of unbelievable stress if it is financially and physically unmanageable.

If this is you, then stress no more! In the spirit of the New Year, we’re presenting you with the right stuff to get your home into top shape so you can spend less on it; make more money from it; and actually enjoy being in it!

Sounds good? Great! Here are four challenges you can take on to help do just that.

Challenge 1: Prepare For a Clean Sweep

After the dust has settled on yet another wonderful year, it’s probably a good idea to get rid of said dust. Studies have shown that home cleanliness can directly affect mood and stress levels with overly cluttered spaces contributing to lower energy and greater irritability.

So get to sweeping, pronto! Hire help if you need it as major cleaning can be gruelling work – rates differ among regions but expect to pay RM60 (more or less) for a four-hour service in the Klang Valley.

While you’re at it, go ahead and de-clutter by gathering and boxing up infrequently used items in your home like old knick knacks, unnecessary appliances, and even tatty-looking decorative pieces (think vases and throw pillows that do not fit in with your furniture).

In addition, do come up with a workable, budget-friendly cleaning plan to help maintain your hard work.

Challenge 2: Waste Not, Want Not!

Don’t just throw away the stuff you’ve discovered in the cleanup, sell them instead. With online trading apps matching lovers of second-hand goods with motivated sellers, the market for your pre-loved treasures is booming.

Try free apps like
Carousell
 and
Mudah.my
 to pitch your stuff, it really is quite effective and certainly cost-efficient what with it being free and all! Nonetheless, do follow
security guidelines
 to avoid dealing with fraudulent buyers and to maintain personal safety at all times.

If you have plenty to sell, go the old-fashioned route and set up shop at a garage sale or flea market.

Note however, that you’ll most likely need to shell out a bit of money to rent a stall or booth (unless it’s a private garage sale). Fees do vary of course but we found that the flea market at
Amcorp Mall
 charges RM80 for two days rent. Check online for more
flea market options
 in your area.

Challenge 3: Getting Out of a Money Pit

More often than not, your home is the source of great money drains; from utilities to loan instalments or rental payments, even light maintenance work can silently consume your income.

Here are a few things you can do to save money at home:

• Think seriously about downgrading or cutting bloated utility services. Do you really need cable, satellite AND internet TV subscriptions?

• Save over 25% of your electricity bills by choosing energy-efficient appliances and fittings as well as avoiding excessive usage where possible.

• Rather than spend more money buying home supplies,
learn to reuse and repurpose items already in your home
 instead.

• Consider a
remortgage
 on your home for better interest rates or to spread out your loan for lower monthly repayments. Punch away at
our home loan calculator
 to research and find the best package for your needs.

Challenge 4: Examine Your Home

If you own your home, know that it is most likely one of the strongest assets you hold. So naturally, you’ll need to ensure that it’s appreciating in value whether or not you plan to sell it off at some point.

With timely maintenance works, your little palace will do its best to dodge big repair bills in the future. Since certain forms of damage to a home can appear invisible to the naked eye, do take a day with a general contractor to examine your home for leaks, foundation issues or potential electrical hazards and get them addressed as soon as possible. Some contractors will provide price quotes, inspections and site visits for free, while others may charge a small fee.

If you don’t have enough money at present to fix your home woes, get an estimate on how long it is you can hold off on repairs before you absolutely need work done. If it can wait, make it a priority to save up, otherwise, you may want to consider taking out a loan to finance your repairs.

Financing options vary depending on the size and term of your intended borrowings; a personal loan would make sense for a smaller amount whereas a renovation and refurbishment loan may be apt to fund more extensive works.

The Home Truth

Whatever the size and condition of your home, if you live there, you better love it! Of course that’s not so easy when your physical home environment is not quite as conducive as you’d like it to be. But your home, just like life, is really what you make it.

So make it a castle, a retreat, a paradise or simply a place to rest your weary head – whatever you need it to be! If your home is important to you, and we’re going to bet that it is, go ahead and challenge yourself to be happy in it!

Happy New Year!

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BNM Reduces Overnight Policy Rate From 3.0% To 2.75%

(Image: The Star)

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has reduced the overnight policy rate (OPR) by 25 basis points to 2.75%. The ceiling and floor rates of the corridor of the OPR are thus reduced to 3.00% and 2.50% accordingly.

