Portfolio Review (January 2024)

Review of my Portfolio (31/01/2024)

Total unrealized profit: +2.1%

YTD performance: -2.2%

Added in January

Goal 1: ( $4,943.13 / $81,594) ⚔️

Growth Portfolio: -

Dividend Portfolio: CLR, T82, M44U, J69U, ME8U, AJBU, United global durable Equities

Portfolio Weightage

Dividend Recieved

Goal 2: ($494.77 / $14,212) ❤️

Dividend recieved in Jan = $494.77

Is it possible to save 100% of your 9 to 5 job salary and survive on Grabfood income?

• I had being doing food delivery since 2019 as a side gig and it seem the delivery fare have being on a downtrend ever since after Covid. 完了，完了，完了， BBQ 了! 😂

• Although i dont recommend young people to make it a full-time job, but food delivery can still consider one of an option to earn a quick buck if you dont know what to do.

• In December, i'm clearing my annual leave. So i been a full-time rider for half a month. 😂
• Basic + incentive, i earned total about $3k. My monthly expenses for next 3 month are settled. 🥳🥳
• It is important to try to complete certain number of jobs and hit the incentive, it makes a huge difference in earning.
• If i am a full-time rider (bicycle), i would probably able to bring back $3.5k to $4k per month with 5.5 working days comfortably hitting all incentive.

• As a part time cyclist, my earning can range between $1,500 to $2,000 per month due to lesser hours committed, as shown in my Jan earning.
• I try my best to earn at least $400 per week, inclusive incentive, about 75 jobs per week. I'll do more if time allow.
• The income is not high but is sufficient to cover my monthly expenses.
• if you just target $1,000 per month, it will be less physical demanding, about 45 jobs per week.
• Food delivery is a labourer job. Input = output. More you do, more you earn; you dont work, you dont earn. There are pro and con with this type of job.
• Is it physically substainable? It depends on individual, not everybody can endure long hour and harsh weather. 🤷 i have being doing it for 4 years non-stop except Chinese New Year.

• It is an incentive to maintain a low monthly expenses, not only can i save 100% of my full time income, but also generate some extra savings from the side income.

• Those who are obessed with $100k by 30, if you can save 100% of your 9 to 5 income, how long will it take you? $1 million is just doing it 10 times.

The Fare and Working Hour

• The fare per job today is not great, range from $4.10 to $4.80.
• During lunch and dinner period, usually i am able to complete 8 to 10 jobs.
• While the non-peak period, job will be much slower.
• Waiting for jobs and restaurant to prepare the food takes up most of the time, lot of idling time. Waiting is the most tiring part. 😴😴

• This low fare make me more conscious about spending every dollar, some people even thought i am in financial distress and i will usually play along. 😆

Reasons i choose food delivery as my main side gig

I have 2 side gig, but i still prefer food delivery because:

• Food delivery is able to generate income consistently every month. I just need to "ON" the app to start earning money.
• No need complicated skills, can start immediately. Many time, when we want to start something, alot of time are spend on planning. The more we plan, the more we scare, sometime we give up before we start. 😆
• Flexible timing. Able fit into my schedule easily.
• Not much responsibilities. Deliver food from point A to point B.

• Decent earning. what other side gig can fulfill above criteria and still earn more than $1k per month?

Why i go the side hustle route instead of upskilling to increase income?

GENERAL

• Today upskilling isn't enough to guarantee a competitive edge.
• While upskilling definitely benefits organizations by creating a more qualified and adaptable workforce.
• It makes individual more difficult to stand out, thus less likely to get a promotion and making the hiring process more competitive for the candidate when everybody is FOMO-ing upskilling.
• Sometime we have to question is these really beneficial to us or to the system.
• Nobody in this world is irreplacable, having a valuable skills dont make you immune to retrenchment, everything is about profit and loss.
• And you will never obtain an unique skills from the classroom.
• Higher skill ≠ higher salary. The value of your skills is perceive by your manager and whether he/she has the courage to fight for your increment infront of upper management add another layer of uncertainty.
• If you always encounter a bad managers then your career will suffer regardless of your skills level, you are just pure unlucky and the probability is very high.

PERSONAL REASONS

• My career runway will be short. My last 15 years didnt have much career breakthrough, i probably wont accomplish much for the next 10 years either. Focusing on earning money and retire at 50 is a much easier path than climbing corporate ladder. 😆
• Employability is least of my concern. If i got retrench before 50, i will just switch to Barista F.I.R.E. i can survive on very low budget, because i have very little wants in life. Then why not now? My goal is to fully stop working, 躺平. Resign prematurely may push back the master plan by few years, i dont want to risk running out of money when old.
• Gig job have low stress level. Getting higher salary often required to take on extra responsibilities and meet certain expectation set by the management. But most of the time, only workload increase. 🥲
• I always focus on learning but without the "L". 😆

THE MATH

• Based on MOM data, on median it takes 8 years to get a ~$1,000 increment.
• The real change, in the second table, is only 3%+ p.a.
• Although on paper, Singapore inflation is 3% to 4%, the price dont just increase 4%.
• Because as the goods move down the supply chain, everybody will mark up the price and when it reached consumers the price will had already increase by 20% to 40%.

• We may have enough to spend now, but inflation will eventually catch up with us.

• Assuming your full time salary is already at market rate, with a side income of $1,000/mth, you will be 8 years ahead of yourself, because you are the median.
• Also, not to forget that $1,000 today is much valuable than $1,000 in the future, the time value of money.
• If we invest it, with a 7% p.a. expected returns, $1,000 now is worth $1,718 in 8 years time; while $1,000 8 years later, with an 4% p.a. Inflation, will worth $721 today.

Things you may want to think about:

1) How much is your increment for promotion?

10%? Assume your salary is $5,197, that will be $ 519 per month.

2) How much OT, responsibilities and BS you have to take before been rewarded?

You will never know.

3) How long will it take for you to get promoted?

You will never know.

4) How high can you go?

You will never know.

5) Is there a more certain way to increase your income faster?

Job hop is the best way, but age dont allow you to keep hopping

6) What can you do now, to get that $519 by other means?

Rental, dividend stock, side hustle.....

• In the corporate world, we can do everything correctly but may still not able to make it to the top. Most of us wont.
• You may also have a good career but in the wrong industry, paid may not be as good as someone with a bad career in a right industry.
• Luck play a major role in our career success, hardwork and skill is just a small contributing factors. There are too many variables.

Conclusions

• Always increase income by taking the least resistance path.
• Lesser obstacles= less variables = higher probability of success = luckier.
• Some people love challenges and competition, i just know when to give up and walk away. 😆
• I earn within my capabilities and live within my means. Don’t fight a battle, i cannot win.
• With more income i will have more money to buy assets, that is the key of wealth building game.
• If you are able to constantly increase your positive cashflow, your net worth will naturally increase.
• If Ronald Read can become a multi-million janitor, i can also become a multi-million food delivery rider. 😆

Previous Review

https://seedly.sg/opinions/portfolio-review-december-2023/