What is worse than growing old and destitute?

I have blogged about my fear of growing old and destitute many times before.

Indeed, it is this fear that helps shape the person that is AK and not just in terms of money matters.

However, what is worse than growing old and destitute?

Today, I had a chat with a fellow blogger:

FB:
Oh .. I wanted to ask a qn

Suddenly figure out the answwr

Hahahahaha sorry

AK:
LOL





FB:
Was wondering when I buy using CPF, SRS and cash

When I sell, how they know which to sell?

AK:
:o

FB:
Then I realised I put the option

Ya I know I getting stupid hahahahaha

AK:
no lah... growing older is liddat

dementia

cham liao





FB:
I still young at heart

Just old at the mind

How are u getting on

AK:
I am growing old and forgetful like u 😛

FB:
hope to catch u and others at your evening. 

I live by the day,hopefully tickets still available

AK:
I think u missed this blog:

https://singaporeanstocksinvestor.blogspot.com/2018/08/evening-with-ak-and-friends-2018-update.html






Alamak!

So, what is worse than growing old and destitute?

Possibly, being rich and suffering from dementia!

Hey, it might sound funny to some of you but I am serious hor.

OK, at least half serious.





Remember the real story of the rich old lady who was cheated of her money by some tour guide?

At least in that case, her daughter found out and took action.

Or was it her grand-daughter?

Oh, no! I cannot remember.

Anyway, how many similar cases go unnoticed or unreported?





So, what is worse than growing old and destitute?

Maybe it is not being rich and suffering from dementia.

Maybe it is from being rich and suffering from dementia to being old and destitute!

The horror!






Happy Saturday!

Related post (maybe):
CPF is all we need unless we are very rich.

Leaving Singapore and worried about leaving mom alone.

Reader says...
I met my fiancee at work but he is not Singaporean and we will be leaving for his home country next year.

My worry is my mother and I have asked her to join us but she prefers staying in Singapore which I understand but I don't want her to be alone at home.

Home is a 3 room flat my late father bought 40 years ago.





I know it would be difficult but I asked my younger brother who is married and staying in a 4 room flat if mother could move in with him but he said his flat is too small as they have children and a maid as well.

He said he will visit mother weekly but I still worry because I see her daily now...

AK says...
Reading your email has given me such conflicting feelings.

I am happy for you and worried at the same time.

I worry a lot too and, so, I understand.

What to do?

OK, someone I respect said to me before:

"You must live your life and you should not stop pursuing your own happiness."





I am sure your mom feels the same way.

She will be sad to see you go but she will feel happy at the same time.

When you are far away, contact her daily or every other day to keep in touch and to make sure she is doing well.

Come back to Singapore to spend some time with her as often as it is possible to do so.






Your mom's situation is not so bad and I do know of worse situations. 

So, cheer up or you might make your husband to be feel bad. Yes, don't forget him.

Wishing you and your family good health and happiness. :)

Related post:
Retiree regrets selling flat to help son buy a condominium.

What makes us powerful?

This is part of a conversation with a reader:

Reader:
Ur life many admire. world is fighting inside and outside.
You don't need to. That is God greatest gift.
U op for peace.

AK:
I dun wan to either
Peace of mind is priceless

Reader:
If you want fame you won't be wearing mask. You are intelligent enough to know the power and influence of you have over follower and if you had wanted you probably could reap many benefits. But that is not you.

AK:
Privacy is precious
Once lost, it is gone forever.

Reader:
Bc of that the world has not hold on you. That is power! 💪🏻

AK:
Wah! The way you put it makes me feel powerful!

A public service by ASSI.

Trump is full of shit.

I have been asked before to turn my blogging activity into a business but I want to keep blogging as a hobby. Some don't understand why.

I shall end the blog by quoting Ayn Rand, a Russian philosopher:

Related post:
Who is AK?

Life is about many things and my time is in short supply (Some of the things I do in retirement).

I have been spending less time blogging and it will probably stay like this for a while more.

The primary reason is that I have become more introspective lately. I have been spending more time meditating, gardening and going back to doing some yoga. I have also been eating differently, following a diet which is very different from what I was used to.

Gardening is a good and inexpensive hobby. Growing plants also means that I am doing my bit for the environment. I fancy myself to be a bit of an environmentalist and recycle whatever I can. 

As with all new hobbies, learning about gardening takes up quite a bit of my time. I am learning new things all the time about plants.
I enjoy spending time in my little outdoor space with my plants. 

In the evening, it is rather calming, especially this time of the year. There is always a cool breeze and with soft lighting, it is a perfect spot for meditation. Before I knew it, I had lost an hour just sitting there. 

Rosemary seedlings.

My planter must be enchanted.

Catnip grows really well from seeds.
Seen here with a solar powered LED light from IKEA.
See: Saving $384 on solar powered LED lights.

As for my new diet, it demands much more attention from me. It is not as convenient as what I was used to. 

So, I end up having to spend more time preparing my own meals, more than before. The selection process is really a learning experience. 

It is hard to have no carbohydrate and no sugar in my diet. The best I can do is to try to have as little carbohydrate and as little sugar as possible. It is about being more careful. 

