Hungry Eat; Tired Rest

 

Long life, no health also meaningless...

This everyone knows.

Got money, tomorrow never comes also "lan lan"...

Balance.

Of course planning for tomorrow nothing wrong! 

Just as long we don't use retirement planning or "delayed gratification" as excuses to avoid living in the here and now.

Don't save sex for old age!

You laugh.

Try spotting the decisions you've made this year that's financially "prudent", but essentially is like saving sex for old age!?

What's makes you happy this year?

Hitting your financial goals?

Or hungry eat; tired rest?

No Relationship, No Lobang

 

I was working on Christmas yesterday. It's a weekend remember?

I thought it was going to an "easy" and "relaxing" day. I mean its busy BEFORE Christmas, but who buys on Christmas day?

You think why we have boxing day sales or post CNY sales? 

Boy, was I surprised!

Worked my ass off yesterday. Tiring, but fun. 

I'm sure readers will be screaming at me, "Its 1% GST increase lah!"

LOL!

And you are right!

It's amazing how 1% can manipulate influence consumer behaviour in some people!?

To save 1%, these customers are willing to pay in full today, and have delivery of their purchases 6-7 months later next year, when they finally get their keys or have their apartments renovated...

Laggards.

What if I tell you most consumer brands have INCREASED their prices by 3-6% between March and June of this year?

No, it's not profiteering.

Remember inflation higher than CPF? 

Or how about higher supply chain costs due to disruptions in China due to Wuhan virus lockdowns or war in Ukraine? 

You can verify it yourself if you have bought any major home appliances or home electronics beginning of this year (or last year) versus current prices.

Feels good when your entry is better than others right?

OK, some of it is pure dumb luck.

I mean if your fridge broke down beginning of the year, you have to buy, you buy.

But if you have a relationship with the retailer or sales promoter, we would have contacted our "best customers" BEFORE the prices increases mid-year. Wink.

No, it's not "lobang" for anyone and everyone,

 

Moral of the story?

People = relationships.

Online = database

Relationships take time to cultivate.

Butterflies who jump from one online retailer to another to get the good, better, best deals; you are merely a statistic.

You think why property speculators surround themselves with the most competent property agents they can find?

Why high net worth investors have private bankers and brokers feeding them market insights not available to anyone and everyone?

What's The Best Way To Earn More Money?

 

Selling.

Duh!

Are HDB Flats Affordable? (Dec 2022)

 

I read with interest what CW had to say on this topic:

Ho Ching: Buying an HDB flat akin to paying same rent without inflation in advance for decades

Then I remembered we had discussed it 10 years ago:

Are HDB Flats Affordable?

I'm labelling this post with (Dec 2022).

Let's see 10 years later, will we still be discussing on the same topic again!?

It goes to show in every generation, there will be a new batch of bei kambings coming to the fore.

In every transaction, there will be a buyer and a SELLER.

Bei kambings just look from the buying side. You know, the dog in the manger mentality - if they can't make money, others should not make either!

Youths, who have bigger engine capacity between the ears, will be looking from the selling side, "How do I join those who are selling their HDB flats for more than a million dollars!?"

Euphemisms

 

Got retrenched or fired? 

Career stuck going nowhere...

Got diagnosed you got critical illness and can't work anymore... 

Prefer to be a stay-at-home dad and let wifey work and pay the bills?

Want to be a business owner to grab a piece of the adult financial education pie?

Hate your current job...

Don't believe in religion yet still want to "believe" in something?

You have a hole-in-your-heart...

I can go on... But you get the idea,

What's the flavour of the decade euphemism people in our community like to use?

Just take minimalism. (For those who want to read my poke on it) 

It got "hijacked" into mainstream use and in our community some years back. Now? Less popular right? 

Believe me you. FIRE will suffer the same fate in the next decade. 

Why?

After 10 to 20 years if you still can't retire "early", you got to find a new euphemism!

That's what euphemisms are for.

To own self, lie to own self.

Never Lie To Yourself

 

When to Talk-Up or Talk Down Your Vested Interest?

 

If I looking to buy a resale or BTO flat in Queenstown, I would not go round telling everyone and anyone Queenstown is good, better, best! 

"Tio bo"?

