Boy: I went to a friend's place in the evening. He has a big radiogram!
Boy: It would be fun if we were to have a radiogram... We could listen to a lot of records!
Father: Radiograms are expensive. We can't afford it.
Yes, those were the days indeed.
The cartoon above is taken from Town Boy
, a nostalgic work about life in the 50s by acclaimed Malaysian cartoonist Lat. I decided to immortalise it here for it reminds me of a scene we seldom see today. A scene long ago when Malay men were noble heads of the household who did not expose their families to debt and installments.If this cartoon were to depict the life of a typical Malay family today, it would have most probably ended with the dad taking out an installment plan on that radiogram.
Yes, there has been plenty of jokes about Malays and installments.
There were rumours going around not too long ago that salespeople at furniture and appliance shops were instructed to hide price tags whenever they see a Malay customer walking in. They were told to display an installment plan instead.
At first I thought that this was just another one of those tales to beguile the Malay community. Such a policy of displaying installment plans for Malays, but normal prices for other races would be downright discrimination. Surely this humiliating story is nothing but just a rumour?
Well guess what.
All ads taken from Berita Harian and Straits Times, 2nd March 2008
Examine the prices on these ads carefully. One set is taken from a Malay paper while the exact same ads, with exactly the same products, are taken from an English paper.
The Installment Culture
Taking up loans is now such a way of life for the Malay community that even businesses are realising this disconcerting anomaly and have catered their marketing messages accordingly.
I'm not sure about you, but I find the situation above extremely humiliating. No one can deny that the habit is spreading like cancer in the Malay community. From cars, to furniture, to jewellery and even wedding expenses. Installments are now the norm rather than the exception. And some are even very proud of it.
Flip the Malay paper today and you will find numerous advertisements for $1-deposit cars, buy-now-pay-later gold bracelets and $12-a-month mobile phones. Amusingly, there is also a letter in the forum pages by one Osman Ibrahim who is suggesting that the Government implement an installment plan for the lost Identity Card fee.
Indeed the signs are clear for those who wish to see.
The Storm Ahead
A community heavily laden with debt is a community at the edge of trouble. Being surrounded by loans and installments increases your chances of being a financial delinquent. All it takes is just one emergency or an unforeseen circumstance such as an accident, retrenchment or disease before your whole world comes crashing down. Things may look rosy today, but many in the Malay community has never thought about the weather tomorrow when taking on that car loan.
And it does not take a genius to tell you that being a financial delinquent would mean being a liability to society. A breadwinner struggling to settle the compoundingly mounting debts around him would most likely not be able to fulfill his family's financial obligations.
Marriages have been torn apart and families have been broken due to financial delinquencies. In a community facing a host of social problems, financial delinquents are just adding on to the statistics. The future is a scary thought indeed. Sadly many do not see this yet.
Action Now
Stay out of debt and spread this message. This culture of taking out installments for things that we cannot yet afford has to stop. Double-standard advertisements is the clearest sign yet that this fixation for installments is a plague that our community has to overcome. There is nothing honourable in owning something you have not yet paid for - be it a $60,000 car, a $16,000 grand wedding or a $600 bracelet.
It is much more noble to live within you means, than to live a life of debt.
Action Now. Watch this space.
The Bankrupt Mat
Unspoken Numbers
Car Bazaar
Posts
It is completely illogical that courts mammoth can produce different prices for the same products. Then how are customer going to pay? Based on the ad? They go to the store and show the ad and pay according to the price of the ad of which they received?
ReplyDeleteNo la,
ReplyDeleteIt's the same price.
In the English paper they put the cash price. (eg $1198)
But the Malay paper they put the installment price (eg $11 a week)
But its exactly the same product.
It's like trying to say that Malays cannot afford it, or Malays like to "hutang". I find it discrimination sey.
