Packing the necessaries.. \(^^)/

South Korea is our 4th trip abroad so I just feel like writing what I usually pack when travelling overseas..

No. 1 is of course the international passport (^^)

Without this you can't even pass the check in counter. Make sure you have applied for visas when travelling to countries that require them and this is when research come in handy :) My Dad is travelling to Myanmar in July and just found out about the required visa 4 weeks before his visit because I just sort of randomly googled about it one afternoon. It was such a havoc because we don't know how fast it will be processed.

No. 2 is the International Driving Permit

I applied this in JPJ. Paid RM 150 for the annual fee and make sure that your licence won't expire very soon.   

It's merely a translation of the normal licence. Just a few pages of statement saying you are a competent driver in several languages heee

No 3 Gadgets that will capture and spread every moment of awesomeness..

Me smurf-lappy, me smurf-rugged digicam and me Sony cybershot

The two cameras have their own specialties so I use them in different conditions. The rugged one can withstand extreme temperature and is waterproof so I usually use it when the weather gets rough. The cybershot has sharper image especially for outdoor shots and it makes me look thinner haha

Me smurf-lappy is a very handy little object. The size and light weight enable me to bring it anywhere. I always make sure that our lodging has internet connection. I don't like delaying uploading pictures because I'll be too lazy to do so later and the excitement is lesser.. Plus I need memory space for more pictures!

No 4. The Universal Plug

I just bought this. I used my Dad's plug in previous trips but this is a very crucial little object. We also brought an extension so that we can charge more than one gadgets at one time. 

No 5. It's all about the money money MONEY

Take time to survey which money changer offers the best rate. Even 1 cent can give a significant difference. Bringing enough cash is very important especially if you are planning to shop cheap stuffs because there is a high chance that the stores don't accept credit cards.. Lesson learnt in Bali; Mida and I even bargained for the cheapest motorcycle ride in Ubud because we ran out of cash hehe (^^)>; Or to be safe, make sure you activate your ATM card for international withdrawal :)

Other stuffs..

Enough clothes and make sure they suit the weather..

Comfortable shoes so you won't hurt your legs at the end of the day..

A printed itinerary so it'll be easier to refer to..

Copies of airline tickets..

List of Halal Food..
Toiletries, cosmetics and baby wipes..
Medications.. All of us are Pharmacist so we have our own meds :P

Paracetamol in case you have headache or fever.. Metoclopramide in case you have stomach upset and feeling nauseous and dizzy.. Antihistamine (non-drowsy is preferred if you don't want to fall asleep and miss the surroundings) I usually have my Tiger balm along because my bowel activity is very unpredictable when the weather change. Lomotil, Charcoal, ORS & Hyoscine for diarrhea...

and most importantly

AN ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT!! \(^^)/

Read More

Currently... 18 June 2012

Random.. Clad in my German jersey inside my tiny bedroom

I was only testing this fella. Bought it because I thought it'll be handy in upcoming trips; when you have nobody around to help you snap a group pic

Broke sebelum waktunya...

CURRENTLY TRAVELING (^^)

Read More

Haziah says "Lets save some moneyh!"

For someone who knows me in person and not through this blog, this is definitely like a BIG JOKE!!!

I'm never the thrifty type; a compulsive shopper with monstrous appetite and never say never to having fun.. I can't even let a 2 days holiday passed without me going somewhere! Okay.. RED ALERT!! I just realize that my saving is below my self-ordained buffer level! Mati la ni... (-_-")

At the end of my previous post I said I was going to make a strategic money saving plan.. Well, I went to check the balance of my accounts and they were deadly! I didn't notice that I've withdrawn too much of 'em moneyh! T_T  So, I went to search for money saving tips and here are my  conclusions \(^^)/

1. Have multiple saving accounts (Did that :))

Usually people would have like 2 or 3 saving accounts. One for the salary, the other one for monthly saving and the other one is for investment like ASB. But I found one married couple blog who endeavor to save $60k so that they can quit their jobs and travel around the world. They have their own way of naming the bank accounts which I think amusing :P

• Travel account - This is solely for the travel. Have to be extremely disciplined and withdrawal is not allowed at all! (Got one already!)
• Oh SH** account- I like this one. Got one already but have never thought of naming it like that haha. This account is for an Oh SH** moments where you suddenly need to use some money such as need to replace a punctured tire or something like that :P Withdrawal is STRICTLY for the Oh SH** moment.

