New Norm 2021: How one can Have a Chinese language “NewNormal” 12 months (#CNNY) 

Chinese language New 12 months 2021 will certainly be one for the books. Whereas we rejoice with household over reunion dinner, it’s one other celebration of kinds — that we’ve got emerged from 2020 in a single piece.

Given the Covid-19 security restrictions, a lot could change this yr — however precisely how so?

And the way about CNY spending? How can we be extra moneysmart about our funds this 12 months of the Ox and survive what’s now Chinese language “New Regular” 12 months (CNNY)?

How is CNNY completely different?

New Covid-19 restrictions have been introduced on 22 Jan, in gentle of a current rise in neighborhood circumstances and the attainable threat of transmission throughout the festive interval.

What’s new? There’s an 8 pax restrict on guests a day in a family and its suggested that we must also restrict ourselves to visiting a most of two different households a day if attainable. For these with enormous multi-generational households, that poses a little bit of a problem.

And whereas tossing yusheng we’re informed to don our face masks and keep silence (as a result of shouting spreads our droplets additional mah)… however wait! We are able to pre-record these sayings or use a nifty app to “shout” in our stead.

Keep secure, individuals!

Right here’s what else we predict will change:

• Much less visiting = much less weight acquire? No extra snacking on one other family’s pineapple tarts
• Much less visiting = extra eco-friendly? Save the timber by gifting digital ang baos, reduce down on CO2 emissions since you received’t be caught in site visitors jams
• From limitless reunion dinners to ‘restricted-union’ dinners
• One shot “settle” all of your visiting, however nearly — organise a Zoom name with all of the 20 households you often go to as an alternative
• Purchasing goes on-line — you most likely purchased your whole new garments, goodies and even house furnishings on-line, in fact utilizing a bank card that provides you rebates for on-line spend
• ZooMahjong — a digital recreation of mahjong over Zoom? Something is feasible!
• Spending — relying on how we weathered 2020, throughout a season when our spending goes up, this may end in smaller ang baos and fewer lavish reunion dinners (or much less goodies/decor)
• #ootd was so final season — as an alternative of outfit of the day (#ootd), we now have #motd, masks of the day. Completely coordinated with every CNY outfit, in fact!

Mother and father particularly, may have a distinct sort of CNY — a CNNY — this yr. Whereas so many issues will change, we are able to nonetheless go on with our common traditions, however with a digital twist. Right here’s how one can survive this CNNY and journey the Ox by the horns in 2021: 

Survival tip 1: Strive digital gifting

Ang baos, or purple packets, are crammed with cash and given by married elders to their youngsters. These symbolise good needs and luck for the brand new yr forward — so we shouldn’t put off this CNY custom!

As a substitute, why not take into account digital ang baos? These are another approach to dole out good luck even with restrictions on the variety of guests in place, household primarily based abroad who aren’t capable of come house for CNY, and usually a extra sanitary manner of dealing with cash. Plus you don’t have to go to the financial institution to queue up for brand spanking new notes, or return to the financial institution to deposit notes after.

It’s really easy to switch cash now. Listed here are 2 methods to ship out these digital items:

By going digital, you additionally contribute to sustainability efforts. You see, in line with the Financial Authority of Singapore, e-gifting helps to cut back the queues at banks, and likewise helps to cut back the carbon emissions generated by the manufacturing of recent notes for every Lunar New 12 months, estimated to be about 330 tonnes at the moment. That is equal to emissions from charging 5.7 million sensible telephones or one sensible telephone for each Singaporean resident for five days.

Convey your used QR Reward playing cards to any full-service DBS branches for recycling after you’re finished!

Survival tip 2: On-line searching for CNY

Each CNY, it’s custom to spring clear one’s house, spruce it up (with new furnishings?) and enhance it with motifs of the Chinese language Zodiac animal (aka Ox). There’s additionally the mad rush to purchase all of the CNY goodies, groceries and different necessities for the house.

This CNNY, let’s kick off our footwear and make all our purchases from the consolation of our couch, okay?

I imply, who needs to make a visit to the shop, squeeze with the gang, attempt to search for your stuff (no Management+F operate in a bodily retailer), and lug a trolley-load of CNY procuring (groceries, necessities, and many others) again house? It’s a lot simpler to buy on-line and have it delivered, plus you get to earn cashback in your debit/bank cards (yay).