According to BNM, the adjustment to the OPR is a pre-emptive measure to secure the nation’s improving economic growth trajectory amid price stability. “At this current level of OPR, the MPC considers the stance of monetary policy to be appropriate in sustaining economic growth with price stability,” BNM said in a statement.

If you’re wondering what this cut in OPR means for you, the practical effect of lowered OPR rates include corresponding lower interest rates for both savings and loans. This is good news for those on a variable-rate loan like home loans, as well as those who want to take out a loan in the near future. However, the interest rates for savings products will also take a hit, so you will be earning less in interest for your savings accounts and new fixed deposits.

BNM
last adjusted its OPR
 in May 2019 of last year, where it also reduced the OPR by 25 basis points – cutting the rate down to 3.00%.

(Source:
BNM
)

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Jacie Tan

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Fuel Price Down in September, Time for a Roadtrip!

With the Malaysia Day holiday coming up, many are already planning leave days and where they will be going for the break.

Going overseas may be a bit of a problem with the more down than up exchange rate but you definitely want a break of some sort! With petrol prices reduced this September, perhaps the best thing to do is take a roadtrip with your family/friends!

Our beloved Malaysia is filled with beautiful and exciting destinations. With so much to explore, why not pay the ultimate Malaysia Day tribute by seeing what our country has to offer without breaking the bank?

Places to Go!

The first thing on your mind is undoubtedly
where
 you will be headed. We have a few suggestions.

Taman Negara National Park

This is for the jungle-trekkers out there! Drive out to Taman Negara and go jungle-trekking in the largest national park in Malaysia. Stunning does not even begin to describe Taman Negara.

The perfect place for those craving for a nature retreat, you can trek through the jungle, walk under the waterfalls, spot birds and other animals and even spend a night camping here, all at a small fee.

Cameron Highlands

A road trip to Cameron Highlands is like unwrapping a gift. The journey up its winding roads can make you get carsick but if you hold on tight, the real treat awaits you at the top.

Be greeted by vast tea plantations and nurseries filled with various cactuses and other plants. Go to the Boh tea plantation and enjoy scrumptious scones and sandwiches or pick strawberries at local plantations.

Johor Bahru

If budget is your concern, then you can forgo a visit to mainstream places in Johor Bahru such as Legoland and the kiddie’s center of attraction The Little Big Club and Hello Kitty Town.

Do pay a visit to Masjid India, Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, Gurdwara Sahib Johor Bahru and the fascinating Sri Raja Mariamman Hindu Temple, a temple with beautiful glass mosaics. For gallery and museum buffs, there’s the JB Art Gallery, the JB Kwong Siew Heritage Gallery, and a War Memorial.

Go to the Puteri Harbour to enjoy a breathtaking view of the sunset. Food hunting in Johor Bahru is an adventure as well with its own variations of Laksa Johor, chicken rice and fried delicacies.

Penang

This was a given. You knew this was coming!

Cheap and affordable, feast like a king on Malaysia’s staple dishes in Penang. Don’t forget their specialities; the
Laksa Penang
 and
Nasi Kandar
. Yummy!

Discover striking buildings such as Fort Cornwallis, Penang Peranakan Mansion, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple, Snake Temple, Penang Hill and St. George’s Church.

One of the best things about a road trip to Penang is that you are always able to stop off at other destinations along the way such as the idyllic and charming town of Ipoh!

Malacca

Be sure to stop and see the 17th century Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, the stunning Dutch Square, the Sultanate Palace and other major museums. Beyond the Heritage Area, there is also the picturesque Bukit China, the Melaka River and St. John’s Fort.

If you are going on the weekends, check out the lively Jonker Walk Night Market happening from 6pm to midnight. You can find everything in Jonker Walk, from clothing, shoes, food to creative greeting cards, all at steal prices!

Tips For an Awesome Roadtrip

Once you know where to go, you’ll want to do the best planning you can to make it a memorable trip for everyone. Here are some of our tips for roadtrip success:

1)
Make sure the car is in good condition
. The car that is taking you on your trip is the most important thing for a happy journey. Make sure the car is serviced and in good running order before taking it out of town.

2)
Draw up a designated driver duty list
. If more drivers are carpooling – it’s best to decide who drives when. Long distance journeys can be very tiring so it’s best to have a driver rotation to make sure no one is too fatigued to make a safe journey.

3)
Bring along tools and car needs
. Sometimes, cars do break down suddenly. You might even have a flat or something minor. Having the essentials mean having to spend less on a tow-truck or foreman in a new town you don’t know.

