Posted in Thinking Out Loud

Everything is expensive! Time to save money on utilities! T_T

Yesterday, I came across this article that opened my eyes and left my jaws gaping. All this while, I thought that my utility bill was always on the high side, but after reading the article, it dawned upon me that my bill was actually quite average!

I reckon some conditioning and change of habits, I would be able to reduce the utility bill by another 20-30%. My ultimate goal is to not use the air conditioning as often as a standing fan would be able to do a similarly good job.

Alternatively, I could toggle the different modes of the air conditioning settings so that I would be able to maximise the efficiency of the air conditioning unit.

There are many useful tips in the article so do yourself a favour and take a look at the article and find out how much savings you can save for you and your family! 🙂

A Tale of Bub and the Catboy

Catboy – My little boy’s best friend

The little Bub has been asking us to get him the Catboy character from PJ Mask recently. We have two cats at home, so it is not surprising that he is interested in this particular character.

He does not usually ask us to buy toys for him so we thought that we would eventually get him a figurine of the Catboy character for him if he did well at his swimming lessons. So last weekend, we eventually relented and got him the Catboy that he has been begging for the longest time and he was really really pleased with it. He was lugging it EVERYWHERE he went and was basically inseparable from the toy for the ENTIRE WEEKEND.

We took a cab home on Sunday evening and he was still insisting of holding his new favourite toy in his tiny hands. Worried that he might drop it, we kindly suggested for him to put it into his backpack but he flatly refused our kind intentions and rejected our lousy idea. 🙁

When we reach our destination, Bub was excited to ask the cab driver for the reciept and alighted the cab with Mama Lim without much thought. However, he had left his beloved Catboy on the backseat and I decided to teach him a little lesson.

When we reached the lift landing, I asked Bub if he has his Catboy with him. He realised to his horror that it is neither in his hands nor in his backpack and his gobbly eyes started welling up with tears.

Mama Lim and I calmly asked him if he remembered where he last saw it and he recalled that he left it on the backseat on the cab. It was hard to keep a straight face but we wanted Bub to learn from his mistakes and to take responsibility for his belongings.

The Catboy was a toy that he longed for quite an extended period of time and it must have been heartwrenching for him to lose it within a weekend. So we made him promise to take good care of his toys before we eventually surprised him by returning him the Catboy when we reached the gates of our home.

It was a short but effective lesson for Bub and since that day, he has shown an increased effort to ensure that his toys are responsibly accounted for when he plays with them.

The Dilemma of Shopping at Retail Outlets vs Online Websites

As young parents, we are always looking to purchase new toys, books or clothes for our child. Most of them are either purchased from retail outlets or from online stores.

You may ask, “What’s the difference between buying from a brick and mortar shop vs an online store?” The differences are plentiful and make a world of difference to your entire retail experience.

Shopping at a Retail Outlet

Pros

You are able to see, feel and assess the quality of the product. This is crucial as you are able to spot any inherent defects of the product that you are looking to purchase.

If you have any queries about the product, you can clarify with the retail assistant. For instance, when shopping for items such as clothing, you may need to need to check with the retail assistant if the store has the size of your preference.

No waiting period. If you feel that the product is exactly what you want, all you have to do is pay up and it’s yours to bring home.

Cons

You have to travel out of the comfort of your home for the items that you are looking for.

Sometimes the product you are looking for is not available and you might have to go to another outlet to get it.

Your shopping experience is limited by retail hours and sometimes you just do not have the luxury of time to go to the store after a long day at work or your weekends are just too packed with activities.

Shopping at an Online Store

Pros

You have accesses to thousands at just a click of a mouse. This convenience is unparalleled and opens up a world of possibilities.

You can shop anytime and anywhere. All you need is a mobile phone/laptop and internet access and you are good to start your online shopping spree.

You can join a bulk purchase group to buy items at hugely discounted prices.

Cons

Delivery times can be really unpredictable. You’ll never really know when your item will be delivered.

Some items might get damaged or even go missing during the shipping process. Now that would really suck.

Messy return policies. Every online store has a different return policy. Some might even take weeks to reply to your requests.

Conclusion

From a personal standpoint, both types of shopping have their own advantages. If you are looking to purchase items such as toys, clothing, and equipment, it would be advisable to head down to a retail outlet so that you are able to try on or test the item. If you are looking to purchase books and office supplies, then it might be worthwhile to get them online as they are unlikely to be damaged and you might be able to get them on a bulk discount online.

There is no right or wrong answer to this, but more of a personal preference. What is your preference? 🙂