Only after I got my dream flat would I sing praises about Queenstown day-in, day-out. Wink.

Similarly, if I wanted to offload my Queenstown flat at a good price to move to an even better location in Singapore, when people asked about my experience living in Queenstown, what would you expect me to say?

Share with them I've found an even better location? 

Or I've grown jaded with Queenstown?

Same for equities.

If you are patiently waiting at the buy queue to enter a stock at an excellent entry price, would you big mouth your "lobang" to others and invite "competitive" bids from others?

You only do so after your buy order got filled right?

Then if others join you and "inadvertently" push the price up, you don't mind!

If you are one of the crypto shrills influencers out there, the moment you discovered something is wrong, you would sell your stakes first!

Next you would quietly inform your best friends forever and those in your inner circle - people that matter. 

And your paid subscribers.

Allow them time to get out themselves.

Only then would you go "public" to those freeloading anyone and everyone readers. 

No?

Things get awkward if you "jio" others to join in competitive auction bids for an asset class you haven't already own.

Then again, some readers may take the recent auctions of that asset class as "inspiration"!?

Especially if they are looking to bid competitively for COE at lower prices.

Go to car forums and/or start blog posts exalting the virtues of Singapore's, good, better, best public transport systems!

You know, how efficient and cost savings public transports are - compared to "eat oil heavy, heavy" car ownership...

Stress the hidden costs of having your "2nd wife"!

Frighten away your potential competitors for the next COE auction?

Shh...

 

Go East, Go West - Meet Same Place

 

Like US sitcom spin-offs, the paragraph I wrote at the end of my last week's post, I believe, is good enough to have a proper blog post of its own:

Maximum Pain Vs Maximum Sheepishness

"Another interesting observation I would like to share with readers.

This Tarzan and me are going in opposite direction - he adding to CPF; while I taking as much out as possible - but we both have the same destination in mind. Wink.

The 8 immortals' analogy probably flew over your head if you're not Chinese, or Chinese banana...

OK, this New York analogy clearer.

To get to New York from Singapore, we can fly to London, and then New York.

Or from Singapore to San Francisco, then New York.

Earth is round.

Ding!"

You can verify what I say with your own anecdotal life experiences.

1.  Two young female fresh graduates - one decides to marry young and be a stay-at-home mom; the other embarks on her corporate career dreams.

30 years later, both now are living in landed properties. 

(This is adapted from a Straits Times article decades ago where it featured a tai tai making more money from moving private property 3 times than her peer who got promoted to CEO.)  

2.  During my time in the 80s, those who aspire to university would choose the Junior College route. Those who want to work asap would take the polytechnic route.

Seemingly different paths. Yet years later, everyone is also a university graduate! 

Polytechnic graduates can go overseas to continue their university studies, study part-time, or work for a few years, save enough, then own self give "scholarship" to own self!

3.  Two young boys living at those 1.5 room HDB flats at Mei Ling Street. One studied hard, got bursaries and scholarships, became a doctor (or lawyer if you prefer).

The other dropped out of school, joined a gang, got involved with illegal betting, loan shark activities; etc.

In their late 30s, both ended up in Changi Prison.  

(Got read in the papers doctors/dentists cheating big daddy with CHAS claims? Or molesting their patients? How about lawyers absconding with clients' money? Its FTX on a much smaller scale.)

4.  Two management trainees started their careers at a local hotel chain. One decides that rolling stone gathers no moss. First job is also last job. Stayed in the same hotel for 30 years. Play the local born and bred card.

The other decides to follow the ang-moh expats, every few years jump to different hotels all over the world. International career is good, better, best! No?

In their early 50s, both got retrenched due to the stupid Wuhan virus epidemic.

(Does it not look a bit like Buy-and-Hold versus Trading?) 

5.  Panda Portfolio Hits All Time High

Read the comments amongst 3 old fogeys.

CW and I are strolling down the mountain, while mysecretinvestment has 4 more years to go before calling it quits. (I believe he is likely to move the goal posts if his landowner offers him a "minister mentor" shepherd position. Wink.)

Both of them are planners and goal setters. Must be an education thing...

I less formal education. I do first, then beg for forgiveness! 

Some see differences; I see similarities. 

My First Rainbow at Dawson

 

Pictures taken from my balcony.

