FIREd in my early 40s. Debt-free, 6-figure annual passive income. Just sharing what I know about personal finance, investing, entrepreneurship & life. ❤️ jazz.
We achieved financial independence in 7 years and "retired" in our early 40s. FIRE is not for everyone. It is an alternative lifestyle, the exception rather than the norm. If you think you’re up to it, we’ll show you how it’s done.
I attended three parties over the past few days.
The same people asked me the same question, "Aren’t you bored doing nothing every day?" (In my head: "Aren’t you bored asking me the same question every year?")
I don’t know why people always assume that retirement means doing
My hubby and I officially retired on 1st Feb 2020, so yesterday was our retirement anniversary. 🎉 This is our life so far:
2020 ➡️ Happy, Fulfilling, Purpose-driven
2021 ➡️ Same
2022 ➡️ Same
2023 ➡️ Same
2024 ➡️ STILL THE SAME 😊
To celebrate, we'll be going for a 2-week
I finally passed 1k followers! 🌈
Yay!! 😄🥳
My Sunday brain is not working, so I'm just going to say I'm lost for words. 😬
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! 🩷🩷🩷
I haven’t been active on X as a beloved family member passed away suddenly last week.
The thing about death is that you invariably end up thinking about life.
Death serves as a reminder of life’s impermanence and the transient nature of everything.
By recognising that our time
It’s been a tough 3 weeks.
Some of you may have noticed that I haven’t been as active on 𝕏 as before. Actually I’d planned to take my foot off the pedal a little after hitting 1k followers.
Just as I was starting my new schedule, my dad fell ill suddenly and had to undergo
As many of you are aware, I retired in 2020 at the age of 42, so yes, I embrace the FIRE movement wholeheartedly.
The FIRE movement is often misunderstood. For one, some people read a single article and assume that everyone in the FIRE community is cut from the same cloth,
Hey everyone, I finally surpassed 800 followers! 😄
I’m overwhelmed with gratitude and would like to thank you for your support. 🙏
Thanks for sticking around and sharing your knowledge, experience and perspectives with me. 😊
The best is still ahead! 🔥
Years ago when I was trying to build a business, I've had a number shitty days when I really felt like quitting.
I'm glad I didn't.
Don't quit on a bad day.
If anything, quit on a good day.
Money and arrogance often go hand in hand.
As your wealth grows, your head might also become bigger.
Never forget that pride goes before destruction.
Humility is key to investing.
And life.
If you want good times,
work hard.
If you want better times,
work hard and smart.
If you want the best times,
work hard and smart, and have fun doing it.
Are you having fun?
Not everyone who is poor is a useless slacker.
Some have worked tirelessly for years but can’t seem to catch a break.
Some made bad choices because the few options available to them were all bad.
Never judge things we don't understand.
Be kind and be a light.
Show empathy.
It's easy to forget that we shouldn't listen to blanket financial advice.
Your situation is unique.
Your commitments are different from mine.
You don't have the same risk tolerance and time horizon as me.
What works for me may not work for you.
Create your own winning plan.
Hello from Okinawa! I haven’t posted for more than a week as I’ve been too preoccupied with having fun. 😄
If you don’t know much about Okinawa, it’s a Blue Zone where a remarkable number of people live till 100. It has a super chill vibe (no one seems to be in a hurry) and I
Hi friends, I’m back from my vacation!
It was a fun and relaxing trip, but I definitely ate too much and must now do something about my burgeoning waistline! 😅
I wanted to take more food pics for you guys, but I often only remembered halfway through my meals. Ha!
A decade or two from now, what will you remember about 2023?
I know I’ll think nostalgically of 2023 as the year I gave social media a shot and engaged on 𝕏 like my life depended on it. 🤣
I came here to (1) meet like-minded individuals, and (2) promote my personal financial
Friendly reminder:
Your time = your life.
It’s finite and it’s up to you to make the best of it.
Manage the clock well or it will manage you. 🕗
Don’t waste time on unimportant things because time truly flies.
Just an observation:
I don't understand why some posts like to start with "unpopular opinion".
I actually find the opinion rather popular. 🤔
Is it just me?
