Monthly budgets

Woops I burst my budget for Sept.

Aug - 3.1k (PS5 and games and donation in hubby name)

Sep - 2.5k (600 for dog staycation and 133 for security course)

Oct - 2.2k (due to vet fees and florists course costs)

Nov - 2.5k (600 for dog staycation)

Dec - 2k (dental costs)

Jan 25 - 1.8k

2025 May will have income tax - estimate 2.5k

2025 March Penang trip - flight and accomodation 600 plus dog 510

2025 Aug/Sep - donations 800

2025 Sep genting dog staycation 600

Dental 500

Dog vet fees 250

2nd free Chinese tuition today

In another 1 hr, will be conducting my 'tuition' to speak, to my sis colleagues daughters. I didn't ask for this, it is more of helping in any way. Any way it is a bit hard to hold on kids attention nowadays so I will aim for 45 minutes. No distractions.

This is my 2nd month into lean FI. Haha actually I burst my monthly budgets for past 2 months so I am technically not FI. Always have some splurges here and there. Well, what is there to life if I don't enjoy some of it now.

Yesterday was having a Convo with G, if I die and they all passed on eventually, our assets would go to XM. He is the youngest and likely will survive us. I really hope my assets could go to those that need it, not to him because he would be inheriting a lot from my deceased uncle estate. Well, such matters are out of my hands. It would be heaven's will, if I survive long enough, I would donate to charities instead.

Bank and lawyer firm

My 3rd uncle wife came to sg on Thurs. She was here to settle bank and lawyer stuff pertaining to my deceased uncle. Earlier helped her to email cdp and find lawyer keen to take up the task. Anyway after many months, the lawyer agreed to meet us on 27 Sept. So my aunt came out, bringing all the documents.

It was her first time first, I let her stay at my place since she is here for 1 night. I have spare room. She stayed Thurs nite, today morning, brought her to have breakfast opposite my place. Then we went to century sq dbs bank to see if we could settle her matters. Ended up the bank also need a resealed LOA. So no choice, we wanted to go home first. Then mum wanted to treat her to a lunch, so we met at Bedok mall and ended up eating at Goku. It was decent fare, I ordered curry pork.

After that, we just jalan jalan, mum wanted coffee. Before what, Geoky want to try fun claw, managed to get a 包夹 so luckily the five bucks din go wasted.

We wasted more time then 1.40pm, we left for Chinatown point. We were getting quite tired at this point. I woke up 4am so feeling the z monster. We made our way there, then we were 30mins early but the lawyer was ok to meet us. He took the documents, suggested we do a fresh LOA for sg assets because the msia LOA has many msia assets which were already settled, and he took the original LOA, marriage cert, death certs in case court need it. This could take 6 months. So I put a reminder to check back on it in March 2025.

My aunt would be going back 8pm back to muar. She gave me a big ang bao earlier. Felt bad to receive it. I am helping her, expecting nothing in return. Mum told me to just take it. 

Cherish your current stuff

I gotta learn how to cherish what I have now. Heart keep wanting to buy stuff - bags, clothes, blind box etc.

Need to remind myself I am incomeless, and need to save after bursting my 1800 monthly budget.

Aug - 3.1k

Sep - likely 2k

Imm

It had been 2 years. I last went IMM in Nov/Dec 2022, a few months after his death. I just wanted to get out of the house, and shopped til In dropped dead. I hope I died then. It was that bad, in a depressive state.

2 years later, I decided on IMM after my sis G asked me go shopping. At 1pm, I left home, determined to take bus197 ride there. I like to sit on bus and admire the scenery. The whole bus journey was 1hr50min. It went to many areas - Chinatown, bukit merah, clementi, all these places bring me memories especially Chinatown. I teared abit because Chinatown was our favorite place. We went there like once a month.

Anyway, I reached JE 3.20pm, and decided to look around the jcube side to see what had changed. I was trying to find the coffeeshop where I used to buy caifan in 2013/2014. I finally found it and la kopi c kosong there. Then I walked to JE library and read a book. Finished it by 5.45pm and decided to go buy tissue paper before meeting G at the mrt.

We were walking to luckin when we saw a popmart shop. G saw a 2019 labubu series that she wanted. She bought one and din get the one she wanted. Ended up the box we thought was the bun, was the one she wanted. She bought altogether 3 boxes. Y adopted the 2 unwanted.

After that, we bought a drink at luckin, before making our way to IMM. We are BK, something my hubby and I always would eat. We then went to the shops selling bags to see if I could find the bag I want. I found a very close one at Guess, priced 179 but the bag was small. So in the end, just window shopped till it was time to go home. The journey back was a long way haha. Reached home, quickly fed my hungry dogs. Made coffee and bathed. Slept around 12mn.

Sunday would be my first tuition with S kids. I hope this would be my way of giving back to society.