The results have been encouraging so far and I will probably blog about the initial success of my diet a bit more in a separate blog post.

Tuna, eggs and lettuce.

Oh, I should mention that I have been spending more time visiting doctors, doing check ups and stuff. It is only prudent since I am past 40. 

Frankly, there are certain health issues which probably should have been addressed years ago but I had swept them under the carpet as they were not life threatening (and I didn't want to spend the money, ahem).

For exercise, I continue to take long walks which I do usually in the evenings. I like taking in the sights on such walks. 

Today, I decided to go for a morning walk instead and there were reminders everywhere that Christmas is just round the corner.

As we count our blessings, let us not forget to bring some cheer to the less fortunate. 

Be charitable and remember that true charity does not discriminate amongst the needy.

Related posts:
1. Consider making a donation.
2. Grow a money tree.
3. Something I want to lose.

What should I study to become a good investor?

There are a few times in our lives when we have to make big decisions and they could be easier for some than others but I don't think they are easy, by any measure.

AK talks to "himself" here.





----------------------------------


Reader says...

I'm AK too! I would like your advice for my course of studies.

I'm interested in investing. However should I take a degree in Business (in NBS ) to learn investing?

And would an engineering degree put me at a disadvantage due to not being able to learn accounting and economics?

I ask my father and friends and they all gave very different answer. I hope you can help me! Thank you.

P.S. I really enjoy reading your blog and find that many of your habits are worth following. Whenever I get home I always look foward to reading your posts be it where you eat and how much you save. 

AK says...

Alamak! You are asking an Arts grad whether you should study business or engineering? 

I have no clue! 

OK, end of reply. LOL.

I will say to go with your heart. Do what you want to do. 




I decided to do what I wanted to do too when trying to decide which degree to go for. 

If I had been a bit more practical in my choice, I would probably be making more money now but would I be happier? 

I don't know, really.

I did a part time diploma in business later. 




It was a bit demanding because the twice weekly classes were from 7pm to 10pm and the course went on for almost 2 years. 

It does show that if we want to study business or accounting later on, we can always do so as a mature student.

Enjoy your studies and whatever you do, as long as your are prudent in your personal finances and if you invest to supplement your earned income, in my eyes, you are on the right track. :)





Related posts (maybe):
1. A letter from a fresh grad.
2. A reader in his early 20s.
3. Take steps towards financial security.
4. The Millionaire Next Door.
5. How to be "One Up On Wall Street?"

Tea with Matt: Career path.

This article is contributed by a reader, Matt, who used to be the owner of an SME. Older readers might find themselves nodding their heads as they read the article while much younger readers might be somewhat incredulous. The article is as much an observation about life as it is a piece of good advice to anyone still in school or about to join the workforce. 

For most people, pursuing their passion is a luxury and if at the same time they can make a living out of it would truly be rare indeed. In our younger days, when we did not have to worry about earning a living, we were mostly idealistic. Many would project what they would be doing and earning when they graduate.

Reality sets in when we secure our first job and have to go through the grind day in and day out. Many begin to wonder what happened to all the good life graduates are entitled to after studying for so many years. Aren’t graduates supposed to be doing better than the average Joe ? Welcome to the real world where opportunities do not distinguish between the level of education you have gone through. Otherwise, the Forbes list of richest people in the world would all have Ph Ds.

 

Life is straight forward. If you cannot get the job that you love, then you better learn to love the job that you have. Otherwise, you will go through life miserably if you have to do the job for years to come. Learn more about the job and how you can do it better. Improve your skills so that you can move higher in the hierarchy and hopefully be paid more.

 

Meeting up twenty years later with my cohort from university showed a diversity of careers and success stories. The ones with better results, First Class Honours, were mostly in the academic field as most went for their Ph Ds. The surprising lot were those who were very active in ECAs and most had general passes but still graduated and are doing well in business. These were the bunch the rest of the class thought were wasting their time doing everything else except study. Looking at them now, their time spent in ECA did a lot of good in helping them to build up their skills in networking as well as to organise activities and developing their people skills.

 

During my time, we worked hard and proved that we could perform before the company paid us more. But increasingly, the attitude is pay me more, then I will work harder. In times of labour shortage, it may work. To compete, you have to show why you are better than the next person who is vying for the same job. It is only going to get more difficult with competition coming from all over. You would need to distinguish yourself from the crowd. Make yourself indispensable to your company. Make sure they feel a vacuum when you are not around. I can almost hear someone say, “Ya, right, easier said then done.” If it is that easy, then it would have been done by everyone and would not be special anymore. But how to do it?

 

Analyse your work environment. Volunteer to take up more responsibilities. Get to know the company’s operations and look for weaknesses and how to improve them. Network with peers in the same industry. Get yourself known by them. You have to be outstanding to be noticed, be it technical skills, organizational skills, knowledge of the industry etc. The ways are endless. You would need to tailor it to your own situation.

Read other guest blogs:

1. Tea with EY: Money talk, money laugh!
2. Tea with Skipper: How much is sufficient to stop full time employment?

Towards a modern day good life.

