Tuesday, August 20, 2019

到底为什么? What is happening?

载自新洲日报投资致富2019年8月19日第24页
看到这标题体,你有什么感想?你是否也面对同样的窘境,甚至有过之而无不及?

就一般而言,我们必须拥有至少三个月的生活费的值作为紧急基金。重点来了。何谓生活费?这必须包括衣食住行的基本需求但不包含不必要的花费。如果能累计到六个月的生活费的值那会更好。但以此文章而言,看来半个月的需要都拿不出来。为什么呢?这只有从你的日常消费来找出个所以然。除非你有记帐的习惯,要不是不可能完成的。

从日常帐目中,寻找那些没必要的消费。小心研究是否可以避免或减少。我的建议是那些适当有意义的消费(如旅游,親子,家庭聚餐等等)可以加以控制。若因为省钱而完全没适当的娱乐,人生也没什么意义了。

再来就是债务重整。在债务方面,你必须务实。尤其必须避免无意义的债务(如信用卡)。在来就是如何尽快解决大债务如房贷。唯一能做的就是能够存多少,尽可能将房贷尽早缴清。我个人就是用这方法将房贷在五年内缴清。在这五年里,我的确过得很清寒。但对我而言,辛苦也不过这五年。而且当时我还年轻,也没家庭负担(还没成家立室)。所以,我建议那些还没结婚成家的年轻人,就让你的年轻吃点苦,以后的日子也会好过些。我就因为在31岁时已将房贷供清,下来我便可以专注在财务累计上,才能成就我今日的财务自由,才能做回我自己。也就是说,时间绝对是你财务成功的朋友。越早开始,成功地几率就越大。

我身边有许多朋友到了我这年龄,都羡慕我能这么早得到自由。我反问他们当我在年轻时为房贷缩衣简食时,他们在干什么?他们说在享受花费带来的快乐。这就是因。现快乐,辛苦就随之而来。中国人有一句话说得好:先苦后甜。我对这句话深信不疑。

现在就别再没方向了,快点设定你的财务目标,划定你的财务路线图,脚踏实地去执行吧!

This Chinese article is talking about an average American can't even take out RM1,680 (US$400) immediately if required. What do you think about this? Are you facing the same dilemma, or even worse?

In general, we must have a minimum of three months of living expenses as an emergency fund. What is the cost of living? This must include the basic needs of food, clothing, housing and transportation but exclude unnecessary expenses. It would be better if you could accumulate the value of living expenses for six months. But in this article, it seems like average American can't even take out half a month's needs. Why? This is only can be found out from your daily consumption. You could only complete this by having the habit of tracking your expenses.

From the daily expenses records, look for those are not necessary items. Carefully study whether they can be avoided or reduced or not. My advice is that appropriate and meaningful consumption (such as travel, family gathering etc.) can be controlled. If there is no proper entertainment for the sack of savings, life will become  meaningless.

Then there is debt restructuring. In terms of debt, you must be pragmatic. In particular, it is necessary to avoid meaningless debts (such as credit cards). It is important to reduce huge debts such as mortgages as soon as possible. The only thing that can be done is fully utilize how much you saved and pay as much as possible for the mortgage as soon as possible. I personally use this method to payoff my mortgage within five years. During this five years period, I lived frugally. But for me, I only suffered in that five years. Further, I was young and I didn't have a family burden (I was yet to get married). Therefore, I suggest young people who have not yet married to work hard for your better future. I have already cleared my mortgage at the age of 31. Therefore, I can focus on the financial accumulation. This is how I achieve my financial freedom today and be my own. In other words, time is definitely a friend of your financial success. The sooner you start, the greater your chances of success.

Many of my friends with similar age are envying me able to be free so early. I asked them what they were doing when I was a young and focusing on clearing my mortgage. They say that they enjoyed the joy of spending. So, this is the cause. There is a Chinese proverb that says work hard now and enjoy later. I am fully convinced on this.

So set your financial goals, draw your financial roadmap, and implement it at no time!

Thursday, August 15, 2019

Half a Year after Early Retirement

For the past one month, I have been busying on sending my father for medical follow up. We had spent lots of time on getting information on his illness and the doctor suggested for an operation after 1.5 months of medication and following up.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Critical Success Factor #1 on Achieving Financial Freedom: Control Your Expenses

There are two critical success factors to attain early retirement:
  1. Control your expenses
  2. No debt
 Today, I will like to talk more about factor #1.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Five Months after Early Retirement

Time flies. I have early retired for five months.

