SETTLING BILLS BEFORE THE CHINESE NEW YEAR

This week I made sure to pay up all the bills and taxes so that I would have settled my debts before the Chinese New Year.
For your information, there are many Chinese people who try to settle their debts with friends and pay off their bills before the New Year so that they can start the New Year debt free. However, this settling of debt often refers to debt between friends and do not include home or car loans with financial institutions. These are considered as investments. It is advisable to settle debts because the Chinese believe that if you start the new year in the debt, you'll finish it the same way.
In my case, I also include all the bills and taxes that I need to pay as I have to pay.
In the above picture, you can see me outside the Manjung District Council. I had gone there at around noon to pay the house assessment tax. As I paid early and for the whole year, I got a 5% rebate plus a free hand towel.