Dear readers, tomorrow is Christmas and I wish All who celebrate Christmas a Merry Christmas and All a Happy Public Holiday.
To me, when it comes to this time of the year, it is always a period of reflection and celebration of what we have accomplished for the year, no matter how small it is. It can be as simple as an act of kindness to help someone who is in need.
Thinking of and celebrating our small wins for the year is not easy as in this age of social media, we are constantly exposed to others who seem to flaunt their wealth, power and status. Social media in a way tells only the positive stories and accentuate only the most material thing in life, this inevitably makes many feel small and unaccomplished when compared to what seems to be a easy success for those who flaunt it all online.
Musing about this year in the financial aspect, there is only one theme that stands out and it is none other than the higher cost of living.
I was shocked to find out that a cup of iced kopi from a popular toast and coffee chain costs $3.70! Previously, it was around $2.40.
I found myself asking the mixed vegetables rice stall owner again in recent days why two packets of mixed vegetables rice costs almost $10, up from $8+ one or two years ago. The stall owner patiently told me costs of ingredients have headed north.
And I saw from my excel tracking spreadsheet of my finances that annual medishield costs that I am paying have increased as well.
The government has been giving some vouchers and assistance to help families cope with the higher cost of living and I am appreciative of this.
To the higher cost of living, my solution is to further streamline my cost, really spending on our needs and cutting further down our wants.
But some costs in life should not be avoided, for example overseas tours. We should go for overseas tours when time and health is on our side.
And this brings me to Cause of Living. I believe while we manage the Cost of living, we should always stay true to our values, our cause of living and make the Best of every day.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!