Don’t get me wrong. Much as I would love to be financial independent right now, I am nowhere near the target at the moment. It would be at least another 8 years to financial independence. So for those who have achieved financial independence, what are some of the things you would miss about working full-time?
The following are some of the things I would miss once I stopped working full-time:
1.) Social Interaction – A huge part of the my working lifestyle and as far as I can remember, it is probably one of the most valuable thing I have an impression of, even as I left the company.
2.) Teamwork – Being part of the productive team, strong bonds that come with working with different people with different backgrounds. When there are issues or problems, we struggle and think together as a team.
3.) Access to credit – We generate active income as we work and that means that we can get access to loans and credits for the purpose of buying a property or applying for a credit card (not encouraged).
4.) Printing – I am not trying to sound cheapskate but I admit that I do not have a printing machine at home as I find that printer is one infuriating and expensive device. As such, I print most of my stuff at work, even if some are personal related emails.
5.) Getting paid on weekends/public holidays/medical/annual leave – Working employees generally tend to enjoy plenty of medical leave / annual leave / public holiday and they are paid for these leave entitlement. Even as I was having one of my unproductive days by sitting at my desk staring at the monitor, I was glad that my pay was not deducted.
6.) Health Insurance – My company’s term insurance includes outpatient and specialist leave which has been very cost effective for me these few years.
So what do you miss from your working life should you “retire” from the corporate world and achieve financial independence one day?
Lucky for you. Your company hasn't implemented One Print service when you have to use yr staff pass to tap and login your user ID for printing.
Every print is tracked by your boss.
B,
Just do a simple experiment:
1) Do you miss or stay in contact with those "team members" that left for other companies? (That's probably how others will "miss" you too when you leave)
2) You can try it with former classmates too π
3) Through blogging, I gotten to know one financial blogger sharing his relationship with his young daughter. I like that a lot.
Casual social interactions and deep relationships with people who matters are same same but different.
Money is a great tool – like the printer. But having someone whom you can share that printer with is even better.
I don't get much from hugging my printer…
LOL!
Agreed with SMOL.
The only reason that I am still in touch with a few retired ex-colleagues because we are still going for free SIAS seminars cum get together session.
When I am retired, I will also join them for AGMs cum get together sesssions.
LOL!
Hi SMOL
Actually it kinda depends on the type of colleagues you have also. I still keep in contact with some of my very good friends from the previous company but at my current company, I hardly have one good friend that I can go out with outside of work.
Haha regarding printing, I don't print much for my personal things, other than the usual jetstar e-ticket. And the best thing is my boss did it too at work so no problem at that haha.
B
Hi Uncle CW
Pls jio me along for AGM sessions. I really love such sessions.
Perhaps I would see you in Sembcorp AGM this year π
B
Hi B,
My maiden post on your blog.
For health insurance, it may not be advisable to rely on the company's health insurance plan because a person can be retrenched or simply wants to quit because he has been unfairly treated at work. Health insurance in Singapore is not really that expensive. For a man in his mid-30s, a good Hospital and Surgical health insurance costs about SGD450 a year. I bought one for myself while I am still healthy before all the problems appear.
On the social aspect for the financially-free, one can start his own company with a few trusted friends. If the business nature of the start-up is not capital-intensive, then failure will not be costly. He can even treat it as social expenses to keep himself socially in tune. When one is not working, in my experience, it is possible to become anti-social. It is quite embarrassing when people ask even simple questions like your occupation. Financially-free people who are not working may feel social pressure, depending on how strong their personality is. SMOL is one guy who can withstand such social pressures. "Man of leisure" almost sounds like a rebel to acceptable social norms.
As for the rest like access to credit and getting paid on weekends, if a person has to fret over these, then he ought to redo his calculations whether he truly has earned the right to quit his job and call himself financially free.
Hi Hyom-Hyom
Thank you for your comments on my blog. Really appreciate it.
I agree 101% with you on the health insurance. I purchase my own health and accident insurance out of my own pocket and the company's premium insurance is more for the outpatient and specialist doctor which was not covered in my personal insurance. To purchase an outpatient and specialist insurance ourselves would have been costly, I was told.
Friends, in general comes from all aspects of life. SMOL is one hell great of a person I hv known in the blogger community and I am really impressed with the ways on how he sees things outside of the box.
You brought a very interesting concept π I hope to see you around again π
1) B,
Bingo! You still stay in contact with some ex-colleagues not because you used to WORK together. It's either there's something attractive about you; or about them you find attractive π
Now give yourself a hug!
2) Hyom,
I'm not a rebel; just luckier in some weird sort way. There's not much "social pressure" on 16 year old school leavers.
When I don't have the weight of Great Expectations on my shoulders; I can feel the Unbearable Lightness of Being π
SMOL,
Unbearable Lightness of Being???
Remembered it was of those earliest R21 movies in Singagpore when Garmen allowed sex scenes to be shown.
Do you mean that movie? hee hee
Best R21 movies, still goes to Sharon Stone's Basic Instinct
Hi SMOL,
Ha! I guess people like you who already has enough to call it quits can actually hao-lian over people who εεΉ΄ε―ηͺ, get a high-sounding paper cert but still slogging in the rat-race, kenna bullied at work but still have to endure, always fearful of losing job etc. Next time if hao-lian people ask you simple questions like "what is your occupation?", you can answer "None. I don't need to have any. How about you?"
Hi CreateWealth8888,
SMOL got to live up to his name as "Man of Leisure". HAHAHAHA. But better be careful. If kenna accident and create little Man of Leisure, no more leisure liao. HAHAHAHA. According to Woman's Charter, every man has to pay $$$ to bring up the fruits of their leisurely activities:) Terence Cao is a good example.
1) hyom,
Hmm… I meant to say in my cryptic way is that a lot of "social pressure" is self-imposed. We all have options – θ‘θ‘εΊηΆε .
I apologise if I sounded hao-lian. Was never my intention.
2) CW,
LOL! Yes and no. That RA movie was a horrible adaptation of the novel!
That book resonates with me as I too have the philosophical view that we have but this present 1 life to live – no next life or no continuous reincarnations. So no 2nd chances π
Of course not! Never found you hao-lian in any way. Oh dear, my comment was made as a joke but I did not bring it across correctly on writing. After re-reading my own comment, I think it sounded sarcastic and not funny. Absolutely no sarcasm meant. So sorry.
My comment was more for hao-lian scholars who look down on O-level people. I would like to see hao-lian scholars being embarrassed by less educated but more successful people than them. You know, that sort of feeling when you watch hero movies. The hero starts off humiliated but ended up beating all the people who humiliated him. You get that feeling when you watch Ip Man. The Japanese humiliate the Chinese, then Ip Man comes in and crush them like ants.
Hi,
Dr Steve G Jones, a millionaire and world-renowned hypnotherapist for celebrities has recently developed a cutting-edge 60 second quiz which reveals how closely your brain matches that of a millionaire.
Do YOU have the brain of a millionaire?
Take Dr Steveβs quiz below and find out (plus get your own personalised free report):
==> 60 second quiz: Do you have the brain of a millionaire?
The great thing about this quiz is it uses your answers to generate a personalized free report revealing what blockages you may or may not have, and what you need to do next in order to get yourself on the millionaire fast track to wealth.
See how highly you score, read your personalized results, and enjoy!
==> Follow this link to take the quiz
(and receive your personalized report)
Kind regards,
[Dr. Steve G. Jones]
P.S. Imagine being able to download the brain of a millionaire into your own head. Dr Steve
shows you how to do that once you complete this quiz.
Check it out here:
==> 60 second quiz: Do you have the brain of a millionaire?