4)
Bring emergency cash and a petrol card
. Having access to emergency fund will go a long way to securing peace of mind on the road. Have a stash. Don’t forget to bring along your
petrol credit card
 too for more discounts on fuel, which is integral to your trip!

The best thing about a road trip is the unplanned places that you discover on your own. Have a great adventure!

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Ilyah Jamalludin

Ilyah Jamalludin

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Revolutionise Your SMEs: Embracing Digital Transformation For Your Business

As the modern business environment grows ever more dynamic, the speed of change has accelerated, largely driven by technological advancements and digital transformation. The concept of digital transformation in business is nothing less than an end-to-end digitalisation process to seamlessly connect, optimise, and automate otherwise manual work processes.

Although such a dynamic change is often seen in larger corporations, in the current business environment, digital transformation is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but rather a ‘must-have’, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Why? Because these changes are the ticket to survival, being competitive, and will contribute to the long-term success of your business in the ever-changing digital age.

Redefining Business Processes In The Digital Age

Digital transformation for SMEs extends beyond merely incorporating new technologies into daily operations. It’s about the fundamental change of the entire business process to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness, such as your company’s banking and financial management. According to a survey conducted by EY,
63% of small and medium businesses globally still prefer traditional banking methods
 over digital banking. However, the traditional approach in banking and financial management often consumes time and resources that SMEs could better utilise in other aspects of their business.

That being said, if businesses embrace digital transformation and shift from traditional banking to digital banking, they could enjoy a redefined way to manage finances that is more convenient, efficient, and accessible. In this paradigm shift towards digital banking, selecting the right tools can make all the difference, and the
OCBC eBiz Account
 is designed to be just that – a tool to help SMEs embrace the digital revolution. How? This account provides a unique blend of features and benefits that make financial and banking management more efficient and hassle-free!

1. Entirely Online Application Process:

The first step in the digital transformation of banking operations is moving away from the traditional paper-based account set-up. Given the packed schedules of many SME owners, who are often preoccupied with operational matters, the OCBC eBiz Account has elevated its services. Now, Malaysian businesses – be they sole proprietorships or companies with 2 directors/shareholders/partners who’re Malaysian citizens – can take advantage of a fully online application process. This innovation eliminates the need for busy entrepreneurs to complete physical paperwork or make time-consuming bank visits, thus making their lives easier. What’s more? With a low initial deposit of RM500, businesses can kickstart their digital banking journey.

Leveraging the power of Electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) technology, the process of verifying customers’ identities has been streamlined, significantly reducing the account approval time. However, rather than focusing on the eKYC technology itself, let’s look at how this benefits you as a customer: the convenience and speed of this digital process means you can apply for an account anytime, anywhere. You’re one step closer to reshaping your business operations for the digital age.

2. Complimentary Digital Tools: OCBC Velocity And OCBC Mobile Banking:

Upon opening an OCBC eBiz Account, OCBC also provides you with a suite of digital tools to better manage your finances.

OCBC Velocity

From managing accounts to running your business efficiently, this
award-winning online business banking platform
 is here to ease your business operations and help make managing your finance easier 24/7 with its:

Seamless invoice and expense management.

Simple yet intuitive cash flow analysis and management.

Expense management tools.

OCBC Mobile Banking

With
OCBC Mobile Banking
, business owners have a toolkit for financial management that fits right into their pockets. This secure platform incorporates built-in security measures, such as OCBC OneTouch/OneLook and OCBC OneToken, to provide a secure banking experience. This not only offers peace of mind but also the convenience of performing banking activities from anywhere to better manage your business finances right at your fingertips. With the OCBC Mobile Banking app, you can:

View account balances in real-time,
 giving you an accurate understanding of your financial position.

Make payments wherever you are,
 saving you from the hassle of physical banking and allowing more time to focus on your business.

3.

How The OCBC eBiz Account Can Better Manage Your Business Finances Seamlessly

In this modern, fast-paced world filled with enhanced digital capabilities, SMEs like yours should not only be able to apply and open an account seamlessly online at any time and anywhere, but you should also be able to operate effortlessly with the help of more digital tools, such as the OCBC OneCollect and OCBC Merchant Terminal.

