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Why do we go for Overseas Vacation?

Posted on by careyourpresent

Why do we go for overseas vacation yearly, frequently? I am guilty of this too as I will be overseas this week for a short vacation with family.

But why?

Have you considered and understand why so many of us spent our annual leaves (agreed free time from employee) and so much money (exchanged from time of our life) for a short few days or few weeks of vacation?

If you love your life so much, every day is holiday/vacation? why travel?

Photo by Chen Mizrach on Unsplash

Why Vacation?

In today’s fast-paced world, where the daily grind of life often leaves us feeling overwhelmed and stressed, it is no wonder that people eagerly look forward to their holidays.

Taking a break from the everyday rush and stress of work allows individuals to recharge, rejuvenate, and find time to relax.

However, some may question whether it is worth spending a significant portion of their life energy (salary) for just a few days of vacation. I

Why people are drawn to go on holiday?

Escaping the 9 to 5 Grind:

One of the primary reasons people like to go on holiday is to escape the monotonous routine of the 9 to 5 grind.

The daily demands of work, deadlines, and responsibilities can take a toll on our mental and physical well-being.

Going on holiday provides an opportunity to break free from this routine and experience a change of scenery.

Whether it’s exploring a new city, relaxing on a beach, or immersing oneself in nature, a holiday offers a much-needed escape from the daily grind.

Photo by Datingscout on Unsplash

Relieving Everyday Rush and Stress:

The constant rush and stress of everyday life can leave individuals feeling drained and overwhelmed. Going on holiday allows people to step away from their hectic schedules and take a breather.

It provides a chance to slow down, unwind, and focus on self-care.

Whether it’s indulging in spa treatments, practicing yoga, or simply lounging by the pool, a holiday offers a respite from the demands of work and responsibilities.

Finding Time to Relax:

In our busy lives, finding time to relax can be a challenge.

Holidays provide an opportunity to prioritize self-care and relaxation.

Whether it’s reading a book, taking long walks, or enjoying a leisurely meal, a holiday allows individuals to engage in activities that bring them joy and help them unwind.

Taking time to relax not only improves mental and physical well-being but also enhances productivity and creativity when returning to work.

Photo by Meritt Thomas on Unsplash

The Worth of Spending Life Energy (Salary) for a Few Days of Vacation:

While it is true that going on holiday requires a financial investment, it is essential to consider the value it brings to one’s overall well-being.

The benefits of a well-deserved break extend beyond the duration of the vacation itself. Research has shown that taking regular holidays can reduce stress, improve mental health, and increase job satisfaction.

By investing in experiences and creating lasting memories, individuals can enhance their quality of life and find a sense of fulfillment.

Moreover, holidays provide an opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones, strengthening relationships and creating bonds.

The shared experiences and moments of joy during a holiday can create lasting memories that enrich our lives.

These intangible benefits are invaluable and cannot be measured solely in terms of money.

Additionally, going on holiday allows individuals to broaden their horizons, experience new cultures, and gain a fresh perspective on life.

Traveling exposes us to different ways of living, diverse traditions, and unique landscapes.

It fosters personal growth, empathy, and a sense of adventure.

These experiences contribute to personal development and can have a profound impact on one’s outlook on life.

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Are you holidaying in this December vacation period?

The reasons why people like to go on holiday are multifaceted.

Escaping the 9 to 5 grind, relieving everyday rush and stress, finding time to relax, and experiencing personal growth are all compelling factors.

While the financial investment may seem significant, the benefits of a well-deserved break extend far beyond the duration of the vacation itself.

Holidays provide an opportunity to recharge, rejuvenate, and create lasting memories. So, next time you question whether it is worth spending your life energy (salary) on a few days of vacation, remember the invaluable benefits it brings to your overall well-being.

Anyway, after posting for many beach pictures, I will be going to beach to escape stress of work life and without roaming data for a week at least!

Deal 1:

Interest rates are getting lower everywhere and there are usually many hoops to jump to get higher rate such as OCBC 360 and UOB ONE!
Consider Maribank, one of the fuss free and give you 1.28% daily without any conditions! Interest is credited daily!

Sign up for MariBank using my referral code: 2KGZ29UL.
https://www.maribank.sg/product/mari-savings-account/

Insured up to S$100k by SDIC.

