Blog Archives

The Case for Stocking Up

24/2/2020

It didn't take long to happen.
When I settled into my place in Houston, I started buying stocks of canned food and bottled water.
Slowly.
I mean... I buy a but more every time I go to the supermarket. I didn't go down to Walmart or any other supermarket and just buy a whole boot load of stock all at once.

Anyway. I bought 2 cartons of bottled water. Just for emergency.
Otherwise, I usually just drink water from the tap.

Well... it happened.

On Thursday, a large water pipe in Houston burst and this water pipe supplied water to around 40-50% of Houston. So when it burst, contaminants got into the water supply and the mayor of Houston declared a boil water notice. Meaning, that the water is not safe for drinking. Even for restaurants, schools, etc. They have to boil their water before they serve it. Same if you want to use water to wash vegetables.
I can't use water to wash dishes cos it's going to contaminate the dishes, etc.

So, when the announcement was made, many people went to the supermarket to buy bottled water. Water supply is expected to resume normal operations by Saturday so it's not really very critical. But many people started stocking up on water.
Also, there were many people who were at work or at school and they were unable to stock up on bottled water.
On Friday, I went to the supermarket to eat breakfast at the McDonald's and I saw many people at the supermarket buying cartons of bottled water.

The thing is... I didn't need to buy. Cos I already had enough bottled water to last me 5 days at least.
I had expected my stocks would come in useful especially during the hurricane season, but this time, my stocks came in useful early. Much earlier than I expected. It doesn't take much space. Just 2 cartons.
But, due to this, I think I'll stock up a bit more food and water. Just in case.

Things aren't as organized and smooth sailing as in SG. I think in SG, 2-3 cartons of water should be enough. But here, I think I'll feel more secure with maybe 4-5 cartons. Things happen. There are issues,, natural disasters, etc... the land is big, if a supermarket goes out of stock, it may be hard for the supermarket to restock again in short notice if there are multiple flooded areas or other issues.

Being new in the country/city, I'm a bit more careful. Cos I don't know how efficient their services are. I don't know how fast they will take to fix issues. I'm not familiar as I am in SG. I don't have support from friends and family. So as issues crop up and as I learn from them, I need to learn to be more prepared for when the next issues strike. Maybe there will be a flood during hurricane and it may take 2 weeks for the flood waters to subside. Then I may not have easy access to food and water. Who knows?

So... for me, I've learnt. To be prepared.
When no one else is being prepared, I try to get myself as prepared as I can be based on my own experiences and my own sense of security.
Then when other people are ganjiong, then I can chill and I don't need to rush to scramble with others to stock up on stuff.
Don't rush when other people rush cos by then, maybe prices are already higher, maybe it's dangerous to go out during that period, maybe there is not enough stocks, could be many things.

That's not to say I'm a doomsday prepper.
I think maybe that's overdoing things. For me, I feel, it's good enough for maybe 2 weeks or 1 month worth of rations just in case anything happens. Cos... natural disasters happen and things may be tough for a while so... better to be prepared than not prepared.

Quite an interesting couple of days. Made me really understand how important it is to be prepared. Cos we don't really have such issues in SG. And made me even more confident that stocking up is important.
Maybe if I'm in SG and during this coronavirus period, and since I have face masks, I'll probably have the same feelings. Cos I already have my stuff ready.

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An Emergency Fund : Revisit since 2013

24/2/2020

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It's been a long time since I talked about financial topics.
Since a reader asked about emergency fund, I thought to talk a bit about it again.
https://earlyretirementsg.weebly.com/blog/emergency-fund-do-you-need-it-or-not-and-why

Long long time ago, in 2013, I discussed about it. 2013. It's been 7 years. I was still working then.
So many things have changed.
For us, I don't really keep an emergency fund. We keep around S$5,000 in cash for living expenses. Any additional cash due to dividends, incomes, etc. Is all available to go into investments.

The thing is, for emergency funds, we need to understand ourselves and our situation.
I feel that emergency funds are useful in certain situations. Some people need it more than others due to different family situations and circumstances.
Example, someone who is a Grab driver might need a larger emergency fund. Someone who has unstable pay or working part time would likely need an emergency fund.
Someone with elderly parents who aren't self sufficient may need an emergency fund.