But there's one thing about having multiple saving accounts. If you're the kind who can't pile up lots of money in any of them, then you'll get a very insignificant amount of dividend at the end of each year. For this, I would suggest the ASB loans like the one in Maybank. You might get the money in 5-20 years time, but this helps increase the dividend and it's a secured saving where you know in 5-20 yrs you have 10's of thousands in hand.

2. Be consistent! (Still trying..)

This is quite hard but I'm still trying. Some of my salary are automatically credited into one of my accounts and I've two secured savings where I've to pay a certain amount of money monthly. The later are untouchable until the next 5-20 years. These are the only way that I can be consistent. Bonuses usually goes to Oh SH** and travelling to make me reach my goal faster (^^) YOSH!

3. Make it hard to withdraw money! (Trying...)

No ATM cards for travelling account please... Only passbook. Definitely will think 2-3 times before you go for a withdraw.. Think about the hot scorching equatorial sun, no parking space, the long queue and the doomed saving! 

I did something hurm which is quite out of the norm in Malaysia. In the west you see people literally freeze their credit cards in a block of ice. I don't do that because my credit card is my precioussss *Gollum hissing sound* but.. I slid my Oh SH** ATM inside the space in between the wall  and the heaviest furniture in the house haha (^^) I know that's a little bit crazy but I tried to put it inside a locked drawer but at the end of the month I usually retrieve it to withdraw some money. So, this strategy should work because I don't feel like removing all the stuff to get the card in monthly basis. O ya, I also disabled any online transaction for that account muahahaha abis la ko Haziah!

4. Drive safely...

I just identified what could be the biggest investment of my youth~ ME CAR! When I badly punctured my tire in April, I'd to pay RM 200 for a new one and then I paid RM 35 for a pair of new wiper. Expensive! Plus the mortgage and I'm paying for my mom's car mortgage as well. Plus the annual insurance and road tax.. Yes this is the biggest investment so I want to drive safe so that I won't invest more than I should...

5. Cutting expanses on hobbies..

Well, I made new schedule for my hobbies. I'm reducing the number of times for climbing.. 3 times per week on weekdays so that I can save on fuel as well since I can go straight from work. 3 times per week for running to replace climbing because running in the park is free (^^) Twice a month dining out*eating is my hobby* Movie night during dining out, if possible.. Finish all the books before buying a new one.. Everything mentioned is effective starting from June \(^^)/

6. Save on coins

Some may think coins are insignificant. Actually it is!! I've a tall cylinder shape coin box that I daily put coins into. Well, banyak penipuan berlaku because I definitely will say no if the cashier ask, "Ada duit pecah?" even though I actually have around RM 3 worth of coins inside my purse. Why is it significant?? Lets see, every time my coin box is full, I usually get more than RM 150. And It is usually full every 3 months, so that's 4 times a year. So, roughly 4 x RM 150 = RM 600. See! the coins alone can give me RM 600 per year. It is significant \(^^)/ The most that I've saved in the coin box in 3 months was RM 210


7. Shop during sales and in outlets that offer you rewards!

Need not to tell this because every girl does this. I love branded shoes for their comfy but I won't buy them unless it is 70% off. Sometimes people say something like, "Kaya nya gg pakai kasot Sembonia!' Dengan bangga nya jawab "O, saya beli RM 50 jak masa sale!" (^^)v

And another thing about credit cards..some banks offer really good rewards! I once saved RM500 when I bought my preciousssss *another Gollum hissing* washing machine because I accumulated lots of points when I shopped in stores that offers reward points! I'm the kind who love to shop with credit cards when buying expensive stuffs because I don't feel safe having lots of cash in my hand heee tapi lepas tu cepat2 la bayar because credit card's interest is daunting!

So that's it for my money saving aspirations and strategies.. Semoga istiqomah \\(^^)

Read More