OCBC OneCollect

Consolidation is key when managing incoming payments, and with
OCBC OneCollect
, this process becomes more convenient. The OCBC OneCollect allows you to manage your QR collection channels – PayNow QR for cross-border transactions in SGD and DuitNow QR for local transactions – on a single collection mobile platform. With OCBC OneCollect, you can now easily simplify the management of incoming collections and save your time and resources.

OCBC Merchant Terminal

On the other hand,
OCBC Merchant Terminal
 is a collection terminal that allows you to accept all card and e-wallet payments. It also has an integrated Mastercard payment gateway for you to receive both local and international electronic payments. With our recent onboarding of the SmartPay app, you can even turn your Near Field Communication (NFC)-enabled smartphone into a mobile terminal for accepting contactless card payments. The best part? If you’re selling high-value items, you can allow your customers to enjoy OCBC 0% interest instalment plan when they pay with OCBC Credit Cards!

***

Embrace The Digital Future With OCBC’s eBiz Account

The importance of digital transformation for businesses, especially SMEs, is becoming more prominent in today’s digital age. Thus, leveraging digital banking, particularly through tools like the OCBC eBiz Account, can help ease the transition from traditional banking to digital banking.

So, take advantage of the OCBC eBiz Account fully online application with a low initial deposit of only RM500 and explore how the account can revolutionise your business operations and propel your SME towards a digital-led future. Find out more and apply
here!

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Shopee Generates About RM1 Billion In Sales Via Partnerships With Public Sector

Shopee revealed that it has generated about RM1 billion worth of sales for the country’s economy through its collaboration with various ministries, governmental agencies, associations, and state governments. In addition to this, the e-commerce platform has also helped more than 100,000 local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) bring their businesses online since the first movement control order (MCO) in March 2020.

In a statement, Shopee said that the strategic partnerships with the public sector were struck with the aim to help the business community recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly local MSMEs and petty traders. On top of offering special aids to help new sellers kickstart their digitalisation journey, Shopee also provided benefits – such as discounts, cashback vouchers, and advertising credits – to stimulate sales for its merchants.

(Image: New Straits Times)

Some notable campaigns born from these partnerships included Kempen Beli Barangan Malaysia with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), as well as the
PENJANA MSME E-Commerce Campaign
 and
PENJANA Shop Malaysia Online
 initiatives with the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC). Several state governments, too, have launched platforms such as the Johor e-Marketplace, Penang e-Mall, and Selangor eBazar Raya.

“The results of these meaningful partnerships show how the public sector teaming up with private entities like Shopee can yield tangible and sustained impact on Malaysia’s digital economy. By merging valuable insights and funding for sellers from our partners, along with our suite of integrated services and features like logistics, payments, Shopee Livestream and free Shopee University classes, we were able to help the local MSMEs achieve alternative sources of income and sustain livelihoods,” said the regional managing director of Shopee, Ian Ho.

Despite these achievements, Ho also emphasised that the collaborations must be prolonged for greater impact. He said that although Malaysia’s digital economy has certainly been accelerated by the pandemic, the country’s e-commerce contribution to total retail is estimated to stand only at 7% in 2020 – a number that pales in comparison to many other countries. China’s e-commerce, for instance, is valued at approximately 40% of its total retail, whereas the global estimate stands at 16%.

“As we can see, the digitalisation of the retail industry is still very much at its infancy, but we remain steadfast on capturing the potential of the Malaysian economy with its solid infrastructure and business-friendly environment. We hope to build on the current momentum and success of our partnerships with the public sector to not only grow Malaysia’s digital economy but also help with the revitalisation of the country’s larger economy,” Ho added.

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About THE AUTHOR

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Alex Cheong Pui Yin

Previously covered recruitment-related stories and had a short stint as a copywriter for the property industry. She subsequently developed an interest in investment and robo-advisors.

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The Ultimate Guide on Choosing the Right Tablet For Your Everyday Use

Shopping for a tablet? Now is a great time for you to buy one, as there’s plenty of year-end sales and new product launches going on. But, how do you pick the best tablet for your daily use? Don’t worry, we’ll help guide you in choosing the best tablet for your everyday use. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before you whip out your credit card to buy one:

How Much Should Your Budget Be?

How much you want to spend on your brand-new tablet depends entirely on you, and like any other gadget, a tablet’s price varies depending on the brand, list of specs, and even storage size. However, the most expensive tablet doesn’t mean it’s the best for your needs; and the cheapest one may not bring the most value for your money either.

