Elizabeth Tai's Blog, page 4

Saving and investing in pre-apocalyptic times

Suraya of Ringgit Oh Ringgit recently asked, “Why should I save when the future is so uncertain?”

If there’s anything I learned from the last two years, our futures are up to the mysterious Man in the sky.

We may plan to our hearts’ content, but a doctor’s diagnosis or an autocrat’s ambition c...

Goodbye, 2021. We won't miss you

I have learned my lesson. When 2021 began, I didn’t set any resolutions. All well-laid plans are at the mercy of COVID-19, and well, fate.

Still, a part of me thought that 2021 will be a better year. I mean, seriously, how can it get any worse than a pandemic sweeping the globe? Amirite?

The ye...

Don't be a Scrooge with your home

Here’s Mr. Cat judging you for your financial decisions.

“Why are we living like paupers?”

My friend’s question caught me off guard. We were having our usual weekly dinner at our favourite swanky Chinese restaurant. I was enjoying my RM25 fri...

How to change your life: Hop before you leap

Good morning from Penang!

I’m listening to jazz music, typing in my new home office with a view of the trees, ocean and hills. Frankly, I didn’t know that people could live affordably in a place as beautiful as this. I thought it was for the rich and connected. But here I am, in an apartment just right for one person and two cats. I’ve always been curious about the digital nomad life, so this was a good opportunity to “test pilot” it to see if I will like this lifestyle.

Here’s the view from my of...

Can faith be simple?

It’s Sunday. I'm at my favourite cafe sipping my coffee, al fresco dining. Instead of plonking myself in a church (virtually, as Malaysia is still grappling with rising COVID-19 infection numbers), I am thinking about faith matters as I usually do. On this day of the week, I journal, read blogs or articles and talk to God...

Co-living experience: Komune Living

Photo from Komune Living

After so many lockdowns in Malaysia, I’m absolutely missing the freedom of being able to just pack my bags and head off to a hotel or a lovely apartment for my staycations. Fortunately, the restrictions are being loosened this week. So, this f...

Why you should stop watching the news

One week in August I found myself waking up almost daily with a racing heart at 3am. I would bolt awake, heart racing, thoughts whirling, my head filled with apocalyptic possibilities.

After many days of this, I got up one sleepless morning, opened my laptop and destroyed my access to the news.

"Destroy'' may be an overdram...

My experience with a financial planner

When it comes to managing my finances, I am mostly self-taught. A lot of my personal finance principles were cobbled from books, videos, influencers and Internet articles.

I read my first personal finance book way back in the early 2000s. It was by a local author whose name I now don't remember, but his number one strategy for attaining good financial health was through aggressive saving. His investment strategy of choice? Fixed deposits. 

Yes, I can almost see you wincing. The advice is horribly ...

Recommended Personal Finance blogs in Malaysia

The personal finance blogging world in Malaysia is growing, which is a great thing for Malaysians hungry for knowledge.The list below contain blogs that are run and written by people, not corporations, that share personal experiences on finance. Here are some of my recommended personal finance blogs:

Personal Finance Blogs combining Money, Simplicity or Intentional Living

These bloggers are not just concerned about achieving financial success but to carve a purposeful life that is friendly to the...

The Minimalists: Less is Now ... when minimalism becomes a brand

“It’s a giant ad for the Minimalists",” commented Youtuber Undine Almani.

That pretty much sums it up about the documentary, The Minimalists: Less is Now.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus aka The Minimalists, are well-known minimalism lifestyle influencers from the United States. They have books, podcasts, films … ...