Oh my God! Look at the first item, the home entertainment set. The Malay paper highlights a price of $3.13 a week for 48 months. That means the set would cost $600.96 on installment. The English paper highlights the case prize of only $379. That’s like a fucking big difference right?!! $600 vs. $379. Almost double sei… Thanks for pointing this out. I wonder when Malays will wake up. Worse still are those mats who drive cars. So proud yet they don’t know people are laughing at them for owing the bank so much money and paying so much interest.
ReplyDeleteI agree. That's just too humiliating for words.
ReplyDeleteIt all comes down to the whole "Biar papa asal bergaya" mentality. I'm proud of who we are, but not what we have become.
Oh and hey I read Lat, too! Got a stack of the comics at home. Been some time since I looked at them. Hahha....
ReplyDeleteHey nashe* i read Lat too.
ReplyDeleteagree with you on the "biar papa, asal bergaya" mentality. ridzwan wrote about it in the essay, The Bankrupt Mat. have you read it? It's a good piece.
i actually covered a piece on this issue too. not as good as yours though but on the same topic.
ReplyDeletegood to know i'm not the only one who feels something not right about this.
".....Worse still are those mats who drive cars...."
ReplyDeleteI am a Malay guy, So I suppose I am a Mat. And I drive a car.
By defination, I am a Mat who drives a car.
Are you refering to me ?
With regards
Mat Jambul
This is discrimination pure and simple. It is illegal in many developed countries to have the identical same product selling for two different prices.
ReplyDeleteWould you want to bring this up to one of the PAP MPs who represents the minority community - e.g. Mdm Halimah Yacob?
Would be a good test of our leadership's committment to protecting the rights of the minorities in Singapore
Buying things that they don't need is not restricted to the Malays only. It is the Singapore lifestyle and perhaps in most modern cities. The only difference is how they pay for it. The Chinese I have noticed prefer taking large loans from the banks (eg. renovation loans) to fulfill their materials wants, whereas the Malays prefer installments direct from the seller.
ReplyDeleteYes buying things that we don't need on credit is smth that happens across all races.
ReplyDeleteBut owing money for it seems to be a nagging Melayus problem. Just look at headlines across the causeway and you will know what i mean.
The fact that right here, in Singapore, we have advertisements that practice a special installment price tag for Melayus, is signal enough that even other races are recognising this problem.
Melayus have to wake up
there's nothing different with the prices! They're the same - paying with installments commands interest.
ReplyDeleteBut I think it is an interesting observation, though I'm not sure if I'll call it discrimination. I'm sure courts wouldnt have a problem what race you were from and method you pay by, and they must have thought this must have made more sense for them from the buying patterns which they have observed.
Nonetheless it is an interesting observation.
The price is the same..
ReplyDeleteEnglish one highlights Cash price, and the instalment price is in small print.
In the Malay newspaper, the SAME instalment price is highlighted instead. But the small print is the Cash price.
So, end of the day, CASH price or Instalment price for the customers, whether Malay or not, IS THE SAME.
So, it just means that they HIGHLIGHT the different parts for the different audience.
Technically, I will call it "targeted marketing".. you show what your target audience like to see..
BUT there is no misrepresentation. There is no charging Malays more...
So, what is so "discriminatory" about it ?
How about those companies that advertise on English papers, but do not advertise on Chinese papers.. Is that discrimination ? Look at IT products.. You don't find all of them advertised in all newspapers..
So, what, Chinese-speaking people do not buy IT products ?
tapi bang,
ReplyDeletestail misti adah...
Hi, I'd just like to point out that it's not that Malay customers pay more, rather it's that people who choose to pay by instalment pay more. In this case it's just that Courts thinks that Malays are more likely to pay by instalment. But yes this is a very interesting phenomenon (about the different ad strategies I mean), thanks for making it more widely known!
ReplyDeleteYeah, i already commented above just below lifeinside.
ReplyDeleteIt is the same price, but the Malay one the installment price is highlighted instead.
its a trend actually. and almost understood among businesses that if u wanna sell to malays, sell on installment.
cos malays are taking up almost everything on installment now. especially cars, cars and more cars.