Confession:
It has been more than 3 years since I retired and I can no longer relate to the excitement people have on Friday.
Financial independence = options.
Create options for yourself so that every day feels the same:
SWELL! 🌈
As you go through life’s cycle of highs and lows, there may be times when you feel like abandoning your dreams as it’s the easy way out.
If you’re feeling this way now, try imagining yourself 10, 20 or 30 years down the road.
Would you have any regrets?
I know I won't.
I don't time the market.
But as a retiree, I keep an investment war chest.
The last time I deployed the money was during the Covid-19 crash.
Do you keep a war chest or some dry powder on top of your emergency fund? 💰
One of my pet peeves: people saying that they've no interest in personal finance.
I just can’t wrap my head around it, sorry!
If you've been using money your entire life and know that you need money for practically everything, isn’t it irresponsible not to care about it?
Should Married Couples Merge Their Money?
My hubby and I have been married for 22 years. For the first half of our marriage, we managed our own money but had two joint accounts for expenses and savings.
Then one day, I suggested that we do a full financial merger. Here’s why:
Approach success and failure like sports.
Every athlete plays to win, but there are both winners and losers.
Accept failure with equanimity and don't let it defeat you.
Enjoy triumph with humility and don't look down on others.
Good game or not, always play your best.
Whenever we tell people that we invest, most immediately assume that we're traders.
Actually we're mostly investors. That means we keep a long-term passive portfolio that we rarely touch.
But we do have a very small active portfolio for swing/position trading.
What about you?
When it comes to investing, we often hear:
The more time you have, the more risk you can take.
There’s a lot of truth in it, but please also bear in mind:
The more money you have, the less risk you need to take.
E.g. if someone has a $3M portfolio, a 5-6% annual return is
If your friends spend money like water, you might be pressured to spend like them.
If your friends are slothful, you might be less driven to achieve financial success.
If you want to be successful, hang out with people who are more accomplished than you.
Emulate and surpass.
When it comes to increasing one’s income, we usually hear one side, i.e. why having multiple income streams is so beneficial and awesome.
I think it’s because the drawbacks are less obvious and thus, often overlooked.
Even for myself, I only realised just how challenging it was
Recently, my nephew asked me about my secret to financial success. (It's a modest success btw.)
My reply to him was "I'm an expert at enduring boredom."
I guess he was expecting a different answer as he gave me a puzzled look, ha! Here's what I think:
People always talk about
Be a long-term thinker in a short-term world.
That's what we always hear.
BUT short-term thinking is crucial too.
E.g. Short-term financial planning is essential for managing cash flow.
Striking a balance between short-term & long-term is key to success in life & business.
When I was young, my mum loved to ask me:
What did you learn in school today?
Same question, almost every day for years.
I got older and began asking myself the same question:
What did I learn today?
It could be a new word or a difficult yoga pose.
If you keep learning, you
Have a dream?
Chase it like your life depends on it.
You don't want to look back at your life and lament
- the lost time,
- the misspent youth,
- the dream that you did not pursue.
Regret sucks. Big time.
As investors, we listen to others for perspective and understanding.
But we mustn’t forget this:
The future is a guess.
It may be an “expert” guess.
It may be a well-informed guess.
BUT IT'S STILL A GUESS.
If you can't differentiate excuses from reasons, you have a big problem.
A reason for not exercising: I injured my back.
An excuse: I’m too busy.
I’m stating this example to remind myself to move my lazy a**. 😂
Friendly reminder: Failure is NOT a death sentence.
I was a failed entrepreneur at 28. It was freaking painful, all right.
But now, people just remember me as the comeback kid who retired at 42.
The compound effect is like the hockey stick.
Shaft = the early stage of your investing journey
Kick Point = you begin to see your investments really pay off
Blade = your investments explode in value
The Shaft is the hardest part as it requires time and patience. That's why
My first rule of engagement on 𝕏: keep it civil and respectful.
This involves approaching every issue with an open mind and reminding myself that opinions are not facts. Everyone has a unique way of interpreting the world.
One of the secrets to happiness:
Do something marvellously uplifting every day.
✅ Call someone you love.
✅ Go for a leisurely stroll in the sunset.
