It was my grandfather's 69th birthday yesterday. Naturally, there was a small family gathering and it was held at my uncle's place as my grandparents are living with him. Recalling how my grandfather used to look when I was little and now, he has certainly changed a lot(duhh). I bet he is also an envy of some for being blessed with a bunch of grateful children who are financially supporting and looking after him right now.
If I could remember correctly, my grandfather was forced to retire around 5-10 years ago by my mum and her siblings due to his deteriorating health. Of course he was very stubborn and reluctant but due to some incident which resulted to him being hospitalised, he had no choice but to retire. It was about time anyway. After all, he had no other responsibilities except for his household expenses and the utility bills.
From my understanding, my grandparents did not have much savings back then. My grandfather was the sole breadwinner of the family. Their "savings" for retirement were basically their fully paid 3-room HDB apartment and also my grandfather's CPF. After the above mentioned incident, the beloved apartment was sold off to my aunt and her husband so as to fund my grandparents' retirement needs. The proceeds were mostly in cash as the price paid by my grandfather when he bought the apartment was.... legendary (we will never see those figures ever again, HDB flats are expensive now). After the flat was sold, my uncle bought a flat and brought my grandparents to live with him.
With the arrangement, my grandparents have a place to live as well as a fund for their retirement needs, besides the allowance given by their children. I think my grandparents are leading a comfortable and adequate life at the moment. Especially for my grandfather, he is often seen playing those Puzzle Bobble games on his phone and watching the cable tv. Simple life indeed.
So why am I sharing all that? Well, celebrating my grandfather's birthday made me think and wonder. Will I be as fortunate and blessed as my grandparents? Will I have a roof over my head and the basic necessities? Will I have children who would sacrifice their time and resources to look after me when I am old?
I am not sure about others but I am not taking chances and leaving it to fate. I believe that I should be proactive when it comes to my golden years and retirement. With such goals in mind, I am sure that all my "sacrifices"(controlled spending, investing, etc) would pay off one day. And if I were to be blessed with good children while being proactive, then that's a bonus. Hope this post will set some of my fellow youths thinking.
Regards
The Frugal Mat
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