First time seeing such a long-lasting rainbow! 

Discover it at 5:50pm. Now 6:30pm the rainbow still there!?

Those of you travelling after work, and reading my blog post, look up!

Maximum Pain versus Maximum Sheepishness

 

Those of us on the Earn More path, we'll discover soon enough that the sole purpose of Markets is to extract MAXIMUM PAIN from all its participants!

True right?

Just ask those who have chopped fingers and swear off "investing" forever. 

For survivors, we've become "philosophical". 

Have to. 

If not how to explain the insanity of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?

The good news is that if we switched to the Save More path, there is no MAXIMUM PAIN, just MAXIMUM SHEEPISHNESS.

How so?

Remember the electricity liberalisation move by big daddy? 

How not to love -20% discounts on our electricity bills!?

Then some discovered choosing the wholesale electricity plan "saves" even more than -20%!

(Conveniently forgetting "wholesale" meant it's for big consumers of electricity who are expected to do the electricity price hedging themselves)

Yup, imagine the sheepishness to find you are paying more than those "stupid" households who remained with PUB ....

How about HDB bank loans?

Who so stupid to choose HDB concession loan at 2.6% interest when we can easily get much lower housing loan interest rates from our nation building banks!?

Well, now some have discovered what maximum sheepishness felt like....

Remember CPF?

One could be forgiven to believe 1M65 never existed, judging by the queues at our banks and the topic of the month in our community!

First it was Singapore Savings Bonds, then Singapore Treasuries, then it didn't take long before someone shared bank fixed deposits give out more lah!

Ink haven't dry, WAIT! 

That bank over there got savings promotion that gives much more than fixed deposits!!!

Just as long we're willing to jump a few hoops like spend X minimum sum per month with the bank's credit cards; and transfer our salary deposit there. 

Fetch. Rollover. Kneel. Woof, woof! Good boy/girl!

Not maximum sheepishness, but it's the awkwardness you feel when you find what you thought was good, better, best has become 2nd best in a month or two....

In the gacha gaming community, we call it MIN/MAX. 

It works until the game developer power creeps your best built hero with a NEW must pull character! 

I'm a cat person. But I do notice dog people do become more cat like as they mature.

I mean we are both probably a bit bemused with young puppies - see hoop must jump, see ball must fetch...

We have this old fogey Tarzan at this watering-hole. 

I'll poke him like Swiss cheese if he now tells me he is diverting his planned CPF voluntary contributions to better yielding savings vehicles! LOL!

Nah, he won't!

What's the point of long-term planning if we can get derailed just with 1 or 2% extra interests?

And I thought I'm the man-whore!

Another interesting observation I would like to share with readers. 

This Tarzan and me are going in opposite direction - he adding to CPF; while I taking as much out as possible - but we both have the same destination in mind. Wink.

The 8 immortals' analogy probably flew over your head if you're not Chinese, or Chinese banana...

OK, this New York analogy clearer. 

To get to New York from Singapore, we can fly to London, and then New York.

Or from Singapore to San Francisco, then New York.

Earth is round.

Ding!

If official retirement age is 55 how?

 

Young that time, I witnessed 2 of my neighbours' fathers retired at age 55 as that was the official retirement age then.

I hit 55 this year.

I just had a "wu liao" (nonsensical) thought.

Imagine in an alternative universe, where we have high youth unemployment as economy "hentak kaki" (like in Taiwan?), and we don't have problems producing babies since that's the only "entertainment" when we don't have career aspirations as deterrent.

To make way for youths, everyone has to retire by age 55.

And you can take out ALL your CPF at age 55. You know, how it was meant to be when created by the founding fathers.

No CPF minimum sum, no CPF Life. 

How?

Would you be glad and happier?

Or would you suddenly feel a bit sheepish trash talking big daddy all these times?

Especially when you realise you don't do too well on your own... You prefer to have a pet owner - woof, woof!

 

Digital Sing Dollar - Akan Datang

 

Ever wonder why NS55, CDC, and other big daddy "handouts" nowadays always come in the digital form?

For IT dinosaurs like me, I surely miss those hardcopy paper voucher days!

Have you also noticed the booths around high traffic shopping areas offering smart phone courses for senior citizens?

