SM Magazine November 2015 by komstudio8

Magazine November 2015

magazine

SaveMoney

Deepavali Edition

Magazine November 2015

Travel

Retirement

Deepavali

Contents 4

FINANCE • The Top 10 Credit Card List

Publisher

Saving Plus Sdn. Bhd. Redberry City, Lot 2A, Jalan 13/2, 46200 Petaling Jaya Selangor D.E., Malaysia.

• RinggitPlus and RHB Want to Give You a Car

• 4 Things We Love About Deepavali

Editorial

Diana Chai Austin Victor Ilyah Jamalludin Ahmad Mudhakkir Winnie Wu

• Glorious Mutton

Komalah Sithamparam Tag Teoh Sreenavin Sreedhran

• I Just Can’t Afford to Get to Work! Can You? • World’s Most Expensive Cats

Advertising

LIFESTYLE • The Dreaded Retirement Myths that are Putting Your Twilight Savings at Risk

Design

Emylia Anwar Lucas Ooi Vincent Leong Fikri Kamarudin

SM DEEPAVALI EDITION

• How Scholarships Help Build a Better Malaysia

SAVEMONEY TRAVELLER • Travel Accommodation Booking Tips with Airbnb

SAVEMONEY TOP PRODUCT TABLES

Welcoming a New Savemoney For all brands, a time for refreshing will come. As we looked to upgrade your reader experience and bring ever more useful, entertaining content to both your screen and reading tables; a change was definitely in order. A New Look If you’ve been checking out our site in the past month, you may have already noticed a new look Savemoney. Gone are the crowds of boxes and competing spaces and enter a new clean look that puts our articles in the forefront – for your easy navigation. The magazine has been equally refreshed to match the site’s clean lines and no-fuss interface. Both the design and functionality aims to do one thing – to give you an easy reading experience to get all the same goodness Savemoney articles have always offered. The Same Value Content – Putting You First It has always been the Savemoney way to either entertain you or help you make the best decisions for your money yet not compromising the life you want to lead. The keyword then, now, and always will be, is YOU! If it matters to you and your money; it matters to us! The site navigation is based on a list of just 9 main topics but if you’re keen on a particular issue or type of article – clicking on one of the tags on the header image will take you to all content related to that tag. Finding your favourite content has never been easier! Make Your Voice Heard Because our content if based on what matters to you – we want to hear from you! We’re upgrading, changing and tweaking the site every day to bring you only the most relevant stories, tips and tricks in the clearest way possible so tell us what you want to see next on the site; tell us if we’ve missed something; but most importantly, tell us how you feel about your money. Drop us a comment on an article page, on Facebook or email us at theeditor@savemoney.my.

Magazine November 2015

BUDGET

2016 RM 267.2BIL

ALLOCATION

BR1M • RM400 for single persons above 21 with incomes below RM2,000 • RM1,050 for persons under e-Kasih with income below RM1,000 • RM1,000 for households with income below RM3,000 • RM800 for households with income below RM4,000 • RM1500 per parent for working children supporting parents (parent’s income below RM2000)

Education • RM100 aid for school-going children in households with income below RM3,000. • RM250 1Malaysia book voucher for students to continue RM3.7 billion for MARA to sponsor 72,000 Bumiputera students in higher education. • RM38.5 million to promote a dual language programme (Bahasa Malaysia and English) in 300 schools.

GST Exemption • Controlled medicine (A, B, C, and D class) for over 30 types of ailments • Milk powder for infants (including soy and organic based) • Small business start-up registrations • Teaching material • Prepaid reloads (to be paid but rebated to user)

Tax Relief • RM2,000 for each child below 18 • RM4,000 for non-working spouse • RM1,500 for each supported parent

above 60 • RM8,000 for each child above 18 in education institution • RM14,000 for disabled children in education institution RM

Housing • RM1.6bil for 175,000 units of PR1MA

homes PR1MA homes are 20% cheaper than market value • RM200mil allocated for 10,000 units or Rumah Mesra Raykat with subsidy of RM20,000 per home