Deal 2:

Best Items that I have bought from Shopee.

ONLY the best useful worthy items

Many people I realised that they have only shared things that give them the most commissions. I am different. I will only share things that I have bought, used and found it to be good.

Deal 3:

Webull – Get free money!

Good deal! Do not miss this! Sign up here now for free money!!

Deal 4:

Trust Bank New Clients

Deal 5:

FSMone – Cheap Comms and can transfer your shares to Personal/Joint CDP for Free

I am using FSMOne.com to invest in funds & ETFs (including money market funds). FSM is good due to the low comms and the free transfer from FSMOne to CDP (typically takes less than a week to transfer). If you do not have an account, you can sign up here. Please use my FSMOne referral code: P0413007.

Deal 6:

Eskimo – Best Option for Roaming!

For now, you can get 500MB for free just by signing up with my referral link, no purchase required (I get 500MB only too, but only if you buy a paid plan). Referral code: CHING104915

You can read my review here.

Money just buy you the chance of freedom but can’t buy back time. In life, there is no reset button. Time is limited but money is not.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed (your strong health, time with young child) while busying striking out in career.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

Love your life daily. You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself. Time is ticking away.

Focusing Careyourpresent & living a fulfilling life by supercharging your mind & investment/online income. Careyourpresent Series focus on things that one MUST know in their Life.

More articles can be found here.

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

Portfolio Update: Dividends/Interest per month

Posted on by careyourpresent

Portfolio

It been a long while since I did an update of my portfolio. My last update was on 13 September 2023 titled:

Portfolio Update: Dividends/Interest S$3800 per month

In that update, I have shown the below picture. Many people like to show dividend per year, per month, daily, hourly, per minute, per sec thing.

Hence, I decided to share the fun and did something similar in this last post.

Why dividend income?

In the pursuit of financial independence, passive income plays a crucial role.

It allows individuals to break free from the traditional 9-to-5 grind and enjoy the freedom of having their money work for them.

One powerful source of passive income is dividend income.

Similar to having a worker toiling away on your behalf, dividends provide a consistent stream of income without requiring active effort.

It can be a game-changer in achieving financial freedom.

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Remember to compound your return

One of the key advantages of dividend income is its potential for growth.

As you reinvest your dividend income back into the same stocks or other dividend-paying investments, you can benefit from the power of compounding.

Over time, this compounding effect can significantly increase your passive income.

It’s like having a worker who not only works for you for free but also brings in additional workers to increase productivity.

The more you reinvest your dividends, the more your passive income grows, allowing you to accelerate your journey towards financial freedom.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Be Diversified and research well too

Building a portfolio of dividend-paying stocks requires careful consideration and research.

It’s important to select companies with a track record of consistent dividend payments, strong financial health, and potential for future growth. Diversification is also key to mitigate risk and maximize returns.

By spreading your investments across different sectors and companies, you can protect yourself from the impact of any single company’s performance.

Additionally, staying informed about market can help you make informed investment decisions and optimize your dividend income.

Cash is Rotting

Cash is rotting was a term that we have been used to seeing for the past decades. Things become vastly different in the last two years as FED raises the interest rates!

As share in my update of my SSB post earlier,

This is the first time in history where there is an unprecedented increase in interest rates by FED within a short span of few months. There will be time lag effect for the hike in rate to affect the market – very likely the coming few months till early Q1 2024. We shall see.

I am hoping for the chance to deploy my cash and it will come soon.

But luckily at least now my rotting cash is earning 3-5% every month (SSB, FSM, Treasury Bill, CIMB Fastsaver Promo, Esaver Promo, UOB One, OCBC 360 etc), as compared to the past year period of low interest rate. That period is really the cash rotting period where the interest in bank is so low!

See: Savers Heaven Options for Dec 2024

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash

Cash is now an Asset Class

Cash is now an asset class too, generating 3~4% almost risk free!

Hence, I don’t want waste this chance to generate some interest income, and I have decided to include it in the portfolio calculation for this update.

Ok, what everyone has been waiting for so long.

Refer to the table below!

Cash Is KING

From the above, many would have realized that I hold huge amount of cash relative to my portfolio. Why so?

Let me repeat again:

This is the first time in history where there is an unprecedented increase in interest rates by FED within a short span of few months. There will be time lag effect for the hike in rate to affect the market – very likely the coming few months till early Q1 2024. We shall see.

