Singaporean Talks Money: February 2023

Sunday 19 February 2023

Using ChatGPT versus Notion AI | Managing your money in the new year

I haven’t really gotten into a good rhythm for the year with my writing yet with the rainy weather and just having CNY and the New Year so near, I have to admit that I have been pretty lazy, catching up on all the Korean and Japanese dramas during my free time. So having AI on the rise means that I can make use of them! Using them to justify my laziness is wrong (haha, but it’s so convenient) recently, I discovered that Notion has integrated AI into their system and you can type whatever topic and it will write up something for you. Besides being able to write for you, it has also integrated Ask AI into it and with many other AI assistance.

I am still exploring Notion’s AI as it offers numerous options from providing an outline to essays to blogpost to poems and even a meeting agenda. Let’s compare the 2 answers, one that I have gotten from Chat GPT and the other from Notion AI.

Chat GPT on money management

Money management is an important skill that can help you make the most of your financial resources and achieve your goals. Here are some tips for managing your money effectively:

Make a budget: The first step in managing your money is to understand where it is going. A budget can help you track your income and expenses, and make sure you are spending your money in a way that aligns with your values and goals.
Save for emergencies: It's important to have an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses, such as car repairs or medical bills. Aim to save enough money to cover at least three to six months of living expenses.
Pay off high-interest debt: If you have high-interest debt, such as credit card debt, it's important to focus on paying it off as soon as possible. The longer you carry this debt, the more it will cost you in the long run.
Invest for the future: In addition to saving for emergencies, it's also important to think about your long-term financial goals. This may include saving for retirement, a down payment on a house, or your children's education.
Seek professional advice: If you are struggling to manage your money or have complex financial goals, it may be helpful to seek the advice of a financial planner or advisor. They can help you create a financial plan and provide guidance on investing and saving for the future.

By following these tips, you can take control of your finances and work towards achieving your financial goals. Remember, effective money management is an ongoing process, so be sure to regularly review and adjust your budget and financial plan as needed.

Notion AI creating a blog post on money management

Money management is an important part of taking control of your financial future. It involves setting goals, developing a budget, tracking expenses, and creating an emergency fund. Here are some tips to help you get started on managing your money in the new year.

Set Financial Goals: Before you can start managing your money, you need to have an idea of what you want to achieve. Are you saving for retirement, a down payment on a house, or your children's education? Setting goals can help you stay motivated and track your progress.
Develop a Budget: A budget can help you track your income and expenses, and make sure you are spending your money in a way that aligns with your goals. Start by tracking your expenses for a few months, and then adjust your budget accordingly.
Save for Emergencies: It's important to have an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses, such as car repairs or medical bills. Aim to save enough money to cover at least three to six months of living expenses.
Pay off High-Interest Debt: If you have high-interest debt, such as credit card debt, it's important to focus on paying it off as soon as possible. The longer you carry this debt, the more it will cost you in the long run.
Invest for the Future: In addition to saving for emergencies, it's also important to think about your long-term financial goals. Investing in stocks, mutual funds, or a retirement account can help you grow your money over time.

Managing your money can seem daunting, but with the right strategies and tools, it can be a simple and rewarding process. By following these tips, you can take control of your finances and work towards achieving your financial goals. Good luck!

Answers provided

I would say that under the search for money management, the answers from Chat GPT and Notion AI are pretty similar, of course, phrasing the question differently and searching again can give a different answer. In that, I will definitely be using Notion AI alot more as it is my writing partner and I us Notion to jot down my thoughts and ideas. The AI can help me to present my ideas in a better way but I will not want to be too reliant on it it as well.

Chat GPT has really pave the way for a wave of AI interest and people are taking a real interest into it. I recommended it to my aunt recently and we are planning an overseas trip when she typed, “Provide me with an itinerary for a 4 days trip to Fukuoka”, she was surprised by the response as it was quite legit although it was general although you can ask for more detailed but it could plan out the trip for you.

Amazing and fun exploring AI as we realise how it can make our life easier and information is so much more accessible! But will it also take over the world in the future?

You can also find me on

Affiliate links/Codes:

► Where I Buy my Cryptocurrencies:
►Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/evwynu4g57 or code: evwynu4g57 to sign up
►Gemini: https://gemini.com/share/558gylyhg use my code and we'll each get $10 USD of Bitcoin.
► Where I buy my stocks:
FSMone Referral: P0364886
Tiger Brokers (Free stock and commission free trades, check out more here
Interactive Brokers (Open an account today and start earning up to $1000 of IBKR Stock for free!*Terms and Conditions apply)
► Google Pay: v89ph61
►Syfe Trade Referral Code: SRPSL8MGX
►Syfe Wealth Referral Link: SRPSL8MGXE

Sunday 5 February 2023

Grading myself based on my salary | How am I performing and what’s my rank?

Freak, not one of those articles that is going to be comparing annual salaries and seeing how we rank…..I am also tired from scrolling LinkedIn and seeing how everyone seems to be doing well. 2023 hasn’t really started on a good note for me and I find myself running out of motivation to work. Not sure is it because I didn’t have a good end of year rest in that I was working on a few projects and was pretty busy. But I kinda feel drained and tired even though the year just started.

Sharing the salary guide I came across

2023 will be interesting, many are expecting the year to be gloomy with news of layoffs in Big Tech and Banks coming, it is expected to have some ramifications. Spotify, Microsoft, Amazon and even Google has announced significant layoffs, cost-cutting seems to be the way in 2023 as more companies focus on the long term and try to preserve/burn less cash and last as long as they can for the smaller companies.

