Articles written by Wei Yin Wong

Get Dad a fabulous gift on Father's Day, his birthday, or other special occasions. Consider hi-tech gadgets, sports gear and experience gifts for Dad.

May 30, 2010 - Wei Yin Wong

Smart money management strategies for families include considerations for budgeting, buying houses, paying off mortgages and planning for retirement.

May 23, 2010 - Wei Yin Wong

To save money, families should compare prices, buy only during sales, use loyalty programs and check out factory outlets before buying goods.

Apr 14, 2010 - Wei Yin Wong

Shopping for a great holiday package? Don't want to go through the hassle of making individual bookings for flight, hotel and car rentals? Try booking everything online.

Mar 20, 2010 - Wei Yin Wong

Families can enjoy a fun and affordable holiday by planning ahead, traveling out of season, making online bookings and using air-hotel vacation packages.

Mar 19, 2010 - Wei Yin Wong

Delight Mum with a gardening set, a special class, some comedy action, photo gifts or a donation in her name on Mother's Day, her birthday or other special occasions.

Mar 6, 2010 - Wei Yin Wong

Children can play free and fun online games on websites such as UpToTen, Club Penguin, Neopets, Cartoon Network and Moshi Monster.

Dec 28, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Impress and surprise a girlfriend with some great gift ideas. Get her a thoughtful gift to make this coming Valentine's Day, her birthday or a special occasion memorable.

Dec 26, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Dieters can burn more body fat and lose more weight by eating foods that increase metabolism. Fat-burning foods include chilli, fish, cocoa, some proteins and herbs.

Dec 17, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Planning for Christmas and year end celebrations but dread the stress that comes with the preparation? Start decluttering the house, buy gifts and plan meals early.

Nov 22, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Before their holiday, travelers should learn all about their travel destination, get travel insurance, check their health status and pick up useful travel health tips.

Nov 19, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To prevent car sickness in children, avoid greasy food before travel, encourage the child to look out of the window, make frequent stops and keep plastic bags in the car.

Oct 22, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Australian home buyers who don't meet mortgage lenders' lending criteria can consider taking out non-conforming loans like low-doc, bad credit and no-deposit home loans.

Oct 21, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Variable interest rate loans, fixed rate loans, split loans, capped loans and home equity loans are major types of home loan products in the Australian mortgage market.

Oct 20, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Kids who misbehave, personal conflicts between parents, latecomers and lingerers are common problems in playgroups that need to be resolved.

Oct 19, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To manage a home loan efficiently, get the right mortgage, use redraw facilities wisely, make extra repayments, avoid adding more debts and review the loan annually.

Oct 18, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

A mortgage lender will look at a new home buyer or borrower's income, assets, liabilities, credit history and savings history before approving the home loan.

Oct 15, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

A parent hosting a playgroup at home needs to get the house ready, offer refreshments, keep the group format consistent and be prepared to deal with disciplinary issues.

Oct 14, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Home buyers need to know how much money they can borrow, the necessary features of a mortgage and other possible benefits when choosing the right home loan.

Oct 13, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Choosing a fixed rate loan, saving for a bigger deposit, making more repayments, using an offset account and borrowing from a non-bank lender can reduce mortgage rates.

Oct 12, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Considerations when managing a playgroup include the location of meetings, the duration and frequency of group sessions and the costs of hosting playtime.

Oct 10, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Find out where to get free online investment classes, financial advice, debt management and property investment tips from reputable sources in Australia.

Oct 9, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Gifts that kids can make include memory books, personalized calendars, gift baskets, CDs or DVDs featuring the children and homemade greeting or Christmas cards.

Oct 8, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To reduce Christmas spending, create homemade gifts like kitchen baskets, baked gifts, book gift sets, gardening sets and travel survival kits for loved ones.

Oct 7, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Suitable yet cheap Christmas presents for kids include art and craft supplies, homemade toy boxes, novelty clothes, music vouchers and movie tickets.

Oct 7, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Buy gifts on sale, shop at discount stores or directly from manufacturers and use discount vouchers and credit card reward points to spend less this Christmas.

Oct 6, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

When buying a house, consider the location of the property, whether it has access to roads or public transport, its view, floor plan and position to the sun.

Oct 5, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To start a playgroup, decide who the group is for, what the age range for the kids should be, the size of the playgroup and the activities for participants.

Oct 4, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Apart from a home deposit, Australian home buyers also need to pay government charges and stamp duties, fees for the lender, legal fees and building inspection fees.

Oct 2, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Prospective Australian home buyers with minimal savings can make use of the First Home Owner Grant, borrow money from parents or get no-deposit loans to purchase homes.

Oct 1, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Parents can have free or cheap creative play for kids by using plain paper, building things with empty boxes, having backyard fun and playing dress up with old clothes.

Sep 27, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Would-be first time home buyers can raise their home deposits via a First Home Saver Account as well as properly planned investment and saving strategies.

Sep 25, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Low income earners can buy their first homes by saving for a home deposit, buying smaller and cheaper houses, making joint purchases or getting no- or low-deposit loans.

Sep 24, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

In Australia, the home is a growth asset and can be used to make more investments. Plus, owning a home is tax effective.

Sep 22, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Encourage older kids to help make a shopping list, plan weekly meals, learn about healthy foods and have lessons in basic mathematics while out food shopping with them.

Sep 20, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

When using or choosing credit cards, avoid minimum repayment, cash advances, exceeding credit limit, paying bills late, cards with reward points and charity cards.

Sep 17, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To reduce credit card debts, use credit for budgeted purchases, opt for personal loans for certain purchases, have a good tracking system and use debit cards instead.

Sep 15, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Expecting trick-or-treaters on Halloween? Practice indoor fire safety, leave the porch light on, keep walkways clear, confine pets elsewhere and offer non-candy treats.

Sep 14, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To shop efficiently with toddlers, keep the kids on reins, leave contact details in their clothes, involve them in shopping activities and bring a friend along to help.

Sep 13, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Low income earners can start investing by paying off their consumer debts, saving early and regularly, buying units in managed funds and borrowing to invest.

Sep 12, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Parents should choose Halloween costumes that are fire resistant, can be taken off quickly, visible in the dark and allow kids to see and move easily.

Sep 10, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To ensure safe trick-or-treating, parents should feed children, ask them to use the bathroom, plan the kids' route, pack essentials and stage a dress rehearsal.

Sep 10, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Good credit card management includes choosing the right card, using it only for emergencies, tracking all expenses and paying the outstanding balance in full.

Sep 9, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

When choosing a credit card, look at the interest charges, annual fees and other various fees as well as credit limit given.

Sep 8, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Not all credit cards are the same. Read how credit, debit, charge and departmental store cards are different from one another.

Sep 8, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Planning a Halloween party for kids? Try reading some spooky stories, watching scary movies, playing witchy games and munching edible crawlies and other witch food.

Sep 7, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To save time while buying food, mums should shop alone, know the supermarket layout, have a shopping list, limit shopping to once a week or try online grocery shopping.

Sep 4, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To build wealth via investments, get as much investment information as possible, negotiate for the best deal, formulate an investment plan and monitor assets invested.

Sep 2, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

To manage time efficiently, stay-at-home mums can complete related chores at the same time, set a timetable for tasks, work within time limits and reduce wasted hours.

Sep 1, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong

Learn investing basics such as diversifying investments, investing for the long term, resisting stock speculations and understanding investment market cycles.

Aug 31, 2009 - Wei Yin Wong