I have no answer for it.
For people who don't know my story and background, I live a very normal life.
I own an HDB, car, go traveling a lot, go out eat as per normal.
My monthly spending isn't particularly low. Together my wife and I spend somewhere between $3k-$4k per month. Pretty much like other family.
And I tell myself... Oh if my wife doesn't work, our expenses will drop. But that's the same for everyone. After retirement, most people will see decreased expenses.
But yet, I am frugal. For most basic things, I spend less than most people. But if we include our "luxuries", especially me following her on her biz trips, then we aren't better off than any other family. Every other family has their own version of "luxuries".
And these luxuries cannot exist without someone working.
As an individual, I can probably survive indefinitely. The house is settled, all there is to pay is utilities, phone bills, insurance and food.
But I'm not just an individual. I have my family as well and it's harder to calculate things with other factors involved.
I know what I'm willing to live with, or without. But I cannot dictate that for the people around me.
When I follow my wife on her biz trips, the expense is pretty much covered by her working. The rationale is, if she wants me to follow then I'll follow, but it's an unnecessary expense, which I'd prefer not to incur. I can't afford the trips on my personal account.
But together, our finances are pretty much combined so it somehow works out.
So to some people, or from one point of view, I think, yes I can say I'm retired. If my wife were to quit her job, and live our super frugal lifestyle, I think we should both have no problems. But yet from another point of view, whatever lifestyle I'm living now cannot be sustained without my wife working.
It does keep me confused... On how realistic my situation actually is and whether it can be realistically replicated.
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