Welcome to the latest edition of ST HeadSTart, bringing you the best of The Straits Times’ career and personal finance coverage every Tuesday noon. Sign up here to get weekly tips right into your inbox.
Hi there. It’s Prisca, bringing you this week’s edition of HeadSTart.
I’ve recently discovered that a lot of things are practically free. Over the weekend, I was window shopping online when I stumbled upon a beautiful new bag. It was such a reasonable buy as it would cost me just $1 a day, provided I used it every day for two years.
Thankfully, I managed to snap out of my reverie. Nothing in life is free, after all. In fact, the bag would have put a large $750 dent in my wallet. Like others, I have been creating and solving my own ‘girl math’ equations. The buzz phrase of 2023 involves the use of fuzzy excuses to justify purchases. We might use the term less now, but the sentiment behind it remains.
While it is mostly tongue-in-cheek, girl math might pose risks to one’s financial goals and encourage overspending, especially on bigger-ticket items, writes business correspondent Sue-Ann Tan. The term also takes on a social dimension as it plays on certain stereotypes. Here’s how you can keep your finances in check and be mindful of the trend’s implications even as you have fun with it.
How do you usually decide whether to say yes or no when shopping? Tell me more at headstart@sph.com.sg
Also, if you’ve been thinking of asking your boss to let you shift to flexible working arrangements, here’s some good news: new guidelines were rolled out by the Government today to require employers to fairly consider flexi-work requests from Dec 1.
Have a good week ahead!
All employers in Singapore must fairly consider flexi-work requests from Dec 1 under new rules
Examples of such arrangements include staggered work hours, part-time work or job sharing.
Counting on good maths to combat ‘girl math’
The term is really just the latest expression of the mental gymnastics people execute when they try to justify spending.
A self-taught dentist? There are limits to self-learning in securing a job
A rigid line used to separate skilled and unskilled jobs, marked by tangible indicators like whether you have a diploma or a degree. Things are more unclear now, says opinion editor Lin Suling.
Blending business and leisure travel? Here’s why it pays to be careful
Thinking that your company might help if something goes wrong in the leisure part of your trip is not a good idea, says the writer.
Thursday is the deadline to e-file your income tax returns
Here’s a guide on the reliefs and deductions you might be eligible for, and some common mistakes to avoid.
Me & My Money: From undergraduate real estate agent to CEO of co-living operator
Property executive Eugene Lim shares how he founded co-living operator The Assembly Place, after starting his career years ago as a real estate agent trying to pay his university fees.
Podcast: Should you diversify away from Big Tech?
In the latest episode of Invest Talk, senior columnists Lee Su Shyan and Ven Sreenivasan discuss the implications of investing in tech sectors, given the growth of AI.
Write down angry thoughts and shred them, Japan study advises
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