My Chinese zodiac animal is the rooster. According to several feng shui masters, my luck this year will be alright.

Just alright. Not horrible, but not exceptionally good either.

But like most young people in their 20s, I don’t believe in the stars.

When a feng shui master says my wealth will grow and career will progress, but “beware not to be greedy and attempt unlawful routes to success,” I wonder if this is not financial advice that everyone should already know.

In essence, feng shui sounds like commonsensical BS to this young person.

And I’m baffled by the earnest (often older) feng shui believers. Why do they trust that their fortune will dictate their wealth for the year?

Belief comes with experience

According to master Robin Peh, who reads fortunes at Waterloo street, people believe in feng shui because they’ve lived long enough to have had their foretold fortune, good or bad, come true.

Peh calls himself a psychic, and is part of City God Temple. His booth at Waterloo street is run like a clinic, with a small waiting area, an altar and a reception table that manages the flow of customers.

“Once they’ve had a bad experience in their lives, they will start to believe in it,” Peh says. That’s how he knows feng shui to be true as well.

“I first averted something bad back in NS. Now I read my own fortune every day. Last week, something came up about a road incident but I still drove to work. I got pulled over by LTA, right by this street, that day.”

Interesting. But I wonder if a more practical way to protect myself against misfortunes is through insurance. Not that it can help prevent me from being pulled over by the police, but it would cover me, adequately, for my needs.

You have to depend on yourself, feng shui is but a guide

So if my wealth luck is good, I will be rich without any effort? Can I huat without a silver spoon?

“Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, but you will have to work hard for your own life,” Peh tells me after he ‘read’ my birth date.

“But I would say your fortune is 40% feng shui, 30% effort and 30% education,” says Peh, “Education is knowing how to guard and grow your finances”.

So money doesn’t just fall from the sky. Surprise.

Although, another useful percentage is saving 10% to 20% of your monthly income. Spending less than what you earn.

Quite basic stuff to guarantee some $$$ in my bank.

Technically, if I save regularly, invest wisely and buy the right insurance to cover the 60% (effort + education) base, I can still get rich.

Like that little pig in this ad who managed to pull through.

Depend on yourself better

Right beside Peh’s booth is this uncle who sells flowers for the devoted and, like me, is not totally impressed with feng shui.

“Depend on yourself, better,” he says.

“Old people believe in feng shui because their parents and grandparents did. You can use it [feng shui] as a guide lah, but don’t be obsessed. Money doesn’t fall from the sky one.

I listen listen only lah, and just pray for a peace of mind. My kids don’t believe in it. You see ah, if these fortune tellers know how to help you huat, they themselves will huat already mah.”

True. If they’re still in business, these fortune tellers could be benefiting off their feng shui. Or, they could be benefiting from investments and compound interest. I wouldn’t know.

But my fate isn’t set in stone. Feng shui seems to serve more as a guiding path, but at least I know what to do to guard and multiply my finances.

It’s not 100%, but it’s definitely more than the 40% my feng shui promises me.

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As your review your zodiac fortune this Chinese New Year, remember that there’s other prosperous advice that’s guaranteed to grow your wealth.

1. Spend less than what you earn
2. Have a fund for use only during emergencies
3. Review your insurance coverage – make sure it's adequate but not more than what you can afford
4. Learn about investment products. Make your money work better for you in the long run

All photos by Tsiuwen Yeo.

This sponsored post by MoneySense and Gov.sg had the writer see a fortune teller for the first time.