How much do u need to go slow/retire in singapore?

[Vextan]

I'm currently only working part-time, i spend most of my time taking care of my kids, cooking, playing with my dogs, doing housework...I only earn around $3K+, but i would consider it not bad for P/T work, home-based somemore. Whenever i buy things, i hardly even consider the price, and at the end of the day, still got money leftover to save. I guess the reason is because i'm naturally not inclined towards extreme luxury.

 

A little bit of luxury, who doesn't want? I spend $300-$400 a month on wines and the occasional cigar, but that's an amount that'll hardly make anyone broke.

 

my flat is very cheap, use wife's CPF pay, still got leftover, car is so cheap and hardly used, just use it to go to the beach or supermarket do groceries.

 

I wonder why ppl always think about "retirement" or "how much they need for retirement." I mean, if your life's a stretch today when u r young, what makes u think it'll get better when u age? If no money, then spend less, if make more then spend more. what's there to debate/worry about?

 

like i said, Live Life Today, Tomorrow will take care of itself when u take care of Today :)

wah are you sure ? $3k+ and you buy things dont need to think and still have left over ? and you have kids to provide for ? i must be living in another world then.

 

 

[Skunk]

kids r very young, one is 4 months old, the other one is going to be born in 8 months, also counted as "kid" hehe.

 

This is what i spend:

 

$300 wine

$50 smokes

$300 food

$1K car

$150 internet, phone, cable

$300 on Kid1

$50 fishing bait

 

still got lots leftover for kid2.

 

Wife pays through CPF for house

pays for utilities (around $200....wah it's the aircon LOL)

maybe $300 for some grocery shopping if she doesn't like what i cook

maybe $300 for restaurant meals....but usually we eat at home lah...i cook mah hehe

 

she still got lots leftover....in fact she went to see condo, wanting to "invest"...luckily didn't buy hehe or else that might have been a stretch as we need to pay in cash.

 

seriously, with combined almost $8K, if cannot even have a small family, i think many ppl starve to death already.

[Vextan]

skunk, i like your truthfulness. it is not so common these days, i really do.

 

thanks for the clarification. cheers.

 

btw, my kid also 8 months old. where you stay ? maybe we can lah kopi.

Edited August 3, 2009 by Vextan

[Skunk]

?? what's there to hide? Not anything illegal or shameful. I'm proud of my status as the care-taker of my house, even though wife earns more than me, I value-add more than her. She cannot cook well nor care for my baby well LOL

 

see what i cooked this morning....roast duck hehe

 

 

I stay at sengkang, if u see a white Ford Focus Stationwagon with a screaming baby inside or a boat on top, it's me :)

 

[Hotisland]

Skunk, you reminder me of my "good old days" in down under - I went for fishing almost every weekend, visiting different beaches ...

 

But after I came back to SG, the fishing rods which I brought back from OZ are just rusting in my store room.

 

 

[Falc]

I go easy too, but some items u miss out:

 

1. Town council fee :)

2. Taxes! SG is low tax but not zero tax. Easily 8% or more.

3. Parents support

4. Personal insurance

5. Giving - religious reason or for charity

6. Maid or childcare - future consideration

 

But anyway, i think 8K is definitely possible if don't anyhow spend.

[Skunk]

town council fee? The $30+ dollar thing is it? I dunno leh LOL

 

taxes pay by installment only $100+ hehe but yeah i missed that out.

 

I support parents?!? I'm still waiting for them to support me LOL I don't think i'll ever need to support them. I guess i'm just lucky in this aspect.

 

I don't believe in insurance, so i've only 2 term insurance to make sure i've got some coverage. That one cheep cheep wan, yearly $300+ only. But yeah i missed that one out too.

 

Don't need maid, grew up with one and don't ever want to have one. I'm a stay-at-home-dad, so i'm the "maid" LOL

 

But yeah it's easy to miss out these things, especially when u turn over your entire pay-packet to your wife. That's one worry off my mind too, maybe that's why i hardly think when i do spend money. Let her worry instead hahaha

 

 

 

[Jerms]

Talking crap won't get you anywhere, let alone a 'comfortable retirement....go read Sunday Times today.....the minimum peasants need for a simple lifestyle after retirement with a monthly $2000 income ( at present value) is having a minimum $700K in cash and not to forget, you better have your roof over your head fully paid for by then!

 

True Blue SPORNs are in deep shxt....HOW TO GO SLOW AND WANT TO RETIRE COMFOTABLY!

 

And not to forget the FTs that becum PRs!

 

And many are still queuing up to buy condos to escape from their pigeon hole dwelling!