So, identify your needs and start researching the array of tablets available in the market. Go through the reviews and compare a few tablets that offer the best value-for-money, and come out with an average amount that you feel most comfortable to spend on a tablet.

What Do You Need It For?

This is the most important question you need to ask yourself before buying a tablet; what will you use it for? Do you plan to use it for work? Do you only want a lightweight device that you can bring anywhere to access your Facebook account and watch Netflix on? Are you simply looking for a bigger screen to get your game freaks on?

What you’ll use your tablet for will also help to determine the budget you should set for it. If you only need it for browsing and basic gaming, then a mid-range tablet should do the trick for you. If you need something to fit in your pocket or handbag and access your work emails from anywhere, then perhaps a mini tablet such as
Huawei’s MediaPad T3 7-inch (3G)
 would suit you best.

Do You Prefer Using Data or WiFi?

It’s safe to say that all tablets come with WiFi connectivity to allow you to access the internet wherever you go – so long as the place you’re headed to offers WiFi service. But there are also tablet models that offer both WiFi and 3G (or 4G) connections through data cellular networks – which means you’ll always be connected to the internet as long as your data plan is active or have access to a WiFi connection.

This additional feature translates to a slightly higher price, but again, it all boils down to your needs. Do you need to always be connected to the internet for work? Do you travel a lot and don’t always get WiFi connection? If so, then it may be worth the extra money to get the dual-connection tablet model. Otherwise, consider getting the cheaper WiFi version and save your money for something else!

Are You Always On-The-Go?

Tablets come in plenty of sizes, some as big as 12 inches. The typical ones range between 7 to 10 inches, with the smaller (and usually lighter) size being the easiest to carry around if you’re always on-the-go.

Smaller tablets are also easier to handle, meaning you can read your favourite e-books and watch movies before bed or in tight spaces (such as a crowded train) with less fuss.

Do You Have Kids?

If you’re also buying a tablet for family use, you’ll need to make sure the tablet is child-friendly – which means it needs to come with a filter feature for browsers and apps as well as being durable (so it won’t break so easily when your child drops it).

It also makes sense to get a tablet that comes with a password-protect feature to ensure your children won’t gain access to apps or games that are not suitable for kids. Here’s also where tablets like
Huawei MediaPad T3 7-inch 3G
 can be the answer to your family-friendly tablet search.

Huawei MediaPad T3 7-inch 3G
 comes with Kids Garden app, which allows parents to set a password for usage, set a time limit for games, and even download child-friendly games and apps to keep your children entertained while educating them at the same time. What’s more, with its impressive battery capacity if 4,100mAh, your
Huawei MediaPad T3 7-inch 3G
 will still have enough power left for your usage.

Still Can’t Decide Which Tablet to Buy?

We understand, there are just too many options to choose from! But if you’re looking for a versatile yet powerful tablet, then be sure to check out the newly launched
Huawei MediaPad T3 7-inch 3G
.

It’s sleek and stylish design features a metal chassis with aviation-grade anodised aluminium for durability. It’s carefully tailored to provide maximum comfort in your hands, and at just 270g and 8.6mm, you can hold it for long periods of time without your arms aching!

The device sports a user-friendly Android 7.0 OS, and has an internal storage of 8GB. You can also boost the storage space with microSD card of up to 128GB. What’s really great about this mini-tablet is that each one goes through a rigorous quality control. This ensures you to have only the best user experience with its top-notch touchscreen, battery life, and durability.

Want to find out more and get in-depth specs on
Huawei MediaPad T3 7-inch 3G
? Click the below button to check out more details on this and other great devices from Huawei!

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Rent To Own Your First Home Today

Sometimes, the journey towards owning your first home can be a long one. Saving up enough money to make a purchase can be difficult, especially when you’re paying monthly rent for one place while trying to buy another. With traditional methods of home buying, you could easily fall in love with a newly launched property, only for the price to skyrocket by the time you can afford to make the purchase.

But here’s where FlexKey by S P Setia steps in and offers you a solution. FlexKey is a rent-to-own scheme that allows you to rent selected S P Setia property with the option to purchase it within five years. From the first year onwards, you can decide to convert your tenancy into a purchase agreement at its locked-in price from when you first rented it!