Yup, big daddy laying the groundwork.

Singapore fell behind China with WeChat Pay and Alipay - Mainland Chinese tourists coming to Singapore a decade ago were surprised Singapore so "behind"!?

Yup, when I was in Shanghai, they were already using mobile payments at the wet markets.

Once big daddy realised it, we quickly developed our own PayLah! and other apps. 

The benefit is that big daddy can better target and monitor their handouts do what as they are intended.

For eg, if $300 is given to lower income families to offset their grocery bills, the recipient cannot then use the digital $300 to buy Toto or enter our casinos integrated resorts... 

Big daddy knows!

As for the ugly side, like "kiam siap gui" boyfriends who after a breakup, demand gifts given to their girlfriends back!?

Trudeau's Canada very shamelessly froze the bank accounts of those citizens who financially supported the truckers' strike. 

That's low.

Of course, that would not happen in Singapore! (I not stupid; I don't want to be invited for kopi)

Anyway, we are living in interesting times! 

In my lifetime, I can witness a new innovation in money.

The last time money had such an innovation was when the Chinese invented paper money!

And that's even longer than when policemen wore shorts...

MAS on Digital Sing Dollar 

Passive Income Scams

 

It's fun and refreshing to find some "ang moh" financial YouTubers do play the role of the 2 dots in the Tao symbol!

Those of us who are snake oils (day job working as sales, marketing, advertising, PR; etc...) would cringe with all the hyperbole dished out. 

It's true.

The best way to make money attending all these "get rich" seminars and masterclasses, is to "steal with pride" how they conduct the trainings, "creatively" pour the course materials into new bottles, and then start selling yourself as the next "financial guru" - "If you believe me; follow me!"

Of course, it helps you can speak and do motivational talks in public.

Those who can't, can do YouTube videos. I mean you just have to talk into the camera. No?

As for those who are camera shy, well, there's still blogging. 

You'll be surprised how many people are willing to spend money on courses without knowing the real name of the trainer or how he/she looks in real life.

It's like a blind date! 

I kid you not. 

Then again, these "trainers" with brown paper bags over their heads charge the lowest... Ar ber then?

Those who dare to show face and use real names, of course can and should a charge a lot more! 

Why?

That's because "potential" students can CSI the trainers' background and credentials. 

Think about it for a moment. If you drive a Mercedes or BMW, would you take financial advice from someone taking the Comfort Delgro bus?

If you stay in a condo, would you attend property courses from someone who stays in a HDB flat?

P.S.  That's why "financial gurus" would rent villas, sports cars, take pictures in front of yachts they don't own to project that "success" to "bei kambings".

Those of you in real estate or insurance sales, you know the trick of wearing fake luxury watches, right? Fake it until you make it!

 

Crazy Rentals!

 

I couldn't believe it when my relative shared his neighbour is renting out their whole 4 room HDB flat out for $5,200 per month!?

OK, its Queenstown, but still...

Can't you rent a decent condo for $5,200 per month in Queenstown???

It's rented out to 3 Mainland Chinese who are sharing the flat together. Power!

Either the view of the flat is super breathtaking, or maybe the flat is renovated like a palace?

I tell you, if this keeps up, next we would be reading about million-dollar HDB 4 room flats soon!

You Are All Individuals!

 

Negative Yielding Instruments/Vehicles in Singapore (2022)

 

CPF.

Singapore Savings Bonds.

Singapore Treasuries.

Singapore Bank Fixed Deposits.

You get the picture.

In REAL terms of course!

You think why Big Daddy evaluate their shepherds like Temasek and GIC on a real rate of return after deducting the global inflation rate?

Fair right?

If not how to justify the shepherds' salaries and bonuses? 

It would be interesting to review GIC and Temasek's investment performance for 2022 next year!

What?

We are "amateurs"...

Cannot compare with professionals you say?

Wait a minute.

Something is off....

I thought it's about whether one is financially literate or not!?

Or are you moving the goal posts by changing the definition again?

Spear and Shield Moment

 

Sometimes it's a bit funny and awkward to see "amateur" snake oils trying to spin anytime is a good time to invest for the LONG TERM...

You know, the Time in the Market versus Timing the Market argument.