I am hoping for the chance to deploy my cash and it will come soon.

Deal 1:

Interest rates are getting lower everywhere and there are usually many hoops to jump to get higher rate such as OCBC 360 and UOB ONE!
Consider Maribank, one of the fuss free and give you 1.28% daily without any conditions! Interest is credited daily!

Sign up for MariBank using my referral code: 2KGZ29UL.
https://www.maribank.sg/product/mari-savings-account/

Insured up to S$100k by SDIC.

Deal 2:

Best Items that I have bought from Shopee.

ONLY the best useful worthy items

Many people I realised that they have only shared things that give them the most commissions. I am different. I will only share things that I have bought, used and found it to be good.

Deal 3:

Webull – Get free money!

Good deal! Do not miss this! Sign up here now for free money!!

Deal 4:

Trust Bank New Clients

Deal 5:

FSMone – Cheap Comms and can transfer your shares to Personal/Joint CDP for Free

I am using FSMOne.com to invest in funds & ETFs (including money market funds). FSM is good due to the low comms and the free transfer from FSMOne to CDP (typically takes less than a week to transfer). If you do not have an account, you can sign up here. Please use my FSMOne referral code: P0413007.

Deal 6:

Eskimo – Best Option for Roaming!

For now, you can get 500MB for free just by signing up with my referral link, no purchase required (I get 500MB only too, but only if you buy a paid plan). Referral code: CHING104915

You can read my review here.

Money just buy you the chance of freedom but can’t buy back time. In life, there is no reset button. Time is limited but money is not.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed (your strong health, time with young child) while busying striking out in career.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

Love your life daily. You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself. Time is ticking away.

Focusing Careyourpresent & living a fulfilling life by supercharging your mind & investment/online income. Careyourpresent Series focus on things that one MUST know in their Life.

More articles can be found here.

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

The True Wealth: Intangible Wealth

Posted on by careyourpresent

Pursue of Wealth

In our relentless pursuit of financial prosperity, we often fall into the trap of equating wealth solely with tangible assets such as money, property, and material possessions.

Unfortunately, this narrow perspective neglects the priceless treasures that define the essence of our existence – intangible wealth.

It is essential to recognize the immense value of intangible elements such as familial bonds, friendships, health, and personal fulfillment, which contribute to genuine happiness and overall well-being.

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

What is Intangible Wealth?

Contrary to popular belief, wealth encompasses more than just wealth amassed through financial success. Intangible wealth consists of non-physical assets that cannot be quantified in monetary terms.

It encompasses the harmonious relationships we share with our loved ones, the sense of purpose and fulfillment derived from meaningful work, our mental and physical well-being, personal growth, and the memories we create throughout our lives.

Photo by Sebastian Staines on Unsplash

Difference between Tangible and Intangible Wealth

While tangible wealth can provide immediate gratification and temporary happiness, it often proves inadequate in sustaining long-term fulfillment.

Material possessions deteriorate, financial markets fluctuate, and external circumstances change. On the other hand, intangible wealth embraces those elements that remain resilient in the face of adversity and form the foundational pillars of personal contentment.

Intangible Wealth in Relationships

One of the most significant dimensions of intangible wealth lies within the realm of relationships. By nurturing sincere friendships, fostering close-knit family ties, and cultivating meaningful connections, we can establish a support network that adds immeasurable value to our lives. Investing time and energy into building strong relationships ultimately leads to a sense of belonging, emotional support, and an enriched perspective on life.

Photo by Önder Örtel on Unsplash

Intangible Wealth and Personal Growth

Another vital aspect of intangible wealth resides in our continuous personal growth and self-actualization. By identifying our passions, goals, and purpose in life, we can set our sights on achieving genuine fulfillment and leaving a lasting positive impact. Engaging in lifelong learning, exploring new experiences, and pushing beyond our comfort zones all contribute to intangible wealth, enriching our lives and broadening our horizons.

Intangible Wealth and Well-Being

A cornerstone of intangible wealth lies in our physical and mental well-being. The state of our health influences our ability to enjoy life’s pleasures, pursue our dreams, and engage fully in relationships. Nurturing our physical health through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate rest is crucial, as is prioritizing our mental well-being through mindfulness practices, stress management techniques, and seeking support when needed.

