Monday 24 July 2017

LPG, Newspaper, and TV


Liquified Petroleum Gas

At my current weekend sales gig, one of the home appliances that I help "promote" are hobs (stoves).

When we sell a hob, we need to ask the customer whether they are using piped PUB gas (aka Town Gas), or using those blue liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.

Of course the majority of customers are using PUB piped gas.

I've noticed the minority still using LPG are the elderly (60s and above). And learnt something I didn't know before - there are some ancient HDB flats that have no piped gas installed for the whole block!?

Really!


Yet, there are always exceptions. I'm quite bemused whenever I get customers who are in their late 20s or early 30s opting for LPG.

So I casually surveyed their rationale for doing so.


2 main reasons:

1.  They grew up in LPG families. They never thought of considering the "convenience" of piped PUB gas. What their parents did, they followed as adults. No questions asked. (Big daddy would love them)  

2.  Then there's the equivalent of "giam kana" (stingy thrifty) financial bloggers. They know every nickle and cents about the cost savings from using LPG over piped PUB gas. Very financially literate!

Yes, that type that foams at the mouth over one extra % in bank interests, free miles, and count in 2 decimal places. (What? Someone got to troll them right?)

So don't say got lobang (good deal) I never jio (recommend)!

If you are one of those penny pinchers who believed saving 10 dollars a month compounded by 30 years will lead to a big mountain, then do consider switching to LPG for your kitchen. Especially if you cook a lot! 

(Tip: I got this from a gas technician who uses piped PUB gas for the cooking convenience, but use LPG for his gas fired dryer. He saved extra $20 per month!)


For those of you that have moved recently to your BTO flat or condo, you may want to take a look how many of your neighbours have opted for LPG gas? During house-warming parties, take a peek at their kitchen hobs.

You may even notice the some have opted for the electrical induction hobs. Wink.

Somehow, I am reminded of how good Li Ka-shing was when he listed his HPH Trust.

Respect.


 
Newspaper

I prefer reading the dailies in print form (same goes for book reading). I'm an old dinosaur in this respect. 

Once upon a time, there were lots of job ads in the classified sections. Now? Drastic reduction right?

Come to think of it, my current weekend job was found through online job search websites. And my previous one was walk-in when I saw Howard Storage World's job ads outside the store while drinking kopi at Ya-Kun HabourFront...

Have you noticed sometimes there were full page colour ads on the front page of our dailies?

Snake-oils out there like me, we see it as a sign of weakness... An act of desperation... 

For those who are not in sales, think about it for a moment.

Would you walk around dressed in a chicken suit to earn that extra income?



TV

I noticed I don't watch TV anymore.

Yes, sometimes I'll join mom to watch the 6:30pm Channel 8 news. That's more to keep mom company.

Now I watch movies and documentaries on Youtube. 

And surf the web for what's going in the world.

Question. When was the last time you watched TV?


I have a naughty thought. 

Can you make a guess when big daddy would monetise their TV assets?

Would you bite?



 





29 comments:

  1. my house still use private gas la!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. coconut,

      You older than me.

      That's perfectly normal what?

      (Hee, hee)


      Sama sama with people like me who still much prefer to buy physical newspapers.


      We are the last of the Mohicans...


      Perhaps that's why I now steer clear of technology stocks. I've no clue what's trending with the millenials right now :(



      P.S. Opps! Where are my manners!? I forgot to greet you in our classic Singlish way, "Hey! You still alive!"

      Missed you :)

      Delete
    2. believe me or not, the whole roll of houses along my area do not have govt gas, no choice la!

      Delete
    3. coconut,

      Of course I believe you!

      I am guessing you staying in Shunfu?

      Besides those ancient HDB flats, got a few customers staying at Shunfu landed no choice have to get LPG gas hobs too.


      I'm very spoilt with modern conveniences.

      Its a bit like millenials discovering still got people using ADSL or Cable broadband when Fibre broadband is the "default" now in all new HDB BTOs ;)

      I guess I shouldn't be laughing.

      I still using my backup PC running Windows XP!?

      LOL!

      Delete
    4. fibre have, gas don't have.

      no, i'm staying at loyang besar near downtown east, the neglated bunch!

      Delete
    5. coconut,

      Oh! Next time your MP visits gently remind him - either upgrade or en-bloc you guys...

