Wagashi's Journey to the North Pole

和果子的北极日志
Wagashi's Journey to the North Pole

Author Dong Ling
Illustrated by Lee Shee

小北极熊漂流到香港，

在养父母的照顾和关爱下渐渐长大。
然而，
小北极熊开始对自己的身世感到迷惑。
于是开始寻找自己的根。
回到家乡的她，
看到同乡的生活，
才明白自己原来一直生活在幸福之中。

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page 59

Client: Fullmoon Publication (Hong Kong)

銷售地點:

(香港區)

商務印書館
1. 銅鑼灣圖書中心
地址：香港銅鑼灣怡和街 9 號
電話：2890 8028

2. 康怡分館
地址：(魚則)魚涌康山道1號康怡廣場 2樓 S39號
電話：2560 0238

(九龍區)
1. 尖沙咀圖書中心
地址：九龍 尖沙咀 彌敦道 美麗華酒店商場 2樓 AR313號
電話：2904 1988

2. 佐敦圖書廣場
地址：九龍佐敦道 13 號 華豐大廈地下
電話：2770 8881

3. 德福圖書廣場
地址：香港九龍灣偉業街33號 德福廣場二期3樓351號
電話：2305 0877

(新界區)
1. 沙田圖書廣場
地址：新界沙田新城市廣場第一期 2 樓 252 號
電話：2693 1933

2. 屯門分館
地址：新界屯門時代廣場 南翼地下33-36號
電話：2458 9332

3. 三聯書店蘭桂坊店
地址：中環德己立街 2-12 號業豐大廈地庫 (MTR D1)
電話：2840 1632

4. 三聯書店JP@apm
地址：觀塘道 418 號創紀之城 5 期 apm 1 樓 L1-21 舖
電話：3148 1089

5. 三聯書店新世紀店
地址：旺角新世紀廣場2樓288樓

電話：2264 3108

6. 三聯書店元朗店
地址：元朗教育路 1 號千色廣場 2 樓
電話：2470 5228

7. 三聯書店青衣店
地址：青衣青敬路 33 號青衣城 2 樓 211 號 (MTR A2)
電話：2495 8780

8. 三聯書店葵芳店
地址：葵涌葵富路7-11號葵涌廣場3樓89 號
電話：2420 3103

9. 三聯書店荃灣店
地址：荃灣青山公路210號富華中心3樓
電話：2412 3696

Wealth Principle: Until you show you can handle what you have got, you won’t get any more!

“I will start managing my money as soon as I have more money” is like an overweight person saying “I will start to exercise and diet as soon as I lose 10 kgs.” No one with that type of mindset is going to be successful in managing his or her money. The first task is to start handling the money you have properly, then you will have money to handle.

A simple illustration clearly explains this wealth principle: Imagine you are walking along the street with your five year old nephew. You come across an ice cream store and get your nephew a single scoop of ice cream on a cone. As the two of you walk out the store, you noticed the cone wobbling in your nephew’s tiny hands. All of a sudden, plop! The ice cream falls out of the cone onto the pavement.

Your nephew begins to cry. So, back you go into the store, and just as you are about to order another cone, your nephew notices a colourful sign with a picture of the “triple scooper” cone. Your nephew points to the picture and screams excitedly, “I want that one!”

Now here is the question. Being the kind, loving, and generous person that you are, would you go ahead and get your nephew the triple scooper? Your initial response might be “sure.” However, after second thoughts, you change your mind because why would you want to set the child up to fail? The child couldn't even handle a single scoop, how could the child possibly handle a triple scoop?

The same holds true when it comes to the universe and you. We live in a kind and loving universe, and the rule is “Until you show you can handle what you have got, you won’t get any more!”

You must acquire the habits and skills of managing a small amount of money before you can have a large amount. Remember, we are creatures of habit, and therefore the habit of managing your money is more important than the amount.

Action Plan # 1

To get you started, open a separate bank account to be designated as your Financial Freedom Account. Put 10 percent of every Ringgit you receive (after taxes) into this fund. This money is only to be used for investments and buying or creating passive-income streams. The purpose of this account is to build a golden goose that lays golden eggs called passive income. And when do you get to spend this money? Never! It is never spent – only invested. Eventually, when you retire, you get to spend the income from the fund (the eggs), but never the principal itself. In this way, it always keeps growing and you can never go broke.

It doesn't matter whether you have a fortune in your coffers right now or have virtually nothing in your savings. What does matter is that you immediately begin to manage what you have got, and you will be in for a shock as to how soon you will get more.

Client :Springfield consultancy SDN. BHD.
Illustration of Springfield Newsletter 2008/ Issue 17

Springfiend Newsletter 17

country home

A signboard for my uncle's home in Melaka.

Back to Basics

“Isn’t it a little silly recording every chewing gum or Coke you buy and the 20⊄ you pay for using the toilet in a shopping complex?” my client asked, expressing his frustration. I told my client that businesses and wealthy people hire accountants and bookkeepers to track their money. Poor people don’t. This is one of the reasons why they stay poor.

Some of us may still remember the little small 555 booklet that used to cost 5-10 sen which our parents used to record the groceries they bought. I remember my mum carried one with her whenever she visited the sundry shop. Those little 555 books are still available today but due to inflation, it costs a lot more now.

Get hold of one of these and start recording all inflows and outflows of your money. By merely writing down all your financial transactions, you are not only beginning the process of easing your financial problems but you are also on your way to achieving financial success. You will find money that has been slipping though the cracks. Tracking helps you see these cracks, so you can plug them up and as a result, save more money for the important things.

