~~Towards Barista FIRE~~

The recent strengthening of the Malaysian ringgit has once again forced me to pause and rethink something I had once taken for granted in my retirement planning.  Back in August 2024 , I have written a similar post when the Ringgit strengthened against the Singapore Dollar to a high of SGD 1: MYR 3.308.  In that post, I concluded that if the exchange rate stabilized around SGD 1: MYR 3.20, I should be well prepared.  After that period, the exchange rate between the two currencies indeed stabilized around SGD 1: MYR 3.28 to 3.30 for an extended period. However, fast forward to today, the picture looks different.  With the rate closer to SGD 1: MYR 3.09, I got to get out of my comfort zone and rethink and replan my finances if this is not going to be a temporary situation.  Perhaps, it is time for my to relook into the numbers, and plan for a more conservative retirement figure with a stronger Ringgit.  To be safe, I decided to stress-test my plan using a mo...

This post is just for personal reference, to record my personal income and expenses in my journey towards Barista FIRE. For the month of January, which is the first month for the phase 1 of Barista FIRE, I am pleased that I have survived, with surplus at the end of the month.  The main reason for this is because I have "bonus" paid out from my tutoring funds for my work in 2025 (since I am self-employed, it is basically just ownself pay ownself).  As I transition into this phase, my work load has declined and I am no longer working 7 days a week.  However at the same time, I think I also became a little more mindful of my spending, but not to the extent of over-thrifty as I am still meeting friends and dining out sometimes.  However, I am definitely more conscious of where every dollar went. Special mention is necessary for "Miscellaneous Spending".  The amount is exceptionally high this month because I made use of the "bonus" income to pay for hotel booki...

This will be a relatively short post to update on my portfolio and transactions for the month of January. January started the year with higher volatility, mainly due to geopolitical issues. Tensions in Venezuela and Iran raised concerns about global oil supply, while unexpected comments from the US about Greenland added uncertainty to global politics. Even though these events have not caused any immediate downward response to the local stock market (and if any, it was short-lived due to Trump's TACO), it has definitely caused much unrest and movements in the precious metals.   Personally, since I had already removed my exposure to US stocks earlier, I experienced this month’s volatility with less stress.  While I may miss out on sudden rallies, clearing debt and improving my cashflow continues to give me peace of mind.  Market movements are unpredictable, but having a stronger financial base is something I can control.  Thankfully with diversification, any imp...

This is going to be a short reflective post for myself, and it serves as a reminder for me to remain calm and composed through the possible volatility that may dictate the market for the remainder of this year. January has been kind to my equity portfolio.  Year to date, it is up about 4%, which is a solid start by any measure, and definitely something worth appreciating.  Returns like this remind me why staying invested matters, even with 'noises' heard since 2025 that 2026 is probably going to be a bad year for stocks. That said, I am also trying not to let early gains lull me into complacency.  The world does feel unusually tense right now.  Geopolitical risks are simmering across multiple regions, and history has taught me that markets rarely move in straight lines when uncertainty runs high.  Volatility is almost a given, and possibly the main headline for 2026 moving forward.  This is especially the case when prices of precious metals like gold (gene...