I doubt really, there’s anything wrong with wanting more for myself and my future but why does it bring me such pressure?
It’s quite difficult to miss the BMWs and Mercedes when I’m on the road or the >1 million condos littering the streets of Singapore or even, the landed property happily propped up where I frequent everyday. While that doesn’t necessary symbolise my definition of my ideal future, I figure those are tangible evidences of money.
Why are there so many in Singapore who has made it? People who have the money to buy a condo? People who own luxury cars, people who seemingly don’t worry about having savings? People who walk around with $1,000 branded bags…
Every month, I treat myself to the occasional splurges but I still find myself with less than ideal rate of growth for my savings.
I just realised this may be a pointless rant here since I don’t think it’s a good idea to share here how much exactly I put away each month and what I spend the rest on.
I figured the only way I can get richer FAST is to first, have money. I need money to grow money. I need to strike Toto!!! Lol. With the 1 million I could possibly get from Toto (and this is one of my most favourite daydreams), I figure I will probably see which condos I can buy (maybe 2, rent one out and stay in one) and take up a loan, then rent it out so that the rental will cover the monthly loan repayments for each condo, then use the rest to buy a car and save up.
And then again, this used to be quite the popular formula for those who find themselves bankrupt in this era of doom and gloom. Shit, dead end there.
My next trip, there’ll definitely be another soon, to the other side of the globe (Europe or US) will be late this year or early next year and that’ll be the time I blow another large chunk of my savings away. Such a vicious cycle. I am 25 this year.
The dreaded age really.
The age where you go to a new office and you don’t find yourself the youngest in office anymore. That really sucks from a woman’s point of view.
The age where your salary grows but hey, you find yourself burdened with demands of your new found lifestyle – monthly gym membership fees, monthly installments for facial/massage/other beauty packages.
This is also the age where you realise that you may just need some insurance and then get yourself burdened with the monthly insurance payments….and the list hardly ends till you’re into retirement (and that is if you are lucky).
Within the next 5 years, I will find myself paying for wedding, honeymoon, then the renovation loans, house loans, car loans, then the cost of starting a family, having kids to feed, saving up for their education, their bloody insurance, oh my god!!!
I hate turning 25. :( I wish I didn’t look at 5 years down the road and see all this heading straight at me. it bogs me down and I don’t enjoy my life as much as I would have if I didn’t look ahead.
Squirreling away money for the future is something the Asians do, while the Caucasians live for the moment. They don’t seem to be so bad without planning or saving eh?
Ok I need to go rework my finances and have it all on paper, clearly in front of me. I hate this feeling of having money slipping away without me knowing where to. Bloody shitty monday this is, my friends. :(
I wish I am 25 again
What la..I’m 25 ma. for about 2 years already haha..! take it easy la ju…coz it’s tuesday! no more monday woohoo!
Borneo: but its even better to be 22-24!!
Evo: LOL EVO, nice one.
I want to be 25 again and I want to strike toto. :P
I m too old….
lol..
enjoy your life la..
it’s great! =D
hi Ju Ann.. long time no hear.. i better add u back into my blogroll..lost it recently..
seeing yr hanoi pics reminded me of the trip too.. i went 2 years back.. halong bay… yeah..peaceful but we didnt stay on the boat.. we stayed a nite in the island instead..
so…
u r only 25? I am so Jeles..!! hahaa…
I have friends who are 30-over and they feel younger than me!!! And I’m not even 21 yet!
What I’m trying to say is.. it’s not always about the number. ;)
When I was 25, I didn’t think so deeply like you Ju Ann. I was a little naive and silly and thought nothing of 5 years down the road. I’m 10 years older than you and I still feel sometimes that I’m still 25. ;-) We Asians sometimes work too hard for our money. We don’t know when to stop this mad cycle of making money for money’s sakes. We don’t know how to live in each moment like the Caucasians. We Asians also have this complex – we must drive bigger cars, live in bigger homes, carry bigger brands, eat in better restaurants. That’s our problem. But it’s possible to get out of this crazy life. You can do things differently. ;-)
Hi Maya,
Thank you for your comment.
Sigh I wish I didn’t think so deeply. But if I din, wouldn’t that make me not very smart? People plan ahead for a reason and there’s never a bad enough reason not to plan.
So if I don’t plan, won’t I still be without emergency funds, without savings, without any of the material comforts?
I do agree. We work too hard for money. And it is, a bloody mad cycle. I can’t see the end of the road for me.
I do intend to live my life to the fullest. To do things I enjoy like yoga and travelling. Spend for it too, if I have to.
But that just means I enjoy myself and what about the means to live better everyday? *sigh
vern: hi!! number is related to vanity… but responsibilities? that is not tagged to any age..
hi chris! :) ME TOO ME TOO
Josephine: Sigh. I feel old
Ken: Ya lor I trying to tell myself that is enough
hi sis, enjoy life to the fullest^_^.money will come to you soon…just pray and work for it.hmmmm..
how about the idea of lottery?
Err.. dunno how to say it, but I’ve always been the ‘save-save’ person. Now with a better job, and better pay, I’ve splurged on myself a bit (refer to my post of ‘Confession of a REAL shopaholic).
lolXD n u wanna know how I get to splurge? Coz I don’t have an expensive car. I don’t live in an exp condo, and I don’t lust of $1k bags or designer stuff.
XD I try to have less commitments n appreciate the finer things in life which is da ‘purpose’ of things
a cellphone – to make calls
a car – point A to point B
a pair of shoes – comfort
stuff like that. ;)
don’t know I’m just talking rots here, I’m struggling to keep awake while doing my job and blogging.
zZzZzzzzZZz… XD
Derek: it’s like the urge to save and have more money just sucks up my youth and whatever happiness! *sad*
and I don’t lust for designer bags as well. I just wonder why, if I dont buy designer stuff, isn’t the money that I could’ve used to buy the designer stuff be in my bank!