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

How to achieve Intangible Wealth?

To achieve true intangible wealth, it is essential to strike a harmonious balance between tangible and intangible resources. While financial stability is necessary, it should not overshadow the pursuit of happiness and fulfillment in relationships, personal growth, and well-being.

Consider the following actions:

  1. Reassess Your Priorities: Reflect upon your values and identify what truly matters to you beyond material possessions. Emphasize the importance of relationships, personal growth, and well-being in your life.
  2. Invest in Relationships: Dedicate time and effort to nurture your relationships. Show genuine care, empathy, and appreciation for your loved ones. Create enduring memories and strengthen the bonds that enrich your life.
  3. Pursue Personal Growth: Explore your passions, set meaningful goals, and commit to lifelong learning. Engage in activities that challenge you and contribute to personal development. Embrace change and embrace the opportunity for continued growth.
  4. Prioritize Well-Being: Adopt a holistic approach to your well-being by prioritizing both physical and mental health. Incorporate regular exercise, a nutritious diet, and adequate rest into your routine. Cultivate mindfulness practices, seek professional help when needed, and surround yourself with positive influences.
Photo by Kenny Cinders on Unsplash

Reminder of Real Life

In our pursuit of wealth, let us not lose sight of the true essence of a fulfilled life.

By recognizing the significance of intangible wealth and incorporating it into our priorities, we can achieve lasting happiness and contentment.

The treasures of family, friends, health, and personal purpose are immeasurable, and by embracing them, we unlock the true meaning of wealth.

Strive for a harmonious balance between tangible and intangible resources, and you will undoubtedly embark on a fulfilling and prosperous journey towards genuine rich and abundant living.

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

Deal 1:

Interest rates are getting lower everywhere and there are usually many hoops to jump to get higher rate such as OCBC 360 and UOB ONE!
Consider Maribank, one of the fuss free and give you 1.28% daily without any conditions! Interest is credited daily!

Sign up for MariBank using my referral code: 2KGZ29UL.
https://www.maribank.sg/product/mari-savings-account/

Insured up to S$100k by SDIC.

Deal 2:

Best Items that I have bought from Shopee.

ONLY the best useful worthy items

Many people I realised that they have only shared things that give them the most commissions. I am different. I will only share things that I have bought, used and found it to be good.

Deal 3:

Webull – Get free money!

Good deal! Do not miss this! Sign up here now for free money!!

Deal 4:

Trust Bank New Clients

Deal 5:

FSMone – Cheap Comms and can transfer your shares to Personal/Joint CDP for Free

I am using FSMOne.com to invest in funds & ETFs (including money market funds). FSM is good due to the low comms and the free transfer from FSMOne to CDP (typically takes less than a week to transfer). If you do not have an account, you can sign up here. Please use my FSMOne referral code: P0413007.

Deal 6:

Eskimo – Best Option for Roaming!

For now, you can get 500MB for free just by signing up with my referral link, no purchase required (I get 500MB only too, but only if you buy a paid plan). Referral code: CHING104915

You can read my review here.

Money just buy you the chance of freedom but can’t buy back time. In life, there is no reset button. Time is limited but money is not.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed (your strong health, time with young child) while busying striking out in career.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

Love your life daily. You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself. Time is ticking away.

Focusing Careyourpresent & living a fulfilling life by supercharging your mind & investment/online income. Careyourpresent Series focus on things that one MUST know in their Life.

More articles can be found here.

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

Are you one of them?

Posted on by careyourpresent

There are so many things in life which are full of uncertainty.

Yet, many live in fear about future, keep accumulate more and more wealth so that in future they felt secured. But how much is really enough? Greed has no end; fear has no reasons. In the meantime, they forgot to live in present, care their present.

Many people in their relentless pursue of wealth, sacrificed many important things (family, time, health, passion etc) to them during the journey. Are you one of them? Many people lived as though that they will never die.

Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Dalai Lama XIV

Death of the Great Investor at 99

Yesterday the big news is Charlie Munger, died at 99 years old, shy of 1 month plus to his 100th birthday on 1 Jan 2024.

R.I.P.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/28/charlie-munger-investing-sage-and-warren-buffetts-confidant-dies.html

No matter how rich you are. Everyone goes to the same end route. Hence, make your life beautiful now, you never know when your last moment is.

