As updated in my previous post, I have finally bought my own place. For the past few months I have been busy coordinating with various contractors and vendors for my house renovation. As I am still on A flexi work schedule, I decided to be my own ID. With only a simple renovation plan in mind, I set my reno budget at $20,000 (aircon & fixtures inclusive). The renovation process and acting as my own ID were not as easy as I thought. It took me about a month to gather and compare quotations from different contractors and another few weeks to finalize all the things that I need my chosen contractor to do. I eventually settled for a main contractor who specializes in carpentry work but also provides painting, tiling and electrical services. I have grossly underestimated the amount of defects that need fixing for this resale flat. Fortunately, the floor tiles and some of the existing built-ins are still in good condition so I kept them, otherwise I would have burst my budget. The first ...
Most of us should pursue FI as one of our financial and investing goals and open up more options down the road. Not all of us need to FIRE!
ReplyDeleteHi Uncle8888,
DeleteI fully agree.
It is a means to help us open up more options down the road, it is not an end in itself.
Just like advertising & marketing BS, people focus on the fun of the RE part.
ReplyDeleteNot on the sacrifices or slog of the FI process.
Human tendency to think in short term, get things or achieve things quickly. I.e. get rich quick mentality.
When RE is made to be like a dream, people sell FI ideas to those chasing this dream.
DeleteHowever, lifestyle might change after one really retires. There's so much more free time one has on hand now that one doesn't need to commute and spend time working. One might spend his free time volunteering, pick up another hobby (that might generate some income) or partying more. So whether one spends less or more money than when he's working might be a big question mark. How much to FI remains a question mark and possibly a moving goal post for some.