~~Towards Barista FIRE~~

This post is like a sequel to my first Cuti Cuti Malaysia post in January 2025 where I went to Kuala Lumpur (KL) for a solo trip.  So this time, I am off to another popular traveling, feasting and retiring destination in Malaysia, and that is none other than Penang.  Once again, I believe I should promote tourism in my country to readers of this blog! For this trip, I decided to fly from Singapore Changi Airport again instead of Senai Airport like during the KL trip, because the fares were quite similar, so not much benefits for me to travel all the way to Senai Airport first.  With that, I can start my short holiday with the unforgettable Singapore Laksa treat from SATS lounge in Terminal 1.  Of course, to save money for lunch, I had more than just one bowl, accompanied with other delicious dishes.  After a full lunch, it is time to prepare to board the plane for this foodie adventure! Finally, after 1.5hrs short flight, I arrived at Malaysia’s food paradise ...

For heads up, I am no property expert, in fact, I am more of an amateur.  This is also the main reason why I am rather hesitant to write this post as it discloses my "failed venture", or should I say, an investment decision that did not turn out the way I thought it would.  However I think it is important for me myself to look into my failure and scrutinize it so that I can truly learn and grow from this episode, and thus be in a better financial position to progress into Barista FIRE phase.  Note that this is not financial advice, and it is mainly as a personal record.  As I grow older and gradually refine my financial journey, I often find myself questioning the balance between investing for future retirement and reducing debt for peace of mind.  Recently, this question has become more pressing because of my intention to progress into my next phase of life, Barista FIRE.  The main issue lies with my investment property in Malaysia.  For information,...

Recently, I have been struck by two things I watched that felt uncomfortably close to home.  One was a video by The Joyful Investors , where Chief Corporate Officer from HRNetGroup shared that hiring demand today is strong at two ends of the spectrum: ground staff earning below SGD 5K, and C-suite executives above SGD 15K.  However the mid-level employees, those in the SGD 5K to 15K range, are increasingly being squeezed out.  The other was a video by  CNA Insider , which highlighted that workers in their late 30s and early 40s are now more prone to retrenchment compared to other age groups. Hearing both points together made me pause.  I am in my early 40s now, which means I fall right into that shrinking middle.  Is the middle class disappearing and is the middle age groups facing some form of employability crisis?  Even though I am self-employed, does that also mean that inevitably with time, my job (as a tutor) will also be replaced by AI?  Is...

This will be a relatively short post, just to update on the transactions for the month. For the month of August, it was a jittery month.  For a large part of the month, the markets were anticipating the FED to cut interest rates in September, and the probability of it materializing was near 100%.  However, markets were thrown with a set of much hotter than expected PPI numbers, which meant that the tariffs-linked inflation is creeping in.   However, even with such unfavourable news, the US market decided to largely ignore it, and continue with its slow and steady uptrend.  It seems cautiously optimistic, but at the same time, the jitters and uneasiness may mean that cracks are happening beneath the rise. I do not really know what to make out of the numbers, as all these reports and numbers were out of my control.  I can only do what I could, which is to remain invested and hope for the best.  My US Portfolio, although small in percentage terms, remain...

One would have probably heard the saying before - “Compounding is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it.  He who does not, pays it.”  This quote has been repeated endlessly in the personal finance world, and for good reason. But here is the truth.  Compounding is not a get-rich-quick strategy.  In fact, in the early years, it can feel like watching paint dry- boring, slow and unmotivating.  You put in the effort, you save diligently, you reinvest your dividends, and for the longest time, it seems like nothing much is happening.  I have written a similar, but simpler post when I first started blogging back in 2022, where I noted 3 main factors affecting the compounding effects, namely time, yield and capital. The Key Factors That Influence Compounding’s Power 1)     Time This is the biggest multiplier.  The longer your money stays invested, the more time each dollar has to grow on top of previous growth.  ...

Recently I came across a YouTube video titled " How to Bankrupt the Middle Class in One Day ", and it definitely caught my attention.  After viewing this video (in Chinese), I see many learning points I can incorporate into my financial journey, and hence I decided to write this post as a record for myself.  To do this better, I went to look for the summary of the classic literature, "The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant.  Summary of "The Necklace" For those unfamiliar, the story follows Mathilde Loisel, a middle-class woman unhappy with her modest life.  She dreams of wealth, glamour, and admiration.  When she gets invited to a high-society ball, her joy turns into distress because she lacks a fancy dress and jewelry.  Her husband sacrifices his savings to buy her a dress, and she borrows a glittering necklace from a wealthy friend.  The ball is everything she dreamed of, until disaster strikes.  She loses the necklace.  Instead of confessing...

As a dividend income investor, my investment focus has always been directed towards sustainable and reliable dividend income.  I am not in this game for flashy short-term capital gains or speculative plays.  I invest in dividend-paying stocks because I want to build a consistent income stream that grows over time and supports my financial goals, especially as I inch closer to Barista FIRE. That is why dividend yield plays a central role in my stock selection, and just as importantly, in my sell decisions.   ** Before I get any objections, I would like to highlight that dividend yield is just one of the factors that help me decide whether to sell or not.  There are other very important factors like payout ratio, profitability of the business, dividend growth and other metrices like price to earnings and price to book ratios.  However for the purpose of this write up, I will only be discussing how dividend yield impacted my investing decisions. ** ...

Back in June 2023, I wrote a blog post titled " Which Is More Essential in Personal Finance – Cash or Cashflow? ", where I explored the age-old debate between the value of having cash on hand versus the importance of generating cashflow.  At the time, I concluded that both cash and cashflow are equally important, but still leaned slightly towards the security that cashflow provides, especially amid market volatility and rising uncertainty. Two years have passed since then.  Along the way, my investment journey has matured slightly, my financial goals became clearer, and most importantly, I found a firmer footing on the path toward Barista FIRE, which is aiming to begin my progressive semi-retirement in phases starting next year with a part-time income and a more robust investment portfolio generating passive income.  Now, as I reflect and prepare for this next life phase, I have a stronger conviction: cashflow is more important than cash, especially for someone approachi...

This will be a relatively short post, just to update on the transactions for the month. For the month of August, it was a month of joy ride.  Although the US markets faced slight volatility due to Trump's threat to fire Jerome Powell time and time again, but markets probably got tired of it and resumed its uptrend, with S&P 500 continuing to hit new all time highs.  However, the mega-news this month should come locally from Singapore.  On 21st July, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) allocated the first SGD 1.1 billion to three asset managers (Avanda, JP Morgan and Fullerton) under its SGD 5 billion Equity Market Development Programme (EQDP) aimed at reviving SGX by driving institutional investment in small and mid-cap stocks.  This news gradually brought about a broad-based rally in the Singapore markets.  This is evident in the last 2 weeks of July, where many stocks not included in the Straits Times Index (STI) gaining steam and started their rall...

Over the past year, Singapore Technologies Engineering (STE) has had an incredible run.  Compared to just 12 months ago, the share price has risen by almost 100%.  That is a significant rally, especially for a traditionally defensive counter like this.  While I am glad to see one of my core dividend holdings performing so well, the sharp price appreciation has also changed the dynamics of the stock, particularly the yield, which has now been compressed to below 2.5%.  That is a little too low for my liking, especially considering my dividend investing goals. STE has benefited from several positive tailwinds over the past year.  Its aerospace division recovered strongly with global air travel rebounding, and its defense and smart city solutions continued to see robust demand.  The company also announced multiple new contract wins, both locally and globally, which boosted investor confidence.  More importantly, to dividend investors like myself, STE int...