I'm sorry to disappoint you Ridzwan, but unfortunately there is no discrimination here - zilch.
ReplyDeleteMarketing 101 tells us that companies want to customize offerings to target audiences more precisely.
It must be a proven fact (by way of market research) that people of different demographics (i.e. certain ethnic groups) have generally different buying behavior.
That's why Courts was smart to tailor the newspaper ads to reflect their understanding of their customers. They are all the same product offerings at the same prices, just different focus because of how they understand their customers.
This actually shows that Courts know what customers want! Not necessarily a bad thing.
Price discrimination will be to have DIFFERENT pricing for different groups.
To take a more obvious example, if this is considered discrimination, then the simple fact that the ad copy was done in Malay rather than English language can also be considered discrimination? Suggesting that these readers cannot understand English? Certainly not, right?
How about looking at it from another angle - what makes Courts think that readers of English papers can afford NOT to pay by installment? Can we then say that Courts is discriminating English paper readers?
objectively, as much as it may seem discriminative for courts to advertisement in such a manner in 2 different papers, i think it isn't about "looking down" on the malay community but rather a different approach to market to different groups of consumers. it's all about the marketing even though i can't say i agree with that strategy as it is rather tactless.
ReplyDeleteeh brudder, i feel you are making a mountain out of a molehill...
ReplyDeleteadvertising campaigns are done after careful market research.
i'm quite sure that Courts must've observed their Malay customers preferred installment plans. so they market their products in a way they feel is more attractive to their target audience.
if they feel Malay customers are unable to afford their products, what for waste money in advertising in their newspapers?
my parents prefer installment plans and they jokingly agree with the "fact" most of us Malays prefer that. if they can admit that, I don't see why you need to get so huffed up on people who KNOW it and can't be bothered to kick up a fuss.
To Nurulhuda Syed:
ReplyDeleteDuh. That is what the article is about. What is your point?
We are discussing the Malay habit of liking to go into debt and how this will bring the community into trouble.
Relax anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI think nurulhuda has a problem understanding the article yet. Let her take her time. Not everyone's english is the same you know?
To Nurulhuda,
Paying by installments has a lot of dangers. There is danger of default, danger of being haunted by creditors if you cannot pay, danger of losing your home. It happens a lot in the community, especially the youngsters who pose around with their cars but pay by installment. One day they cannot balance their money and all hell will break loose.
The author is discussing the fact that Malays, as a race, loves to pay things by installment and how this brings about social ills.
hi ridzwan
ReplyDeletei dont see how the advertisement is racist, its just that the penguins in suits always find our weak spots to screw us for money, i guess every race in singapore have their own unique "weak spots" that salesman/advertisers like to target.
hmm okay i think i must've spoken too fast. sorry.
ReplyDeletemy parents don't believe in installment plans for everything by the way(my dad read my comment and exclaimed "Oi!!!Malu seh!!!"). big ticket items like cars and that lcd tv are what he likes to do with installments.
i have to admit that the mentality of "get first, pay later" is quite deep rooted in our malay community.its like for example, i don't understand why every hari raya people must change new furniture when their old ones are working fine.
what i meant in my earlier comment was that the advertisers are just stating what is embarassingly true and they marketing the way they do is not wrong or has any hidden motive to humiliate or discriminate. hey, it served a good purpose by pointing out what the 'shopping culture' is like for us malays.
i'm very sure that the future generation won't continue this bad habits of relying on plans to pay for things. rather, to invest wisely and spend only when necessary.
and uh, not to offend, but i don't think Courts is gonna be very happy that you implied that they are trying to humiliate malays with their ads....
This looks like a slippery slope to Singapore's "sub-prime mortgage" crisis....
ReplyDeleteDebt slavery(google this) on our shore. With kangaroo courts leading the way :O
ReplyDeleteSharp observation :)
Spending future money and be forced in to ....... like NS ....... :(
To Nurulhuda,
ReplyDeleteCoincidentally, our dear PM Lee suddenly mentoned about Malays and installmennts last night All this while he never spoke about Malays and their financial habit, suddenly he spoke about it yesterday. Could he have been reading this blog? Hmmm maybe.
