Matthiaspeaks

Guess what, after receiving my repaired LG G4 yesterday, one of the very first thing to do was to start setting up the whatsapp back up (since one can't be sure if a boot loop will start again since the handphone still get really hot when I start downloading and installing all the rest of the lost apps into the phone from Google Play).

After losing everything in the whatsapp (which was a nightmare), I had now set a daily back up rather than doing it manually (which was my original setting that I had forgotten to back up ever since the last back up a year ago).

For readers whom had not done a back up before, you may go to the settings-->Chat-->Chat backup.

And you may choose to set it this way below. Using wifi instead of data may help to cut down on data usage (especially most people are sharing long video files now in whatsapp groups).

Take note to set the options as boxed in Red. However, if you prefer a monthly backup instead of daily, you may switch from daily to monthly too.

And remember to check the box for "Include Video".


Hope this helps and have a great weekend!

Do share this with your friends and loved ones!

Just as I was about to touch on this (since our BTO flat is coming to completion really soon and we are getting the HDB loan), Bank of China (BOC) had dropped a bomb as one of the best options to justify the CPF wipeout has became harder to achieve.

But before we continue, let's refresh our memory on the current CPF interest rate below. Based on the interest, one will need to decide whether if they put their CPF into better use or just use it to pay for new flat. And the easiest choice is simply to justify the wipe out is to ensure that you keep a certain amount of your savings in a place that generates more returns (or interest) than CPF.



And now let's look into BOC's Smart Saver savings account. Basically, this is one of the savings program which is gaining popularity in Singapore (which I believe that had led to the bad news which you will be reading later).

It is a good trend since savers can enjoy higher interest rate by trying to fulfil certain monthly criteria set by the bank such as crediting one's salary, spending a specific minimum amount using the bank's credit cards and paying bills. And for BOC's Smart Saver, you can actually beat CPF's interest rate if you hit their criteria.



However, from this December onward, one will not be able to hit the maximum 3.55% p.a. interest (which is more than the 3.5% p.a. interest which CPF is offering for the first $20 000 in your OA account) that easily anymore unless you are able to bank in a salary of at least $6000 cash and spent $1500 on your BOC credit card bills every month.

This is actually three times of the existing requirement below.



You may find out more about the BOCs Smart Saver revised interest rates in this link.


Since the revised BOC's Smart Saver's interest rates is no longer competitive against CPF and the flat is going to be completed soon, it seems that we will need to decide quickly on whether to use up all the CPF or to keep some in the OA to earn better interest for retirement.


As the banks are getting more and more competitive and are launching similar savings accounts, let's hope that we will be able to find one that is able to match up to CPF's interest with no lock down periods!

But for those couples that still have some time before the BTO's completion date, hope this post helps and good luck!



PS: If anyone has any alternative options to share, feel free to comment!





1st picture taken from: https://www.cpf.gov.sg/members/aboutus/about-us-info/cpf-interest-rates on the date of post

2nd & 3rd pictures taken from: http://www.bankofchina.com/sg/pbservice/pb1/201510/t20151023_5857863.html on the date of post

The most regretful decision of the day was that I should have sync whatsapp to google drive.

Getting the right mattress may take some effort.

But here's a gentle warning which might help you save some money when choosing the bed frame too.

Remember this, King/Queen/Double are all not SI units!

Unlike cm that stays the same length wherever you go, "these sizes" may vary.

The Queen size mattress in Singapore & Malaysia is different from the Queen size mattress in other countries! I believe the Caucasians and Africans will required a longer mattress of the same width since they have a taller built. Their feets will be sticking out if they are to get the "Queen Size" mattress meant for our local market.

The same thing goes to the other sizes too!

You may be surprised that Singapore's Ikea Single Bedsheet can actually fit a locally made Super Single mattress too.

With online shopping gaining more popular than ever, some of us may be planning to purchase mattresses or bed frames online.

A photo of a Double or Queen size bed frame can be easily confused. Therefore, if you really found a nice bed frame that you love, make sure you have the measurements of your mattress checked and double checked to ensure that it fits the bed frame before purchasing.

If you have gotten a slight larger bed frame (unlike the one below), one may purchase a bed frame fitting topper to lay over the mattress to cover the gaps if necessary.


However, if the problem is the other way round, you may really need to find another bed frame that is able to contain your mattress.

This post was sparked off when I saw this double, queen or king size (I seriously don't know) mattress that is sticking out of the bed frame in the clearance section.

I guess this mattress may end up in the clearance section for obvious reasons.

And not to forget, if you love a very thick mattress which gives you the euro hotel feel, be prepared to put in extra effort in finding the fitting bed sheets as "queen size" bed sheets out there may not be able to cover your mattress fully.


Therefore, it may be wise to select a mattress of a standard size (unless you are really that tall) that is not too thick and always make sure the measurements (cm x cm) of your mattress fit your bed frame and vice versa!  


The standard sizes(cm) in Singapore are as follow:

Single - 91x190
Super Single - 107x190
Queen - 152x190

King - 182x190





*Image taken from: http://www.smooth.com.au/smooth/entertainment/ikea-furniture-fails?page=8&app=smoothfm%2525253Fsmooth953%25252520smooth915%25252520and%25252520if(Length((database()))%2525253C60%2525252CBENCHMARK(36783535%2525252CMD5(0x41))%2525252C0)

Here's the battle scars of a 22 yr old mattress which had served well for 19 years before it start to sink in noticeably.

Since we are preparing to get our new house, I thought of sharing our experience in the search for an important item which is the mattress! But before going to that, I will like to give my review on my very first purchase of a super single mattress over the internet.