Most of the time, many people blindly keep an emergency fund.
For me, I don't agree with this.
First, I assess my current situation whether I am considered a high risk person/family which needs an emergency fund. I assess the probable situations which might occur. Medical bills? Family problems? Car repairs? Retrenchment?
I've covered most of these in my past post.

IF I have all my funds in investments, and keep only S$5000 in liquid cash, every month, my wife would still have additional income coming in, or every few months, dividends will come in, we will continuously have additional liquidity flowing. Even IF there are really critical issues which come about, I can always liquidate my investments. If it is really an emergency, taking a loss isn't much of an issue.

So for us, I don't see the need for a large emergency fund. If really needed, I do have some cashlines, credit cards for short term financing. Remember, this is EMERGENCY fund. If I really need cash, then I will pull whatever tricks I have available. Even if I have to take a short term loan.

The thing is, I always try to keep my investments liquid. I try not to keep them in insurance related policies where I can't access the cash when I need it. So stocks and listed products are my typical choice.

Now, I'm not saying emergency funds are a bad idea. They are useful in many situations. People who are freelancers, property agents, sales people who work based on commission, jobs which are easy to get fired, retrenched, example, the folks who were put on unpaid leave due to the coronavirus issue.
So it really depends on each individual circumstance, working environment, company, dependents, other family members, other commitments, etc.
It is part of true overall financial planning.

I call it true overall financial planning cos what most financial planners do, a needs based selling, is not considered true financial planning. Typically, most people don't do true financial planning, where they really list down everything available to them, and plan around all their individual unique circumstances.
Also, it's important to understand your partner and their living habits and their family circumstances as well, cos that may also impact the overall financial plan.

The thing is, cos we have low monthly spending, a $5k "emergency fund", in my opinion, is sufficient for us. $5k can last us more than 2 months, if we were still in SG. If we add my wife's income and any dividends, every month, we will have a new $5k flowing in, which basically keeps 4 months worth of expenses ready at any point in time.

But well... different people different lifestyle, difference circumstances, different risks.
So I would say, each person needs to assess their own requirements and determine what makes sense for themselves, and also what makes them feel secure, even if they don't really need an emergency fund, maybe for their own peace of mind, they may want to keep an emergency fund anyway.

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Are You Afraid of Guns?

22/2/2020

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In Singapore, most guys have gone thru NS and handled an M16 or SAR21. Some get to use the Sig P226, which is the handgun which officers get to use. Singapore Police Force also train with handguns.

Many guys are used to handling a firearm.
It is just another tool. You need to be disciplined with it and not be an idiot. Don't point the muzzle at anyone, and don't put your finger on the trigger, and don't load the gun unnecessarily.

However, many people are afraid of guns.
It is an item of death. For killing.
In SG or US, many people have not handled firearms before.
Yes, even in US, even with liberal gun laws, there are a lot of people who have not even tried to fire a gun.
They are afraid of it. To them, they don't want to learn about it. They don't want to get near it. They don't want to have anything to do with it.

Yes. Firearms can be used for malicious purposes.
And for me, all the more so, that I should learn about it. Know how to handle it. Understand it, and learn to use it well.

Do you find this similar to something else?

Financial education and products.
There's only a very small percentage of people who are interested in finances and products.
Many times, if you talk to anyone, your friends, family, etc... most people won't have much clue about what is available on the market, won't know about interest rates and how they affect markets, etc.

When you want to discuss or talk about it, somehow, their brains just shut off. Their eyes glaze over and they just nod but the conversation dies very quickly.
If you want to keep conversation, you need to quickly turn the topic back to Korean drama.

The thing is...
In US, even if you are afraid of guns, you should learn how to use it.
Cos... guns will/may come to you.
You can campaign and fight for stricter gun laws, but before those laws come into place, you better know how to use it. Cos by hiding your head in the sand, avoiding guns, doesn't mean the gun won't come and find you.
Ever since I came to the US, it's common to hear about armed robbery, car chases, people getting shot, etc.
Yes, you can say, "That's the reason why guns should be banned."
And you may be right.
But before they are banned and guns are taken off the streets, I think people should be familiar with firearms and learn how to use them and maybe consider owning them.

Same as retirement planning and financial education.
You can say, "the Government should take care of the citizens in their old age, provide pensions..." etc...
But before that ever happens, I think it's important to plan for yourself and get educated on the topic.
Cos... old age is coming, like it or not. Age will come and find you.
And you/people may be afraid of financial products or education, but all the more, it's important to learn and get familiar with it.