Magazine November 2015

Magazine November 2015 11

Magazine November 2015

Sponsored

Magazine November 2015 13

Magazine November 2015

Magazine November 2015 15

Previous Rates

New Rates

LDP

RM1.60

RM2.10

Semenyih Exit

SILK

RM1.00

RM1.80

Kajang Selatan

RM1.10

RM1.30

Senai Exit

DUKE

RM2.00

RM2.50

Pajam

RM2.30

RM2.80

Mantin

RM3.50

RM4.30

Setul

RM4.50

RM5.40

Kajang Selatan

RM2.80

RM3.40

Semenyih

RM2.30

RM2.80

Mantin

RM1.70

RM2.00

Setul

RM2.50

RM3.10

Kajang Selatan

RM4.00

RM4.80

Semenyih

RM3.50

RM4.30

Pajam

RM1.70

RM2.00

Penawar Exit

Setul

RM1.50

RM1.80

Toll Highways

MEX Salak South

RM1.50

RM2.00

Putrajaya

RM2.50

RM3.50

KLK Gombak

RM5.00

RM6.00

Bentong

RM3.00

RM3.50

LATAR Ijok, Kuang, Templer SMART

RM2.00 RM2.00

RM2.50 RM3.00

NPE Pantai Dalam

RM1.60

RM2.30

PJS 5

RM1.60

RM2.30

BESRAYA

Toll Highways

Previous Rates

New Rates

Pajam Exit

Mantin Exit

Setul Exit RM4.90

RM6.00

RM1.90

Semenyih

RM4.50

RM5.40

Pajam

RM2.50

RM3.10

RM1.20

RM1.70

Mantin

RM1.50

RM1.80

Alam Impian

RM0.60

RM0.90

AKLEH

RM1.50

RM2.50

Prai

RM1.30

RM1.50

Bagan Ajam

RM1.20

RM1.50

Sungai Nyior

RM0.50

RM1.20

Batu 9

RM1.00

RM1.30

Batu 11

RM0.90

RM1.30

RM1.50

RM2.50

Damansara

RM1.00

RM2.00

Bukit Kiara

RM2.00

RM3.00

RM1.30

RM2.00

GUTHRIE

RM1.40

Seri Muda

LKSA

BORR

GRAND SAGA

SPRINT Pantai

LEKAS Kajang Selatan Exit Semenyih

RM1.10

RM1.30

Pajam

RM2.80

RM3.40

Mantin

RM4.00

RM4.80

Sentul

RM4.90

RM6.00

Previous Rates

New Rates

Ulu Tiram

RM3.70

RM4.50

Cahaya Baru

RM7.60

RM9.20

RM11.20

RM13.50

Senai

RM3.70

RM4.50

Cahaya Baru

RM4.70

RM5.60

Penawar

RM8.20

RM9.90

Senai

RM7.60

RM9.20

Ulu Tiram

RM4.70

RM5.60

Penawar

RM5.90

RM7.20

Senai

RM11.20

RM13.50

Ulu Tiram

RM8.20

RM9.90

Cahaya Baru

RM5.90

RM7.20

SENAI-DESARU

Kajang Selatan

Mines (North & South)

Toll Highways

Penawar Ulu Tiram Exit

Cahaya Baru Exit

Magazine November 2015

World’s Most

EXPENSIVE

CATS

USD15,000 (RM64,500) USD125,000 (RM537,500)

By Ilyah Jamalludin

The most expensive yet controversial breed, Ashera is considered the rarest cat in the world. It is a hybrid of African serval, the Asian leopard cat and a domestic house cat. The cat is very intelligent, affectionate and loyal to its owners. However, it has been said that through DNA testing, Ashera cats do not exist. It is simply a Savannah breed being sold under a different name and four times the real price!

Ashera Cat

Savannah Cat

The Savannah cat is an exotic breed that is a hybrid of the African serval and a domestic cat. It is easily identified by its striking spotted coat, which can vary from brown, tan or black with dark spots and its large tall ears. Extremely loyal in nature, Savannah cats are often likened to dogs. They are a curious and adventurous breed and is also known as one of the healthiest breeds of cats in the world

USD1,500 (RM6,450) USD50,000 (RM215,000)

Cats are intelligent creatures and make adorable pets. Being one of the most popular animals chosen as pets, it is no wonder how much cat lovers are willing to pay for their animal companion.