PM Lee admitted in his speech that talking about Malay spending habits is a "sensitive issue". But he is getting worried about it cos it's getting rampant nad he is now seeing lots of young Malays who are in debt and cannot meet their financial commitments.
Please tell your dad to kick the bad habit of taking installments. You too. I disagee with you nurulhuda when u say the younger generation will be better. I THINK THE YOUNGER GENERATION IS WORSE
Take a look at the number of young malay mats driving cars these days (and they are vry proud of it you know) they hold no significant jobs. Setakat despach rider, policeman, etc. These eople dun make that much money but want to impress others driving a car. I think its getting worse for the new generation.
Kudos PM Lee and Ridzwan.ccom for pointing out this "sensitive issue".
I hope more Malays will wake up to this fast.
to mat jambul : where did i say that i was part of those who love installments? i am only an undergrad and depend on my parents for a living. and i repeat, my dad does not believe in installment plans for EVERYTHING.
ReplyDeletetell me, who pays for their car with the total cash upfront unless they are millionaires? everybody i know pays by installments. he pays for my studies with installments because he is unable to fork out the few grand it costs per semester. should i ask him to pay full cash? he bought his cameras, washing machine with total cash upfront and always tells my relatives not to take installment for everything except big ticket items that they are sure they can afford and really need. his savings are comfortable enough to last him through his retirement. so i don't see why you immediately jump to the conclusion that he must be like others without even knowing the depth of my words.
your sentence made me feel like you are personally attacking me and my dad just because i mentioned that my family thinks installment plans are okay for some items. i don't like that at all.
i don't think that it is exclusively young malays that fall into debt and are willing to settle for jobs such as despatch riders. there are also chinese people that also have this disgusting habit, its just that because the malay community is smaller, it is highlighted as a problematic issue.
most of my relatives and malay friends have already woken up to the idea that being in debt is a bad idea. last time they didn't care but as they got more educated they realised the dangers and stopped. that's why i said i feel the installment culture will stop. just because now its not the majority that does it does not mean that it will forever remain like that. takes time.
please have a little more faith in your fellow malays. it's very hard to get rid of something that has been like that for decades. you don't expect such changes to happen so quickly. we're only human.
Unfortunately, many Malay families here do not understand the concept of frugality and money management. So from the very young age, Malay children are taught that splurging is good, what more when the temptation of an affluent lifestyle proves too good to be true.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad, really. The general Singaporean Malay populace has lost their touch with their religion, which inculcates the value of moderation. You lost your sense of religious duty, you lose your sense of direction in life.
It's high time that the Malay population in Singapore take a deep, hard look at themselves. Rather to spot other peoples' mistakes, they should be humbled that they were being brought into the successes of Singapore in the first place.
I'm not saying that other races in Singapore bore the burden of supporting the Malay population, but think for a while: where are our professional job holders? Why has it not become the norm to be more successful within the Malay culture? Has the meaning of "tawakal" being perverted to just rely on fate to hand over your fortunes?
I hope I can see more successful Singaporean Malays here, not just being contented with being a despatch rider and holding all other menial jobs.
I agree with you about spending within our means. But I disagree that the advertiser has "double-standards." The prices are the same, except different emphasis.
ReplyDeleteThis is what marketers do, to appeal to their target consumers by "customizing" the ads, highlighting the details they think their target consumers will be most interested in. They may even think they are being sensitive to the community by making it easier for them to locate what interests them - the instalment plans.
Maybe you did not mean to accuse them of discrimination, but apparently, some of your readers are blaming the company for being racist (correct me if I am wrong) when actually it is the habit of the community that made the advertiser design the ad that way.
Nurulhuda,
ReplyDeleteMy boss is not a millionaire. She bought her car cash.
2 of my colleagues at the office bought their cars cash. They're not millionaires. They are all earning just $4-$5 a month. But after about 10 years of saving.