And it's not too hard to learn some basics.
Some insurance education, some ETF investments, savings, budgeting, etc. Don't need to learn how to price options and derivatives. For the layman, that's just looking for trouble.
Can investment products cause harm to people? Yes it can. Think of the mini bonds issue in 2008.
So is it important to get educated? Yes! Of course.

So don't be afraid of learning about guns. Only be afraid if the gun is pointed at you.
Same as financial products. Don't be afraid of learning about financial stuff. Only be afraid if someone is trying to scam you, or trying to make you take more risk than you're willing to take.

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Being diligent with electricity

18/2/2020

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Over here in US, we signed up for a unique power provider.
Usually, most people will sign up 6 months, or 1 year contract for power at a fixed rate.
Same as in SG.
We pay, maybe $0.20 per kilowatt hour, and we just use electricity anytime without thinking.
However, we selected a billing company which allows us to buy electricity at wholesale prices.
The price moves every 5 minutes. So sometimes it is $0.02 per kwh or it could be $0.011 or it could be $0.15 per kwh.
After reading reviews, it appears that generally, the price of power is quite low, around $0.10, BUT, during summer months, it could go up at high as $9.00 per kwh. IF the demand/supply spikes and pushes the price up. But it lasts for maybe 5 minutes or just a couple of hours. But it hurts.
This is an insane amount. Cos some people in the region got hit by hundred dollar bills, just for a day usage. Cos many people live in landed properties and leave the air conditioning on for the whole day.

So on the website, I can see the current price for the period.
AND I can see my power usage for the day.

So as you can see, I can see the price for the current 5 minutes and it will change.
And the company projects the expected cost for the next hour. BUT the price is not confirmed and sometimes it will be more or less than the projected amounts.

Also, you can see my power usage for the day. I had a spike in power usage around 5-6pm when I turned on my washing machine and dryer for the day.

Power costs me around $0.10-$0.20 per day on average. But I had one day with a price spike and my cost went up to $0.38 for the day.
I also have to pay some subscription charges and taxes, etc.

Now that I can quite accurately determine how much power I use, I am a lot more diligent with my power usage. I turn off lights that are of no use. I make sure my washing machine is as full as possible, or I make sure that the price of power is low before I turn on the washer. Or I may set the dishwasher to run 4 hours later during the wee hours of the morning where the price of power is the lowest.

Most of the time, it's out of sight out of mind. We don't know how much our power is per kilowatt hour. And most of the time, we don't know how much we use per hour, and we don't know how much more the washing machine uses, or how much the dryer uses.

For us, we use very little power cos we just live in a small apartment, and we don't turn on the air conditioning. However, many Americans live in houses and they leave the air conditioning on for the whole day, they also run their washing machines and dryer and dish washer often. All these suck up large amounts of power.
And I realized, that for myself, after knowing how much power each appliance uses, and the cost of power, I became a lot more careful. Cos now, I can choose WHEN I want to turn on the heavy appliances, if I turn it on in the afternoon, it's more expensive than if I turn it on in the evening.
I will consider... is it so important for me to turn this appliance on NOW, or can I wait til later in the evening?
Do I need to turn on the air con NOW? Is it worth maybe $4 for the next few hours? (I don't know cos I haven't turned on the air con yet, cos the temperature is cool currently.)
But during summer, when the price spikes cos everyone is turning their AC on, I will have to choose. Do I think the price is worth it?
Cos most of the time, we don't think about it. We don't think about how much we spend on power and how much power we use.
In SG, my power bill was around S$80 per month.
In Paris, my power bill was more than €80 per month.
Cos I never thought about how much power costs. It was always out of sight out of mind.
Now, I can reduce my power usage to US$30 per month for this month of February, and I hope to keep the bill around this price, and maybe I get an increased bill in the summer months when I turn on the AC.
Using this plan, I am expecting to save around 10% as compared with IF I signed up for a fixed rate plan.

If I signed up for a fixed rate plan, I wouldn't care when I used power. I would use it as and when I wanted to do the dishes, I would turn on the washing machine at any time, cos the price of power could be fixed at maybe $0.17 per kwh, before other fees and taxes.

