你平衡吗？

我还可以。


感恩。

Water too cheap no good

Why bother?

Besides Japan, I have a fondness for Taiwan and its people. Hence my previous post on the difference between Taipei and Singapore when it comes to city planning.

Taiwan has a problem when it comes to water conservation.

It's too cheap!

If you are observant, you can find leaky water pipes when you meander along the backstreets of Taipei.

Why bother fixing them when water is so cheap?

How many listed local water technology companies does Taiwan have?

Computer chips making the Taiwanese have beaten us; who do you think is ahead when it comes to exporting water technology internationally?

The same goes for wind, solar, and other alternative sources of green energy. Their biggest fear is crude going below USD 40 again.

Would you install solar panels on your roof if it costs you more in the long term?

Would you switch to electric vehicles if the running costs were more than using petrol?

Percentage lies

30% sounds a lot.

Can make lots of jokes and noise in cyber space.

But when was the last time you looked at your water bill and you wonder why its so high?

No right?

Most probably its electricity costs you more interested in. Especially when you used air-con a lot the previous month.

Maybe this 30% increase in water tariffs would be good in the long run?

Perhaps now you would make the effort to switch off the tap while soaping?

And buy taps with water saving feature installed (all IKEA taps have this feature)?

Don't blackmail me

Its not always about Dollars and Cents.

Once upon a time, someone "threaten" to turn-off the taps during the water negotiations.

And the very next day, my reservist unit got called for open mobilisation...

Coincidence?

Perhaps.

Hammer to anvil

Its no fun to live a life between the hammer and anvil.

One don't want to sell us sand. The other likes to threaten to turn-off the tap.

Must thank them. What doesn't kill us will make us stronger.

Singapore does not have natural resources.

But if we know how to turn "longkang" (drain) water and sea water into potable water, we now have a "resource" we can sell to the world.

And we won't go thirsty.

Sometimes we need to spend the necessary money and resources to invest in what's important for us.

Take the case of SMRT.

Once upon a time, other countries were learning from us how to design and build a world class transport infrastructure.

Then we got "distracted".

Now we have to learn from other countries on sharpening our saw.

All because we were "too cheap" to spend on maintenance...

No, water is too important to make the same mistake twice.

Seedly - Personal Finance Management App for Millenials

This morning, 2 young guys showed an IT dinosaur (that would be me) what a Personal Finance Management App is all about.

Quite cool.

You can consolidate all your banking and credit card accounts into a single mobile platform and have a clear overview on your liquid net worth in your palm.

Remember some bloggers were talking about personal Cash Flows recently?

Well, this app is oredi one step ahead!

Got pie-charts and bar graphs that would please our Mr fisherman qian-bei, you cannot lie to yourself any longer...

Whether you are cash flow positive or negative every month, which spending category you have spent your money on (wine, women, or song), its all there!


Warning: Those who can't handle the truth better don't download this app. 


I don't think you need me to remind you only use this app in the sanctuary of the toilet if you are married. If your wife sees you spending a lot of $$$ at Orchard Towers... Hey! Don't look at me! 

Wait.

Talk so much forgot to introduce this app.

Its called Seedly.

Go ahead. Click on the link and it will take you directly to their website. From there, own time; own target.


Its a young start-up run by 4.5 persons. That 0.5 person is a part-timer; not a hobbit.

You want to know the magic word?

It's totally FREE!!!

What have you got to lose?


Download.

Try.

Like - continue using.

Don't like - delete.

No harm no foul.

See? So simple!