How much are you earning per annum?

computer engineer
400k per annum

You are bored because you have not planned your retirement well. I'm fully occupied. Managing my stocks portfolio is fun to me, not really work because I enjoy doing it. The most I enjoy is when some of my stock picks become multi-baggers.

I understand how you and your wife feels, like many others like you, you are both attached to your work, job titles and money. Since you both argue when together, you both cannot retire. I know of old men who die die want to work until they drop dead because they can't stand their wife nagging at home.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Can share what your net worth is?

My wife and I took one week leave to test out "retirement" lifestyle, and I cannot tahan already. Bored to tears and argue a lot. So we decided that better to work as long as we can even though financially we can retire now and live with yearly budget of $100k pa for as long as we need.

My wife and I joked that when retired, we will miss looking forward to the following:
1. Looking forward to retirement
2. Looking forward to taking leave for holidays
3. Monthly pay
4. Performance bonuses
5. Satisfaction of successful job assignments
6. Fridays (TGIF)
7. Public holidays
8. Taking the occasional half day leaves
9. Company paid overseas (business class) trips
10. Good colleagues
11. Job titles
12. Work allowances, and medical insurance coverage
13. ... the list just goes on..

With so many goodies when working, we do find it hard to retire.

44, $116k pa.
Wife, 42, $108k pa.
In the process of marketing our fully paid up 5 room HDB flat, worth $750k.
After selling the flat, we plan to buy a brand new condo in the upper class Upper Bukit Timah area, before the Downtown Line 2 opens in mid 2016. Once the line opens, prices in the area will appreciate.
Plan to get a brand new $1.2m condo unit. Will use the net sale proceeds of HDB flat ($700k) plus cash and CPF savings ($500k) to pay in full. No loan. Debt free.
We have been waiting so long to upgrade to a condo, now is our chance as our HDB flat has appreciated a lot. Our kids are so excited to live in a luxury condo.

Good for you buddy. Way to go. At mid 40, you and wifey still have time on your side to build up your nest egg after buying the condo.

I am very sure your kids are excited about staying in a condo. I mean who wouldnt. Most condos are built like resorts making living in one like everyday is a holiday. My kids and their friends would take turns having sleep overs in each other's condos just to have some excitement and variety in the facilities.

I always look forward to coming back to my condo each day after work.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

44, $116k pa.
Wife, 42, $108k pa.
In the process of marketing our fully paid up 5 room HDB flat, worth $750k.
After selling the flat, we plan to buy a brand new condo in the upper class Upper Bukit Timah area, before the Downtown Line 2 opens in mid 2016. Once the line opens, prices in the area will appreciate.
Plan to get a brand new $1.2m condo unit. Will use the net sale proceeds of HDB flat ($700k) plus cash and CPF savings ($500k) to pay in full. No loan. Debt free.
We have been waiting so long to upgrade to a condo, now is our chance as our HDB flat has appreciated a lot. Our kids are so excited to live in a luxury condo.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

44, $116k pa.
Wife, 42, $108k pa.
In the process of marketing our fully paid up 5 room HDB flat, worth $750k.
After selling the flat, we plan to buy a brand new condo in the upper class Upper Bukit Timah area, before the Downtown Line 2 opens in mid 2016. Once the line opens, prices in the area will appreciate.
Plan to get a brand new $1.2m condo unit. Will use the net sale proceeds of HDB flat ($700k) plus cash and CPF savings ($500k) to pay in full. No loan. Debt free.
We have been waiting so long to upgrade to a condo, now is our chance as our HDB flat has appreciated a lot. Our kids are so excited to live in a luxury condo.

May I know the psf of the $1.2m condo?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

44, $116k pa.
Wife, 42, $108k pa.
In the process of marketing our fully paid up 5 room HDB flat, worth $750k.
After selling the flat, we plan to buy a brand new condo in the upper class Upper Bukit Timah area, before the Downtown Line 2 opens in mid 2016. Once the line opens, prices in the area will appreciate.
Plan to get a brand new $1.2m condo unit. Will use the net sale proceeds of HDB flat ($700k) plus cash and CPF savings ($500k) to pay in full. No loan. Debt free.
We have been waiting so long to upgrade to a condo, now is our chance as our HDB flat has appreciated a lot. Our kids are so excited to live in a luxury condo.

Full of BS, 1.2mio at that area? Probably very old and run down area.. impossible to get for this price suburb already ard or above this level. Do u drive? How old is your child? Retire early with so much commitment? U arr lucky that hdb is fully paid due to previous cheap price, all paid in cash or cpf? Do u have sufficient cash for down? I really doubt it. 200k for 2 mid 40s is nothing fantastic but not bad though. What industry are u? Evergreen for the future? U sure?