And I think it's interesting. Cos I've never thought about the price of power and when to use it and how much to use. I never cared if I turned on the lights or fan, or when to cook. Cos over here, it's common to have an electric stove instead of a gas stove. So, it's actually cheaper to cook at 7pm than to cook at 4pm.
I usually cook and prepare 4-5 meals at one go, so that my wife can bring lunch boxes to work and I can easily consume my lunch by just reheating in the microwave.
And now, it's cheaper to cook and do the food preparation in the evening instead of in the afternoon.

If you look at my power usage by hour again, you will see a small amount every hour even in the wee hours of the morning. This is me keeping one light on at night.
Currently, this is maybe just $0.01. But if this is $2... would I still keep it on?
So I think this experience has been interesting. Cos I am now able to determine the cost of turning on any appliance and choose when I want to use it.

Whereas in SG and Paris, I didn't even care how much power I used. After review, I realized I used so much more power in SG and Paris, just cos I couldn't see how much each appliance uses and the cost of keeping things on.
And that's quite scary, now that I think about it. Cos we never know how much each decision costs. Of course, it's affordable. It's not really breaking the bank. But when I think about it more. Maybe in SG, it costs S$2 to keep the aircon on at night, or S$2 to run the washing machine one cycle. People may be more careful about running their appliances.

So it's been fun. Cos now, I have a fair estimate of how much power each appliance uses, and I also know the current price of power. So I can choose when to use what, and what is considered critical usage during the day, and I can decide when to turn on the power to reduce the cost.
There is no more "out of sight out of mind".

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Being Prepared (Part 2)

17/2/2020

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Ok so... Since I don't have much to post about these days. And since a regular reader wanted more details, I thought, ok, might as well post a bit more about it.

In Singapore, we always take things for granted. 99% of the time, there are no issues.
However, I remember the days of SARS, the days of really really bad haze.
Where face masks were scarce, where N95 were unavailable.
So, it was quite natural for me to think about contingencies after the event.
During the phase, like everyone else, I could not do anything about it.
I had never been through such an incident, SARS or really bad haze. So I never stocked up previously.
Many people forget about the problem once the issue is over. No one really bothers to stock up after the problem.
But for me, that's where I need to learn the lesson.
Buying 1-2 boxes of face masks and N95 isn't very expensive after the crisis. They also don't take up much space.

When I was in SG, I always had large stocks of toilet paper... not cos of any emergency, but cos I bought them when they were on sale. At my max, I had 18 packs of 10 rolls, 180 individual rolls, enough to last 1 year or more.
Actually, I have no idea why people rushed to buy toilet paper during this recent supermarket raid.
You can always just... use water...

I also have a couple of cartons of bottled water. I forgot if I stocked 2 or 3 cartons. Depending on price, I stocked up some 1.5L bottles and some 500ml bottles.
We have taken for granted water.
Many of us don't remember the days where we had save water campaigns or water rationing exercises.
When I moved to my own place, I had a couple of incidents of water shortage.
One, the water supply suddenly turned off whilst my wife was bathing. We had no idea why. There were no announcements. The water supply resumed in less than an hour, but who knows what could have happened and how long it might have taken.
Another time, there was brown water coming out of our pipes for a period of time due to some cleaning works.
Due to these incidents, I decided to keep some water available at home at all times. Even if it is to be used to wash the remaining soap for my wife if she is in the middle of her shower... it's still useful.

For food, I always have supplies.
I used to keep 3-4 cans of each type of canned food that I regularly consume.
Corn, baked beans, sardines, clam chowder, luohan zai (vegetarian), braised peanuts, etc.
I always have 2 packs of Korean instant noodles, and 2 packs of chicken abalone noodles, total 20 individual packets.
I buy rice in 5kg sacks and pasta I buy in 3x 500gm packs.
I also have stocks of frozen food, especially during my freegan days. I hardly even need to eat the canned food, but I try to consume some to cycle through the inventory.

I always have some medical supplies.
This may or may not be advisable for everyone.
I have medication for basically any kind of common aliments. A whole drawer full. We label them properly and what the use is for. We keep any excess which we don't consume after visiting the doctor. Never know when we might need some paracetamol, or anti histamines, etc. Always good to have supplies.
We are familiar with the different types of medication and what they are used for.

I also have tools and I know how to use them. I find this very useful. The thing about it is, I've been to other folks' homes to help do some handy work, friends, family members, etc... and they may have a lot of other tools, or repeated tools, but somehow they are always missing something. Maybe they have a drill but no wall plugs, or they don't have a wide variety of screws, or nails, or lacking a light saw, or the right size screwdriver, etc...
So... for me, I find it important to have a good stash of tools and supplies and also to know how to use them.

