Become A Great Learner

Mistakes

Here's a great inspiration quote thought you'd like.

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." ~ Elizabeth Kubler Ross

Ready to share another tip with you.

There is no doubt that problems affect us, which is actually normal, due to the fact that we have feelings, but, nevertheless, every single hard moment of our lives should make us even stronger. That is why specialists suggest that you should always analyze and meditate on the worse situation you had to deal with, in the course of your life. Try to learn from your mistakes, because they will help you be prepared for the changes or less pleasant situations to come.

Inflation this year could go past 5%

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong cautioned yesterday that inflation in the first half of the year could be high. Speaking at the Chinese New Year Celebrations at Teck Ghee Community Centre, Mr Lee said: 'Last year, inflation was about 2 per cent. This year, it could be 5%, maybe even more. Especially in the first half (of the year), it is going to be high.' Earlier government estimates last November had put inflation at between 4% and 5% for the whole of the first quarter of 2008.

Touching on next week's Budget, he said that while the government would have something to distribute, especially to the poor and the elderly, there is a need to be realistic. For its part, the government will help lower-income families through the Workfare Income Supplement scheme. To date, Mr Lee said $150 million had been paid out in Workfare to 290,000 low-income workers for the month of January alone.

Comments: While the CPI was relatively benign in 1H07, the picture all changed in 2H07. On the back of a 2%-pt hike in the GST in July, food supply disruptions, higher energy costs and others, the CPI rose by a seasonally-adjusted 1.9% qoq in 3Q07 and 1.8% in 4Q07, vs. 2Q07’s +0.6% qoq. Barring a sharp downturn in the global economy,
domestic price pressures are likely to persist, due to short-term supply constraints. Festive demand is also expected to lift food prices and the CPI towards the 5% level in the coming months. The CPI is expected to fall within 4.5-5.5% yoy in 1H08 (GST spikeinduced), before trending down to 1.5-2.5% in 2H08. For 2008 as a whole, the CPI is
expected to be 4%-4.5%.

If the current moderation in crude oil prices continues into 2H08, the CPI may be lower than 4%. While the government does not cap prices to contain CPI increases, it gives rebates to public home owners. Bigger rebates are likely to be proposed in Budget 2008, given its stronger-than-projected fiscal position.

Consumer Price Index in 2007 rose 2.1 per cent

Dear Readers, previously in my blog I've shared with you the impact of inflation on our life. Lately, the Singapore Department of Statistics had released a new data on inflation.

Compared with 2006, the CPI in 2007 rose by 2.1 per cent. The increase reflected partly the 2 percentage point hike in the Goods and Service Tax (GST) in July 2007.Food prices up by 2.9 per cent in 2007 due to dearer cooked food, fresh vegetables, milk products and fruits.Higher taxi fares, car prices and dearer petrol contributed to the 2.0 per cent increase in transport and communication prices.Health care cost rose by 4.1 per cent, reflecting higher charges for daily ward and medical treatment, specialist services, general medical consultation, dental treatment as well as dearer Chinese herbs.

Here are some advices:

- Spend moderately on food; Cut down on dining out

- Be more health conscious as medical care is not cheap these days

- If you are car owners, plan your travelling by taking the least route

- Find ways to increase your income

- To beat inflation, ensure adequate savings are invested to generate yield of 5% or more