Tuesday 30 July 2019

Dolphins - Pay to Win?


Dolphins in gaming are like "middle-class" in our social/political context.

And just as "easy" to define like FIRE.

I mean its "understooded", but people still like to ask how much we need to be financially independent or free?

And retire early? How early is considered early?



Eh...

If you can live on USD1,000 per month (like our CPF Life FRS payout)... Hey! You are financially free!

Official retirement age is 62. So retire at 60 is considered "early" retirement, no?

When official retirement raised to 67, then everyone who retired at 62 now can pat themselves on the back and brag they have retired early!

Those who retired (forced or voluntary) at the official age of 55 decades ago must be wondering what's the fuss with "early" retirement at 60... (moving goal posts mah)



How about if you're a stay-at-home dad or wife with a spouse that brings home the bacon. Aren't you financially free now too? Although the offset is there's no retirement age... Unless you exercised the escape clause as in divorce... (Can still be financially free with alimony!)



This group can be the "easiest" to manipulate to a dungeon master.

Why do people pay to try to win a game when its clear they can never outpsend the whales?

Well, why do people buy tiny condos in suburbia that are surrounded by HDB flats anyway?

When they are eligible for a bigger HDB flat just across the road?

You know, I know.



During my staycation at Orchard Road, I like to roam the off beaten paths as in exploring the Cairnhill and Claymore hill areas.

Condos favoured by whales are located where they are no public transportation on the roads leading up to their locations. All I saw during my walks were maids walking the dogs. Now that's quiet and exclusive!

Yet, how do dungeon masters market their condos located in HDB heartlands?

5 minutes walk to MRT? Bus interchange at the bottom of your development? How convenient! LOL!

That's because they know you can take the girl out of the country, you can't take the country out of the girl. Wink.



Of course they are gamers who like to claim spending a few hundred US dollars per month on a gatcha game is considered whaling - especially if they are from Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico, etc. Must consider purchasing power parity and all that jazz...

Yup, its the same here in our FIRE community. Some like to invent their own definitions as in not counting the property they stay in as part of their networth (HDB dweller alert!); or have their own voodoo home-made formulas to calculate their investment returns.



Why lie to ourselves?

To feel good mah!


These are the people who ran 50 steps admonishing those who ran 100 steps ahead for spending on attas coffee, buying cars, paying for experential enjoyment.... (So waste!)

And yet got the cheek to turn around to be condescending to those who are just 5 steps into their journey. Look! I'm staying in a condo, you know? Nevermind its just a tiny apartment a stone's throw from a HDB block...



Yup, dolphins know they can't beat the minority whales. But hey! They sure can beat the hell out of the legions of free-to-play krills!













6 comments:

  1. Oversea whales are snapping up GCBs in Singapore!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CW,

      And that's good!

      Despite big daddy's cooling measures, if overseas whales still willing to park their funds here, its a mark of confidence on our current leadership changeover, and the future of SGD ;)


      Would anyone dare to buy UK properties now?

      Once upon a time study in UK super expensive due to the pound. If the pound continues to weaken on Brexit, those interested to study in UK next year will be very happy :)

      Those currently vested in UK properties, not so :(


      Once upon a time SGD versus MYR was 1:1.

      Then it was 1:2

      Now its 1:3

      Hmm... Will it be 1:4 in 10/20 years?

      What do snake oils spin to dolpins who can't afford Singapore condo even in suburbia?

      Buy condos in JB!


      Delete
    2. Batam also .. waterfront living :P

      Delete
    3. Kevin,

      Yup, my Singaporean Malay shopmanager from another showroom at Howard Storage World has a 2 story landed "villa" in Batam for his future retirement.

      I poked him he just want to be close to his source of "ayam"...


      If we can't EARN MORE, then moving to a locale with lower cost of living to SAVE MORE is definitely doable!

      Just ask those "ang moh" millennials on "minimum PC requirement" FIRE chilling out in Phuket ;)



      Delete
  2. You see so many dolphins wannabe paying $1080psf for an EC in Punggol. LOL

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. WolfT,

      That's why big daddy stepped in and stop those gimmicks by puppet masters when it comes to suburbia shoe-box apartments and condos with 70 year leases...

      People with hole-in-the-hearts so desperate to escape the HDB heartlands that they forgot their primary school math to realise they are paying way lot more on a per square foot or per lease year basis...


      Of course big daddy has his own "shoe-box" apartments as in their 35 sqm or 45 sqm HDB 2 room flexi flats. Can be bought with leases ranging from 15 to 45 years ;)

      So why big daddy can but other puppet masters can't? Eh... LOL!


      Some HDB landlords also very smart. Discover you can make more by renting out 6 bunkbeds individually than just renting out 1 HDB room ;)

      Of course big daddy also put a stop to it. Don't want Singapore HDB flats to become those cage flats like in Hong Kong?


      This blindspot is also prevalent with equities newbies. See big cap stocks at $10 say "expensive". Look at a penny stock at $0.20 think its "cheap"!

      You think why SGX introduced 100 shares per lot instead of sticking with the old 1000 shares per lot?

      We can still find this retail trick in China or India when buying sweets. So nostalgic! Remember 10 cents for 3 sweets from our mama shops?


      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...