Every now and again, the world gives me a little jolt to keep me on the right investment path.
This is the latest one I recieved.
A couple of months ago I had a Thursday off work. I had a few things to do at one of the biggest shopping centres in town and got there about 9.30 am thinking I was reasonably early and should be able to get a good car park.
Well, I drove around and around and had to end up parking out on the street. I went inside and the place was packed, people everywhere. "whats going on"? I thought. Is it school holidays...nope. A opening of a popular outlet.... nope. Some sort of long weekend or celebration coming up .... nope.
What is going on? Then I noticed 2 things.
1. Most of the people walking around were of retirement age probably 70%.
2. There was a huge line up for the teller at EVERY bank and building society in the centre, snaking through the bank premises and out on to the footpath.
Then it dawned on me... it was pension day.
I thought to myself..Why would elderly people some of whom had mobility issues want to come out into this mad rush and line up for ages at the bank, supermarket etc? It was as busy as the week before Christmas. Why not wait till the next day or the following Monday?
I remembered an elderly neighbour of mine at a previous PPOR that had to scrape by (food wise) the day before pension day and used to be up and dressed to go shopping really early that day.
I had to conclude that most of the throng at the shopping centre was in a similar pedicament to varying degrees.
This was another reminder to myself that I need to keep plugging away at my PI plan to make sure I dont have to join the crowds on pension day.
Sometimes when I have a little setback in my plan I think "if I sold all my investments, I could own my PPOR outright and have a bit left over and could give up work. I'd have nothing else but my super at retirement but no pressure now".
Its little reminders like this that remind me to keep focused.
I'd have to say my biggest fear in life (and has been since I was a child) is to end up poor and ill especially when I am old. I cant stop growing old, I cant control being ill bar looking after myself but I can control being poor or not.
This is the latest one I recieved.
A couple of months ago I had a Thursday off work. I had a few things to do at one of the biggest shopping centres in town and got there about 9.30 am thinking I was reasonably early and should be able to get a good car park.
Well, I drove around and around and had to end up parking out on the street. I went inside and the place was packed, people everywhere. "whats going on"? I thought. Is it school holidays...nope. A opening of a popular outlet.... nope. Some sort of long weekend or celebration coming up .... nope.
What is going on? Then I noticed 2 things.
1. Most of the people walking around were of retirement age probably 70%.
2. There was a huge line up for the teller at EVERY bank and building society in the centre, snaking through the bank premises and out on to the footpath.
Then it dawned on me... it was pension day.
I thought to myself..Why would elderly people some of whom had mobility issues want to come out into this mad rush and line up for ages at the bank, supermarket etc? It was as busy as the week before Christmas. Why not wait till the next day or the following Monday?
I remembered an elderly neighbour of mine at a previous PPOR that had to scrape by (food wise) the day before pension day and used to be up and dressed to go shopping really early that day.
I had to conclude that most of the throng at the shopping centre was in a similar pedicament to varying degrees.
This was another reminder to myself that I need to keep plugging away at my PI plan to make sure I dont have to join the crowds on pension day.
Sometimes when I have a little setback in my plan I think "if I sold all my investments, I could own my PPOR outright and have a bit left over and could give up work. I'd have nothing else but my super at retirement but no pressure now".
Its little reminders like this that remind me to keep focused.
I'd have to say my biggest fear in life (and has been since I was a child) is to end up poor and ill especially when I am old. I cant stop growing old, I cant control being ill bar looking after myself but I can control being poor or not.