Welcome: Why I Started This Personal Finance Blog

(And Why You Should Care About Your Money)

I started investing five years ago during Covid lockdowns. Like everyone else, I suddenly had a lot of free time on my hands and no commute to fill my days. So I figured, why not take personal finance seriously and finally learn about this whole investing thing?

Turns out, getting started was harder than I expected.

A little bit of background, I came to study in Singapore 10 years ago and started working here after graduation. Every piece of advice I found online was catered towards for local Singaporeans or local context. I had lots of questions…. Should I invest here or back home? What about taxes? Which brokerage even accepts people in my situation? Is it even worth the hassle when I wasn’t 100% sure where I will be settled or retired in the future? The basics that everyone takes for granted suddenly became complicated.

I didn’t have answers to any of these questions. The internet had plenty of information, but not for someone in my shoes. So I just started anyway, made some mistakes, figured things out as I went, and honestly, I wish I’d had someone breaking this stuff down in simple terms back then.

Why Personal Finance Matters (More Than You Think)

Here’s what I’ve learned over the past five years: personal finance isn’t just about getting rich—it’s about having choices.

It’s about:

• The freedom to say no to a job or situation that drains you
• The ability to help family members when they need it most
• The peace of mind that comes from knowing you can handle unexpected expenses
• The option to take career risks that could lead to bigger opportunities
• The power to retire on your own terms, not when your body gives out

Personal finance covers everything from the basics—like creating a budget that actually works and building an emergency fund—to more complex topics like tax-efficient investing, retirement planning, and yes, eventually achieving financial independence.

You don’t need to become a finance guru or spend hours each day managing your money. You just need to understand the fundamentals and make them work for your unique situation.

What This Blog Will Cover

This blog exists because I wish something like it had existed when I started. I’ll be sharing:

• Budgeting basics that don’t make you feel deprived
• Investment fundamentals explained in plain English
• Tax considerations for expats and cross-border workers
• Practical strategies I’ve used to build my own portfolio
• Mistakes I’ve made (there have been plenty) and what I learned from them
• Real numbers and results from my own journey
• Tools and resources that have actually helped me

We’re Learning Together

Here’s something important: I don’t have all the answers. Five years in, I’m still learning. The financial landscape keeps changing—new investment vehicles emerge, tax laws shift, economic conditions evolve. What worked in 2020 might need adjusting in 2025.

But that’s okay. Actually, it’s better than okay. It means we’ll be learning and growing together. I’ll share what I discover, what works, what doesn’t, and we can navigate this journey as a community.

Whether you’re just starting out like I was five years ago, or you’re years into your own journey, there’s value in sharing experiences and learning from each other.

Let’s Get Started

Financial independence isn’t some distant dream reserved for the lucky few. It’s a realistic goal that starts with a single decision: to care about where your money goes and to make it work for you instead of against you.

I made that decision during a global pandemic with more questions than answers. You can make it today, right now, wherever you are in the world.

Welcome to the blog. Let’s build our financial futures together.
What’s your biggest financial question or challenge right now? Drop a comment below—