✅ Eat ice cream!
✅ Dance to Chuck Berry! 👇
Your investment decision is only as good as your information.
You'll never have all the information, so once you've established that you've enough information to make a sound decision, go for it.
Don't keep waiting for more information.
This applies to other aspects of life.
What gets measured gets done. — Peter Drucker
Your goals must be measurable or you will struggle to find motivation and focus.
E.g. "I want to save money" is NOT the same as "I want to save $500 a month."
I did a 4-day digital detox last week and it was a much-needed respite.
Technology is awesome in many ways, but it's hard to decompress when we're perpetually distracted by our devices.
I know a complete disconnection may not be possible for most people. You don't want to end
HUGE difference:
When combined with greed, money becomes
❌ ugly
❌ dirty
❌ toxic
But when combined with contentment, money engenders positive feelings of
✅ happiness
✅ confidence
✅ self-sufficiency
Top or bottom, your choice.
6 Signs Money is Controlling You
1️⃣ You've no savings.
2️⃣ You've a lot of debt.
3️⃣ You blame others for your $ problems.
4️⃣ You think the rich are just lucky.
5️⃣ You want to get rich but don’t have a plan.
6️⃣ $ controls your mood.
Control or be controlled. The choice is YOURS.
Failure means I can write my comeback story.
I told myself the above when my first business folded years ago.
I did eventually make a comeback.
If you feel like a failure now, chin up and keep the fighting spirit.
You only fail when you stop trying.
Happy weekend! 🌈
Two questions people need to stop asking me:
1️⃣ Don't you want kids?
I’ve been married for 22 years. It's not happening, all right.
2️⃣ Aren't you bored doing nothing every day?
Early retirement is swell. I lead a full life, TYVM.
Do you also get Qs that make you roll eyes? 🙄
Resilience is important as it helps us process, endure and overcome hardship.
Sometimes, resilience is forced upon us. That's when we realise that there is a survivor in us.
Are you a survivor?
“No one could have predicted this.”
That’s NOT always true.
Some crises don’t come with warning signals, but many do. We often ignore them due to normalcy bias.
Don’t underestimate the likelihood or impact of a potential threat. Learn how to identify the signs and prepare for
What's one habit you have that others might think is wasteful?
I'll start first. Although I'm home on most days, I spray perfume when I wake up, after my shower and before I sleep.
I like to smell nice at all times. 😬
Even a frugal person can have his/her indulgence, right?
Over 500 followers! 😄
Just wanna share my joy with everyone! THANK YOU for jamming with me! 😘
Nothing's gonna change. I'll still:
✅ do my best to engage.
✅ follow back legit/active accounts in the same space as me. Yes, the small ones too. I know it's hard!
Rock on! 🤟
At 30, Shopaholic Sally has no savings and spends all her disposable income on retail therapy every month.
Her reasons:
1️⃣ I work so hard! I should treat myself.
2️⃣ I only buy things I need!
3️⃣ It’s my money! I can spend it however I like.
What would you say to her?
Monday Musings: Why It’s Important to Identify Your Money Values
A friend of mine is constantly struggling to attain her financial goals. One of her goals last year was to save $7k every month. It was, quite frankly, very doable considering (1) she makes about $20k a month, and
Friendly reminder:
Never invest in something just because your friend or some random “smart” guy tells you that it'll make money.
Take the time and effort to gain adequate knowledge.
Well-informed decisions will increase your chances of success by a lot.
Ill-informed ones are
Marry your best friend.
This way, you will always be able to share your thoughts and feelings freely, and you will never run out of things to talk about.
Happy Valentine's Day. 💕
You're responsible for how you feel. No one else is.
You can make the decision to be happy by
✅ changing your outlook on life,
✅ doing things that fulfil you, and
✅ reminding yourself that life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.
The stock market is like life - there will be a series of fluctuations.
Stick to the plan and let the magic of compounding do its thing.
In the game of investing, the tortoise wins.
I'm a very impatient person by nature.
My mum loves to joke that teaching me how to tell time at six was a big mistake as I started setting deadlines for her. Apparently, I would fly into a rage if she made me wait. 😬
So how is that I’m a patient investor from Day 1? Because: