SM Magazine November 2014 by komstudio8

NOVEMBER 2014

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NOVEMBER 2014

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NOVEMBER 2014

NOVEMBER

2014

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2014

November

Editor’s Note We’re almost at the tail end of 2014, folks! If you’re anything like us; you’re probably wondering where the year went. Before you know it; it’ll be the long school break, Christmas and New Year’s! What better time to unwind on holiday and take in a spot of shopping?

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Of course, retailers and the Tourism Ministry know this and the sneaky fellas are always on hand to trap us with delectable shopping deals during the Year End Sale that, as we type, has already begun! True to form at SaveMoney, we want you to enjoy the lifestyle you want yet still save money so this month’s instalment of the SaveMoney Mag brings you some of the best in shopping advice, tips and tricks to making the most of the Year End Sale. For those who like heading to the malls; our guide on Surviving the Year End Sale will be your incomparable companion whilst those who prefer to lounge at home and order new digs from Zalora will be pleased to read our Online Shopping Guide. Take your man on a special shopping trip too as we give you some suggestions on the best shopping haunts for men. Have lots of fun this November but always remember to spend responsibly. To ensure you don’t make the wrong money move to emulate the tycoon’s wife and her 1,000 shoes; we’ve also discussed why you shouldn’t take a personal loan to fund your shopping addiction. But whether you choose to spend a good chunk of November shopping or going on holidays with your loved ones (psst – you might want to check out our cheap flight buying tips in the SaveMoney Traveler section); we wish you a wonderful November!

XOXO Diana Chai

NOVEMBER 2014

Buying a Laptop on a Budget: Which One Suits Your Needs?

Laptops and You: What You Need to Know

NOVEMBER 2014

Shopping Edition

3. A Good Fitting Pair of Jeans You would be hard-pressed to find anyone claiming not to own a pair of jeans. This wardrobe staple is not only comfortable; it can be both modest and demure or sexy and exciting depending on the kind of fit you choose and the top you pair it with. The key is in finding a pair that suits your figure As much anyone would love to shop at Leviâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for the perfect denim, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not always possible when you are on a budget. Alternatively, you can drop by your nearest H&M, Mango or Cotton On for affordable options.

Cost: RM79 (women) and RM99 at Uniqlo Online

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Shopping Edition

5. Tank Tops Tank tops are extremely versatile and can be worn layered, on their own or as undergarments for a transparent outer layer. You can pair it with a cardigan or wear them on their own. Whichever you choose; the tank top is sure to be a wardrobe staple you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t regret buying.

Cost: RM39 at Cotton On

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Shopping Edition

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Shopping Edition

Be the Late Bird Now, while the early bird may get the worm (i.e.the early shopper may get the cream of the merchandise), the late bird can often get the better discounts. As the Mega Sale draws to an end, retailer desperation sets in; fearing that they may not be able to sell all their stock, prices are slashed even further. What was once going for 50% may be going for 80% off at sale’s end! So if you’re willing to wait, and you aren’t fussy about style, you can save up to hundreds of Ringgit by shopping close to (or even on) the end date of the Mega Sale.

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Shopping Edition

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Shopping Edition

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Shopping Edition

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Shopping Edition

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Shopping Edition

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Shopping Edition

NOVEMBER 2014

Hungry? Lazy?

NOVEMBER 2014

A Ride of Epic Proportions:

Honda Malaysia’s Journey with Standard Chartered KL Marathon

n 2011, two years after the inception of the Standard Chartered KL Marathon, Honda Malaysia joined one of Kuala Lumpur’s biggest running events as sponsor. Their presence as an iconic part of the race was fortified by the use of Honda cars as the event’s official vehicle. Honda cars play a vital role in the race as the lead car for the Full Marathon category; steering runners on the race route whilst carrying the current race time, allowing runners to keep track of timing. After just one year of successful collaboration, Honda Malaysia became the Gold Sponsor for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. As Gold Sponsor, Honda Malaysia enjoys naming rights to the Half Marathon category (21.1KM), which has been known as the Honda Half Marathon ever since the birth of the collaboration, in the Standard Chartered KL Marathon. The 2014 race marks the sixth installation of Standard Chartered KL Marathon and Honda Malaysia’s 2nd year as Gold Sponsor. Honda Malaysia has stayed as Gold Sponsor as the company believes that running a marathon brings out the Challenging Spirit in every runner, in line with its brand value and beliefs. The company is also supportive of the Marathon as it is part of a movement to promote healthy living amongst Malaysians. To date, the company continues to provide lead cars for the event. This year the introduction of the the Honda All New City which hit Malaysian markets in March 2014 added a touch of excitement to the race.

Introducing the Honda All-New City This year, the Standard Chartered KL Marathon saw an exciting new vehicle line-up which showcased the Honda All-New City. One of the most exciting releases in Honda’s car line-up for the year, the Honda All New City aims to make innovation affordable. The features of the car compliment the Race as well as consumers by and large by being innovative in design, economical and green. The Honda All New City retails for RM75,800 (base model). This latest generation of City is powered by the improved 1.5L SOHC i-VTEC engine (maximum power 120PS @ 6,600 rpm and maximum torque 145Nm @ 4,600 rpm) coupled with the advanced new Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) that was developed under Honda’s Earth Dreams Technology to provide the perfect combination of driving performance and fuel economy. Additionally, for the first time, the ECON mode is now a standard feature in the All-New City across all variants to further improve the vehicle’s fuel usage with the push of a button. To further provide convenience and practicality, the All-New City is equipped with advanced features such Smart Entry and Push Start button (E and V variant), Cruise Control (V variant), a 7” Display Audio with MirrorLink function (V variant), 8 Speakers (the most in its segment) (V variant), Multi Information Combination Meter, Rear Ventilation Air Conditioning (E and V variant), 2 USB Jacks (V variant), 3 Power Sockets (E and V variant), 8 Cup Holders and smart storage compartments. The advanced Steering Wheel Hands Free Telephone Control (S+, E and V variant) and Steering Wheel Voice Recognition Control (V variant) are connected with the vehicle’s infotainment system to provide convenience at the driver’s fingertips. For more features do check out Honda Malaysia’s website or head to your nearest Honda dealer to test drive one for yourself.

Reviewers Rave about the Honda All New City The All-New City received positive reviews from Malaysians who love its advanced features and unrivalled cabin and cargo space. The All-New City has set another new benchmark for Honda Malaysia when it received 10,000 bookings within 1 month from its official launch on 20 March 2014. The booking figure surpassed the previous record of 3,000 bookings within a month for the newly launched CR-V last year. However, the increased booking was no problem for the car manufacturer as the newly opened No.2 Line in Pegoh, doubled Honda Malaysia’s production capacity, and enabled flexible production scheduling that helped speed up production and shorten waiting time. This 4th Generation City is equipped with class-leading safety features including 6 airbags, VSA and ISO Fix while its trunk space is the largest in its segment at 536L. In addition, drivers can enjoy convenient and practical features such as Smart Entry, Push Start Button, Cruise Control, Touch Panel Auto Air-conditioning, Rear Air-conditioning, and entertainment enhancements such as the 7” Display Audio and 8-Speaker Audio System. Combined with the fuel efficiency and practicality, the All-New City is one of the most sought after sedans in Malaysia. Awarded 2 ASEAN ANCAP Awards for Best Adult Occupant Protection in Overall Category and Small Family Category.

NOVEMBER 2014

OCTOBER 2013

Haruskah Anda Mendapatkan

nda teringin untuk membuat permohonan kad kredit, tapi risau akan mengalami masalah hutang yang banyak? Ramai menganggap bahawa berhutang merupakan sesuatu yang tidak baik, tetapi sebenarnya

atau penyebab kejatuhan seseorang. HUTANG YANG TIDAK TERURUS ialah punca sebenar masalah kita semua. Hutang pada asasnya adalah sesuatu yang baik jika diuruskan dengan bijak. Tapi jika kita tidak mengambil peduli tentang hal kewangan sendiri, maka kesemua hutang ini akan bertukar menjadi hutang “buruk” (dan mimpi ngeri anda!). Jadi, baca tips-tips berikut untuk untuk mengelakkan diri anda daripada terjebak ke dalam femonena “hutang keliling pinggang”!

Peringatan Sebelum Memilih Kad Kredit

Kad kredit bukan pendapatan tambahan anda! Jadi jangan menambahkan perbelanjaan harian hanya kerana anda mempunyai kad kredit.

Cuba untuk menggunakan kad kredit anda secara minima dan segera langsaikan bil kad kredit bulanan anda untuk mengelakkan kadar faedah berganda.

Berhati-hati dengan hutang bulanan kad kredit anda. Jika anda gagal untuk membayar secara penuh setiap bulan, anda kena membayar faedah 13% p.a. – 18% p.a. sebulan!

Elakkan pembayaran lewat kerana ia mungkin mengakibatkan kehilang tawaran kadar faedah rendah, pembayaran denda penalti dan/atau menjejaskan penilaian kredit dan permohonan kad kredit anda dimasa hadapan.

Tidak pasti kad kredit yang sesuai untuk anda? Ragu-ragu tentang jenis kad kredit yang mana harus anda pilih? Cuba kuiz kad kredit kami di bawah! Kami akan melakukan sebaik mungkin untuk mencadangkan kad kredit terbaik untuk anda:

Soalan 1:

Adakah anda mampu melangsaikan hutang kad kredit sepenuhnya setiap bulan?

Pergi ke Soalan 2 untuk mengetahui cara untuk mengurangkan kadar bayaran faedah – dan seterusnya menjimatkan wang anda!

TIDAK

Tahniah! Oleh kerana anda mampu melangsaikan hutang kad kredit setiap bulan, anda tidak perlu risau dengan kadar faedah yang dikenakan bank. Sebaliknya, anda patut mencari kad kredit yang boleh menawarkan ganjaran untuk perbelanjaan anda. Misalnya, jika anda seorang penggemar wayang, maka carilah kad kredit yang memberikan anda ganjaran di panggung wayang.

Soalan 2: Adakah anda mampu melangsaikan hutang kad kredit sepenuhnya setiap bulan?

TIDAK YA

Cuba soalan 3. Cari kad kredit yang mempunyai promosi faedah 0% dengan tempoh yang lama!

Kad Kredit?

Diterjemah oleh: Balkish Rosly

Patutkah Saya Mendapatkan Kad Kredit (Walaupun risiko pemilikannya tinggi?) Seperti yang kami katakan di atas, kad kredit bukan punca masalah anda. Dengan sedikit disiplin, pemilikan kad kredit boleh memberi banyak manfaat kepada anda. Ia boleh membantu anda mengawasi perbelanjaan bulanan, menolong anda membuat bayaran sebelum gaji masuk, memberi pelbagai ganjaran dan juga boleh menolong anda menyimpan wang jika digunakan dengan bijak.

Tips

Memiliki Kad Kredit: 1. Ikut bajet bulanan dan pastikan anda langsaikan hutang kad kredit setiap bulan!

anda menggunakan kad kredit untuk mendapat 2. Jika pemindahan baki 0%, pastikan anda tidak terlepas bayaran minima yang perlu dibayar sepanjang tempoh 0% itu.

• Cuba membuka akaun direct debit untuk bayaran minima setiap bulan. Dengan cara ini anda boleh mengelakkan penalti lewat bayaran / kehilang faedah pembelian 0% • Pada saat anda membuat bayaran lewat, kurang daripada bayaran minima atau terlupa untuk membuat bayaran, anda akan terus hilang bonus kadar 0% dan akan dikenakan kadar faedah tertinggi untuk kad kredit jenis ini. Untuk pelan pembayaran mudah 0% selama 12 atau 24 bulan 3. yang selalu digunakan untuk pembelian seperti telefon bimbit,

perkakas rumah, dan lain-lain, sentiasa membuat bayaran tepat pada masa pada setiap bulan. • JIka tidak, anda akan kehilangan kadar 0% yang ditawarkan itu.

4. Pilih kad kredit yang boleh memberikan ganjaran kepada setiap perbelanjaan anda.

• Jika anda banyak berbelanja di tempat tertentu (contoh : anda selalu melancong / anda suka tengok wayang ), carilah kad kredit yang memberikan ganjaran dan keuntungan mengikut perbelanjaan anda.

Soalan 3: Adakah anda mempunyai disiplin untuk menukar kad untuk mendapat kadar faedah 0%, selalunya setiap 3 hingga 6 bulan?

TIDAK YA

Cuba soalan 4. Cuba untuk mendapatkan kad kredit yang memberi kadar faedah 0% paling lama. Selepas itu, tukar kad kredit anda dan dapatkan pindahan baki 0% (tempoh 0% selalunya 3 hingga 6 bulan) untuk memindahkan hutang anda ke kad yang baru tanpa dikenakan caj faedah langsung.

Soalan 4: Anda perlu menggunakan kad kredit namun tidak mampu membuat bayaran penuh dan tidak mampu memohon kad baru setiap kali tempoh promosi faedah 0% tamat? Pilihan terbaik untuk diri anda adalah untuk memohon kad kredit dengan kadar faedah paling rendah, dan elakkan kad kredit 0% .Ini kerana setelah tempoh 0% , kadar faedah akan meningkat lebih berbanding kadar faedah paling rendah kad kredit yang tersedia.

JimatCermat.my ialah laman penjimatan kewangan di Malaysia, kami sentiasa berusaha menyelidik cara-cara untuk anda menjimatkan wang tanpa mengubah cara hidup anda dan berjimat sekurang-kurangnya RM1,000 setahun!

