By James Lew
Beneath the hum of ceiling fans and the jangle of kids’ laughter bouncing off our HDB walls, a quiet revolution is taking place. We're not chasing Ferraris or landed property. We're chasing something far more radical in Singapore's fast-paced, achievement-obsessed culture: freedom.
Our family of six lives in a four-room flat nestled in the heart of the heartlands. It’s not big by conventional standards, but it’s where our roots grow deep—where tuition notes are scribbled on walls, where curry puffs cool on mismatched plates, where dreams are whispered over Milo and late-night prata.
And from this modest space, we’ve begun to build our version of wealth: one of choice, intention, and peace. This is the story of how we’re growing financial freedom, one seed at a time.
🌱 Redefining Wealth
For years, I believed wealth was about having more. A bigger flat. Fancier car. The latest gadgets for the kids. But the pursuit left me burned out, chronically tired, and disconnected from the very people I was hustling for.
Then one night, I caught my youngest—barely five—pretending to "go to work" with his school bag slung over his shoulder. He looked exhausted, mimicking me. That night, I asked myself: Is this what I want to teach them?
That moment seeded a different question in our home: What if wealth wasn’t just more things—but more time, more freedom, more choice?
We started defining wealth as the ability to say “yes” to the things that matter and “no” to the things that don’t.
💸 Budgeting with Values, Not Guilt
To make changes, we needed clarity. We tracked every expense for three months—not to punish ourselves, but to understand how we truly lived.
We kept it simple:
- Needs came first: housing, food, insurance, transport.
- Wants were evaluated: was that premium Netflix plan really necessary when we mostly rewatched old movies?
- Savings were automated: a percentage went into CPF top-ups and investment accounts before we could touch it.
Our spending wasn’t about deprivation, but direction.
🏠 Letting Our HDB Work for Us
Our home isn’t just shelter. It’s a co-investor in our FIRE journey.
We opted out of lavish renovations. No feature wall, no walk-in wardrobe. We wanted functionality, not debt. The money saved—tens of thousands—was diverted into investments that now quietly grow every month.
We also played the long game. While friends talked about upgrading, we stayed put. Our flat became a wealth-building anchor, not a stepping stone. When the kids grow older, we’ll consider right-sizing, potentially unlocking equity without touching our core savings.
Sometimes, the best upgrade is a mindset shift.
🌾 Growing Income like a Garden
One stream of income is like relying on one crop—it’s risky. We learned to diversify, slowly.
We start to invest in dividend stocks in Singapore. We also invest in Singapore Savings Bonds which give a nice yield @3%. It is not much but it create passive income for us. We also look at investing in bonds like Bigfundr which gives a higher yield at 5%-6% 9months or 12 months.
Every dollar earned this way felt different. It carried pride. Ownership. Legacy.
📚 Teaching Our Kids, the Best Investment
No tuition center teaches what a piggy bank can. We gave each child three jars: Spend, Save, Share. It became a ritual: every Sunday, allowance day, we’d sit down and talk money.
They learned the difference between “I want it now” and “I want it more later.” They made decisions, sometimes mistakes, but grew wiser each time.
We kept birthdays simple. We skipped toys in favor of experiences. And in doing so, we taught our kids something powerful: that joy doesn’t come from things, but from meaning.
🛡️ Protecting the Roots
The journey to freedom isn’t just about growing assets—it’s about protecting them.
We reviewed our insurance carefully. MediShield Life, Integrated Shield Plans, a simple term life policy for me. It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential. Freedom means knowing our family is safe, even if storms come.
We also built an emergency fund—six months of expenses stashed in a high-yield account. It’s our sleep-at-night money. And trust me, with 2 kids and parents, we need that kind of sleep.
✨ Tiny Wins, Big Impact
There’s a common misconception that you need a six-figure salary to retire early. We’ve learned the opposite: consistency matters more than intensity.
Every time we cleared a credit card in full, we celebrated—with teh peng and kaya toast. Every time our net worth grew by $10,000, we high-fived. Every time we said “no” to something shiny and “yes” to our future, we felt the quiet thrill of self-respect.
These wins don’t go viral. But they matter. They build the momentum we need to keep going.
🌄 What Freedom Looks Like
For us, financial freedom isn’t about not working—it’s about choosing when and how to work. It’s about school holiday mornings spent making pancakes instead of commuting. It’s about traveling in off-peak seasons, giving back generously, and aging with dignity.
We’re not there yet. But we’re closer today than we were yesterday.
And it all started here—in a humble HDB flat, with big dreams and even bigger love.
🌟 Final Thoughts
If you're a parent in Singapore feeling the squeeze, wondering if this dream is possible—know this: it is.
You don’t need a finance degree. You need courage, clarity, and community.
Plant small seeds today. Water them with discipline. Protect them with love.
And one day, those roots will give rise to the freedom you always dreamed of—not just for you, but for generations beyond.
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“Roots & Freedom” isn’t just our blog title. It’s our life in motion. Join us on this journey—we’ll grow together.
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