Elizabeth Tai's Blog, page 6

Job Hunting: 10 tips learned from 10 tough lessons

Are you a unicorn? Many companies are looking for one during tough times - a team squeezed into one, presumably cost-effective package. Spoiler alert: These people don’t exist. See point 10.

So, I’m one of those rare creatures who have worked for one company for more t...

Monthly Money Diary and Reflections: January 2021

Happy Chinese New Year, my Chinese readers! Staying true to my Chinese roots, I’m talking about money on the first day of the Lunar New Year. (chuckle)

As I mentioned in my first money diary post, I’m not a tracking kind of person. I find the act itself tedious, and it’s common for me to be on fire for a couple of days tracking something … only to have it fizzle out after a week. So, the fact that I managed to loyally track my expenses for an entire freaking month (ok, 3 weeks), is a huge achieve...

Slow blogging: The anti-hustle method of writing for the web

I think of slow blogging as the mindful approach to blogging. You’re not hustled or harried to produce, produce and produce. Instead, you sit, observe the world and reflect … and then you share your thoughts - the right ones, and at the right time.

To get noticed in a...

Kicking off my Monthly Money Diaries: 2020 financial year in review

I spend a lot of money eating out in general. And I’m not ashamed about it.

I love reading money diaries. Some of my favourites are Refinery 29’s Money Diaries, and I Pick Up Pennies’, Suraya’s and Fununemployed’s monthly financial updates. I also enjoy reading Tread L...

Lessons from 2020: A year of resilience, recovery and reflection

Every year I set out to reflect on the year that was to prepare for the year to come. 2019 was no different. At the start of 2020 I bravely set out to list the number of habits I’d like to cultivate this year.

Well, (cough) a little pandemic scuttled that pretty quickly.

I chuckle a little at that brave list now - somewhere...

3 big reasons why solopreneurs should not use Wordpress

As a solopreneur, youd want to maximise your time for your business. Your website should enable that, not suck time away from you.

If youre a creative entrepreneur who wants to create a website to sell your services or products, a casual search on Google would probably bring up articles with recommendations that trumpet: Use Wordpress!

I think Wordpress is a great content management system (CMS). Ive used it for years. However, if you're a solo entrepreneur like a freelance writer,...

I hate what blogging has become: Reflections after a blogging break

These days blogs are more about advertising and marketing people or for brands. I’m bitter about that.

This is probably not the title you’re expecting to see after I come off my months-long hiatus from blogging. But maybe some of you are not surprised either.

For weeks ...

Simple living hack: The benefits of growing an edible garden

The community garden where I get down with the dirt.

Last year, someone asked me what I did to relax. I said: I blog, write fiction and read. Sometimes, I love to go to a cafe to read and journal for hours. Her reaction surprised me.

“That doesn't sound fun. What do you...

How the CliftonStrengths and VIA personality tests can help you find your dream career

When I was a teenager, like a million other teens, I didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up. So, I tried to discover that by taking jobs in various industries I was interested in. I started working when I was 16. By the time I was 20, I had already worked as a customer service person, telemarketer, accounts clerk,...

How to overcome your fear of investing

Many people tell you that you shouldn't park your finances in a low-interest savings account and that you should start investing so that your money won’t depreciate to nothing because of inflation.

But then, you get worried when you hear stories about people losing chunks of money in the stock market. What if you make the ...