Come to think of it, it was actually quite risky since I did not try out the mattress prior to the purchase.

Are you about to purchase a mattress online/offline and having these concerns?

- I have a tight budget

- Will it be the right decision to purchase a mattress online?

- Are there more reliable reviews out there apart from these below?

        - Fast delivery & good service
        - Looks good, yet to try
        - I had tried sleeping for a few nights and everything is great so far!

What you will be reading below may be helpful to you to make the right decision!

The story goes back to 3 years ago when....

I bought a low price super single mattress (with lots of good reviews) from a local online website expecting to use it only for 3 years + and the plan was to save the price difference from a good super single for my future queen size bed (which is now).

What I did was to go online to do some research on mattress and I eventually bought a locally made super single bed that cost slightly less than $200 (there are even cheaper ones but I got the one with the most positive reviews) with these specs:

- Polyester Fabric (Anti-Dustmite Damask Fabric, which incurred a $50 top up that is included in the $200)
- Mid-density Foam Padding
- Bonnell Spring System
- 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty (Based On Purchase Invoice)

So let's review this 3 years old mattress now!

1. Polyester Fabric (Anti-Dustmite Damask Fabric)

Yes it is polyester and sales people often informed consumers that polyester is hotter than cotton but this fabric has a unique cooling texture with the inclusion of 40% natural fibres. Taking into account that I usually sleep with air con at night, I am willing to take this risk.

So far I think I am still okay with it. I guess good material bed sheet plays an important role too. With the air-con on, at times when I feel a little warm on the same spot, I will just flip to the unoccupied region of the bed which is cooler (the good thing about super single). But seriously, heat has never been a big issue to me since the air-con is on.

I believe there is some truth to its cooling technology since I had recently tried lying on some of the Q size mattresses in the showroom for a few minutes and started to feel warm already.

Verdict: If you sleep with aircon, polyester fabric with cooling technology supported is a risk you may want to take when you can't personally try on the mattress.


2. Mid-density Foam Padding
There are so many kinds of foams out there to choose from:
1. Various densities of foam
2. Foam that comes with cooling effect
3. Natural, blended (take note that any Natural latex that are mixed with synthetic latex or foam can also be termed as "Natural Latex"), synthetic latex
4. etc

And they offer different level of comfort and of course also a different price tag. For this mattress, the hardness of the mattress was medium firm with a score 5 out of 10 for the firmness. Since it is really hard to gauge this as one really needs to lie on it and they are heavily dependent on the person's weight too, I actually give up on this since I am buying online and did not think too much as I was used to sleeping on hard mattress and medium firm seem to be a risk I can bear.

To my surprise, my sleeping pattern and body weight (I never thought I can exceed 60kg in my lifetime but I guess one can't really maintain the same metabolism rate as time goes) had changed. I am more of a side sleeper now and I had gained a few kgs too. Now I can't really feel the foam and I can actually feel the spring coils in the middle region of the mattress. I had tried flipping the mattress but it didn't help.

And I realised in the recent months, I will wake up with a slightly aching shoulder. I believe I must be really too  tired during those nights to notice that I had placed too much pressure on my shoulder against the mattress in my side sleep position or I had gained another few kgs again.

Verdict: This is one crucial factor to consider specially for those who is thinking of getting a mattress for long term use. Sleep pattern may change or you may get old or heavier and prefers a firmer bed etc. Side sleeper may want to try out the mattress first if possible since most online stores may have a showroom somewhere in this small red dot for you to visit by appointments to try out some of their products.


3. Bonnell Spring System

There are mainly two spring systems. Bonnell and Pocket. You may google to find out more about their difference but from my basic understanding 3 years ago, pocket means that even if a partner get onto the bed, you will feel the least "bouncing" action of the bed as compared to Bonnell.

Since this is meant to be a Super Single bed, I decided to grab Bonnell spring system since it is much cheaper and no one will be disturbing me since it is meant only for myself to sleep on.

3 years had passed and I am unsure if it is due to the foam or the nature of bonnell spring. Whenever I twist or roll my body to adjust my body, I can hear the springs in action. Although it is not those very "exaggerated diong diong sound" but it can be heard and you can also feel the slight vibration of the springs too.

Verdict: I am really not sure if this is due to the nature of Bonnell Spring system that I am starting to hear the springs. But I will not be getting a Bonnell Spring system bed for sure in the future even if it is meant for a solo sleeper. And I guess there are probably more advantages to get a pocket spring bed (which you can read up on line from various articles) if you are intending to use the bed for a longer term.


4. One Year Manufacturer Warranty (Based On Purchase Invoice)

As mentioned, I only need the mattress for 3 years and therefore I hope a product with one year warranty will be able to last me for another two years.

Verdict: Maybe what I had experienced after using the mattress for 3 years justify why the warranty is only 1 year. The no of years in the warranty may help indicate the bed's quality but this is not foolproof. I believe the quality still lies down on the material used and the honesty of the manufacturer in using the right materials as claimed without playing dirty wording tricks.



I hope this review will help you in getting your very own mattress that works out best within your own budget. Don't get me wrong. I am not saying that one can't buy a decent mattress online (without trying) at a good price. I believe there are still good mattresses available but one got to look into the specs carefully and be sure if it is really worth the risk. And it will be best to head down to their showroom if available to have a feel of the mattress to confirm that it definitely suits you!

Photo taken from: http://img.thrfun.com/img/109/619/repairing_a_box_spring_mattress_l2.jpg

For those living in countries near the equator such as Singapore, heat is actually one of our greatest enemies and we should avoid it as much as we can *if possible*.