And last but not least, myself - i bought my car cash. After about 7 years of saving. I don't have debt.
That's the problem with Malays. When they cannot see that it can be done, they think it cannot be done.
In the bankrupt mat essay, there is another malay girl just like u who criticise the author. She says that the author's house will be very empty because he did not believe in installments thus he will have no money to buy furniture.
Just like you, she cannot imagine that there are ordinary people out there, who actually have the money to buy what they want without the need for installments.
I hope you are right about the youngsters. Cos just last night, PM Lee reported that our youngsters are getting worse. More are getting bankrupt and running to their MP for financial assistance because thy commit themselves to car loans and installments.
You need to read the news more often.
To Garret Ling
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I'm a Muslim and i fully agree with you.
In installments, there will be interest.
And the paying and taking of interest is HARAM in Islam (riba)
Malays are very good when talking bout religion. But when it comes to taking installments with HARAM RIBA like car loans TV loans etc, its ok. Relax one corner dol!
If only they can follow their religion and practice what they preach, Muslims today will not be in such a humiliating state.
Seriously its a problem of the new generation which loves to spend tomorrow's money today... All over the world more and more credit card companies are established at the same rate dat malays or rabbits make babies... Consumerism culture and capitalism FUELled by globalization is the direct cause of dis phenomena... Look at the mortgage crisis in America today till dey haf to justify their great Iraq oil robbery but yet still manage to jack the price of oil to new heights even though they haf an abundance of oil... If such financial crisis where to happen to Singapore, can the majority of the Malays survive in a system based on merit? Already replacements are on standby wif the increasing size of "foreign talent" in Singapore... i tink u hit the problem spot on wif dis one ridzwan... Kudos...
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Wasp...
Mat Jambul,
ReplyDeleteThank you for showing to us that it can be done. How long does it take for you to saved up to buy your house cash to avoid HDB or Bank loans and Riba....
Like you said, it's just retailers catering to market demand.
ReplyDeleteIf the research (they've paid thousands for) say the Malay populace have a cultural preference for paying by installments for their appliances - then any retailer would cede to that demand.
Saying that paying by installments is "humiliating" is again the lack of cultural understanding - whether or not one is Malay. It's only a cultural stigma that paying by "installments" is an embarrassment. Perhaps in other societies other than ours it's not. In this case, "embarrassing" is but relative. It doesn't exist if no one says it is.
On another note, directly comparing the upfront retail price with the final price paid in installments over YEARS is also inaccurate.
Do take into account inflation (the constant devaluing of currency), costs of loss of interest that could be earned, as well as opportunity costs.
Sometimes, for certain purchases, paying full cash upfront may not be financially prudent if you have better use for that cash at a moment in time; perhaps to create further cash inflows.
So really, it's cultural and the lack of understanding of the present value of money.
There's nothing wrong. Unless of course people jump into installment payments without a reasonable level of fiscal foresight. Whether these people - belonging to whatever ethnicity - are in the majority or minority, we'll never know.
Hi. I agree with most readers that the Courts advertisement isn't considered discrimination, but rather target marketing.
ReplyDeleteWeighing into the debate on the 'shopping culture' as Nurulhuda mentioned, I also agree with Anonymous above "Sometimes, for certain purchases, paying full cash upfront may not be financially prudent if you have better use for that cash at a moment in time; perhaps to create further cash inflows".
In financial education, one realises that purchasing big ticket items may not always be the best move. Sure, it reduces debt. But if you have the cash to invest, and your investment profits can meet your repayments and then return a little extra, that makes sense.
With proper financial education and management, I think everyone (not just Malays) can do a lot better. It's just not everyone will want to bother, which is a shame.
Education. That's how things can be improved. At least let people be educated to make informed choices.
- A.
Hi Mat Jambul,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like that you have a solid financial planning which you might want to share with your fellow Muslims brothers and sisters so that we can avoid riba
like you do.