With all the benefits FlexKey has to offer, you’ll find yourself on the fast track to owning your very first dream home. FlexKey is open to Malaysian citizens who do not have more than one home financing at the point of application. To find out more about renting to own one of S P Setia’s properties, check out
FlexKey by S P Setia’s website
.

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5 Affordable Places You Can Get Your Xmas Outfits for RM100 or less

With one of the final public holidays of the year approaching in less than 3 days, it is indeed that time of the year for festive joy and cheer – especially when malls and eating establishments everywhere are blasting nothing but Christmas classics all day long.

Perhaps you may have been
busy with hostess duties
 or
shopping for gifts
 which is perfectly fine and all but the point at issue here is, have you had your Xmas outfit sorted out yet? If your answer is no and you are still looking for places that you can score an awesome outfit for a fraction of the usual price of an exclusive party dress, then read on!

Rent A Dress

Apart from sizing issues and the fact that you won’t be able to own the dress, renting a dress would make more sense from an economic standpoint. Imagine if you have splurged on a classy RM100++ dress, in which chances are, you would only wear that dress for that one Christmas brunch/luncheon or dinner and that’s it.

So, rather than having a dress would stay in your closet forever, opt for dress rental services like
Rent A Dress
 and
Belles & Tuxes
. Just make sure to return the dress in its original condition or else you can kiss goodbye your rental deposit.

Bundle/Pre-Loved Stores

Feel that bundle and pre-loved stores are dens of less than desirable, unhygienic clothing? It’s time to do away with that attitude and open your mind to all new possibilities. Bundle stores are a treasure trove for most fashion-forward individuals who do not want to stay confined to the usual mass-produced offerings found in a typical store and their advice in scoring a good deal?

Have patience and make frequent visits to different stores as not every store has the same selection of clothes in hand. Stores like
Jalan-Jalan Japan
 and
Bandoru
 are a great place to start!

Factory/Brand Outlet

Wearing an off-season dress is not fashion suicide as opposed to picking a particular style that is definitely not flattering for your body type nor conducive to the humid Malaysian weather. If you don’t mind doing a little bit of driving down south, you might be able to score some amazing bargains on branded party dresses without needing to pay for their full recommended retail price.

The only thing you will need to be concerned about is the throng of tourists who will be there to do their shopping too so outlets tend to be crowded, especially during weekends. Outlet stores like
Mitsui Outlet Park
 or
Freeport A’Famosa Outlet
 will carry a good mix of local and international brands for you to choose from.

Online Community Marketplace

No time to drop by a physical shop and worried that you won’t have enough time to order something from an online store? No worries, you can always turn to an online community marketplace and arrange for a COD (cash on delivery) payment so that you won’t need to worry about postage fees and that the item won’t arrive on time. Places that you can keep an eye out for include
Carousell
 and
Instagram
 shops.

Still, always do your due diligence and ensure that the online seller is reputable and verified before making a deal. This can help reduce the likeliness of you getting scammed online by an unscrupulous seller.

Fast Fashion Shops

Brand names like
H&M
 and
Monki
 have a selection of cool dresses under the price of RM100 so if you are familiar with their one for one deal, you may even bring a friend along and split the cost of the items that both of you want (so long as the item is similarly priced or priced lower).

Otherwise, it doesn’t hurt to head to
Forever 21
,
Bershka
 (which is a sister brand of
Zara
 by the way),
Cotton On
 and
Twenty3
 where you’ll find a myriad of dresses in different designs and styles. The only catch is since the dresses are priced so affordably that if you choose to delay your purchase, someone else might have already snapped up the dress that you have in mind especially when stocks are limited in size and design.

Anything Else That I Should Know?

Having said that, it pays to be a price-conscious and smart shopper when you are hunting for the perfect dress for your Christmas celebration. Certain brands would tie in with selected credit cards, offering exclusive discounts which will further reduce the amount that you would need to pay, giving you more savings and value along the way.

Best of all, some of the discounts happen all year round so you don’t need to wait for a festive occasion or a valid excuse to shop, anytime is a good time with the right credit card.

Don’t have a credit card yet? That’s fine, we have you all sorted out, all you need to do is to check out our
comparison tool
 for the latest and best Malaysia credit cards available in the market. Happy hunting and Merry Christmas in advance!

Are there any other reasonably-priced places for Christmas outfits or party dresses that you would like to add on to our list? Tell us, we would love to hear from you, just drop us a comment in the comment section below.

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Arnie Ruxana

Arnie Ruxana

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