Perhaps one of the most popular cats on the list, these cool cats have long and soft fur with a short cute nose and round face. The expensive price is worth every penny as they make exceptional companions and are very even-tempered. However, they require serious commitment due their their long coat which is prone to become tangled and unattractive if not groomed regularly. Something most cat owners won’t mind doing!

With prices for these coveted creatures costing thousands of ringgit, let’s have a look at some of the most expensive cat breeds in the world.

Bengal Cat

Allerca Hypoallergenic Cat

These hybrid of domestic feline and Asian Leopard cat are extremely beautiful, thanks to their sharp and large spotted coat, a light or white belly and wild appearance. For this breed, those separated by at least four generations from its crossing, is best known for their affectionate nature. They also have low-maintenance grooming, low shedding and are very playful. One of the most special quality of the Bengal cat is that they are not afraid of water and rather enjoy taking a swim now and then. With a Bengal, there is certainly no scratching during bath time!

USD1,000 (RM4,300) – USD25,000 (RM107,500)

USD500 (RM2,150) – USD5,500 (RM23,700)

Persian Cat

This breed is listed as one of the most expensive cats in the world for 2015. Its price tag is worth it as this breed is safe for people with cat allergies. Researchers were able to delete or disable the genetic factor which causes most human cat sensitivities, thus the Allerca hypoallergenic cat was born!

USD1,000 (RM4,300) – USD25,000 (RM107,500)

Peterbald Cat

With its hefty price, this breed is perfect for those who have other pets at home as they have a very friendly demeanour. They are fairly easy to spot by their slim and muscular body with their narrow head and large ears. This breed is a cross between an Oriental Shorthair and a Don Hairless, which is exactly why they have a very short coat or can sometimes even be bald. They are curious, smart and highly energetic so playtime is a must!

around USD6,000 (RM26,000)

Magazine November 2015 17 The most sought-after breed of cats other than the Persian, the Scottish Fold is easily recognised by its folded ears. Despite being folded, the ears of the Scottish Fold are fully functional. A playful breed, they enjoy playing fetch every now and then.

Toyger stands for “Toy Tiger” because this specific breed resembles a miniature tiger. However make no mistake, they have far different personalities.

They are known for their soft voices and the habit of sleeping on their back. Even cuter, they are also known for sitting in the Buddha position; on their bottom with their paws resting on their belly! Simply precious!

This breed is known for its wonderful temperament as it is highly affectionate, intelligent and friendly with children and strangers.

USD400 (RM1,720) – USD3,000 (RM12,900)

The Manx breed has a gene mutation that shortens the tail or renders them entirely tailless. This unique breed comes in a variety of colours and patterns. A wonderful household companion with a fun-loving, active personality, Manx cats get along well with other pets, enjoy a good game of fetch and are exceptional jumpers.

USD800 (RM3,450) - USD4,000 (RM17,230)

Manx

Sphynx Cat

Probably one of the most unique cats on the list, a Sphynx is a hairless breed with very soft skin. Some said that despite its lack of fur, it is not completely hairless. They have a coat commonly known as peach fuzz. Sphynxes are known for their outgoing personalities and affection for their owners. They enjoy cuddling due to their lack of fur and are constantly looking for a heat source. But its uniqueness comes at a price because they require special treatment and care due to their special nature and character.

USD400 (RM1,720) – USD3,000 (RM12,900)

Scottish Fold

Russian Blue Cat

Another exclusive cat breed is the Russian Blue. They are known for their dense silver-blue coat and vivid green eyes. This breed loves attention but tend to be shy around people they don’t know. The Russian Blue breed has a playful disposition and enjoys chasing toys as much as spending time with its owners. They are also well-behaved and easy to train.

USD400 (RM1,720) – USD3,000 (RM12,900)

California 12 Toyger Spangled Cat

This breed is a cross of the Abyssinian, American Shorthair and British Shorthair. It is famous for its resemblance to the wild leopard. They are appreciated for their wild appearance and in contrast, affectionate personality. They are very athletic and curious but at the same time loving and devoted to their owners. They also have great hunting skills so beware of the “dead bird present” on your front porch.