How even if you have entered the markets at the worst possible moments (market tops), you'll still come out "profitable" eventually because...

Get ready.

Stocks always go up in the LONG TERM!

OK, even if you swallowed hook, line, and sinker the spin that entries don't matter, pray tell why should you sign up for any Masterclasses then?

I mean if it's so idiot proof, then anyone and everyone can do it by themselves. No?

Ding! That's your spear and shield moment. Wink.

That's where snake oils like me will face-palm and go, 

"No! That's not how you sell LONG TERM investing lah!

Cannot oversell until like that!"

And that's me coming from the Timing the Market camp...

LOL!

Why Big Daddy don't want Cryptos to be Peddled to Retail Investors

 

Temasek among investors in crypto exchange FTX

Binance buying FTX in bailout

Binance backs out of FTX rescue

Because its damn hard even for its own shepherds....

Diversification is for the Know Nothing Investor

 

Edge as in Local Local Knowledge - Or so I thought!

 

We often ask what's our edge when it comes to investing/trading.

Tip: If you have no freaking clue, you don't have an edge lah!

Just this morning, I discovered what I thought was my edge turned out to be merely superficial advantage all along...

I've been staying at Queenstown all my life - all 55 years of it!

If Queenstown were a stock, I'll have an edge over those who are not staying here. I mean I can rattle off what happened 30 years ago, what new shops or buildings popped up recently (technicals)...

I also have first-hand knowledge of the population growth (or lack of) here; the mix - whether it's aging or more young families moving in; and whether there's buying power as reflected by the "attasness" of the retail shops here (fundamentals).

Take a look at the picture above.

On the left side, there's a long row of 2 storey building. This I know about although I never went in and see it for myself - it was a former golf driving range. 

I only knew about it as there's a sign outside near the Queenstown library (what others say).

This week finally walked in to take a look.

Now it has been transformed into Children's Cove and Aqaduck? Interesting! (Child care big business!)

I discover there's 2 empty fields on the right side only after moving to my new high floor Dawson flat???

I mean I've only walked or took public transport outside Margaret Drive road previously.

The 2 fields are nestled inside landed properties estate. 

 

Just googled this morning and discover the top field is the Singapore Cricket Club Rugby Academy, while the bottom field is the Singapore Cricket Club Ground.

I'm not so smug now.

Feels similar?

Especially those of you born and bred Singaporean investors who have been investing in STI stocks for over 30 years?

Even now, I still make "I thought I knew but actually I no freaking clue" mistakes in trading...

LOL!

  

Are You The Investing Broken Clock?

 

A broken clock is right 2 times a day.

Investing can be most painful if we are like the broken clock...

During early 2003 in the depths of the Nasdaq meltdown, I remember my colleague couldn't stomach the pain anymore.

He sold out with steep losses, fearing low can get lower, and transferred what remained of his funds into those Capital Protected funds that were peddled by our friendly nation building local banks.

Yup, that's capitulation.

That move is the "equivalent" of voluntary contribution to CPF today.

When the market recovered until it broke in 2008, he missed the "one day I'll breakeven rally"...

The consolation is that "lucky" him! He missed the 2008 GFC! Heng ah!

Well, own self lie to own self is the best way to deal with the pain of missing out...

Then there's the other side of the story.

Parochial "local born and bred" retail investors who jumped onto the passive STI ETF for the past several years were not exactly thrilled when compared to their peers who piled into Nasdaq, S&P 500, or Hang Seng ETFs...

I mean STI didn't go anywhere except collect some dividends here and there. As wealth preservation and income, not so bad... But to build wealth or as vehicle to achieve FIRE? Eh...

Now the tables have turned.

STI pandas and koala bears are now probably patting themselves on the back! I mean losing 10-15% is better than losing 40-50% right?

That's the pain of investing, isn't it?

No matter how much we suck at it, we can always look back at those "twice a day" times when we were right.

But for the rest of the time, we were just dead wrong...

You'll be surprised.

Majority of retail investors just want to be "right", rather than to make money.

Are You Confident Enough To Recommend Others Your Favourite Eating Places?

 

I have a Filipino sales colleague at my weekend sales gig who have his in-laws coming to Singapore to visit.