NOVEMBER 2014

Country/Date

14th – 19th November 2014 12th – 17th December 2014 15th – 20th May 2015 (return ticket price incl. taxes and fees) (return ticket price incl. taxes and fees) (return ticket price incl. taxes and fees)

Jakarta, Indonesia

RM328 (via KLM)

RM373 (via KLM)

RM329 (via KLM)

Beijing, China

RM1,262 (via Cathay Pacific)

RM1,095 (via AirAsia)

RM1,262 (via Cathay Pacific)

Melbourne, Australia

RM1,750 (via Qantas)

RM1,818 (via AirAsia)

RM1,448 (via AirAsia)

New York, USA

RM2,781 (via Kuwait Airways)

RM3,731 (via Kuwait Airways)

RM3,387 (via Kuwait Airways)

London, United Kingdom

RM2,841 (via Kuwait Airways)

RM3,516 (via Etihad)

RM2,662 (via Vietnam Airlines)

• Use comparator websites such as Expedia, Kayak and the like. They are able to scan flight prices across a broader range of airlines. • Check prices at least 2 or 3 times before locking down your buy to get a feel of the average rates: what’s too high and what’s just right. Check at different times in the day as prices may vary. • An estimate of three months in advance is usually enough lead time to secure decent rates. Try not to travel during peak months. Different countries have different peak times according to the season. • Once you’ve bought your tickets; don’t keep looking. You’ll only make yourself heartsick and in any case; there isn’t a guarantee that the subsequent cheaper rate would be one you would have got!

NOVEMBER 2014

How to Use Opportunity Cost to Make Better Spending Decisions We want a lot of things: fancy shoes and clothes, the iPhone 6 (which mistakenly comes with a revolutionary bending “feature”), new furniture, new laptop; the list never ends. But for some others, the problem is less superficial: it's the difference between paying the rent or the grocery bill as they stretch their ringgit to breaking point. Whichever your situation; you may find the concept of opportunity cost can help make budgeting a little simpler. If you don't know what it means, here is the economic explanation of opportunity cost from Wikipedia: In microeconomic theory, the opportunity cost of a choice is the value of the best alternative forgone, in a situation in which a choice needs to be made between several mutually exclusive alternatives given limited resources.

Are you are scratching your head right now? Here is an example: Jamie has saved up RM100 to buy a new shirt for work. She came across a trendy new blouse that was very in fashion but not practical for everyday use. The blouse cost RM100 but the work shirt she originally intended to buy was marked down to RM70. In the end, Jamie choose what she initially set out to buy because she realised she would wear her work shirt more often (thereby getting more value for money) and she would save RM30 for something else. So, for a more practical shirt; Jamie's opportunity cost is being more trendy in a fancy blouse. Jamie would bear a higher opportunity cost if she bought the blouse because she will be paying more for an item of clothing she won't be wearing as often. Jamie made the right choice in this instance because the decision seemed an easy one. But there are times when the lines between which is better may be blurred. With that said, how do you use opportunity cost to your advantage?

When Considering Opportunity Cost 70% WISH LIST

1. Maintain a wish list

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Nowadays, shopping can be done at our finger tips no matter where we are, all thanks to online shopping sites. Most online stores come with a wishlist, so rather than sending it straight to check out, give yourself time to consider the items on your wishlist. Every now and then, discard items that you no longer want. In the end, your most wanted items will stay on the top of your wishlist.

2. Weigh potential options E SAOV NEY M

Avoid buying things out on a whim as you might come across better alternatives later or worse, find you didn't really want the item in the first place. Having the money doesn't mean that you should spend it. Sometimes, if an item really isn't an absolute must have; the money would do better lining your savings' account.

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3. Make the right choices Have you ever bought something and regretted it later? Everyone falls prey into impulsive purchases once in awhile. Whenever you sense the urge, always go back to tip number 1. It's wise to ask yourself, “Would I need this at any point in time?" If you cant decide, it wouldn't hurt to put it down and walk away.

4. Long-term value over quantity Whenever you consider the opportunity cost of an item; it is worth it to think about long term value. Which of the two items or options you are considering give you the most long-term value? You will receive long term value if you foresee yourself using it often and for a long period of time. This, minimising the opportunity cost from cutting off potential options.

Credit Cards + Personal Loans + Home Loans + Car Loans + Insurance + Internet. This was brought you by Denise Chan from RinggitPlus.com. RinggitPlus compares credit cards, personal loans and home loans to help Malaysians get more for their money. Disclaimer: This article is for information only. Nothing in this article is an endorsement, recommendation or suggestion of any banking, monetary or financial institution, product, service or security, in any form whatsoever. It is not, and shall not be construed as, an offer (that is capable of being accepted) of any credit card, or a solicitation or invitation to purchase or otherwise deal with any credit card issuer. The reader must obtain independent and appropriate financial, legal and other advice before dealing with any credit card issuer. This article does not constitute financial, legal or other advice. The views expressed are the writer's own, and do not reflect or incorporate the views of any entity within the Ascension Lab or Saving Experts Sdn. Bhd entities. Nothing in this article binds or incorporates the views of any Entity, or creates legal relationships between the reader and any Entity.

NOVEMBER 2014