I have no idea why but i feel rather affected by the news article about the Singapore- Australia couple who tried to kill their kids. For my aussie friends, there has been news about this Singaporean couple living in Australia who fed their 2 young daughters 120 sleeping pills each as they wanted to escape a life full of despair and debt.



The Strait Times did a article about their lives and i felt pretty unsettled after reading about their lifestyle. Even though they could not afford it, they rented an expensive apartment and went out with their children everyday to the nearby shopping malls to splurge on toys. As i read it, i found myself shaking my head at the absurdity of it all. A fleeting thought of "why on earth would anyone be stupid enough to do that when they cannot afford it?" was replaced by the horrifying thought that ridiculous as over-spending seems, i do know people who have been sucked into this whole consumer have-to-buy-it-now mentality. In fact, i'm one of them!

I'm sad to say that i do have 2 uncles who are notorious for spending waaay over their expenditure power. Their children wear branded shoes (which, frankly to me, is such a waste of money since children's feet grow real quick), they stupidly get expensive cars (another wasted investment in Singapore), they use up their wives' money to treat their friends to dinner in order to show everyone how "rich" they are, they have to have branded stuff and have the audacity to sniff at other people for saving up for a rainy day. I was really angry when i heard that one such uncle approached my dad for a loan. It's okay for family members to help each other out but for him to ask for money while he was still splurging on luxuries (like the extra cable channels such as 55 and 56, piano, car, flat screen TV, digital camera). Frankly, i don't think my parents save up just to help people out of their debts which they should never have racked up in the first place. As my mother once retorted, "I work so hard to scrimp and save and here, people open mouth and can get 30 grand? I also want."

Anyways, back to my point, i never want to end up like the couple who saw death as their only escape. Imagine to be ridden with so much debt! Debt that they could have avoided getting into in the very first place. Which serves as a huge wake up call to me. Right now, i'm lucky enough to have my parents providing a roof and food so my spending problem has not gotten as bad. But i do realise that if i go on spending the way i do, i'm may end up over-spending and life would be very shitty indeed.

There are so many things i wan to do in life. I wan to
a) own my own house
b) do a grad trip with friends. And i never want to starve the way i did in NYC. i wan to be able to splurge when i'm overseas and not have to walk around because i cannot afford transport.
c) build my parents a new house
d) be financially independent.
e) Travel more! I wanna see the world!


Reader Digest once had an article about a study in which they studied people who were faced with the dilemna of deciding where they should splurge on: the product they were eyeing or going off on holiday. And, it was found that people who chose to travel were found to be happier than those who bought the product. Of course if you think about it, it's kinda like material vs intangible goods. Ever since i read that article, i have always felt tt travel experience would be something that i will always carry inside me while the quick thrill i get from buying something will not be remembered a month later. I wanna be a cool aunt/ grandma/ godmother who can relegate people with stories of what i did with my life!

Ahem. SO! If i wan a house when i'm in my 30s, i have to think long term and start saving up now. What use is a nice branded bag when i do not have my own house to allot a place for it?

Of course i'm not saying i'm gonna walk around in a white robe and eat bread and water. What i'm getting at is that i need to start thinking long term and open my eyes to the whole brandwhore mentality. I will still buy stuff, branded or not. Afterall, people do not change overnight. It's just that for my future, i will try cutting down on such luxuries and try not to be sucked into the whole consumer live-for-today mentality.

So wish me luck! I'm aiming to get a condo or something in this life. Preferably with as little loans as possble, seeing what a killer interest rates are these days. Most Singaporeans are still paying off loans for a house they bought in the 80s!

This is where, my dear friends, you come in. The next time i'm itching for a new bag or top or shoes, please remind me of my financial goals! i'll invite you to my awesome house-warming party!