2.5 months after resigning from employment...

I realised I didn't do anything much....

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Actually I took a short break (that's important!). It's time to restart the hard work I did to build up my portfolio again. Goal 2013 seems a little impossible to reach at this rate that I am moving, so I will need to buck up and gear towards it.

With the time freed up, I will be looking into a few areas of my life.

1) Health
I actually failed my IPPT. When I both working as a full-time engineer and teaching tuition, I had very little time to exercise. In fact, I reached a stage where I just didn't have enough sleep, so I had cut down on exercise to get more rest.

Subsequently, body fitness declined substantially. Failing the IPPT is a wake up call, and I'm making use of the RT now to kick start my fitness program again. I'm also watching my diet by taking in more oats than before, now that my mornings are spent at home. Also, I have probably reduced lots of my sleep debt over the past year the past 2 months :)

Investments in health is more important than in equities :)


2) Education
Having rested a little, I have decided I will attempt to apply for a sponsored PhD. There will be some monetary allowance too :)

While it may have been better to study immediately after graduation, I have to serve my scholarship bond, which I did.

Crossing my fingers now. If successful, studies begin in Aug 2013. Looking forward to being busy again!

Transitioning from Employed to Self-Employed

I have tendered my resignation, and starting June 2012, I will be self-employed. 

I used to think that this transition will be manageable as long as one has his self-employment plans settled. In fact, I have been toying with the idea of doing tuition full time instead of part time like the past few years. Tuition is a fun and enjoyable activity; I enjoy sharing my knowledge and interacting with students.

But it was not easy mentally. Apprehension was high. The thought of moving from a stable income to an unstable one was actually scary. Furthermore, I'm going to suffer a severe pay cut.

I kept asking myself, what am I planning to do with so much time freed up?
The thing is, if you do not plan your time, others will plan it for you. I can't really allow that.

I have some grand plans lined up. Hopefully it will succeed. At least my dividends can feed me comfortably at the moment while I mess around.

Reminder: Saizen REIT Warrants expiring soon

Just a friendly reminder.

The warrants for Saizen REIT expires on 1st June 2012. 

You may want to see how to exercise your warrants from this link:

How to Exercise Your Warrant Options (SGX)

At the moment, my average cost of 0.161 is in the red. Dividends of 0.0189 has been received so far. :(

What do I expect after 1st June 2012?

I'm pretty sure that Saizen will follow in the footsteps of AIMSAMPIREIT. There should be a share consolidation soon. 

I'm prepared for a 5 for 1 or 10 for 1 share consolidation. I'm expecting a 5 for 1.

Peace out.


In case anyone is interested, here's a video on Saizen from investor central
http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/saizen-reit-what-skeletons-are-in-the-closet/pforc6gc?src=v5%3ashare%3apermalink%3a

Path to Financial Freedom -- Create your exit plans

I'm referring to  the following blog post link
http://www.cpf.gov.sg/imsavvy/blog_post.asp?postid=943438268-310-6846058964
and perhaps others with a similar mindset.

In the post, the author lists 5 steps to financial freedom:
Step 1 – Boost your Active Income
Step 2 – Get Rid of Unnecessary Debt
Step 3 – Save More
Step 4 – Reduce Spending and Live Within Your Means
Step 5 – Invest For Passive Income

I do not know anything about the background of the author, but interestingly, to get out of the rat race, his mentality and suggestion, like many, is actually to get into the rat race and be the best rat among all.

Fair enough, especially if we start with a near zero networth. I started the same way.

But... is the road to financial freedom so direct? I used to think it was, but gradually, as you might have seen from some of my older posts, I start to have the following thoughts:
1) What's the point of attaining financial freedom at a ripe old age? Use it for medical? (Read: 1 million dollars... so what?)
2) Is there any point being a millionaire scrooge?  (Read: Millionaire Scrooge?)
3) We all have different definitions of money... and hence financial freedom (Read: Financial Relativity)


In my opinion, the 5 steps by the author is a very sound retirement plan. One can retire comfortably provided one follows the plan with good discipline.

The harsh truth: This is, to me, a newer and more modern rat race, thinly veiled and disguised as a path to financial freedom.