If you spend a little time every day doing the fundamentals, like recording your expenses, you will begin to find yourself on auto-pilot, and very much in control. By now you probably have realized that we are telling you something you already knew, a principle buried in some deep forgotten place but the aim of this article is to trigger you to do something which appears to be trivial but yet so very powerful.

“Over the years I have learned to keep my weight down. It wasn’t easy, but one of the strange phenomena of dieting is if you can discipline yourself to write down on a piece of paper the calorie count in every item of food you eat, and without doing anything else, you begin to lose weight. The process of counting calories alone will bring about a weight loss. Isn’t that interesting?” said one of my clients to me on how she succeeded in keeping her weight down without burning a big hole in her pocket by going to a slimming centre. So, start today!

Client :Springfield consultancy SDN. BHD.
Illustration of Springfield Newsletter Nov 2007/ Issue 16

邀月共团圆

Client ideasLAB Communications
Calligraphy wording 邀月共团圆
Sep 2007

Sandwich family

The Sandwich Family indicates someone who juggle family responsibilities.
At a time when your career is reaching a peak and you are looking ahead to your own retirement, you may find yourself in the position of having to help your children with college expenses while at the same time looking after the needs of your aging parents. Squeezed in the middle, you've joined the ranks of the "sandwich generation."

Client :Springfield Consultancy SDN. BHD.
Illustration of Springfield Sales Material

Get some helps before it is too late!

The Forties-Pivoting Between Young and Old

The forties is a time of reflection of our life; financial concerns included. Thoughts about leaving something significant behind will naturally surface: “Will the world be a better place because of me? Will my children have a better chance in term of educations and career opportunities?” Thinking suddenly becomes longer-range and inter-generational.

If there are to be Ringgits at work producing an income for the older person that we will be someday in the future, then they must come from the earnings of the current younger person. Therefore, every young person’s pocketbook is supposed to comprise two sections: Section A for the young person and Section B, for the older person he/she will be someday.

Part of the Ringgits in the young person’s pocketbook are the old person’s, as surely as if they had his/her name on it. Unfortunately, with no name printed on the notes, the young person might unintentionally cross the boundary into the other section, and in the process, spend the older person’s money. This is human nature; this is life; and this is the problem that we must address today.

We must arrange a plan that will retrieve the older person’s Ringgits out of the younger person’s pocketbook. This money will be kept out, appreciated with interest, and saved carefully. Such fore planning provides the person the luxury to be waiting surely and certainly for the money the day he grows old.

If you are currently the younger of the 2, you should ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you currently have saving plans?
2. Have your current plans actually helped you to get the old person’s Ringgits out of the young person’s pocketbook before you have spent them?
3. Has the saving plans that you have used turned your good intentions into enduring saving habits?
4. Have the plans you have used forced you to constant reinvestment?
5. Do the plans you use provide for automatic liquidation in a guaranteed number of dollars when you are ready to retire?


Client :Springfield consultancy SDN. BHD.
Illustration of Springfield Newsletter July 2007/ Issue 15

BOOK IN AMAZON

Say it Better in English:
Useful Phrases for
Work and Everyday Life

More than 300 illustrations has been created to enhance sense of dialogues and improve learning efficiency.

For more info about this book, please visit:
http://www.amazon.com/Say-Better-English-Phrases-Everyday/
dp/0972530088/ref=sr_1_1/103-7012154-7354239?ie=
UTF8&s=books&
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Samples

The Ten Most Common Money Mistakes

1. Procrastination.
This is the biggest money mistake of all by putting off what should have been done yesterday till tomorrow. This is simply financial suicide on the installment plan.

2. Failure to Establish a Plan.
People do not plan to fail – they simply fail to plan. They fail to set specific objectives and implement a workable plan for realizing those objectives.

3. Ignorance of the Time Value of Money.
Most people do not understand the tremendous potential of compounding money over a period of time. It amazes most people to learn that $10,000 invested every year, earning 10% interest, can grow to more than $25,000 in ten years.

4. Failure to Recognize the Impact of Inflation.
Inflation reduces the purchasing power of dollars over time. The purchasing power of $100,000 ten years down the road is only $55,839 at an inflation rate of 6 percent.

5. Lack of a Clear Understanding of Tax Laws.
Income tax can be substantially reduced through effective tax planning. Understanding implications of tax laws can result in fewer Ringgit making the one-way trip to IRB.

6. Failure to Diversify Investment Portfolio/Taking Unnecessary Investment Risks.
Each individual must determine his degree of risk tolerance and formulate a balanced and diversified investment portfolio.

7. Inadequate Protection Against Unforeseen Losses.
Life, home, health, disability, liability and other forms of insurance are mandatory today to protect against unforeseen and catastrophic losses.

8. Letting Family Spending Run Wild.
Lack of discipline in spending habits can cause even the best-laid plans to fail.

9. Unrealistic Expectations.
It takes time to build wealth and hence an estate. Too many people expect dramatic results too fast and become disenchanted when get-rich-schemes do not materialize.

10. Failure to Use professional Advisers.
None on us can expect to live long enough to become expert at everything, especially the intricacies of efficient financial planning. We need to surround ourselves with professionals who are specialists in their areas and rely on a qualified financial consultant to coordinate the efforts of the entire financial team.

Client :
Springfield consultancy SDN. BHD.
Illustration of Springfield Newsletter April 2007