For the past one month, I was busy on taking care of my parents. Old age has been deteriorating their health. My father admitted hospital and managed to be discharged two days later. These incident has enhanced my belief on maintaining good health. I have been maintaining a good lifestyle by:

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Four Months after Early Retirement

Today to be marked as full four months after my early retirement. I just completed my financial review recently and glad to see that my income is higher than while my expenses is lower than my plan. This means I am in a better position even without active income.

Saturday, June 8, 2019

晚年经济独立 Being Financial Independent during the Golden Age

新洲日报 大霹雳 2019年5月18日 第15页





















老实说,我从来都不相信养儿防老。因此,我的信念是不要给孩子们增添烦恼,我们俩老自个儿照顾好自己就好了。我们的规划是供养孩子们到经济独立或至多25岁。至此之后,在钱财方面,我们不会烦他们,也希望他们也别烦我们。

也许大家会觉得我好像不尽人情。其实,只要我们俩老不因为金钱而麻烦他们,好让他们能更好的管理好自个儿的家庭已是给他们最好的礼物了。若到了自立的年龄还指望俩老供养,是不是太过分了?我们俩老还要享受下来的日子。若他们有孝心,应该不要因金钱过来烦我们俩老。所谓谈钱伤感情。只要他们日子过得好,也就是给我们最好的报答了。

要做到晚年经济独立,年轻时的规划是绝对不能少的。我的规划是从我25岁时开始的。我是边规划边学习。重点是要有一个精确的最终目标。下来要做的就是画出路线图前往目的地。此图就是所谓的计划书。画出图后,还必须实践,不要只是纸上谈兵。 跟着路线图走的时候需不时检讨路线是否实际并适时调整以确保在指定的时间内到达终点。这就是整套的财务规划。说难不难,说容易也不见得。最难得地方在于自律。许多人就败在这里。当你不能自律的跟随方案进行的话,还谈什么成果。下来就是不愿意学习。财务管理和投资都需要学习。学习过程中难免会有错误。这时以其灰心,不如自我检讨,从错误中学习才是前往成功的不二法门。

那你们开始了你们晚年经济独立计划了吗?

This Chinese article is talking about being financial independent during the golden age. For some parents, they believe that their kids will take care of them when they are old. As a matter of fact, their kids will face other life difficulties as well.

To me, I never expect my children will take care of us. My belief is that we, as parents, will provide them financial support until the age of 25 at most. By then, we will not ask for financial support from them as we hope that they could put more effort on settling down their family. If they success, this will be the biggest gift to us.

To be financial independent during the golden age, you have to start your financial plan as early as possible. I started mine at the age of 25. I learned and practiced at the same time. The first time you need to have is where you want to go and by when. Subsequently, you have to draw a roadmap to get to your destination. Your map will be useless without action. You also have review your progress against your roadmap and make necessary adjustment to ensure you will arrive your destination within the stipulated time. This is the whole financial planning about.

It is actually not that difficult. However, people fail mainly due to lack of self discipline. If you can't even follow your roadmap, don't even talk about success. Also, if you unwilling to learn, you will also not get what you want. The whole process is talking about mistakes and learning form mistakes. By doing so, you will be able to fine tune your route to make sure you reach your destination.

Have you started your financial plan for your old age? 

Monday, May 13, 2019

3 Months after Early Retiremeent

Some of  my friends told me that I would be bored three months after retirement and soon I would look for a job again. Now, 3 months has passed, I don't even have any feeling on going back to be an full-time employee again. This is simply because I very much enjoy my time being filled up with various activities such as having daily morning exercise, having my each meals slowly, taking care of my plants, slow reading, learning Japanese and Hakka, watching my favorite dramas, tutoring on my kids school subjects, helping my wife on house work and cooking, shopping around with my wife during weekdays...(the list goes on). What surprise me is that I only realize that I have so many activities when I am writing this.

Recently, I have dig out my long lost-touched guitar. After replacing the broken first and second strings, I started to play with it a week ago. Since I could only play simple guitar music, I would like to learn more on guitar playing skill at the lowest possible cost.

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Health or Wealth, Which One Would You Choose?

Money is important. Without money, we can't even meet our basic needs nowadays. That is why we all work for money in order to survive. We work so hard that we fully utilize almost every awake minute to earn. So hard until we have no idea that we have gradually deteriorated our health. Here comes a question, is it worthy to forego health for wealth?