The 30-After-30-Before Rule

For the past few months, I started this new habit I call 30-After-30-Before.  I learned this after listening to a talk during World Mental Health week.

Basically, I dedicate 30 minutes after I wake up in the morning and 30 minutes before I go to bed at night for mandatory me-time.  On busy working days or on free weekends, I stick to this.

The suitable length of time may vary from one person to another, but the bare minimum should be 10 minutes per session.

For the first few weeks of doing this, it felt a little bit out of place for me because my anxiety wouldn’t let me fully relax and be in the moment.  I kept doing it anyway because I’ve learned that healthy habits are developed by repetitively doing something positive even if some level of gentle forcing may be required.

During the first 30 minutes after I wake up, I usually make myself a cup of coffee and drink it while playing a game on my Nintendo Switch or phone.  Before I go to bed, I normally scroll social media platforms (TikTok, IG) to see random but sometimes educational contents, or watch an episode of a series on Netflix or Disney Plus.

Through this habit also, I’ve become more comfortable in setting reasonable boundaries both at work and in my personal life.  I still hustle and deliver my best daily, but I also remember to take a step back and breathe.

That’s the goal!

Millionaire by Menabung

How have you been this year?

We’re about to say goodbye to 2022 in less than 2 months!

For me, this year has been quite eventful and life-changing.

Overall, it has been a good year and I’m getting the feeling that this is another beginning of something wonderful in my personal life.

Today, I would like to share about a concept I’ve been thrilled to do when it comes to personal financial management.

I call it ‘Millionaire by Menabung’.

For non-Malay language speakers, ‘menabung’ refers to the act of saving up money into a piggy bank.  These days, it has evolved to more than that with the advancement of our financial system and investment options.

Let’s face it - the economy and cost of living have made it increasingly challenging for most of us to consistently save up and become financially stable.

I’m lucky enough to be able to live comfortably and enjoy occasional indulgences every now and then.  However, I’m still a bit worried about my personal wealth in case of a major economic downturn in the future.

Because of this, I’ve made it my personal goal to build up my wealth and funds bit by bit.

My mission is simple - I want to be able to survive on my own if my regular source of income gets cut off for whatever reason.  Once my emergency fund is sufficient to last for months, the subsequent surplus is then channeled to non-mandatory spendings such as travels, gadgets, self-care indulgences, and others.

I have more than one active bank accounts.

Instead of closing the older accounts, I’ve segregated each of my existing bank accounts into specific functions:-

Account 1 - Loose Fund Account (where my monthly salary is pumped into)

Account 2 - Intermediary Account (where I put aside money for monthly commitments such as bills, groceries, investments, and regular spending)

Account 3 - Safekeeping Account (where I keep money for emergency)

Account 4 - Miscellaneous Account (where I allocate specific amount of money for personal insurance auto-debit)

I use an app called Loot to keep track of how much I have saved and how much my target amounts are for certain items.

To help me with my longer term saving and investment, I make use of a wealth management platform called StashAway, licensed by the Securities Commission Malaysia (eCMSL/A0352/2018).

I have a long way to go and I need to be disciplined enough to consistently mind my savings and spendings.

This little initiative of mine is my own way to reach personal financial freedom.

Whatever your circumstances are, I hope you find your little way towards financial wellbeing.