MR TONY Seow, 40, is the founder of upmarket catering firm Purple Sage but when it comes to food, he enjoys the simple pleasures of Teochew porridge and wonton mee.

'I love food... But I do not look for refined food like wine and French food. My business is in the expansion and development stage so with the time constraint, I have better things to do with my time than to sit down and dine,' he says.

Mr Seow is no stranger to hard work. While studying in the United States, he held multiple part-time jobs besides holding a leadership position in the International Student Society at Taylor University in Indiana.

For instance, he earned US$4 to US$5 (S$5.80 to S$7.20) an hour as the conference manager at the university, planning activities such as basketball matches during summer holidays.

His other jobs included being a restaurant's head waiter three times a week, working as a hotel concierge at Hyatt hotel from 7am to 3pm daily, doing night shifts as a cashier at a spa once a week and conducting surveys - earning US$1.50 per questionnaire.

'Whatever I saved, I used to buy unit trusts and spent on travelling,' he recalls.

He was not always that industrious though. Calling himself a rebel and the black sheep of his family of four, his wake-up call came when he was almost kicked out of Columbia College in Vancouver for his poor grades.

Back then, his father, who was a senior sales manager, even cut his supplementary credit lines as he had exceeded the limits. He then pulled up his socks and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1995.

Set up in 2002, Purple Sage's competitive edge lies in its image and creative presentation, as well as having a selection of non-disposable tableware, sugar packets and serviettes. Unlike other caterers, it strives to be a 'total solution' caterer, complete with floral designs, decorations, music, photography services, equipment rental and corporate gifts.

Q Are you a spender or saver?

A I am more of a spender but I spend within my limits now. I am not a penny pincher. I do not bargain as I will buy an item I like if I think it is worth the price.

Q What financial planning have you done for yourself?

A I have a keyman insurance policy with a sum assured of $500,000. This covers business loss in the event of death or disability of a key executive.

I also have a $200,000 endowment policy and a term insurance of $250,000. In addition, I hold some unit trusts though they have fallen in value from $20,000 to $4,000 over the years.

Q What's your best investment?

A My best investment is my catering business. I took an 80 per cent pay cut when I started Purple Sage in 2000. Prior to that, I was working as a global account manager at a major telco earning a monthly salary of about $7,000.

So far, I have invested $150,000 in the firm, including loans from my family.

Besides the catering business, I also have other sub-business divisions such as our in-house flower shop Azalea.

Purple Sage broke even in the second year after establishment. Currently, we expect total sales turnover of $3.7 million by the end of the year.

Apart from my business, I have also invested $50,000 in paintings. Over time, the prices of some of these paintings have increased by 20 per cent.

Q What's your worst investment?

A I was cheated of a percentage of $40,000 eight years ago when I invested in a fusion restaurant in East Coast. I never recovered the money for that 5 per cent stake.

Another bad investment had to do with my long-time dream to own a BMW. I bought a BMW 3 series when I was younger and could ill afford it.

Back then, I had just started work at Horizon.com as a project manager earning less than $3,000 a month. With my monthly car payments totalling $1,500, I certainly could not afford it. With hindsight, it was a result of being 'how lian' (which means 'a show-off' in Hokkien). It's a good thing I learnt my lesson.

Q What do you splurge on?

A I am rather vain and tend to splurge on well-tailored clothes. My tailor located at Peninsula Shopping Centre doubles as my fashion consultant. During each visit, I can spend up to $700.

I visit Kenko Wellness for weekly foot reflexology sessions as it aids my sinus problem. I also visit spas as a form of relaxation to ease my muscle tension.

I love watching movies and listening to music and tend to splurge on DVDs and CDs. To date, I own more than1,000 DVDs and CDs. I also own very expensive Michael Jordan baseball caps and NBA trading cards which are worth about US$200 each.

Q What are your retirement goals?

A I do not think much of retirement as I am still very energetic and passionate about what I do at 40.

However, when I get older, I would love to relax yet manage a resort or boutique hotel in Thailand. To work towards this goal, I am exploring hotel ventures to fulfil my dream.

Q And your home now is...?

A I live near Bedok Reservoir.

Q And your car is...?

A A black Mercedes C-class.