A little too much, or too little?

Last evening, my wife throws this million dollar question back at me after reading the first post of my blog. “So what is yr own definition of financial freedom then”, she asked. I was caught off caught for awhile but i am glad that i managed refocus back my thoughts. I told her it will be close to something like hiring a team of hardworking accountants to calculate the total value of my assets that will take weeks. As they always say you are never too rich when you can count your own money. However, of course, the amount shall be measured in term of happiness. One can never be financially free unless he allows his heart to be happy enough do so in the first place.

Often, when i ask my friends how much money in their bank account they think is enough for them to be declare financially free? Most took awhile to answer me, their appetite of millions or billions doesn’t really bothers me but instead, it’s the irony fact they had never sit down to work out an exact amount to be free of financially freedom makes me wonder the direction they are working towards in the first place.

Everyone wants to be financially free, but how many can eventually get there without even identifying the exact location on the treasure map. After getting their first million, they would want to get the second and third,ect ect. So how much is too much and how little is too little? Without careful self reflection of how much they really want and one fine day when they realise they are really there, they would have probably sacrifice too much to enjoy the fruit of labour in the land of the riches.

I read of this wonderful exercise somewhere that would help you know a thing more or two about money. For a month, try living on daily expenses with just $10. I had tried it for a few days and realise i could actually do it. It’s quite satisfying and there is a sense of achievement at the end of each day that makes me happy from within. But then, i suddenly realise do we really need so many millions to be financially free when $10 a day could just do the job? Would your retirement nest be too over crowded with gigantic golden eggs for the hen to rest comfortably at the end of the day?

The crying piggy bank

Every night, sad piggy banks can be heard weeping while its owner loses his soul during the journey to attain financial freedom.

I am just your average Singapore Joe who had been tring to unlock the cheat code of being truly happy when one is financially free. Everyone has its own definition of financial freedom, be it conquering all the millions in the world, or just being able to bail out of a rat race to retire comfortably in his mortgage free HDB flat with his CPF. I had draw out my own careful plan which include investments that can make my saving giving the inflation a good cock fight, comfortable family financial budgeting, and occasional TOTO bets.

While on the road to financial freedom victory, many lost more of their soul than those who lost their way in the jungle over populated by money trees. Misers who skimp on every cent to compromise on their daily comfort. Backstabbers, axe wielders, that climb up the corporate ladder faster than a Nasa rocket. Parents who work too hard to miss the first step taken by their baby. Have they forgotten the reason of why they set their foot on the path to financial freedom in the first place? To be happy? Are they?

I started this blog to remind myself constantly the true happiness of being financially free. It simply means when I get there someday, I would still be contented with that kind of raw happiness the first time I drove my dad’s 8 year old Japanese car compared to those who need the latest Ferrari model   to push their happiness to another level like a drug.  And  hopefully I would be qualified enough to teach my offspring a thing or two to cross the finishing line of financial freedom with a smiling piggy bank.