Financial freedom or freedom in retirement.

AK is a very responsible person and is a good role model.

I get the feeling that some people think that way.

Well, I don't think so.

I am sharing something from my FB wall here and you are welcome to eavesdrop.






AK says...
I am enjoying life now and doing stuff that I didn't have enough time to do before.

I was disciplined and thoughtful so that I can be less disciplined and thoughtful as I enjoy an early retirement.

Don't ask:

"When you have to stop working, can you afford to?"

Ask instead:

"If you want to stop working, can you afford to?

Reader says...
That make sense and was my motivation and is my justification nowadays. 

But to probe more if you are ok to share, what criteria is used to decide how you spend your time on stuff you like?

Eg for me, there are issues of still contributing, being useful, example for kids etc.






AK says...
I don't have a framework. 

I just do what I fancy doing each day.

MMORPG, gardening, aquarium keeping, family, friends, blog related activities, reading, watching documentaries, anime, K-drama, doing some physical exercises etc.

There isn't any routine per se. 





More of this one day and more of that another day?

Maybe, even doing mostly one thing some days?

If I want to, yes.

I am like a cook in a Chinese zhi char (cooked food) store, agak agak (estimate) the amount of this and that in the cooking.

Nothing exact.

Everything is by feel.

Happy (and yummy enough to eat) can already lah.








I have left behind the prescriptive world of responsibility and routine which demanded that I made regular and meaningful contributions to the establishment and clients (in ever more difficult conditions).

Not only do I not want to ever go back, I don't want a retirement life that even remotely feels like that.

AK the escapist!

AK doesn't want to be reminded of work.

AK is lazy but he really has good reason to be.





OK, if I had to take care of kids (or old folks), I can imagine that my life would partially, more or less, be run according to their needs and there could be a routine of sorts imposed on me.

I don't know about kids but the time will come when I would have to take care of the old folks at home.

It is something that is probably inevitable.

It is a responsibility that I accept.








Other than that, for now, free from chains, I am enjoying a life that is anything but structured.

Financial freedom is not the same as freedom in retirement.

In retirement, even in doing the things I enjoy, there isn't any structure per se.

This really is freedom.





Yes, AK is so utterly irresponsible!

AK is a bad role model!

Bad AK! Bad AK!

Related post:
Average income workers can be rich.

Views on CPF, insurance and investments changed after eavesdropping on AK. (Don't be "jelly". Make others "jelly".)

Reader #1 says...

I have been following your blog since Aug2015 and benefit greatly from it.

As an employee with salary below average, I couldn't have much to invest.

However I value the awareness that you created among your followers.

I am started to be more responsible to my own financial management and learnt a little bit about investment.

I believe many of them out there too.

I feeling grateful to "meet" you through text.





I want to say thank you again on this very first day of the year because I am still continuing benefit from your blog.

My view towards CPF, Insurance, stocks have changed.

In year 2017, I invested in shares and topping up my SA.

Although all are in very minimal but at least it’s a sign of improvement to me.

Thank you very much for what u have shared in your blog. We learn a lot from you.

Thank you. Wishing you another good year.

May you and your family Stay healthy and happy always. :)

Reader #2 says...

I was fortunate to find your blog few months ago, and have been reading your blog/FB posting almost daily since then.

Just want to take this opportunity to Thank you and appreciate my gratitude to you for sharing your financial wisdom with us.

I have really learned a lot from you, and as your loyal 徒弟, I have put those in real actions. E.g redeemed my home loan, cancelled my ILP, did my CPF VC, opened SRS account, and did my MA top up today.

I was reluctant investing in share in the past.

After I learn the idea of investing for income from your blog and read books you recommended in the blog, I finally decided to open a trading account.





Did my first trade and bought Comfort delgro last month, also nibble on Singtel and ST Eng.

Have the rest of my war chest loaded, patiently waiting a correction in new year and buy more when Mr Market is in distress.

I have started learning the basic FA and TA now, still have a lot things to learn, will keep reading your blog and learn from the experience.

So, do continue to talk to yourself often in the new year, the more the merrier, hehehe.

Wish you have a fabulous new year, good health and of course more passive income, huat ah !!!





AK says...

All of us have different circumstances and all of us have different ability to improve our financial health.

If we diligently do whatever we are able to do in order to have a more secure financial future, it is always better than doing nothing.

I realised that many Singaporeans might not have the funds to invest with even if they want to.





This was a big reason why I decided to blog about the CPF as much as I did in recent years, sharing my own story.

Making full use of the CPF will give us a measure of financial security in our golden years.

If sharing my story has helped regular working people to take action towards achieving greater financial security, then, the time and effort I have put into this blog is all worthwhile.

The ultimate goal is financial freedom but we have to start taking baby steps even as we think big.




Don't be "jin jelly".

Make others "jin jelly".

OK, I know.

Bad AK! Bad AK!




Read also:
AK apologizes to everyone who "jin jelly".
Related post:
A cornerstone in retirement funding.

AK apologizes to everyone who "jin jelly".

Reader said...
I didnt stalk u hor... hahaha but cannot get out of sight of u lah.. !! 

ASSI is everywhere

These bunch of kids only dare to envy, don't dare to take actions.








And shared this screen shot:

"Save hard till the extent of being a miser. 

"Then can start a blog blog abt yr wealth, take screemshot n post here let everyone envy.

"Tiagong it's ASSI."







Alamak!

Why like that?

Talking to myself, my intention is to inspire myself to take steps towards financial freedom.

Definitely, I am not out to make anyone "jin jelly" (HWZ lingo for "jealous").

I apologize if I have made anyone "jin jelly".





Honestly, very cham like that.

No wonder I sneezing like mad.

Read also:
Helping to fund my retirement.

Related post:
HWZ says AK "self-victimize himself".

Government helping to fund my retirement.

AK is a lazy fellow but AK likes to eat fruits.

When he goes to the orchard to pluck fruits from fruit trees, he would pluck those low hanging fruits first.

They require the least amount of effort and they also pose the least amount of risk.





When all the low hanging fruits have been plucked, then, he has no choice but to start climbing up the trees to reach fruits higher up.

Climbing trees, there is always a risk of falling.

The higher he climbs, the harder the fall.

Risky business.

Low hanging fruits for the win!

Thank goodness for low hanging fruits, he says.

At the end of 2017, the low hanging fruits harvest was pretty good:

OA interest: 
$11,958.68

SA interest: 
$9,464.79


MA interest: 
$2,063.23






Total interest received:

S$ 23,486.70

I have shared my story many times before and by spinning it differently this time, I hope it is still an interesting one.

Related posts:
1. A lot of money in my CPF.
2. Upsizing our CPF savings.