A few days ago I visited a briefing about a travel club.
They say it's worth it to pay $50 per month and you can go cheap trips sooo many times throughout the year. So those who are in the club can travel 6 times per year or even more.
If I went to this travel club meeting a few years ago, I would have joined them. It's sooo 'me'. I like travelling =P
However, even though I genuinely think that their concept is interesting, now I feel that it's not for me. Firstly, it's not my lifestyle anymore, to travel somewhere just because it's cheap to do so. Secondly, the more I think about it, the more I feel that this travel club creates unnecessary necessities. Do we really need to travel once a year? It's so 'normal' here, in Singapore. People travel a lot! I've even met kindergarten children who have been to Japan.
As time goes by, your lifestyle changes :) Yes you may be young and not-married yet, but it doesn't mean that you MUST live life to the 'fullest' according to other people's standard. I think people can live life to the fullest without making travelling once a year 'a must'. Yes, we can travel for a purpose, for a recreation, but there's no need to force it. :)
The funny thing is, the day after I went to the travel club meeting, I met my financial planner. I am considering to have life insurance now. It was not my priority before. However, after I interviewed a number of elderly for my research, I realized that the government pension is not enough. I don't believe in such thing as yes, we must depend on ourselves in our old age. I have trust in God and in my future family. Nevertheless, I think we need to do our small part too, be it savings or insurance or whatsoever (disclaimer: I am not an insurance agent). Managing our money well is part of our responsibility as a family member.
Back to this lifestyle topic, I was talking to my boyfriend to 'complain' how difficult it is to be in-between. We are singles, but we are not like other singles because we have other commitments. Sometimes perhaps it's easier to excuse ourselves from this-travel-three-times-a-year-lifestyle by saying "Oh, my status: married" or "Oh, but my kids...." However, to be singles and say, "No, I have other commitments" make people have question mark, "What kind of other commitments can hinder you from this lifestyle if you are not married?"
I guess now I start to see the crosses of couples who are well-to-do. Some people have this thought, "oh, they have many kids because they are rich. See their car, or their house." Now after meeting some couples that I also think 'well-to-do', I've realized that they've made conscious choices to sacrifice A LOT to be generous. One of these couples have never had vacation overseas for 20 years. (disclaimer: compare this couple with other people in Singapore where it's so normal to travel overseas). They also do not send their kids to tuition centre. (again, the 'culture' of Singapore is each kid must go to tuition centre if you want them to excel academically and not lose from other people). And........they even refuse to take up higher position that pay them better because the position will steal the time from their family. (Again...imagine how much richer they can be if they make the opposite choice AND choose not to be opened to life).
Furthermore, imitating my dad, he always told us, NEVER judge people from their situation NOW. If you see them successful NOW, imagine their situation 15 years ago.
What kind of lifestyle would you like to have?
~~~Quoting Fr Richards, the choice is yours =P
They say it's worth it to pay $50 per month and you can go cheap trips sooo many times throughout the year. So those who are in the club can travel 6 times per year or even more.
If I went to this travel club meeting a few years ago, I would have joined them. It's sooo 'me'. I like travelling =P
However, even though I genuinely think that their concept is interesting, now I feel that it's not for me. Firstly, it's not my lifestyle anymore, to travel somewhere just because it's cheap to do so. Secondly, the more I think about it, the more I feel that this travel club creates unnecessary necessities. Do we really need to travel once a year? It's so 'normal' here, in Singapore. People travel a lot! I've even met kindergarten children who have been to Japan.
As time goes by, your lifestyle changes :) Yes you may be young and not-married yet, but it doesn't mean that you MUST live life to the 'fullest' according to other people's standard. I think people can live life to the fullest without making travelling once a year 'a must'. Yes, we can travel for a purpose, for a recreation, but there's no need to force it. :)
The funny thing is, the day after I went to the travel club meeting, I met my financial planner. I am considering to have life insurance now. It was not my priority before. However, after I interviewed a number of elderly for my research, I realized that the government pension is not enough. I don't believe in such thing as yes, we must depend on ourselves in our old age. I have trust in God and in my future family. Nevertheless, I think we need to do our small part too, be it savings or insurance or whatsoever (disclaimer: I am not an insurance agent). Managing our money well is part of our responsibility as a family member.
Back to this lifestyle topic, I was talking to my boyfriend to 'complain' how difficult it is to be in-between. We are singles, but we are not like other singles because we have other commitments. Sometimes perhaps it's easier to excuse ourselves from this-travel-three-times-a-year-lifestyle by saying "Oh, my status: married" or "Oh, but my kids...." However, to be singles and say, "No, I have other commitments" make people have question mark, "What kind of other commitments can hinder you from this lifestyle if you are not married?"
I guess now I start to see the crosses of couples who are well-to-do. Some people have this thought, "oh, they have many kids because they are rich. See their car, or their house." Now after meeting some couples that I also think 'well-to-do', I've realized that they've made conscious choices to sacrifice A LOT to be generous. One of these couples have never had vacation overseas for 20 years. (disclaimer: compare this couple with other people in Singapore where it's so normal to travel overseas). They also do not send their kids to tuition centre. (again, the 'culture' of Singapore is each kid must go to tuition centre if you want them to excel academically and not lose from other people). And........they even refuse to take up higher position that pay them better because the position will steal the time from their family. (Again...imagine how much richer they can be if they make the opposite choice AND choose not to be opened to life).
Furthermore, imitating my dad, he always told us, NEVER judge people from their situation NOW. If you see them successful NOW, imagine their situation 15 years ago.
What kind of lifestyle would you like to have?
~~~Quoting Fr Richards, the choice is yours =P
Krizia found this article: http://lifehacker.com/how-to-afford-traveling-the-world-1535483832
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