USD400 (RM1,720) – USD3,000 (RM12,900)

Magazine November 2015

How Scholarships Help Build a Better Malaysia How Scholarships Help Build a Better Malaysia

There are a few things about education that Malaysians of every walk of life will know to be true. The first, that it (education) is integral to securing a good job and future; but secondly, that you will go broke trying to pay for your children to have it. This reality underpins the desperate struggle low to middle income parents and students face as they prepare their financial resources for the onslaught that is a college tuition fee. For many, the chance at higher education never does come as they leave school to work or help their parents supplement an income hovering over the poverty line. But more heart-wrenching than the story of an impoverished family; is the fact that within it may have been the spark of talent, ingenuity or intelligence that could spur the country and change the fates of many. But we’ll never know because they were never afforded the chance to shine.

How Scholarships Help Many Malaysian youths are living with the prospect of never being able to afford higher education. With no financial backing, they have little hope of obtaining the qualifications they need to propel them into life-changing careers. Scholarships help put all Malaysians regardless of financial standing on a level playing field to make it or break it based on their wits. The country’s next math genius; doctor extraordinaire; tech marvel or award-winning artist could be lurking in the child who wasn’t given a chance. Maybe it’s time we give them a chance.

Giving the Gifted a Chance The internet has made a lot of things in life much easier and scholarship hunting is no different. Thanks to the new one-stop-shop for scholarships, Scholarships2u; you can find just what you need for your child, or yourself. Scholarships2u was designed to bring all available scholarships to one platform and enable students to find the right one for them based on both needs and merit. The one-stop gateway features a constantly updated list of available scholarships; hassle-free application with independent tests; and a comprehensive list of partner schools to cover most every area of study imaginable. The site’s easy, one-click interface also takes the lengthy application process out of conventional scholarship applications; making it easier than ever for you to apply widely and find just the fund for you.

RinggitPlus Gives Back Joining forces with Scholarships2u; our sister site RinggitPlus.com is sponsoring four scholarships with four different institutions with a total of RM245,000. Responding to the need for scholarships to not only help Malaysian start-ups and companies fill their employee registers with the best and brightest; the scholarships are designed to reward those truly gifted regardless of economic background. With the aim of providing a world class education to deserving youths; Ringgitplus hopes to nurture a future pool of talented graduates, potential leaders and celebrated professionals. The RinggitPlus scholarships are available on Scholarships2u.com and are awarded via the following institutions for specific courses:

Secondary School Scholarships worth AUD$20,000 at St Paul’s International College, Australia. Four scholarships are available in this category.

A-Level Programme Scholarships worth RM25,000 at St John’s International School, Malaysia. Five scholarships are available in this category.

Provost Scholarships for Diploma, Degree, and Masters Programmes worth RM100,000 at Malaysia University of Science and Technology. Ten scholarships are available in this category.

Diploma Scholarships worth AUD$20,000 at the Australia Institute of Business and Technology (AIBT). Four Scholarships are available in this category.

Each scholarship will require the applicant to sit for an exam which will be conducted as provided in the individual links above.

Do Your Part If a scholarships is what you need or if you know someone who could use the help - pass the info on! Alternatively, if you are a business entity or corporation looking for a worthy cause to inject some much needed donations - we can’t stress more on the importance of allowing more students to benefit from a good education. Help us build a better Malaysia through the fortification of our number 1 resource - Our People.

Magazine November 2015 19

Your Childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gateway to Higher Education Discover the Opportunities to Success!

Getting your child a scholarship to fulfill their dreams at prestigious higher learning institutions has never felt easier. Scholarships2.com is offering over 20 types of scholarships to students who aim to make a positive change in their communities â&#x20AC;&#x201C; brought to you by RinggitPlus.com APPLY TODAY AT

Participating Universities

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Magazine November 2015

Travel Accommodation

Booking Tips with Airbnb By Austin Victor

f you happen to share the same passion as this writer for travelling abroad, this is an article you’ll want to read. Accommodation makes up one of the largest parts of a holiday budget but the truth is you would be most likely spending most of your time outdoors. Knowing this, you would most probably find the idea of living in unbelievably expensive hotels a little foolhardy. Unless you’ve travelled half-way across the world to be pampered in luxury hotels the entire day, you certainly have websites like Airbnb to thank for making available considerably affordable short-stay price tags.