After you have explain how you have saved up for your house ( I assume you have one of course) , maybe you could suggest how can a friend avoid paying interest for study loans to further his education.
Of course, I assume you do not have inherited wealth and your profile suits that of a middle income family.
btw, are you the same Mat Jambul from the old Ridzwan.com forums ?
Why are people defending installment plans?
ReplyDeleteDo you think the average Malay would have investments? The argument that installments are ok, if u have an investment is flawed indeed. Installments charge interest of 24% upwards. Do u have an investment that returns more than 24%???
Warren Buffets investments only return him 8% last year. U must be some kind of genius.
I THINK i should just forget it. They Malays are just not worth it.
ReplyDeleteHere we are tryinG to warn them about the dangers of installments and being in debt...
But here you have jokers coming up to tell you that installments are ok, that they only purchase big items, blah blah blah.
you know what guys. fuck it k?
Go ahead ENJOY YOURSELVES.
Go buy that car. buy cars. buy lots of cars!!!
Go Courts! buy that laptop! buy that LCD TV. ok?!!
Mesti HAPPY! ENJOY OH MALAYS! Installments are OK!! Future value of money!!!
i am a melayu.
ReplyDeletei dont have a car. i am saving money for it. i plan to pay cash for the car and still have a healthy bank balance after paying for it. (healthy bank balance = whatever the price of the car is)
i have a home but i have no more housing loan. my husband and i paid off the loan after 4 years of residing in it. this is possible because we got ourselves a small flat which is just enough for us and our children. and we made sure that we got a cheap flat. price was a huge consideration in flat-selection.
our $22k renovation (nothing excessive - the 20-year-old flat was in the 'original' condition so renovation was necessary) was paid off in cash too. no loans.
how is this possible?
1. save up your money from early on.
2. spend within your means.
3. dont ever entertain the idea of taking loans EXCEPT for housing and even so, only after you have ensured that you got the best deal ever.
Hi, its good that you have some concerns on certain bad habits of the community. I wish to point out some points.
ReplyDelete- by saying things bluntly, and saying what certain groups are doing are wrong and unimaginable, will you be doing more harm than good? I feel, its better that constructive comments/remarks are given as well as solutions or alternative ways where one can look at when facing a certain issues.
I'm afraid, by telling someone bluntly they are downright wrong in whatever they are doing, you might just make them work harder in the 'wrong' things that they are doing just to prove that they are right. note: this is human nature. not particularly restricted to any particular group only.
Work together and give constructive comments, remarks and solution. Give alternative ideas on what a person should consider before making a decision. Most of it, doesnt involve complex calculation.
On the issue on the marketing tactics, for instance they state, $3 a week, for 48 mths etc.... and when u calculate it, it will become double the actual amount.
ReplyDeleteTo everyone, let's try to look this tactic at a different angle.
Look at it as a way for us to build our savings.
For instance, if your aim is to save $10,000 a year. It does look like a big amount to save. Take this amount and break it down to 12 months. its, roughtly around, $834 a month. May still look like a big task to take, so bring it down smaller, to per day, that will be about $28. Smaller number and easier to swallow. Let say if you are getting $60 a day. U will think to yourself, well maybe I can save half of what I earn a day and in a month, I would have save $834 and in a year, I will have, $10000. Whenever we have an aim to achieve, don't just give up on it when it seems to be an uphill task. Break it down to smaller pieces and make it easier to swallow. While many will say spending is addictive, so does savings. Once you start to see the digit in your bank account start to grow, u get addicted and want to save more. Try it. Give yourself 3 months, the rest of the month will follow suit.
If anyone have some loan right now. My suggestion is, state all the loans that u have. Have a clear view of each of them. Do not brush whatever loans aside so that u will not stress yourself for that day. it will still come back to haunt u.
ReplyDeleteconsider the loan amount, how long u need to pay off the loan etc. Then once u have a clearer picture the total loan amount u have and how much monthly u need to pay, set your mind that u will do it, and whenever u have extra amount to pay off the loan. Pay it off ASAP. It will take a year or two... or three.. but rest assure, after all the loans are settle, good things are to come next. U can start your savings and watch your money grow.
