Sunday, 16 March 2025

[Post 615] How Did Thailand's Middle Class Get So Deep In Debt? | Asia's Changing Middle Class | Insight


Summary

Once touted as the engine of Asia's rapid growth, Asia's middle class is now facing growing pains. In Thailand, household debt is squeezing the middle class. The household-debt-to-GDP ratio peaked above 95% in 2021. It currently hovers around 90%, still among Asia's highest.

About 7 in 10 borrowers have limited ability to service their loans, as delinquency rates remain high. With Thailand's GDP growth already lagging its Southeast Asian counterparts, the central bank worries that the debt crisis will continue to drag on the economy. How did middle class Thais become so indebted? And will the recent government measures to ease the debt burden prove effective?

[Post 614] How This Malaysian Engineer Turned Barista Opened 1st Cafe In His Rural Hometown | Money Mind


Summary

Former engineer Mohd Ridzuan Zaini took a 40% pay cut to become a barista in his seaside hometown in Kelantan, Malaysia. Local coffee shops charge around RM3 for a cup of coffee. But Ridzuan's customers are willing to pay more than double that for his espresso. 

Saturday, 15 March 2025

[Post 613] Our Lean, Green Indian Wedding: How We Cut Our Wedding Costs In Half | Money Mind





Summary

Indian weddings are often lavish affairs, with a price tag to match. But one couple in Mumbai decided to do things a little differently - and their lean, green approach paid off.

[Post 612]Will Gold Prices Keep Climbing After Hitting Record Highs In 2024? | Money Mind | Investment


Summary

Gold has hit fresh record highs in 2025, after rising around 27% in 2024. What's driving up the price, and is it too late for you to invest in gold?



Friday, 14 March 2025

[Post 611] We Bought An Old Schoolhouse For $175K And Made It Into A Home


Summary

Stacie Grissom, 36, and her husband Sean, 35, bought an 111-year-old schoolhouse in Franklin, Indiana and converted it into their home. They purchased it in August 2021 for $175,000, and it took three years to get the schoolhouse move-in ready.

Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.

[Post 610] I Retired At 39 And Live On $185K A Year In Dubai


Summary

Jamal Robinson, 40, retired early in 2024 after saving almost a $4 million nest egg. He held positions at companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Amazon. Today, Jamal lives as an American expat in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Here's how he spends his money.

This story is part of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a video of Georgia to Dubai.

Thursday, 13 March 2025

[Post 609] How high rent impacts hawker prices


Summary

Wei Renqing, a fish soup hawker, won the stall in Tiong Bahru with a record-breaking bid of $5,223 in 2021. In order to make a profit, he works 13 to 15 hours a day.

Is the high monthly rent the culprit for the poor business of hawkers? What other operational challenges do cooked food hawkers in Singapore face today?