And yes, I always have some insect repellent at home, cos after the Zika incident, I'm more prepared. I didn't stock up many bottles, but I always have some available. Furthermore, I had dengue previously so it's important that I have insect repellent available.

The thing is... I don't know what will happen. And many instances, I won't know what or how to prepare until it happens. But after the first time, it becomes my own responsibility to be prepared for the next time it comes. It's not about hoarding old and obsolete stuff. Old clothes, old furniture, etc... these things usually won't be used ever again, but yet many of us pile them up in the storeroom. In truth, we probably already have too many clothes, shoes, old pots, pans, furniture, etc...

For me, I think... it's better to have and not need, then to need and not have.
That doesn't mean hoard rubbish. It's not about keeping a plastic box and thinking... "Oh maybe someday I'll need that."
Or keeping an old rusty appliance and thinking, "Someday I'll repair that..."
Look, you probably won't need that rusty appliance ever again. You'll probably just buy a new one the next time you want to use something similar.

The situation in US is a bit different. I stock up a bit more food. Cos every year there is a hurricane season. And I want to be prepared for any issues, maybe there will be a flood, maybe it's hard to reach the supermarket. Maybe there will be power outage due to the hurricanes.
So I'm planning to stock up more canned food and instant noodles and bottled water in US than in SG. Probably double the amount.
Over the weekend, I bought 30 cups of Nissin cup noodles for US$6.50, yea it was super cheap. It came in a carton, so I decided to buy it cos it was cheap. Usually in SG, I think it's S$1 per cup.

I'm trying to get some face masks here, cos... well never know if the coronavirus will come to the US. But most pharmacies don't have them available. I think all the supplies have been bought up and all future supplies have been sent to China.

I'm also thinking of buying a portable cooker, those that run on gas canisters, usually we use them for steamboats at restaurants. I think it would be useful if there is power outage and I am not able to cook during the hurricane season.

The whole idea of this is for me to be prepared. I don't want to wait til everyone is scrambling then I join the mad rush. By then, I won't have time to think and buy exactly the things I want. Maybe by then the instant noodles only tom yum flavour... then how? Or maybe only have NTUC house brand of rice? But now, you have all the time to stock up on nice Thai Hom Mali rice.

But jokes aside.

It really depends on what you/I feel comfortable with. For me, I feel in SG, I should have enough supplies for around a month, that should be good enough for me.
I'm not stocking up for a zombie apocalypse.
Maybe for other people, they want more security and want to stock up for 6 months?

There are even such packs available online. But I don't like the idea of these. Cos most likely people won't eat them and just waste them after they expire. But if you are a doomsday prepper, these would be a good idea.

It's like an emergency fund. To have the inventory available when it's needed.
Cos... well never know right?
Cos when trouble strikes, even with money, you might not be able to obtain the products.
It's the same idea as... during the zombie apocalypse, even if you have 1kg of gold, well, you can't eat gold.
But a good shotgun will keep you alive. So might as well convert some of the gold now and buy a shotgun instead of just hoarding the gold.
Same idea...

So for me, it's important to be prepared. But also not to go overboard.
Also depends on how confident you are with the government and how resilient the country is to overcome different crises.

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Being Prepared

12/2/2020

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I read about the situation in SG during this Coronavirus phase...
People stocking up on face masks and food supplies...
It's understandable.

There are a few ways to look at it.
1) People want to do "something" it makes them feel like they are more secure. Doesn't mean it will work, but doing "something" makes them feel better.
2) It's better to have something and not need it, than to need something and not have it.

IF I were in SG, would I stock up on food?
Well, it depends. I wouldn't need to. I always have stocks of food and water at home to last around a month or more. I have some face masks and hand sanitizers.
I eat them, and buy more to restock all the time. It's part of my usual routine when I'm in SG.

You see, being prepared is like being financially independent.
You must not be held hostage in bad situations.
If you don't like your job, you don't want to be held hostage by the income that the job provides, you don't want to be held hostage by your debts, etc.

And in bad times, you also need to be prepared. I'm not saying be paranoid. But to just be cautious and prepared. I want to be ready. So I've always had food stocks when I was in SG. Even in US I stock up food and cycle through the inventory. And in Paris, I had a month of food in the freezer.
I don't like the idea that when something happens, I'm not prepared for it. OR, I need to scramble to be prepared. OR, I need to buy face masks at high prices, or line up with other folks at supermarkets to buy more rations.