I was scrolling through Facebook one day and this showed up on my timeline, where they wrote that it is updated with the latest Ministry of Manpower data for over 1000 jobs. Specific data ranges and sample size is not revealed but I guess it is from MOM. Do take it too seriously in that do not let the survey dictate your feelings or take heavy emphasis as everyone is on a different path. But you can most definitely use it to gauge if you are going for a new role and use it as a rough measurement. Skills and age as well as experience play a part in your salary

What’s my rank? And how do I feel about it

For me, my salary is below the median for those in my role and industry. Across all industries, as a rough guide, I am in around the top 40% for my age range. They do also show the relevant other roles that you can venture into which might be better compensated or are skills that you can learn. As I advance towards being 30, a lot of doubts have arise about my career, life and skills or mostly what my existence is for?

To be honest, my job has been very demoralising as I find myself struggling to connect with my colleagues and getting things done. I do think it is a general issue faced for me as I tend to shy and find it hard to make conversations. With a lot of emphasis placed on how you are doing in Singapore, comparison tends to happen.

I am comfortable with the amount I am earning although more money is always better haha, of course, I do not have any commitments at the moment in terms of mortgages or any childcare expenses. I do wonder at times how do people have a child and mortgage yet be able to set aside money for savings and investing. It depends on the absolute amount you are earning but I believe it is tough managing expenses when you get married.

Reflecting a lot more

I think being home for a long period of time because of working from home, I have been reflecting on my life on what do I want. I think it tough as we grow older and seeing everyone advance in their life eg getting married, a property and having a child but here you are still single. I have to admit that I am very comfortable being single now and I think it’s great but when I think about old age then I think being single might not be the best way? Being attached also has it’s own set of problems but at least there would be companionship.

In terms of my career, I am not in a managerial role and prefer a individual contributor role. But my role is pretty general in that I think anyone can do it, It is also more of a backend role so not front-facing. If as a young and ambitious individual, I would say that my role is not great or career advancement nor will it reap great bonuses and increment but of course, it’s a comfortable job.

Up-skilling and learning new things is definitely a huge thing that I can do or to seek out interesting opportunities to widen my skill sets. Great time to start on a new year and let’s see what this year has to bring.

You can also find me on

Affiliate links/Codes:

Wednesday 1 February 2023

What if I win the Hong Bao TOTO draw on Friday? | Dreaming of it and my plans if I do

The Hong Bao TOTO draw results will be released on 3 February 2023. The prize money is $12 million dollars, crazy amount and even crazier if 1 person were to win it all! I have bought my $1 quickpick and will wait for the result on Friday. Seedly released a really good break down of types of TOTO tickets you can buy and how much you can buy to win.

What if I win the $12 million?

We are all allowed to dream and thinking that I will be the winner of the $12 million draw feels exceptionally nice. So I wanted to also share on how I would allocate the $12 million if I were to win it haha.

A few days of dreaming before the draw on Friday so great times thinking of having $12 million on hand. $12 million is not really an amount that everyone can attain in their lifetime so unless attaining FIRE with $1 million or a few hundread thousand, there is no need to skimp or manage your expenses as tightly so I would assume that I will inflate my lifestyle.

In terms of rough allocations, I will most likely

Buy 2 private properties if possible otherwise just one
Create a REITs & dividend portfolio for cashflow using robo-advisors to provide a $100,000 annual cash, Seedly guide here
Maximising every immediate family members Singapore Savings Bond quota
Contribute a portion to various charity organisation
Buy gifts for family members
Travel and enjoy the experience of having better amenities and accommodation

That’s roughly how I would break down the spending of my winnings haha, rough idea as the chance of striking it is very low, it’s always fun thinking about it as it makes me so happy about all the different and new experiences that I will be able to have.

Coping with the emotions of having a windfall

To be honest, thinking about the emotions of getting a windfall is complicated. Of course, I would be happy but to suddenly have an amount like $12 million at one go can be pretty shocking or emotionally huge.

It might seem like a wonderful or amazing feeling to strike the lottery however winning the lottery might not make you happier although it differs according to the individual based on their environment, people around them as well as how they manage the winnings.

If I were to win it to be honest, I would be very surprised and a little frightened to collect as I hope people around me won’t ask me about it haha. I will still continue on with my day job and life as usual except more expenditure on the weekends especially so on meals.

It is good to stay anonymous and not even telling your extended family members might be good in certain circumstances. Just like this guy from China who won $42.7 million but kept it from his family as he did not want them to become arrogant and lazy. He even wore a costume to collect the winnings which I think is smart to ensure he remains unknown although I am not sure how he return the costume later on.

All in all, it’s great to dream of getting a windfall but it can also turn out to be a headache so in the meantime, I will just keep doing what I am doing and dream on hahahaha! How would you allocate your winnings?

You can also find me on

Affiliate links/Codes:

Pages

Sunday 19 February 2023

Using ChatGPT versus Notion AI | Managing your money in the new year

Chat GPT on money management

Notion AI creating a blog post on money management

Answers provided

Sunday 5 February 2023

Grading myself based on my salary | How am I performing and what’s my rank?

Sharing the salary guide I came across

What’s my rank? And how do I feel about it

Reflecting a lot more

Wednesday 1 February 2023

What if I win the Hong Bao TOTO draw on Friday? | Dreaming of it and my plans if I do

What if I win the $12 million?

Coping with the emotions of having a windfall