Do you want to become the above?

Do you think you still have enough energy, health to spend the money OR

someone dearest to you who are willing to spend lots of time to you while you are an old man / old woman?


Life is a cycle.

Some of the famous quotes, let me list few that caught my eyes.

You don’t have a lot of envy, you don’t have a lot of resentment, you don’t overspend your income, you stay cheerful in spite of your troubles, you deal with reliable people and you do what you’re supposed to do. All these simple rules work so well to make your life better.” — 2019 CNBC interview

“The world is full of foolish gamblers and they will not do as well as the patient investors.” — 2018 Weekly in Stocks interview

“It takes character to sit with all that cash and to do nothing. I didn’t get to be where I am by going after mediocre opportunities.” — Poor Charlie’s Almanack

On investment -> Latest SSB – SBDEC23 GX23120Z

I have applied for the latest SSB as mentioned in this post (PSA: Highest Yield Singapore Saving Bonds for this month).

Sadly, but as expected, it was oversubscribed. Although I have applied 30k + 30k (with spouse), I only managed to get 20k, total 40k with my spouse. With this application, I am almost at the 200k limit for me and my spouse.

Reminder:

“It takes character to sit with all that cash and to do nothing. I didn’t get to be where I am by going after mediocre opportunities.” — Poor Charlie’s Almanack

Life

Back to life, one of the dearest members of my family were dead two days ago. No matter how small life is, it is still life, especially those holds great meaning to us.
R.I.P.

It the end, everything will become just a piece of decaying meatball.

Treasure what you have now. Live with no regret daily.

Good articles that you should read!

People are drawn to dividend investing.

Why? Firstly, dividends provide a regular stream of income, allowing investors to receive a portion of the company’s profits on a periodic basis. This can be particularly attractive for individuals seeking consistent cash flow or looking to supplement their existing income. Additionally, dividend investing is often viewed as a more stable and predictable investment strategy compared to relying solely on capital appreciation.

I always write and share articles, especially on dividends which many people love them. Do read them!

Alternatively, you can go the right side of my page, there is a search bar where you can simply search “dividend” to see all my articles related to dividends!

Of course, you can search for other things that would interest you such as “Careyourpresent”, “Reits”, “Side Hustles”, “Fixed Incomes”, “Savings” etc.

CAREYOURPRESENT

Money just buy you the chance of freedom.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed while busying striking out in career. Of course, if you love your career, and consciously know that you are missing out the first time your child walk or talk, that’s ok, but if you are the other spectrum, please do something about it.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

I have picked out some of the more life reflecting articles of the CAREYOURPRESENT series. Do read them:

You can read more about my articles on Careyourpresent via the Category “Careyourpresent” or simply click “Careyourpresent” via the main menu bar.

REMEMBER:

Love your life daily.

You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself.

Time is ticking away.

For each passing day,

Enjoy and Treasure your Life!

For those who are interested in regular updates of my articles, please join the others to sign up for my free newsletter to has my newest blogposts sent to your mailbox for free!

For real time exclusive updates on market news/life (especially Crypto markets where the news move fast, important news will be shared directly via tweets or telegrams), do also join the platforms below and engage with other like-minded people!

You may also contact me via [email protected].

If you’re looking referral codes, do check out my referral and ebook page. Give it a try and who knows? You might end up loving these platforms! To be absolutely fair to all the readers, I am definitely using all these companies and they are useful to me! Likely will be useful to you too!

At the same referral and ebook page, you can also download my free ebooks and other free resources.

For quick references to these resources, you can see below.

  • Ebooks and other useful resources on enhancing productivity (Investment, Excel, Notion etc). Currently most of it are free at this moment (subject to change).
  • WeBull: A powerful brokerage with nice free welcome gift. You can refer to my guide here on how to signup! 4 Simple step only! Click here to register a new account!
  • MoneyOwl: You can use this 6SHU-93MC to get free grab vouchers and highly safe liquid cash fund account.
  • Trust Bank – You will enjoy free FairPrice E-Voucher referral if you sign up via my referral code KNDBPEPT. Simply download the Trust Bank SG App on the App Store or Google Play Store. Tap on “Use referral code” immediately after you start the app and key in: KNDBPEPT
  • FSMOne: P0413007. Good account to keep liquid cash in autosweep and to purchase investment at low fee.
  • Hostinger: You can use this link for hosting your new website. 20% off hosting!
  • Crypto.com: Use my referral link https://crypto.com/app/h92xdfarkq to sign up for Crypto.com and we both get $25 USD 🙂

Can I and should I be Stay at Home Parent with my situation?