Your tone comes across as pretty condescending which is not going to earn any "envious admirers" really

Everyone path in life is different and we should all be understanding of that.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I'm 50 and happily retired. My hard work in the corporate sector over the past 25 years has paid off. Instead of wasting my big salary and huge bonuses on gambling, women, etc, I invested in a global stocks portfolio. I have paid off my condo mortgage and car loan. Now I get a passive income of $80k pa. My wife, 40, is still working, earning $110k pa. Since we are debt free, we don't spend much, only $60k pa. We have also set aside an education fund for our two kids. I will also bequeath my multi-million dollar stocks portfolio to my kids when I die.

I spend my time managing my stocks portfolio, swimming in the condo pool and working out in the condo gym. I am now much more healthier, fitter, happier and has developed a six-pack abs. No more 16-hours work weeks, late nights and weekends working. My stress level and blood pressure have also gone down significantly. My advice to my younger ex-colleagues who are envious of my achievement is to work hard when they are still young, upgrade constantly (I have 2 Masters degrees) and don't gamble and womanize. Also learn to invest in stocks of good global companies.

Bro, congrats! This is a good plan. Indeed, time to sell your HDB flat as it will be more difficult to sell in the future. A lot of BTOs reaching MOP and all the youngsters rushing to cash out. These youngsters hope to get big profits so they too can use the profits as downpayment for a condo. There are people who can profit as much as $300k when they sell their BTO flat after MOP.

Upper Bukit Timah/ Cashew area is a good high end neighborhood, I think there are a few brand new condos around the new Hillview MRT station worth looking at, especially those with the nature reserve and reservoir view. Now they are still selling cheap, only $1200 psf. Value for money. Just a 5 min drive away, Bukit Timah condos selling as much as $2500 psf. Once the Downtown Line 2 opens, the price gap between Upper Bukit Timah and Bukit Timah condos will narrow, with the Upper Bukit Timah condos rising towards the Bukit Timah condos prices.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

44, $116k pa.
Wife, 42, $108k pa.
In the process of marketing our fully paid up 5 room HDB flat, worth $750k.
After selling the flat, we plan to buy a brand new condo in the upper class Upper Bukit Timah area, before the Downtown Line 2 opens in mid 2016. Once the line opens, prices in the area will appreciate.
Plan to get a brand new $1.2m condo unit. Will use the net sale proceeds of HDB flat ($700k) plus cash and CPF savings ($500k) to pay in full. No loan. Debt free.
We have been waiting so long to upgrade to a condo, now is our chance as our HDB flat has appreciated a lot. Our kids are so excited to live in a luxury condo.

I don't think its unreachable to get a decent place around Upper Bukit Timah for 1.2M however that said as one forum member said realistically that price will get a place around the Hillview area (some argue its Upper BT some argue its Bukit Panjang).

For instance this condo here is not too shabby in facilities and is about 15 years old, I seen it before and the maintenance of it is great, much better than some of the younger condo's I have in my portfolio. Its a 1300 sq feet @ 1K psf and these old condo's have a ton of land spread out across for kids to play.

Though personally I believe if one times the market carefully they might be able to get one unit around the 700 - 850 range maybe lower? That's if the HDB upgrader really knows how to time the market well. (i.e Sell high, rent and wait - a lot of co-ordination and stress on the family)

Condominium For Sale - Hillbrooks, 88 Hillview Avenue, 669590 Singapore, CONDO, 3BR, 1238sqft, #16049820

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Full of BS, 1.2mio at that area? Probably very old and run down area.. impossible to get for this price suburb already ard or above this level. Do u drive? How old is your child? Retire early with so much commitment? U arr lucky that hdb is fully paid due to previous cheap price, all paid in cash or cpf? Do u have sufficient cash for down? I really doubt it. 200k for 2 mid 40s is nothing fantastic but not bad though. What industry are u? Evergreen for the future? U sure?

My hubby and I have, in total, an annual income of $146,000. We own and live in a condo. We have two kids. We spend a lot on the kids, family holidays and supporting our parents (both sides) financially. We only managed to save $30,000 annually. Although our finances are tight, we are happy as we make our parents and children happy. Upon our retirement, we will downgrade to a 3 room HDB flat. We will then live on the net cash balance as well from our CPF and cash savings. If our kids give us a monthly allowance, it will be a bonus, if not, then no problem as we will not depend on it.