He asked me about the usual touristy Maxwell and Novena hawker centres. Which stalls good, what food to recommend, etc...

I smiled and asked, "Near your home you don't have your favourite hawker centres and coffee shops?"

His eyes suddenly lit up, "I like you recommendation! Thanks!"

I didn't say anything!!!

That's coaching by the way - let others figure out the answer for themselves.

This Filipino colleague has been in Singapore for 5 years already. He is in his mid 30s. 

Before joining us as Showroom Sales, he was "sitting at home" for 2 years.

Previously, he was Shop Manager at one of our local DIY shops - which unfortunately closed down...

He is no bei kambing; he is shepherd.

That's why he got the "answer" to his own question immediately. Wink.

Bei kambings need to be spoon-fed.

Long time readers at this watering hole may find this post kind of familiar... Deja vu?

It's this 10 year old post lah - What's Your Favourite Chicken Rice Stall?

When friends or relatives ask you what stocks to buy or what asset class good to invest, how would you reply to them? 

That's quite telling about your level of craftsmanship, isn't it?

My new BTO flat has gone from $4 to $7?

 

The new HDB letter boxes are the type where we can lock the holes, if we so wish, so that we can't receive spam leaflets and brochures.

But I'm impressed with one real estate agent - she literally mails her leaflet in a proper letter addressed to my flat!?

And imagine doing this to all flats in my estate?

She definitely does not subscribe to Save More. Wink.

Nothing new. 

Didn't our 5,000 years of Chinese wisdom teach us that to attract big money, we need to spend small money as bait?

She knows her marketing or Jedi mind control trick well - the moment I open the letter, in big bold fonts, your home is estimated to worth $738,000 jumps right out at me.

Ah!

She even customizes her sales spin for different flat types! 

HDB 2 rooms, 4 rooms, and 5 rooms will have different valuations on the cover letters I presume! 

Impressive.

I got my keys to my Dawson flat on Dec 2020. The direct purchase HDB valuation was $398,000. 

In 22 months, now it is worth around $700K in the open market?

Alert regular readers will know I did a sleight-of-hand just now.

Hello, my SERS journey started around June 2014 lah!

The compensated SERS replacement flats prices were "frozen" at that point for us. 

Therefore, it's more correct to say that my new BTO flat has gone up from $4 to $7 in 8 years, not in 22 months. Wink.

Don't laugh. 

Many years back, I was poking all the (innocent or knowingly) shenanigans when people were calculating their ROI or XIRR of their portfolios with weird bombastic returns in percentages!?

The percentage return from $4 to $7 over 22 months is different from over 8 years!!!

The same trick is used during seminars or courses. You'll be surprised how many tertiary educated people fall for it!

Hmm...

If Lady Luck were to continue to smile on me in 10 years' time, I may even get my $4 (and more) back from big daddy.

Then again, even I feel the prices has gone up a little too fast, too quick....

I not greedy. If price were to just jump just $1 more over the next 10 years to $8, confirm I will get my $4 back - now that's a low bar or what?

One thing is clear. 

For those who have put money in Singapore properties over the past 8 years, especially if you have bought direct from HDB, your returns are a lot better than equities. No?

Even more alert regular readers will probably point out I didn't "buy" my HDB Dawson flat at $4...

I bought my Tanglin Halt SERS flat at the resale price of $1.25 in 2003.

I better stop. 

In percentages, it's even more ridiculous...

  

I'm back! What did I miss?

 

Wait.

A small break has turned into 2 months hiatus???

Well, that definitely wasn't planned!

Two things happened...

One not so good; one happy.

The not so good part is 生老病死 or life cycle.

Someone close (not my mom) got diagnosed with 4th stage liver cancer. Probably got 12 more months? 

We have decided not to seek medical treatment; late stage no cure, it's just prolonging the inevitable... 

We'll be doing an Anita Mui. 

When the time comes, we'll seek palliative care.

The happy moment is I've finally moved to my new Dawson flat!

The view here is fantastic. Very windy and cool.

I got the keys to my Dawson flat Dec 2020; moved in this month. 

Yup, have been flushing the $88 service and conservancy charges down the toilet every month for more than 1.5 years... 

Town council super efficient! Start charging the moment we got the keys? Not from when we moved in?