The thing is, I like to be prepared. Not necessarily 100% prepared. Like I won't keep 6 months of food and water in my home, for me, I think... 50% prepared is good enough. Cos even if NTUC doesn't restock the shelves for a few days or weeks, I'll still be ok, and eventually, they will bring in more stuff to cater to the increased demand.

During the SARS period... masks were also hard to find.
During periods of bad haze, N95 were also really really hard to find...
Yes, I have some stocks of those. Not a lot. Just some.

Instead of keeping useless stuff in your storeroom, like old ornaments, stuff that you don't want anymore, etc... why not keep some important stuff. Emergency supplies, tools, etc... what's in your storeroom? Old toys which your kid has outgrown? Old clothes that you can't fit into anymore? Old furniture that you can't bear to throw?

For me, I stock up more important stuff. AND, I cycle through them. I consume them and then buy some more. It's not like I stock up supplies just for crisis situations. I stock up food all the time. It's part of my daily routine.

And for me, that's what security is, or a sense of security. Always being prepared. Maybe I'm not always prepared. Cos I don't know what situation will come about next.
Example, if SARS didn't appear, I wouldn't have stocked up on face masks.
If the bad days of haze didn't occur, I wouldn't stock up on N95.
And I bought them cheap, cos I bought them after the incidents. They don't take up much space, but never know when I might need it.

What's the use of money if you have money but aren't able to be prepared?
People have money but they can't find face masks to buy.

So... for me, and I hope for you too, try to be prepared, and learn from past experiences.
Don't need to be too kiasu, but also need to think a bit more into the future.

Hope readers will stay safe and stay healthy during this period.

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Managing my spending in the US

6/2/2020

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There has been little change to how I spend in the US as compared to SG or Paris.

When I was in SG, I basically used my UOB One card to spend.
I get 3.33% rebate for spending S$500 per month, for 3 months in a row.
I also get around $150 per month due to the bonus interest generated by the UOB One account.
I attribute the $150 return to the credit card spend. Cos, IF I don't spend S$500 on the card, I won't get the bonus interest. The bank account would just generate the base pathetic interest.

So for me, when I spend S$500 on the UOB One card, I deem to have "earned" S$150 + S$50/3 = S$166.67, DUE TO me using the credit card.
That's around 33% "return".
Sure, one could argue that the bonus interest is due to the amount I have in the bank account. But I view it that, IF I didn't spend $500, then I would just get base interest.

In SG, I was struggling to hit my S$500 spending on my UOB credit cards. Cos I was getting so much essentials for free, that my spending every month was usually less than $1,000.

In Paris, I basically had the same issue. We didn't go out to eat much so spending was pretty low.
Food was free and I was trying to use my UOB credit card as much as I could, but also not spending unnecessarily. Even with the additional 4% exchange rate fees and FX rates, it's ok for me, cos I take it that my return for spending is 33%.

Now, in US, I'm starting to face the same issue.
I'm spending a bit more in US cos we are eating out and buying food.
There are numerous ways to save on petrol. Some need me to sign up for membership accounts and such. But I don't like that cos there are so many membership accounts and it's getting annoying.
Some pump stations have discounts for cash purchases. 10% cheaper than other stations around the area. So I just pay by cash for my fuel purchases.
Furniture has taken up quite a lot of my quota for last month and this month. So I have no real issues hitting my minimum spending this month.
I've started cooking and packing food for my wife for her lunch at office. So we're saving money there. Whereas in Paris, she was eating at the office canteen.
But the increase in expense if that we need to buy groceries and we tend to eat out more. So it's a plus and minus so it tends to net off.
I think I'm one of the few people in US who doesn't have a TV in the home. We never turned on the TV in Paris cos we never had the cable subscription, so when we reached US, we decided that we won't need a TV here. We just watch our usual shows on the laptop.
Essentially we just bought a mattress, sofa bed, bar stools (cos a bar island is built into the apartment), a drying rack, cos we don't want to use the dryer all the time and kitchen stuff, pots, plates, cutlery, and some miscellaneous stuff like our modem router.
Buying stuff in bulk is SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper. It's not like in NTUC, where you buy a bigger quantity you save 10% per gram.
Savings here is like 50% or more if you buy stuff in bulk.
Buying a whole bunch of chicken could cost 50 cents per 500gm, or $1 per 500 gm depending on the bulk you buy.
Or 500gm of oats could cost $1.70, whereas 1kg of oats would be $2.30, a mere 60 cents more, for another 500gm.