      But I suspect big daddy is patiently waiting for your lease to run out and take back ;)

      Just like newspapers, the LPG retail home gas business is a slow and declining one...

      Unless someone makes a decision to convert all buses and taxis to run on LPG ;)

      Delete
    6. understand that the govt never run a gas line along these stretch of road, thats why the whole area have to use private gas. however those new condo near the main road have! @&%*!%*

      Delete
    7. coconut,

      You and your neighbours are the forgotten tribe ;)


      I was quite surprised when customers tell me their ancient HDB flats also no piped gas!?

      I am guessing they were built under Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) and HDB took over?

      Its not the style of big daddy to do things half/half. I may disagree with some policies of theirs, but when its comes to their efficiency... Respect.


      Don't worry.

      Once big daddy takes over when your lease ran out, I very confident there will be piped gas for the new condos or HDBs they buid over your house ;)


      Delete
  2. temperament,

    Leaving aside those that have "no choice" - frankly I quite surprised those areas never got "upgrading"? Hmm... Maybe en-bloc potential?


    That's why I can't help but poke those financial freedom seekers who don't mind "jumping through hoops" to save one extra dollar here and there...

    I thought the purpose of financial freedom is not to stress over the small stuffs???

    Its not about extravagance or waste; its about chill ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. After going through 4 homes and 2 countries, my ceramic hob still works as good as when I bought it in 1991 for my first flat. Clean, convenient and easy to clean & maintain. The best choice for a single family.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Laurence,

      Wow! You win liao!

      I'm very impressed!!!

      The record so far is around 20 years for my customers who finally decide to change their gas hobs. The average is 10 years.

      You know how to take care of your appliances ;)


      Delete
  4. I ever change the gas cylinder before... just unplug & plug to another gas cylinder... long time never do this action liao... hehehe
    Normally my mum will shake the gas cylinder check is the weight light or not then she will ask my dad order extra cylinder just for spare... in case last min no gas while cook halfway...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sy sy,

      That's cool!

      My neighbourhood provision shop owner in his 70s also double-up as LPG delivery man to my neighbours.

      So touching. My neighbours tell me they have been buying from that provision shop owner for over 30 years now ever since they moved to our HDB block.

      Now that's long term repear business for you!


      Delete
    2. Aiyah... that was my secondary school time lah... old story liao.... Now only use elec inductor... safer for me to use... as I am a very blur person... ever cook water till the pot of water dried & burn a big hole on the pot... kana scold by my mum... many times liao... hehehe

      Delete
    3. Last time young also blur... now getting older even more terrible... better be safe... use inductor can set timer also... hehehe

      Delete
    4. sy sy,

      Like that also can?

      Boil water until burn hole in the pot!?

      I better not be neighbour to you... LOL!

      You fire hazard you!


      Lucky nowadays got electric water kettle - like those found in hotels - very convenient and idiot proof!

      And good that Singapore just passed the regulation that ALL gas hobs sold in Singapore after 1st July 2017 must have the safety feature to auto cut-off gas supply when the flame is extinguished.

      I guess big daddy was thinking about mei-mei like you when they drafted the regulation ;)

      Just joking!

      Don't hit the face :)



      Delete
  5. I laughed out loud at the "foam at the mouth" part!

    We all have our poison. The first thing that I thought of was the dead cow story - http://insightandreflection.blogspot.sg/2014/02/farmer-and-his-dead-cow.html?m=1

    Someone's trash is someone's treasure? Be it gas, papers, taxis or reits. As long as you know how to get something out of it, why not!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kevin,

      Glad you can see the humour in what I wrote ;)

      Yes, we all have our own unique poisons.

      Mine is 36, 24, 36.

      Maybe I should go to Japan and get a life-sized doll back?

      Now that's "hentai"!


      Delete
  6. Hi SMOL,

    Haha, i'm the one who uses electrical hobs... my parents uses LPG, and I know from then that I don't want to follow them to use LPG because of the inconvenience. I know electricity bills will go up, but it'll only go up if I use it, so I find that agreeable haha

    Weird thinking. I guess i'm not those financial bloggers who are out to save money lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LP,

      Excatly!

      I was laughing out loud when the water price went up by "30%", some were sharing how to "save" water by not showering for more than 5 minutes?

      After a hard day on my feet working weekends, I love to take hot showers to relax and soothe my tired muscles.