Dessert buffet

My elder sister Y jio-ed me to eat the chateraise dessert buffet yesterday. I agreed immediately. The venue is at millenia walk.

Almost 20 years ago, wanjing, shimin and myself went for a chocolate buffet and we could not eat much because the cakes are all rich and chocolatety. End up we didn't make our money worth. Then some time later, wanjing jio-ed me to go a one day durian buffet trip in JB. I skipped breakfast and only ate a few durian before I felt very full. 

So this round, for ,25 bucks, I didnt hold too much hope. You will have a drink and unlimited dessert from their dessert booth. The selection was not great, and they do not replenish finished items during the 90 minutes I was there. So those who came to the buffet later, ended up having very few selections. This irks me a lot.

Anyway we tried all the items, and only a handful are good. I like the cinnamon prune pound cake slice (retail 4 bucks) and ate 2 pieces. Also ate the french pink crispy toast. Ice cream reminded me of yole. Honey cake was soft and fluffy. Rest did not live up to their mark - either too dry, or not impressive. Y also agreed. We tried to have 2nd or 3rd go at the nice cakes. Ate till very full (3pm) so I decided to skip dinner.

Anyway I won't recommend it to anyone. Not worth the calories.

Herbal soup

I cooked herbal pork soup yesterday, using ready made packs from Sheng siong. Instead of pork ribs, I used pork meat. Hehe it was ok, cos I do not have a soup pot so can't really let the soup simmer. So I just cooked it for 20 plus minutes. The meat of course didn't soak in the soup taste. Anyway I spent 17 for the ingredients, of which 10 was paid using cdc vouchers.

This can last me 6 meals at least. 

I need to buy brown rice next, and try jap curry.

The next time I am going to cook using my rice cooker. Hope the herbal soup can make it.

Don't rely on others to take care of u

When hubby passed on, I felt very lonely, guess it was more than ever. When I watched youtubers going overseas with their hubby, I felt sad.

2 years have gone by. I am still alone and will remain so, a promise made. 

My thinking has changed. There is no one who is going to love you more than yourself. There is no one who you can count on to take care of you. So you only have yourself.

whether I have a war chest?

Initially I thought I could invest another 30k into stocks, so am making some calculations in case I got it wrong.

I have 52k on hand, if I uses 30k, I would have 22k.

Now is mid Sept, I assume I need 

- 1k for remaining Sept

- 2k for Oct

- 2.5k for Nov

- 2k for Dec

- 2k for Jan

Total 9.5k

Left 22k - 9.5k = 12.5k

Dec 24 - additional 5k

My 17.5k should last me 4 months (Feb to May 25) of 8k, leaving 9.5k, where I might get 7k for May. Left 16.5k. 

June to Aug: Aug expect 10k, left 26.5 minus 2kx3mths = 20.5k

Sep to Dec: expects 5k in Dec, 25.5k - 4mthsx2k = 17.5k

Judging by this lousy analysis, I should have enough to last till end 2025 even if I can't find a part time job.

Some one-off expenses - dog staycation for mar 2025, maybe another genting trip in Sep 2025. 800 for donation. Dental 500. Entertainment for PS5 games.

1.5mth into my break

Today marks the 1.5 month into my break. Can I say I am into FI? I told my bro I am lol

My investment pot and cash is worth 588k as at today.

This is after 18 years of working and investing. Of which 100k is inheritance.

588k at 4 percent return, is around 24k. This could fund me perpertually.

I have been trying to keep my basic to below 2k so tt I need not fret to find work very soon. But Aug month I overspent because of my donation of 800 bucks and 560 PS5. Every year I would try to donate in hubby's name, to do some good deeds so that it can go to him. Sep - I would overspend by 600 because of the genting family trip. Nov would have another short trip. Oct would have lily vet fees. Dec would have my dental fees.

Otherwise, my month expenses could be 2k. Haha who am I kidding..judging by the above, I would burst my budget. Anyway I would have 21k from this year's dividends. So I would not be digging into my trove even after Jan 2025.

This past month, am mostly sick. Ran a marathon (last one), played 2 PS5 games, gone overseas to msia twice (once to jb and genting). Am quite sick because I caught a blocked nose recently. So could not go jogging as my nose quite blocked.

Cooked a few meals - my ruroufan failed. Recently I spent 8 bucks on green red peppers and mushroom. I mixed all and cooked with haidilao tomato paste. It was nice, I love to have different texture in one dish. Next dishes I am thinking of cooking - pork ribs herbal soup. 

Hmm I still have red and green beans, I should finish them before I cook other stuff. Well, so more red bean can replenish blood, I am having menses. So just nice. Maybe I can cook this Thurs.

4d3n getting trip 2024

This was our 2nd family trip to genting. 4d3n.

My gambling pot was set at RM2k.

