How i build wealth as an average joe?

Investing is about finding the right stock but most importantly is to find the money to buy the right stock. If you constantly look for opportunities, proactive and want to grow in life the returns will be exponential. Instead of looking for discount, save a few cents then thats is what you will get in life.

i am just an average joe like most singaporean, by sharing my story i hope it can make you think about your financial life in the long term. Making million with baby steps. The key is you have to start now and start small.

The Trigger

(Lesson: You need to have a very strong motivation, else you will give up very easily)

Graduated from university 2008 and landed in a job immediately. However, soon i feel not my cup of tea. Job hopped a few round, and noticed I just dont like the industries. But i cant just simply quits got bill to pay and family to feed. Stuck in job i dont like.

So i start looking for way to earn money hope that can subsitute my full time salary. Tried some but all failed. During that time, still doing some private tution earning some extra income, but is not very consistent. Few hundreds per month.

Turning point

(Lesson: When you are young don't think so much, the more you think, the more you scare, then you wont start anything. You gain more by saying yes, than you say No)

2014 Is a turning points, while still have my full time job. I get into the photobooth buisness knowing it was a trend. With zero knoweldge of photography, photo editing, graphic design..... i just jumped in after watching some youtube on how to set up a buisness, some technical knoweldge and what equipment to buy. Reckless, but the urge of being free trump any fear and it suceeded. "Heng!" Start forging pathnership with event orgnisers and getting some private cilent, the buisness grew.

Then i got another ideas, "maybe i can package dessert table with photobooth" i thought to myself. So i start to learn how to bake cupcake and moose, yes, from youtube again. Buisness is great.

Although everything is so smooth. But i still holding my full time job, because event buisness is very seasonal and only work on weekend. I need to find somthing that is more consistant and able to do on weekdays. Thus i continue to look around for something more stable.

Addition pocket money

(Lesson: (1) when you don't have much, must be willing to ultilise everything you got,

(2) get a property ASAP, it is your first pot of gold)

2016, BTO come. Decide to go for minimalist design concept. why? Because save money, gonna sell anyway dont spend too much on renovation. Anyway, already sold at a great price. So rent out 2 rooms, every month got extra money. installment pay by CPF, (max loan tenure) stress free. rental more than installment.

learning how to cycle.

(lesson: (1) sometime the low hanging fruit can be sweet. A little bit of income here & there is good

(2) best way to save money is to keep yourself busy )

2019 bought a bike, everyday without fail, i will go cycling after work and weekends, if there is no events. i continued to search for solution for substainable income although money is good but is very physical intensive and i am getting old.

2020 Covid

(lesson: alway diversify your income, 1 source gone, there is still others)

The covid hit hard on the event buisness, stopped. So i begin to look online for new way to earn money. Only then i learn about what is investing. Knowing money difficult to earn, thus i want a sure win strategy. And after the looking through youtube again, the only way is buy and hold , long term strategy. So be it.

Conclusions

Unnoticingly, over the 6 years, i have accumulate an extra $500k+. prehaps is very little to some but is a huge sum to me. My retirement target is at 2033. I probably continue to side hustle regardless, till the time arrived. Maybe after covid i can restart the photography or look for other side hustle. Maybe just continue to stuck in the job till retire. Sometime we have to do thing we dont like to get what we like, right?

For investment, will play another few cycle of property, easy money. Hopefully the money i invested in the stock had compounded by 2033.