Every moment should be an opportunity to learn something new...yes, very true but hopefully not on the days when you are expecting to pamper and reward yourself with extra 'goodness'! Not on the days when you are ready to ignore the status quo for the sake of enjoyment. Not on the days when you just wanted to relax and free yourself from all worries. But that moment was unstoppable, the opportunity was so clear and was meant to take place.
 |
| Trip to Singapore |
It was an awkward yet a remarkable experience for me and Dennis in Singapore several months ago. Our supposed to be 10-day great Singapore experience turned into an unexpected miracle eye- opener for us. It wasn't the beautiful city or the awe-inspiring sites that made us remember Singapore. Ask us again about Singapore and we will untiringly tell you the lessons learned from Mister Stingy!
I call him Mister Stingy-- he is a full blooded Pinoy and lives in Singapore with his wife and daughter. He has been there working for nearly 10 years to support his family. His lovely wife stays at home taking care of their daughter who now goes to primary school. Mister Stingy doesn't rent a house, rather he owns an old but decent three-bedroom flat. It was sold to him by his previous landlord by installment and currently pays reasonable monthly amortization to the bank. He has managed to lease the spare bedroom which now gives him additional source of income. He has also acquired properties in the Philippines and saved something for his early retirement. He doesn't really earn a lot ... just enough to take good care of his family. But he takes care of his finances very well, far better than any accountant (including myself!) can do.
So what's the magic key to Mister Stingy' s success story? LIVING SIMPLY! He lives a very simple yet contented life! A life of no waste, no excess, no unnecessary add-ons! Just enough for everything. When he travels, he travels light. He always tries to fit things in one suitcase if possible. And it works well on him most of the time. The bottom line here, all of us can start living responsibly by starting where we are now and what we currently have. No need to wait for a job promotion or a bigger salary to start saving for our future. If we want to be truly blessed, we just have to learn how to manage God's blessings responsibly and live LIFE simply.
If Mister Stingy made it, why cant we? Good luck to our new journey towards voluntary simplicity!