      More than 20 minutes?

      Its the closest thing to a "sauna" when I let the bathroom all steam-up. Fun!

      And yes, besides the air-con, electrical water heaters consume a lot electricity too!

      Wasting water is letting the tap or shower run when no one is using it. Or letting the light/air-con on when no one is in the room.

      But if I am enjoying, and can afford it, what's the question again? LOL!


      I have one good poke for those who tell me don't "waste" money by drinking at Starbucks - I ask them whether they got air-con at home ;)

      That would shut these parrots up!

      I wonder why no financail bloggers blog about the savings we'll get by not using air-con at night?

      Think of all the money we'll save if we let it compound by 30 years!!!

      And I have to be the clown to call out the bull-shit out there in our community :(

      Delete
  7. Daily Starbucks costs more than nightly air con. Right? Lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CW,

      You count to 2 decimal places!

      Well, that would depend how many rooms you have air-con on at night. You mean only you and your wife's master bed-room got air-con while your childrens' rooms no air-con?

      Wait. Are you the same guy that roasted the butterfly you forget to add this, forgot to add that?

      LOL!

      Delete
  8. Smol,

    I smell "warning". Talk about newspapers and mails.

    Diversification due to disruption is a sad story. Singpost did well except in execution, SPH property scale not high enough yet.

    SPH INTO hospital business? I won't bet on it la.

    I reading newspaper still. Prefer it, and also counting roughly the advertisements in the papers.

    It's a Saturday business now. Every Sunday no business LOL. So sad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sillyinvestor,

      When the core business of a company is in structural decline, no matter how profitable the side or diversification businesses are, they will be pulled down by the dismal results of the core business.

      Its like having our stock portfolio decline -10% for the year but consoling ourselves that we made +20% with SPH and +40% in Singpost... So? Overall we still lost -10% net net for the year right?


      Its quite scary. Disruptions are all around us moving at great speed.

      No just job security; it makes active investing a lot harder (at least for me).

      Who knew the "safe" business of taxis can be discrupted? How many taxis not rented out every day?

      Now we have portals where we can buy life insurance (fantastic!) and properties online without the involvement of agents.

      Reminiscent of what the brokerage industry went through in the 90s where suddenly clients can trade online without calling their remisiers/dealers...

      Even banks not so simple to analyse as they are now assaulted by Fintech startups all over.


      If we are still using the "blue chip" concept of yesteryears to guide our investing thesis, its like backpacking to a new city using a travel guide that's 20 years outdated...


      Who knew as I get more experienced, the more nimbler I must become?

      Delete
  9. As time goes on, the technology progresses.

    Embrace changes and that's the way to go.

    Bem

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ben,

      Like Mother Nature, the markets have a way to weed out those who can't keep up with the changes...

      I don't intend to fade away yet ;)

      Delete
  10. temperament,

    I can't teach an old dog new trick, but the old dog can learn new tricks ;)


    I myself am learning how to trade within a range when the market goes sideways. Cannot just depend on Trend Trading to carry me through to my 90s ;)

    You never know. If interest rates stay lower for longer, and the world economy needs continuous central bank printing...

    Then I better prepare for Japanification - 20-30 years of deflationary flat market :(

    ReplyDelete
  11. Well I started out with LPG cause I was in a hurry to move in (fengshui sensei say one). Then I stuck to it because of the novelty - it reminded me of the days when my grandma will call the local gek-ai (mamashop in teochew) and ask to deliver a new gas canister coupled with extra daily provisions and allow me to snuck in an popsicle too.

    And I actually portable induction cooker standby when gas runs out. During CNY, even the electrical steamboat also used to cook stock. Not cheap but convenience mah!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Patty,

      I've never used LPG before so I was pleasantly bemused when I discovered we can order the LPG cannisters from old school provision shops!?

      Ah! Nostalgia. When I was in primary school, mom also ordered by phone to a provision shop and a young boy in his late teens would deliver on his bicycle to us.

      Life has come full circle. Now we have some ninja and bee delivery companies doing deliveries to us.


      Those portable electric hobs are great - although they consume electricty a lot. I recommend them to customers who seldom cook at home.

      Don't use can hide inside the kitchen drawer. Kitchen counter-top becomes suddenly got lots of space! They're great for shoe-box apartments too.

      My ex-IKEA experience comes in handy ;)

      Delete

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