We have our own circumstances which make demands on our finances, time and energy. Often, we hear people saying that they do not have enough money, time or energy to do all the things they have to do or want to do. How do we work towards having the money, time and energy to have a modern day good life?

Finances:

How much something costs is quantifiable, of course. Although people might find themselves cash strapped at times or, for some, most of the time, I believe that any problem that can be solved with money is not insurmountable, within reason.

We can always think of ways in which to make more money. Get extra income from a second job, for example. We could also seek help in the form of a short term loan if it should be warranted. Of course, to ensure that the situation is rectified permanently, if at all possible, find the root of the problem and resolve it sensibly.

Working towards a secure financial future as early as practicable in life would definitely help. Anyone who does this stands a good chance of having financial woes being a relatively infrequent occurence over time.

Time:

Unlike money, we cannot make more time. Time is therefore more precious than money. So, since we cannot make more time, what do we do if we want more time? Buy time. Huh? Buy time?

Do I mean buying some life extending elixir? I might like to entertain myself with Chinese mythology from time to time but I am not delusional. Well, I hope not anyway.

When we say "buy" in our modern day context, it would involve money, would it not? "Buying" time is possible if we have enough passive income to free up time.  It would free us from our reliance on earned income. Then, theoretically, we could quit our jobs and we could have more free time if that is what we desire.

When we have more free time, we would be able to meet head on any situation which demands more time from us. Time becomes less of an issue.

Energy (emotional):

When problems hit, it would be rare not to be emotionally affected. This is probably the most demanding factor and would drain even the strongest of people. This is something not many talk about in financial planning.

Financial planning is not just about dollar and cents or freeing up time. As problems are usually emotionally stressful, financial planning helps to make stress arising from such problems more manageable.

How can we reduce the emotional stress in such instances? If we have our finances well in place and if we have freed up more time, we would probably be able to deal with the emotional upheavals more easily and such situations might then feel less stressful.

I know that some people including our government say that family support is important to deal with stressful situations. This is true but not everyone has supportive families. Even though I feel that I am relatively lucky in this context, I would like to be self-reliant and not be a burden to my family, if possible.

Energy (physical):

We would also need to be physically healthy as a weak body could succumb to illnesses more easily. Regular exercise, taking in the required nutrition and having sufficient sleep are all part and parcel of having a healthy body.

As long as we have control over our lives, we should make sure we live it well. In our modern day context, it is possible only if we are financially prepared, have time for things that matter and are emotionally and physically healthy.

For the majority of us, we probably have to work towards having a good life. Depending on each person's circumstances and decisions in life, it could be harder for some and easier for others. However, it is definitely not an impossibility. A good life waits for anyone who is willing to work towards it. Believe it.

Related posts:
1. A common piece of advice on saving.
2. At what age to start investing in the stock market?
3. A letter from a reader in his early 20s.
4. Tea with AK71: How rich is rich?
5. Passive income: A higher purpose.

Tea with AK71: Fallen tree paralysed traffic.

These were a couple of photos I took when a tree fell across all the lanes on Jalan Bukit Merah after an early morning thunderstorm. It brought traffic to a standstill. This was on 18 May and I blogged about it in "Tea with AK71: Life".

Here, we see a car making a u-turn going back the way it came. There was also an entire line of SBS buses on the extreme left lane as they could not move on. All the passengers had to get off the buses and look for alternative transportation.

Working hard to saw up the fallen tree to unblock the road. It must have taken at least a couple of hours before the road was cleared of debris. The metal fencing on the center divider was totally destroyed.

The weather has been getting more extreme lately and we have been told that it would get a lot worse in December. Reminds me of all the movies about climate change.

See "Tea with AK71: Just storms?"

Tea with AK71: Life.

I like the Bukit Merah and Telok Blangah area for all the gigantic trees.  They provide shade and soften the surroundings of the neighbourhoods with all their concrete structures.  These trees must be very old.  One of them fell today across several lanes in Jalan Bukit Merah just across from Jalan Membina and obstructed traffic in both directions, crushing a van in the process.  Traffic came to a standstill.

More than ten SBS buses lined up on the extreme left lane as they could not move on. Hundreds of passengers must have been affected. Cars had to back up, reversing all the way to the T-junction with Kim Tian Road.  Alternative routes were jammed up as well as it was the morning rush hour.  Imagine the chaos and I was caught in it!

As this took place close to my home, I turned back and came home, calling the office to take a day's leave from work. A frightening thought came to mind that it could have been me. What if the tree had fallen on my car and crushed me in the process?  Scary thought.  Life is so very fragile.

At home, I drew the curtains which I rarely do and let in the sunlight. I did some gardening, something I've not done for a while. I washed the balcony and cleaned the French windows. I boiled some barley water for my very bad throat and put some dirty laundry to wash, using a new washing powder my mom got for me which supposedly allows indoor drying without any odour.  I might go see a doctor for my throat later too.

All these generated a thought: I used to always fight for what is right and what should be. As I age, I understand more and more that, sometimes, it is futile to fight especially if the situation is beyond our control. Life can be uncomplicated which can only be a good thing.

OK, the washing machine is beeping which means the laundry is done. Have a good day, everyone!