Achieving financial freedom by making some lemonade (or chocolate oatmeal).

You know what they say about how we should make lemonade if life should throw us some lemons? 

Yes, things do not always go the way we want them to. That is life.

You know the saying that it does not rain but it pours? 

Yes, bad things could happen one after another in a short span of time. That is life.

Unless we are some highly enlightened priest or monk, for examples, being a mere mortal, it is hard for us not to be affected in a negative way. 

I know.

I could probably write a sequel to "A series of unfortunate events" based on what happened to me in the last few months.

When a friend found out, she said that my full time job is now a patient because I have been visiting hospitals (yes, in the plural).

It can get quite depressing especially if we know what hospital food is like. Yes, yucky!

The important thing is to try and stay positive. Yes, I know it is easier said than done but, still, we have to find happiness where we can.

So, when they served me a breakfast of tasteless oatmeal, half boiled egg and Milo, what did I do?

Alone, the Milo drink was too sweet. Alone, the oatmeal was too bland. Hmmmm...

What if I were to mix them together? Voila:

Haha. I had chocolate oatmeal which wasn't so bad.

Working towards financial freedom, those of us who have some advantages in life might already find it tough and those of us who have none will definitely find it even tougher. 

Yes, life might deal us a bad hand of cards but that is life. The important thing is to stay positive when given some rather unhappy circumstances and try to find that silver lining.

Things don't always go our way. That is life.

If we want a better life, we will have to find a way.

Related posts:
1. Filial son working towards financial security.
2. Life was difficult and I wondered...

1Q 2016 income from non-REITs.

This blog post almost did not get written. Thanks to this reader, it did:

"Hi AK,

"I read your blog on you first quarter income this year from reits. I am very inspired. I have been waiting for your blog on your first quarter income from non-reits. Please inspire me again. Many thanks!!"

Well, actually, I did receive a couple of emails before this asking me about what I did in the non-REITs space in 1Q 2016 but I really didn't do much. So, no blog post.

However, inspiring? Hmmm...

If blogging about my 1Q 2016 income from non-REITs will inspire more to think about investing for income to become more secure financially, OK.

Like I said, I didn't do much in 1Q 2016 in the non-REITs space.

Looking at my records, I bought DBS shares, DBS shares and more DBS shares as its share price plunged. The last time I bought any was at $13.45 a share in late February 2016.

In 1Q 2016, I received income from:

1. APTT
2. Tai Sin
3. Croesus Retail Trust

Fuji Grand Natalie inHatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.

Total income received from non-REITs in 1Q: 

S$ 12,181.34

That works out to be about S$ 4,060.45 a month.

Of the 3 stocks, Croesus Retail Trust is my largest investment. It has also been rather busy 

See: 
Private Placement of 70,000,000 new units at 75c a unit. (March 2016)

See: 
Issuance of $60,000,000 5% fixed rate notes due 2020. (April 2016)

See: 
Completion of Acquisition of Fuji Grand Natalie. (April 2016)

As long as the management is able to make good use of the funds raised to improve DPU, I am happy. 

Most of the money raised in the private placement has gone to the acquisition of Fuji Grand Natalie (a freehold property that enjoys 100% occupancy) which was purchased at a 6% discount to valuation.

7 reasons to acquire Fuji Grand Natalie:

See: Presentation slides.

Seems to me that all is well, for now.

Investing for income is about investing in undervalued or fairly valued assets which are able to provide visible and meaningful income generation which should ideally be sustainable.

If AK can do it, so can you!

Related posts:
1. 2015 full year income from non-REITs.
2. 1Q 2016 income from S-REITs.

Is AK a rags to riches story?

AK has lost quite a bit of weight. 

Many people are amazed.

However, friends who know me well are less amazed. 

Others call it discipline but my close friends call it an obsession.

Yes, AK can be quite extreme and can be obsessed with stuff he believes in.





When I first started life as a working adult, I remember giving myself $300 in pocket money each month. 

The rest of my salary, I saved and invested. 

When a friend found out, he said that I was living in abject poverty. 

I met this friend a few days ago when I was window shopping which is a nice way of saying KLKK (i.e. "idling" in SAF lingo). 

He was waiting for his wife who was doing some real shopping. 

He offered to buy me a drink and, so, we sat down for a drink and chatted.






He wasn't amazed by how much weight I lost because the last time he saw me was probably almost 20 years ago. 

Instead, he said I did not change much and still looked the same except for the white hair. 

Shhh... Don't pitcha lobang, ok?

Anyway, guess what did he ask me next?

"Are you still living on $300 a month?"

I was taken aback. 

I didn't expect him to remember. 

It must have left a pretty deep impression on him.

Instead of giving him a direct answer, I told him how sales people at credit card road shows now bo hiew (i.e. ignore) me because I tell them I am unemployed.

"Aiyoh. How come? You OK or not?"

To his credit, he did not make some excuse to cut short our chat. 





Well, I am sure you know how some people might be afraid of unemployed friends? 

You are not afraid? I am. Haha.

So, I gave him a 20 minutes (ok, maybe 30 minutes) summary of my life in the last 20 years. 

At the end of it, he was wide eyed and almost speechless.

"Wow..."

His wife rang him shortly after and he had to go, promising to catch up again soon.

He didn't say anything about me living in abject poverty this time.

Was I ever living in abject poverty? 

I had these for lunch recently.

Financial hardship during my teens, yes, but abject poverty? 

Honestly, no.

However, it might have looked that way to many people, I agree.

Regular readers know the narrative. 

For examples, I rarely bought new clothes and I packed lunch to work. 

Alamak, this guy must be an orang miskin (i.e. poor man) lah.





It wasn't something I thought about at the time but I suppose I rather looked like I was living in abject poverty but wasn't than to look prosperous when I wasn't.

It is important to know and to remind ourselves that it is not how much money we make that defines whether we have money but how much money we save.

So, is AK's story one of rags to riches? 

There will be different opinions but I don't think so.





I think AK's story is simply about a regular guy who wants to have the option to work if he wants to and not because he has to.

Related posts:
1. A common piece of advice on saving.
2. Becoming a millionaire next door.
3. Another personal story of frugality.