Whenever u want to buy appliances, like tv, sofa etc. Check the amt. let say the sofa cost, $1,500. You do not have 1,500 now. So break the amt to let say, 6 months. That's $250 a month, put it in a day, that's $8.30. If you are earning $60 a day, that's less than 1/6 of your daily pay. Save this amount and 6 months time, u can buy the sofa. Cash. If u want it in 3 months, then double your savings, and u get it by 3 months. 3 months is fast.. kan selalu cakap.. eh macam baru jer raya.. dah raya lagi.. from one raya to the next....thats one yr u know..
in terms of handling money, to my opinion alot of youngsters today are quite careful. a couple of my friends who just got married and move to their new house, they spend within their means.. meaning they just buy funirture which they need first cos they do not want to buy furniture on hire purchase.
ReplyDeleteEveryone when doing renovation, list down the things that u need. then calculate the cost of each of the items. then whatever cost that u can cut, u cut from there. Get quotes from 3 contractors and see any freebies to go with it. (note: pls do not be taken in by freebies that u stand to get it u spent much more than your budget.) consider also the furniture that u need etc. some decoration, u can just buy from DIY store or ikea and fix it yourself. sometimes u can get your friends to join in and help out on some simple things and paintings..
One more very important thing to note. While we are careful on our expenditure and we start to build our savings, pls continue to upgrade also.
ReplyDeleteAnd while we save, careful on agents who tells u to put aside some savings plan that they have and make u save for 10-15 yrs. Many things to consider about this savings plan.
Go to www.askdrmoney.com he have some good advise there on money matters, like savings, insurance, investment etc. Every tuesday on the New Paper, there's an article from him also.
And also, whenever u want to invest your CPF, consider the charges the investment company charges. Read up on that website to get some tips and advise.
Remember, nothing is too complex. At the end of the day, most of the things we do everyday are just simple calculation.
Sales people are doing their job which is to do the sales, while as consumers, we have to do our job as consumers, which is, do our simple calculation and our own research. Don't be taken in by today only offer etc.
Don't be shy to ask. One may think u r stupid to ask certain question, but rest assure, u will be stupid no more when u get the right answer.
When buying electronic items. Always check what u need. For example computers. What is the specs u need. What system is reliable.
ReplyDeleteU can try asking the sales person at the departmental stores.. but don't take their word for it, cos most of them doesn't know what they are selling. So do your own research. check on the net, what system suits your need. If u r using the computer just for office use.
A simple system will do the job. Something less than $1000 can get you a computer that can do more than what u need.
I'm sure alot of people will appreciate if the writer could do an article on computer system, for basic users.
Note: Don't be taken in by salesperson speech of extra bluetooth, card reader etc and u have to fork out $500 more for a system. These things are very cheap.
Choose a system that suits your need and nowadays most of the brands comes with all these extra gadgets.
And by the way, PC show is every quarterly. Can wait for good bargains there. So next PC show will be somewhere in June/July. So if u r planning to buy a system soon, start saving now.. let say your budget is $1000, 3 months from now, u need to save 334 per month, which is also $11.20 per day of savings.
if u decide to buy on hire purchase, u will be paying almost double, some even more than double. consider careful, 3 months, 11.20 per day or $1.54 per day for 48 months. ($1.54 per day for 48 months is $2254, thats double!)
My colleague bought a system, powerful enough, for about $900. :)
If you are using it for basic uses, can easily last u for 3 years.
Just to let u know, a friend of mine, use his laptop, pentium centrino, for 4 years. He use it during his university days. Only recently, some problem with his hard disk, got it repaired for only $150 and still using it when he start working. Thats laptop, pc sure can lasts longer.
If your system starts to slow down, consider reformating it. probably virus, or need to disk defragment. For a good free anti virus, go to www.download.com and download avast antivirus. not only it's free, its good and it keeps on checking for updates. try it.