Professional-tip: Be sure you use the correct credit score/debit card to maximise your rebates, factors and extra. Listed here are some debit/bank cards to contemplate in your on-line procuring:

• Promo alert: From 17 Jan 2021, store with DBS/POSB Playing cards or PayLah! on Lazada to rise up to S$30 off. 

Survival tip 3: Reunion dinner

This can be a large evening for a lot of households. This CNNY, let the meals supply companies assist you take pleasure in your reunion dinner in a cosier and smarter manner.

Even with social gathering restrictions in place, it’s a should to make this evening of togetherness a particular one in your family members whereas nonetheless saving cash.

Eating out

When you’re planning to dine out, e book forward and also you may rating some early fowl offers at your favorite restaurant. For instance, with DBS PayLah! on Chope, you will get offers from over 800 eating places.

Maximise your debit/bank card spend:

Consuming in

Alternatively, put together a home-cooked feast at house or search for on-line meals supply offers on Deliveroo or foodpanda. Go for a potluck maybe? Or simply name a vote when everybody’s arrived. POSB credit score/debit playing cards usually have service provider gives, so it’s at all times good to maintain your eyes peeled.

Maximise your debit/bank card spend:

Dine out or eat in, it doesn’t matter what you favor, needless to say it can save you extra while you use the correct card in your purchases.

Survival tip 4: Develop your ang bao monies

CNNY may even be among the best academics to high school your youngsters about cash issues early in life (or your self). As a substitute of telling you to save lots of the cash like your naggy mum or dad and, we’ll as an alternative implore you to develop it.

Keep away from spending your ang bao monies. As a substitute, plop them right into a deposit account to earn curiosity (and we all know how the magic of compound curiosity works, proper?). It’s the proper alternative to get youngsters began on saving cash too.

Tip: Open a POSB My Account for Youngsters (no charges, accessible to all ages, might be transformed to a Multiplier Account later). With this accretion account, you should use it to develop their future training fund by means of the POSB My Account for Youngsters.

For your self although, it’s the proper time to develop your emergency fund. 

Bonus: This CNNY, go on POSB’s Digital Zodiac Hunt

Since we’re on the subject of going digital this CNNY, why not strive your hand at POSB’s Digital Zodiac Hunt? This 2nd version of POSB #HuntYourZodiac runs from 10 to 14 February, and this digital recreation is playable islandwide (final yr’s was on the Floating Platform) — you’ll be able to hunt digital for zodiac animals which can include an ang bao so that you can redeem wherever. 

Search for the “Golden Gates” wherever you’re; have enjoyable and keep in mind to hunt whereas observing secure distancing measures!

Right here’s play: 

1. In your cell phone, go online to the sport’s internet utility right here
2. Search for the completely different Zodiac animals (60 in all, as a result of every animal has a component) and “catch” them utilizing your cell phone
3. Every Zodiac animal “caught” will reward you with a New 12 months prediction particular to every component of the 12 zodiac animals — and whether it is holding onto an ang bao*, this implies you’ll bag more money!

*Ang bao rewards will probably be transferred to your DBS PayLah! account later. Register for an “Ang Bao Bag” utilizing your cell quantity, which have to be linked to DBS PayLah! account.

Notes:

• You’ll be able to “catch” and redeem as much as 12 ang baos over 5 days
• Participate within the every day mixture problem: Catch the desired mixture of Zodiac animals and win something from $0.88 to $88
• Gotta catch all of them! Accumulate all 60 Zodiac animals in your stock to finish the Golden Problem… BUT these animals can escape. Use power-ups (obtained by making a purchase order with DBS PayLah! to pay in your meals/bubble tea/and many others). No min quantity required. You need to use the power-ups to maintain the zodiac animals you may have caught for escaping, appeal to a sure zodiac animal, or catch an animal faster.

CNY is simply across the nook, so whilst you rejoice with your loved ones with these survival suggestions and extra, go forth and journey the Ox by the horns this yr.

That is the second article in New Norm 2021, a collection of 6 articles written in collaboration with POSB to assist younger households make smarter cash choices on this new Ox yr.

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