 

Rdgs

 

chill.... dont need to post so big font rite?

 

[Falc]

TC is >$60 lah. Both you and wifey taxes add up only $100+? Okie i agree that's negligible :)

 

I go for term too. But still got the whole life ones before i was converted to support.

 

Wait till you have 2 or 3 kids growing up, may have difficulty managing them and doing housework, while keeping your PT job, all without a domestic helper. ;)

[Throttle2]

nowadays hardly smoke 'em....not like at my dad's house, the smoke can escape....inside HDB flat, wah, my wife and kids kenna LOL

 

U sold me some cheaper range of Cohiba quite a few years ago, remember? :)

 

 

How can I forget ?

 

But those were not Cohibas, they were very prized custom rolls which I personally brought back from Cuba Can you believe I still have some left. they smoke wonderful after a year or two of aging.

 

Many things have changed since then (2005?).

I've moved out of Bukit Timah to the North East.

And I've also become a Father in 2007.

haha cheers

 

 

 

 

[Skunk]

i've still no idea what r town council fees and whether i've paid them LOL

 

no lah only mine is $100+...hers is something else...hehe but still ok lah...nothing big enough to make a dent.

 

In the ancient days, my grandma brought up an entire army of children single-handedly, while working PT as a construction worker. She didn't seem to have any probs, neither the children. I wonder if the people of the past were made of steel, while our generation we're made of tofu?

 

In fact, I'm currently caring for my baby, do housework, cook, care for 2 dogs, work PT and yet i still got time to go fishing, bake cheesecake, have beers while watching Man vs Wild, I think i can still handle more :)

 

btw, my cheesecake hehe

 

[Skunk]

really?!? If i didn't remember wrongly, u sold 'em to me real cheap, like $25 or something per cigar...

 

yeah time waits for no one :)

[Yeshe]

i see your pics and your lifestyle, thats the way to go man

[Vextan]

i've still no idea what r town council fees and whether i've paid them LOL

 

no lah only mine is $100+...hers is something else...hehe but still ok lah...nothing big enough to make a dent.

 

In the ancient days, my grandma brought up an entire army of children single-handedly, while working PT as a construction worker. She didn't seem to have any probs, neither the children. I wonder if the people of the past were made of steel, while our generation we're made of tofu?

 

In fact, I'm currently caring for my baby, do housework, cook, care for 2 dogs, work PT and yet i still got time to go fishing, bake cheesecake, have beers while watching Man vs Wild, I think i can still handle more :)

 

btw, my cheesecake hehe

 

it is absolutely amazing you wear so many hats and you still have free time to go fishing and watch soccer on tv. and you are still working PT making $3k+ per month somemore !? how in the world can you do that?? oh my !

 

just looking after baby is already hands full liao, plus you can work PT, cook, look after 2 dogs and can surf the net somemore. are you kidding me ??? *disbelief look with admiration*

Edited August 3, 2009 by Vextan

[Skunk]

sleep less. For the last 5 years, I've been sleeping 6 hours everyday. Not more, sometimes slightly less. Drink beer for breakfast to boost your energy.

 

Invest in some toys to help u at home. I've a dishwasher (quite a rarity in singaporean homes), i've a vaccuming robot, a powerful steam cleaner....all these cut my housework down alot.

 

train the wife to pick up after herself. Everytime she messes up the house, she gets scolding.

 

stop lazing around. Usually from the time i wake to the time i sleep, the only time of inactivity is the 15min beer+smoke break after meals. Too much time is lost by ppl who simply laze around. Helps to keep me relatively slim too, despite all the rich food and alcohol.

 

Hope my experience helps :)

[Vextan]

sleep less. For the last 5 years, I've been sleeping 6 hours everyday. Not more, sometimes slightly less. Drink beer for breakfast to boost your energy.

 

Invest in some toys to help u at home. I've a dishwasher (quite a rarity in singaporean homes), i've a vaccuming robot, a powerful steam cleaner....all these cut my housework down alot.

 

train the wife to pick up after herself. Everytime she messes up the house, she gets scolding.

 

stop lazing around. Usually from the time i wake to the time i sleep, the only time of inactivity is the 15min beer+smoke break after meals. Too much time is lost by ppl who simply laze around. Helps to keep me relatively slim too, despite all the rich food and alcohol.

 

Hope my experience helps :)

yes you are quite right. thanks man !

[Skunk]

maybe it helps that i work less than 30 hours a week...

 

tonight after work going swimming.....exercise is gd, keeps body strong, energy level up, then can do more/play more hehe

[Vextan]

i see you are very positive and pro-active. really you have my admiration. haiz, i feel so useless.