Day 1: woke up 3am. Driver reached 5am and off we went. No jam at causeway. Next, we went to muar to pick up bro and May. Had a super spicy Korean sandwich for breakfast. We were on our way to Genting. We reached genting half mountain, driver A recommended a zhuchao place where not very crowded. Had a hearty lunch and off we go, and we drank Starbucks while we wait for the 3pm to go self check in at first world hotel. Shit happened - we couldn't do the self check in, and we had to wait for the counter. The wait was gruelling as there was 150+ people in front. In the end, realized we had to do the self check in at the Agoda machines......wasted 1.5 hr and we were superb tired by the time we reached out hotel. Dinner was Din Tai Fung. Checked out the casino and played 100rm slot.

Day 2: woke up early. Watched dark justice league and me and Y set off for the casino. Played a new Cleopatra slot. Then a golden coin one lost 300rm. Next decided to play long teng hu xiao and won 350rm before losing it all back....

Lunch was with G and mum, at a small shop. Ate the kuey teow mixed. Fell sick with the blocked nose. Bought my Vicks inhaler and more tissue.

Dinner was at a Taiwan eatery. Ate little as not hungry. Went casino watching.

Day 3: woke early, went with y to try the cai shen machines. Lost money. Decide to use my strategy for the long teng hu xiao, failed and lost more. Then I decided I wanted to play the gong gong Lai fu, since I was down 1700. So at this game, I earned back 350. My loss was 1300rm.

Went to outlet since G and mum never took a cable car before. Wanted to buy a carlo lino blue bag that resembles a Chanel boy bag but there was no new piece. Settled for another small white creamy one. It was nice to touch. I need to use this.

Went back and me and G went to check out a shop selling blind box. I got myself a pirated skullpanda by accident... Well what to do, next time need to check properly.

After that, went back to hotel and y fell asleep. G jio-ed me to go jalan jalan and we walked all around. Until dinner time and we had a super cheap meal at Umi, beside caring. Went to learn some dai sai table games from bro and May. I won 130rm. 

Day 4: back to sg, reached sg 9pm plus.

Authentic Korean meal

After my exercise routine, I had a hearty Korean meal at novena.

I ordered the teoboki with cheese and corn dog. First time having such a cheese meal but enjoyed it. 

Have been having a good meal these 2 days. Skipped dinner today, having only 2 pieces of rice crackers.

Tmr will go PS with Y. Haha not sure why she jio-ed me, is it she wanna buy more labubu popmart ;)

Lazy yoga bubu

Yesterday had a whole day outing with younger sister G. We met at 6am and went to buona vista to eat MAC breakfast. Next we parted ways as she headed for her nuh doc appointment while I went to Holland V to explore. Hmm the new mall was nothing much. Went to ntuc finest, hoping to find a frypan. Finished exploring real fast.

Decided to go beauty world to see. Drank 1 kopi amidst the rain, and bought a slippers and batteries and some oishi bread. Man, the slippers are painful to wear. I decided to use it as a form of massage for my sole 5 to 10 mins a day. 

Then i rejoined G at kent ridge mrt and she bought a 5 bucks sweater. We went straight to tampines to buy my patch clothing but sadly there was no more patch section.

We played some claw machines and got 3 dolls. Took a drink break at luckin - the waxberry drink I had was very nice. Will drink it again. Then we went to see popmart and lo and behold, we saw the lazy yogi labubu series that Y wanted.

We called her and she only wanted 2 boxes. In the end, me and G decided to buy a box each. Total 4 boxes - we got 1 of what she wanted, and the mystery box - how lucky. Y wanted all the 4 boxes. Damage 64 bucks for her.

Next we went Isetan. bought a 28cm frypan from isetan. No more patch clothing.

Gone back Bedok to eat the samgor mixian. The food was particularly nice. Ate the tomato based. Added some toppings plus 2 tufei wings - was damn full. Went back home thereafter.

Total damange for myself 100 bucks. Anyway enjoyed the trip. Slept at 8pm cos i slept 3hrs only. Woke up 5 sept 7am, almost 11 hrs of sleep.

Yellow Ribbon run

1 Sep yellow ribbon run would be my last marathon.

Things were off from the start, J and I were late. J even stayed at my place the night before. The taxi dropped us off 2km away from the venue. By the time we near the starting point, the 10km race already started. We had no choice as we were going in opposite direction. So we just joined in and ran.

The run was quite challenging as it was uphill and downhill most of the time. I only ran 6km before I had to walk. Prior to this, I didn't train because was down with a bad cough. Nevertheless I tried my best. The day was hot, and I was so tired, thirsty at the end. Couldn't wait to get home and bathe.

I told J that this would be the last. I would continue to jog but not participate in marathon. Knees not good, body was aching. Didn't sleep at all so the whole sunday was spent napping. Had a simple lunch comprising of 2 stalks of soba. Dinner was 1 bar of chocolate.

Luckily the body ache went away, only left the pain in my thighs.

Next Sunday would be my getting trip. Looking forward to it, zero expectation.