Then again, I've been collecting big daddy's conservancy and PUB rebates for 1.5 years too. That should alleviate some of the pain... LOL!

Why take so long for the move?

Let's just say we took 3 relocation trips spread over 4 months... There's a lot of psychological "work" involved...

We are the 4th remaining flats at my old Tanglin Halt flat. There are more "problematic" cases.

Some may have to involve police... 

I can empathize.

While I'm ecstatic with the move; mom is not.

That's why some private properties enbloc will fail. No matter how high the selling price, some will never move no matter what!

Phew. It's all over now!

A pleasant discovery is I can walk away from the markets, when needed.

Now that's really a man of leisure!

Strawberry FIRE?

 

The "Strawberry generation" is a term used on those Taiwanese people born from 1980s onwards who "bruise easily".

The equivalent in the West I guess would be "Snowflake generation"?

I am not surprised.

This has happened before:

Suze Orman Criticised By FIRE

Its a bit like religion.

If you are a true believer, it does not bother you what the atheists or the scientific community say.

Those that get easily "triggered" are usually those who themselves have "doubts"... You know, the very "insecure" ones... 

They desperately want to believe what they were told were true. 

And no, FIRE is not mainstream.

At best, its a cult; similar to the crypto community.

Where got mainstream religions get "excited" by some article mentioning your "religion"?

But if you belong to a cult, of course you'll be delighted! You are the one seeking affirmation and acceptance from anyone and everyone...

Would FIRE ever get mainstream acceptance?

Well, do you think big daddy will support FIRE? (Get ready for more foreign talents!) 

If your graduating children tell you they are seeking FIRE at 35, would you jump with joy at their "enlightenment"; or be worried sick what thinking them?

How about you found out your dating partner is on the FIRE bandwagon, would you continue dating them as marriage potential? 

Imagine your significant other suddenly declare themselves on FIRE in their 40s, do you first suspect they are undergoing their mid-life crisis? Just using FIRE as cover? You know, seeking FIRE to "escape"...

Or do you wholeheartedly support? 

"No problem dear. You can stay home while I work. My solo income is enough to support you on FIRE."

  

My take? 

Hungry eat; tired rest.

If you feel full, stop eating. Simple as that!

I'm on the camp that believes its better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission. Wink.

And nobody cares about you!

You rich what has that got to do with me? (Unless you want to share your wealth with me)

You penniless why should I care? (Provided you don't expect me to subsidise you)

One thing its clear. 

Strawberries can't take a poke.

LOL!

Finally! We are back to using Hawker Centre!

 

OK, I'm not into precision at 2 decimal places when it comes to numbers, but when it comes to words...

LOL!

Quite a few years back, I was lamenting at this blog on the use of Market and Food Centre when naming our hawker centres!?

I mean why use a word so "generic" and "bland"?

I suspect someone deep down has a complex... Hawker so shameful meh? Why deny our heritage? 

Finally!

Someone got the memo it seems.

You can't on one hand talk about keeping our Hawker Culture alive, and on the other hand, deny our shared heritage...

Thumbs up to whoever decided to bring back the use of Hawker Centre!

I hope it doesn't stop at our Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. Wink.

I Don't Feel The Pain Of Inflation Anymore?

 

SF Fed President Mary Daly: "I Don't Feel the Pain of Inflation Anymore."

I know, I know.

I'm on the Earn More camp, but even I cringed upon reading what that SF Fed President said too!

How can she make my humble "I have enough" sound so arrogant and so insensitive!?

Those of you older ones may remember this similar incidence in Singapore during the 2009 GFC:

Tan Yong Soon Rapped By His Boss For Insensitivity

Who knows?

Maybe one day FIRE will be out-of-fashion, and it gets replaced by WHEN can we reach our INFLATION PAIN FREE stage?

How much in dollars? 

Well, as a start, it would be around SGD $450K annual income - doesn't matter whether its active or passive.

If passive, even better of course!

You know why there's a bit of schadenfreude from the general public when cryptos crashed?

That's because of those insensitive crypto "millionaire" influencers who mocked those who didn't follow them, "Have fun being poor!"

Wait.

I'm looking into the mirror now.

There's a reason why the general public also cannot stand the FIRE community too. Wink.