Whereas in London,

However, you’re going to need to put on your thinking caps and get your discerning eye in order when booking on Airbnb because it’s just as easy for someone to play host as it is to make a booking. Deals on Airbnb is very possible. Check out our tips on booking with them.

1. Unravel All Hidden

Charges

We’ve all heard this a thousand times – always read the fine print. In this case would be to analyse your booking page so you don’t pay for things you won’t need. While making a booking, be sure to keep your needs in mind, like for instance it is natural to charge for water usage in France – don’t know about you, but I’d like to take a shower where I’m going to be sleeping and not by the neighbourhood fountain. Some tenants across the globe even charge cleaning fees as well as service charge – for instance when this writer stayed at a home in London, a cleaning lady attended to all housekeeping matters on a daily basis. You’d find that some of these charges are completely ridiculous, like a charge for basic kitchen necessities like bread, butter and coffee – and some who have empty kitchens where you would need to buy and use your own supplies. If you happen to be travelling in large groups and do rent a vehicle abroad, keep in mind that some tenants charge for parking that can add up to quite a sum. So it is true that nothing comes free in life, but when they do – it most certainly is welcoming.

2. Read Reviews So you’ve eliminated all hidden charges to suit your needs and you’ve found a place that you like – the next step where hotels are concerned would typically be booking, but not with Airbnb. Once a traveller completes his stay at a hosted accommodation, the Airbnb application prompts one to leave a review and rating of the stay behind – this is where you get to dig out dirt if there is any. The review covers host responses, condition of the stay, kitchen, location and most importantly toilets which seem to be quite the problem across most accommodations. By reading reviews, you would be able to get a glimpse of any shortcomings that require you to spend during your stay – a perfect example of this was when this writer stayed in Paris, his host’s mother prepared home cooked food whenever she could (which I found out through reviews). Whereas in London, this writer picked a house that was equipped with all necessities, even a fully stocked kitchen where cereal, milk and coffee were all on the house. It did cut a little cost because there was no need to have breakfast outside. Some host’s do not put these things up on their home page, but you would be able to understand many things from reviews, where normal people like you and I help others pick a spot that suits their needs best.

3. Be in Contact with

Your Host

Before making that booking, contact your host for details you are unsure about or simply sound a little iffy from reviews. While in Paris, this writer looked up the neighbourhood he was going to be staying over and found out that it was quite dingy from travel blogs and news. But a quick chat with the host made it very clear what to expect. He even offered to provide transportation to and from the train station. Apart from that, it also allows you to get to know your host a little better and he or she would be able to provide pretty interesting tips and tricks on your visit around the city.

this writer picked a house that was equipped with all necessities, even a fully stocked kitchen where cereal, milk and coffee were all on the house.

Whilst in London, this writer was not able to meet up with the host as he hardly makes an appearance around his three story townhouse. By contacting him prior, important details were made crystal clear; such as how to get past the security mechanism at the front door before getting a set of keys inside. The host had also kindly informed me that there would be no toilets on the floor where I was staying and I would have to go up two floors to use it. This was not mentioned in the host’s home page – so if you happen to be particular about these things, it is of utmost importance that you be in contact with your host.

4. Do Your Home Work! While we wish that you could solely depend on information that you source from your host’s home page or through a little chat – nothing beats having done your own reconnaissance of your desired stay. This section is also important to avoid unnecessary spending for transport, bites (munchies) around the house or for a quick meal. Always make sure you have public transport, 24-hour grocery store, or little family restaurants nearby to help with these petty problems. Although the availability of these things vary across the board and depends on the location that you choose, some might be smack in the middle of the big city (probably costs a fortune) or in the outskirts of town (might be cheaper).

5. Book Away! These booking tips with Airbnb are meant to save you a couple of bucks and to prevent vacation frustrations due to petty little problems which we could certainly do without. It also makes sure you maximise what you pay for and get your money’s worth because with the poorly performing Ringgit, nothing is more important than cutting back where ever possible.

Magazine November 2015 21

Magazine November 2015