Posted on by careyourpresent

Can I be Stay at Home Parent with my Portfolio?

When I was having Tea with one of my friend, this question was asked by my friend to me.

Both my friend and spouse are still working and they are thinking to have one of them quit and be Stayed at Home Parent. After all, time are limited with the kids and if one financial and mental strength allow it (must know how to fill, survive unstructured time with no social status), why not?

Hence, I asked more details from them.

Why one person quit corporate life only and for how long?

My first question to them.

Why one person quit corporate life only?

Answer:

They are worried if they have enough. Ultimately, they are still “relatively” young late 30+, with household combine income of $10-$15k. Assuming life span of 80 years old, they still have 40 years left if they are lucky. Hence, with at least 1 stable income would let them feel safer.

For how long?

Answer:

They are not planning to F.I.R.E (Financial Independent, retired early) like many people. In fact, they are ok with working, but work take their limited time away with their growing kids. Once time gone is gone, but money can be earned back. Hence, they only want to take a break for few years before going back to work again.

Portfolio

Their combined family portfolio un-invested cash (but is earmarked as investible funds) + Invested money in volatile assets such as equities/etf etc + emergency fund is about 1.3 millions.

They have vested almost 400k in the favorite Singapore Saving Bonds, which give them cash flow of about 1k per month. Their portfolio is currently generating about 2k per month worth of dividends. Hence, total 3k per month (2k volatile assets, 1k safe stable asset for 10 years).

If they add in high bank interest rate (which currently most of us are enjoying), they should have another 1 to 1.5k. Hence over all about $4 to $4.5K monthly, assuming high bank interest rates are not gone.

In term of CPF, both of them has hit Full Retirement Sum (FRS). The yearly SA interest would definitely exceed the ever increasing FRS every year.

Their houses are also fully paid.

Insurance all fully paid except one whole life that cost them about $2.6k every year for another 10 more years.

Expenses

They have been tracking their family expenses since year 2015.

Their household expenses is about 3k per month on average. Worst year hit until $4.1K due to parents hospital expenses, with some of the years hitting 2.6k per month. The expenses so far included their insurance whole life plans. However, all the plans are fully paid by end of 2022, except one whole life that cost them about $2.6k every year for another 10 more years.

With the above…conclusion

With the above, could they afford one spouse to stay home?

Key summary:

  • One spouse still working which will generate at least $5k per month from active income (exclude bonuses).
  • Portfolio income about $4 to $4.5k (mixture of both volatile and non-volatile components).
  • Household expenses about $3k per month.
  • House fully paid.
  • Both spouse hit FRS.

Can my friend take a short sabbatical and be with kids before they grow up and don’t need my friend?

Next year GST is 9% with high inflation, financial markets also very volatile.

What should my answer to them? I told them to let me think a while, but haven’t answer them yet.

What do readers think?

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Money just buy you the chance of freedom but can’t buy back time. In life, there is no reset button. Time is limited but money is not.

When you are young and working, you exchange time for money. When you are old, you can have lots of money but you can’t buy time back, especially the things that you have missed (your strong health, time with young child) while busying striking out in career.

Your kids grew up and they no longer need you to accompany them. They no longer want to sit on your lap to share/do things with you…all these time you spent in your 9 to 6 or even longer cubicles…can the money that you have earned by you back these?

We always thought we have more time with our old parents, but we are wrong. Time with them is ticking away every day. One day it will suddenly be gone. There is no regret medicine, no reset in time. Gone is gone and cannot come back. No matter you are billionaires or millionaires, you cannot reset this.

We always thought that we have more time with our spouse every day, but we are wrong. One day they will be gone too. When you read this, please go tell your spouse that you love him/her and he or she is the best thing that you ever had in your life.

Love your life daily. You have one less day with your spouse, parents, children and yourself. Time is ticking away.

Focusing Careyourpresent & living a fulfilling life by supercharging your mind & investment/online income. Careyourpresent Series focus on things that one MUST know in their Life.

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