Stretching $ Further in Johor Bahru(JB)

With the relentless cost of living rising amid stagnating paychecks for vast majority of population i have started stretching my $ further in nearby JB. Takes around 65-75mins & skeptics questioned whether is worth it. I'm rather amused by this question of theirs as they ought to be asking 'how do i make the trip worth it?' instead.

Badminton & equipment(non yonex) as well as food are cheaper. Books slightly cheaper than opentrolley(excl. shipping). I haven't really check on groceries yet since is handled by my mum. For Plaza Kotaraya which is walking distance from City Sq there's a badminton shop at the 2nd highest floor as well as UO Superstore which is a good place to buy groceries.


Even for weekdays the crowd at the mall is less compared to S'pore's. I like the feel of it. Time in JB slow down for me metaphorically as i don't feel the rush unlike hectic S'pore.




Went to check out Landmark mall which is also walking distance from City Sq. Is supposed to be the Sim Lim Sq in JB. Disappointed since so many vacant premises as i was looking forward to Sim Lim Sq kinda variety of DIY components for sale. Seems many have relocated to Danga Mall. Buying dvd-r is a problem since not many choices. Around 20% of shops remain & fewer are open for business.





Went to MPH & Popular bookstore to check out new arrivals. There are more personal finance books by Msians than S'pore authors in S'pore. Had a haircut & bought some badminton stuff.

Construction Vehicle Crane

Construction of a lift shaft in my neighbourhood for corridors not served directly by lifts stopping at every floor.


Hoisted into place by 2 cranes. An extra heavy duty vehicle crane will extend its arm & another vehicle crane will help contruct the horizontal crane(which is transported via long long vehicle).

Lift shaft cubes which will be hoisted up & over to the front of the building. Relying on the arm extension is not enough to reach other side of building hence the need for horizonal crane extension. Shell of the shaft is metal plating. Light & easier to lift up for faster construction. Once completed & painted with the building's color, most won't know that is mainly metal shell plating & not concrete/bricks(ground floor).

Contagion Effect (Domino effect)

Was having a conversation with a friend regarding the new ippt(physical fitness test) system & how it further disadvantages the local reservists against foreigners in the workplace-20 remedial sessions if fail. He replied 'who cares since we(including me) pass already?'.

This led me to think about the short-sightedness of some people. A good philosphy to adopt is 'Everything is linked to everything else'. A good example is the subprime crisis started in America which spilled over to the rest of the world. In the globalised world we live in now it is even more connected.

“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Socialists & the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out.
Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.” - Martin Niemoeller

Just because something does not affect us does not mean it would not affect us in some indirect way eventually. The factor of 'lag time' blinds many people as well by fooling them into thinking things are ok for the time being.

Money as Debt

Sounds strange? I initially thought so as $$ is commonly referred to as a medium of exchange. Although i started reading personal finance books since 2000 i have no idea how money works in the current financial system until the subprime crisis which introduced me to the fractional reserve system of banking.

How come money is not taught in schools? This is something that have puzzled me since money is critical & affects us till we 'depart'. How come we are taught pretty useless stuff like binomial theorem, calculus etc & yet nothing about managing $$? I believe ignorance is used by a minority elite in order to take advantage of others.

This video on youtube titled 'Money as Debt' is rather eye opening. After watching it twice my understanding is around 80%.



Continuation:
Part 1: 2 of 5
Part 1: 3 of 5
Part 1: 4 of 5
Part 1: 5 of 5

I strongly recommend watching Part 2 as well:

Part 2: 2 of 6
Part 2: 3 of 6
Part 2: 4 of 6
Part 2: 5 of 6
Part 2: 6 of 6