The SG Hustle

Introduction For years, I dreamed of achieving Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) —but I never had a clear plan. I assumed we needed "a lot of money," but without exact numbers, our goals felt vague and unattainable. Finally, I sat down, crunched the numbers, and created a realistic roadmap to FIRE—one that accounts for my family’s needs, future expense reductions, and investment growth. Here’s my journey and the exact steps that I'll be taking to retire as a family. My wife do not invest as she don't really care. So i will have to do this alone for investing which will be difficult. However, if i am truly able to achieve F.I.R.E, our total asset will be way more as I did not account for her saving for this calculation other than our joint saving plans.  Calculating Our Current Expenses To determine our FIRE number , we first had to understand our annual spending . Here’s our breakdown: Category Annual Cost No...

Current Stage: Financial Security As previously shared in my post My Understanding of FIRE , I believed there are few stages to  Financial Independence, Retire Early (F.I.R.E) . I would confidently say that I have reached the Financial Security stage in my journey toward F.I.R.E. This means that my passive income from various streams is sufficient to cover my essential, non-negotiable expenses. These expenses include: Insurance Premiums – While many of us may never make claims on our insurance policies, their purpose is to protect against unforeseen circumstances. In a way, paying for insurance can be seen as 花钱消灾 (spending money to prevent disasters). Having coverage gives me peace of mind, ensuring that I am prepared for unexpected events. Utilities – Water, electricity, and essential services are unavoidable costs. Without paying for these, basic daily living would be disrupted. Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) – This is a fixed expense that cannot be avoided, e...

Workplace Uncertainty and Financial Concerns Recently, I was having lunch with my colleagues when the conversation turned to the recent headcount cut at our workplace. The company has decided not to backfill positions when employees resign, which means those who stay will have to take on additional work without extra compensation. When a group of us asked the department head about the situation, we were told that while there is a plan to reduce headcount, we are not at the stage of retrenchment yet. However, the company is implementing a hiring freeze unless absolutely necessary. This news has sparked anxiety among employees, but their reactions differ based on their age and experience level. Different Perspectives: Older vs. Younger Employees The older employees (above 40 years old) started expressing concerns about potential retrenchment, fearing financial instability. On the other hand, the younger employees (fresh graduates) were frustrated about the increasing workload without a c...

A Recent Health Scare Recently, I experienced a health scare that served as a wake-up call. After using the toilet, I noticed some blood stains , which immediately alarmed me. Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing more than piles , but the incident made me reflect on my lifestyle and overall health. It was a stark reminder that health is the foundation of everything —including my journey toward financial independence and early retirement (F.I.R.E). My Unhealthy Past Looking back, I realize I’ve had a rather unhealthy lifestyle since my student days. I rarely exercised and spent most of my time playing games (DOTA, Maplestory, LOL). Things improved slightly during my National Service in the army, where I was forced to stay active. That period was probably the fittest I’ve ever been , though I only managed to score an IPPT silver at best. Even then, I didn’t fully appreciate how much my physical health could impact my long-term goals, including financial stability.  Balancing...

A Morning of Notifications When I woke up on March 11, 2025, at 6 a.m., my phone was flooded with notifications from various financial apps like IBKR, CoinMarketCap, and MarketWatch. The news was everywhere: the NASDAQ had just experienced its worst day since 2022. Curiosity piqued, I quickly checked the extent of the drop before continuing with my morning routine. The NASDAQ had fallen by 3.81%, but I wasn’t fazed. My Current Portfolio: Short-Term Losses, Long-Term Vision My portfolio wasn’t spared from the market turmoil. My NVIDIA position is current 26% down from my average cost price, and my crypto holdings is down around 20%. Even my SGX-listed shares were feeling the ripple effects of the NASDAQ’s decline. Yet, despite these short-term losses, I remained calm. Why? Because I’ve always approached investing with a long-term mindset. The Plan: Hold Steady and Stay the Course So, what’s my strategy moving forward? Simple: I’m holding onto my positions. I firmly believe i...

When I first started investing during my university days, I was limited by the options available to me. At the time, there weren’t many avenues to invest in U.S. markets, so I focused solely on SGX-listed shares. My journey began just a year before the lot size for SGX shares was reduced from 1,000 to 100 shares, which made investing more accessible for someone like me with limited capital. However, looking back, I realize I made several novice mistakes that cost me significant opportunities. Here’s a reflection on my journey and the lessons I’ve learned to become a better investor. Mistake 1: Blind Investing Based on Affordability In the beginning, I didn’t have much capital, so I invested blindly in whatever I could afford rather than focusing on quality companies. I didn’t do proper research or understand the fundamentals of the businesses I was investing in. As a result, I often sold my holdings after just a small gain, missing out on potential long-term growth. Lesson...

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, the balance between work-life harmony and the pursuit of higher earnings is a constant tug-of-war. While many of us strive to avoid getting caught in the relentless rat race, it’s hard to ignore the fact that having the ability to earn more often opens up a wider array of life options. This dichotomy became particularly evident during a recent lunchtime discussion with a colleague who expressed a strong desire to climb the corporate ladder. The conversation was sparked by the recent departure of one of our department’s section managers, who left for greener pastures. This vacancy has created an opportunity that some in our department are eagerly eyeing. Personally, I’m not particularly interested in the position. My philosophy leans more towards maintaining a healthy work-life balance rather than aggressively pursuing promotions. I believe that the incremental increase in salary—likely around 15-20%—would come with a disproportionate...

February was a month of contrasts. While it was a peaceful month personally, it was anything but at work. The workload was overwhelming, likely due to the backlog from December 2024 and January 2025, where the holiday spirit—Christmas and Chinese New Year—left little room for productivity. Despite the chaos, I managed to make some significant updates to my investment portfolio. Portfolio Overview (cut off 28th Feb) Holding Position % in Portfolio OCBC 2000 25% Capitaland Invest 10052 19% Aims Apac Reit 20000 18% Hafary 30000 7% NVDA 190 22% BTC 0.101697 8% CRO 7000 1% Portfolio Changes Exiting Genting Singapore: After much consideration, I decided to sell all my holdings in Genting Singapore. While the company has been a steady performer, I felt it was time to reallocate my resources to other opportunities that align more closely with my current investment strategy. Investing in AIMS APAC Reit: I reinvested a portion of the proceeds from the Genting sale into AIMS APAC Reit....