So of course we will buy food in bulk, except that we have to eat chicken for a week or so. Then pork for a week or so, then beef... etc... you get the picture.

Overall, I think there's no significant change to spending between SG and Paris and Houston.
A frugal life is very ok. Just can't eat out all the time, and will have to adjust to make more frugal choices. Like in SG, we can always eat a $5 meal downstairs, but in Paris or US, that's not possible. So will just have to work around it. Is it very troublesome? No, not at all.
I suppose it depends on a person's propensity to change and adapt. Some people might adapt better, some people might not like change. Or the may feel the inconvenience isn't worth the savings.
So I suppose it's a choice and about thinking of ideas about how to make a new routine for savings.

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How to be at Peace with Yourself

5/2/2020

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I find a lot of mental stress comes about when we aren't at peace with ourselves.

This happens a lot when we have conflicting feelings vs thinking.

Example.
Using my mind, logic, I think I should have enough to retire. The maths work out.
However, maybe in my heart, I feel that it is not enough.
Now, this is a conflict within myself. And it will be there forever until it is addressed.
So either, I continue to work until I earn enough until my heart feels that it is enough.
Or I overcome my heart and address the insecurity. Which is probably harder to address.
The problem is, many people will continue to feel insecure even though they have a high networth.

This could also be applied to many other scenarios.
Maybe in a relationship.
Maybe when you first got together with your partner, everything was nice and happy.
Then things got worse, maybe no more feelings, etc...
However, maybe in your heart you might think... I'm still happy. Cos the heart may remember the past happiness when younger.
But in your mind, maybe things have already changed. Logically, you think... this isn't what I want in my life, I want to do more, OR less, or maybe you think you deserve better, now that you're older and you know yourself better and know what you want.

OR... I understand that many homosexuals struggle a lot with themselves.
In their hearts, they are attracted to the same sex.
But in their minds, they look around and logically, they themselves feel abnormal.
They will question themselves. WHY are they like that? Why do they feel attracted to the same sex?
And it's a struggle.

Many of us struggle in similar ways.
Maybe in a breakup you read online, or get advice from others.
And logically, what's written is... well maybe the other person just wants something else.
A different kind of partner. Different goals in life.
But maybe in your heart you will just blame yourself. Maybe there's something wrong with me. I'm lacking, I'm a loser, I don't earn enough, etc...

Sometimes the mind is right, sometimes the heart is right.
Sometimes, it's easier to adjust the heart to be in line with your mind.
Sometimes, it's easier to adjust the mind to align with your heart.

It's not for me to tell you which is best for yourself. That, you have to determine for yourself.
The thing is. If your mind and heart don't align, you won't be able to find peace.
Even if you are a Buddhist. You may study and learn a lot about letting go.
In the mind, it's easy to say. But in the heart. Not so easy.
Logically, it makes a lot of sense. But practically it's not easy to let things go.

So you have to decide which do you want to pursue.
Do you want to follow your heart? Or follow logic?
Pick your choice and follow through with it. And forget about the other part.

Example.
If I was struggling with insecurity of my finances, even though logically, I have enough to retire.
Then IF I cannot get over my own insecurity and fear, then I can just decide. FORGET IT. I'm just going to give up on early retirement. I'll just work til I'm old.
And don't look back. Don't even bother to think about early retirement anymore.
If I keep thinking about retirement. Then I'll struggle constantly and try to align the 2 conflicting issues.

OR
If I really want to retire. Then I'll have to just let the insecurity go.
Or be happy living with some sense of insecurity and take it as part of life.
Basically, just accept it and let it go.

It's as simple as that.
But yea... I know. Easy to say, hard to do.
A lot of us struggle with this all the time with numerous issues.
Our heart says one thing, our minds, logic say another thing.
And how we align it, get over it... That's the challenge.
And once you're able to align them.
Then you will have peace.

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Normal Sucks. Don't be STUPID

4/2/2020

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Well, what more can I say.
What we deem as normal... is it really good for us? Sure. His comments has a lot to do with America.
But does it hold true in Singapore or in other parts of the world?

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