What's Your Fitness Age?

 

 

 

 

 

 

How old actually are you? Do you know your fitness age?

 

Almost every morning (even in rainy days), my husband and I see this man (in his mid-50’s) who runs around our streets over and over. We live in a suburb which is named “…HILL” so you can simply imagine how hilly the streets would be but he runs like almost flying (I am not joking). I have never spoken to him (as he runs too fast…. Haha) to know how old he is but, I am 100 percent sure that his fitness age will be far lower than his chronological age. He is truly inspirational.

 

He is not the only one. I can find many older people (chronologically) who have more stamina than the youngsters to pursue their hard-core exercise regime. I call my Pilate teacher ‘A machine’. She is far older than me (A mum of 4 grown-up kids) but I have seen not many people who are as strong as her. So, I am neither exaggerating nor making stories.

 

So, what is person’s real age then? Is age only number? How old really are you?

 

It is easy to pick up the number for our chronological age as it is unchangeable fact from the moment of our birth. However, do you know what will be your fitness age? Is it not easy to guesstimate? The good news is that modern technology and studies can help us to figure out our fitness age by answering a few simple questions.

 

The idea about fitness age has been developed by researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, who have studied fitness and how it relates to wellness for years. Main idea of the study which I fully agree with is that a person’s fitness age is a better predictor of longevity than chronological age. I am not quite sure how our fitness level can help us to live and how much longer but I trust that our fitness level can help us to enjoy our life longer and more. The good news is that we can decrease our fitness age unlike our actual age. It sounds promising, doesn’t it?

 

If you want to know your fitness age, try this online calculator (https://www.worldfitnesslevel.org/#/). It asks a few simple questions for determining fitness age. I was nicely surprised by finding out my own fitness age is more than 20 years younger than my chronological age. No wonder how I feel so young and healthy. Please allow me to be proud of the result and show-off. Some people would be proud of their careers or wealth but for me, the most important thing in life is health so, I am very pleased to know my fitness level is higher than I expected.

 

Hereunder are what I have found out from the questions of the online fitness age calculator in order to decrease our fitness age. They are surprisingly simple and basic.

 

1.      Regular exercise

2.      More movement at work (reduce sitting hours)

3.      Keep a healthy waistline and weight/BMI(Body Mass Index)

4.      Reduce alcohol consumption

5.      Stop smoking

6.      Watch food what you eat (More fruits and vegetables, less sugar and fatty food)

7.      Control stress level

8.      Be happy with yourself and life

 

We already know these, don’t we? Unfortunately, knowing them will not help us unless doing them.

 

I often see young people who ignore their body and health. It truly makes me upset. We all have only one life and the life is finite. It should be the full reason to love and look after our body and mind. I seriously recommend you to find out your fitness age. There is nothing to lose. If you are happy with your fitness age, keep your life style. If you get disappointed (shocked) with the result, it is time to do something. Don’t forget that you own your life and only you can change your life. The good thing is you can decrease your fitness age. It is all up to you.

 

 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/whats-your-fitness-age-20141020-118vcn.html

 

 

Why don't we ask any more?

 

 

 

“Mum!!!!! Why? Mum!!! How? Mum!!! What? Mummmmmm!!!” “Why?” “How mum?”

 

I must be such an annoying kid as I had to find out ‘reasonable’ reasons to do anything that I was asked to do. I can’t clearly remember what kinds of answers were reasonable to me as a child but I certainly remember that I was extremely stubborn and unenforceable to do anything that didn’t make sense to me. I asked countless questions until my poor mum was totally exhausted and shut me up (=spanked).

 

I was pretty annoying to most of my teachers at school, too. I had to know why I had to do what I don’t like to do and why I couldn’t do things what I wanted to do. Therefore, I kept asking many questions until I felt comfortable to obey or reject. I was never shy to ask what I wanted to find out and it worked well until I faced “the day” when I realized that I can’t ask whatever I want to know. The time finally has arrived when I realized that I was not the leader of the world any longer. I had to learn that I had to listen and ‘DO NOT’ ask too many questions for my own sake.

 

As I was growing older, I found out that people, especially who have higher status or authorities don’t like to be asked. Let’s blame the life as usual! Life taught me that they like people who listen and ask no questions about what to do and I have become one of the people who say not much. To be a good student, a good employer and a good human being….

 

Most of weekdays I get up 6AM to go to work. To avoid the terrifying traffic jam (1hour for 14Km), every year, I get up earlier than previous year. I spend most of day times in the office without windows (just in case someone can jump out… haha). I go home in dark and have dinner, watch news to find out what bad things have happened and go the bed for the early start. I cannot imagine how I would look like if I do not try to spend lunch time for my exercise regime. I wouldn’t be able to know what kind of weather it is without checking ‘Weather information sites’. I know the weather forecasts are getting more and more accurate but it is still different from the actual feeling. Am I right? I have been repeating this life routine over 10 years without asking ‘Why?’

 

This afternoon on the way to the gym at lunch time, I simply couldn’t comprehend the fact that I have been spending all morning inside (and I will spend all afternoon inside) when the weather is astonishingly beautiful. And, guess what? Suddenly, the forgotten word smashed my head. ‘WHY?’

 

‘Why do I have to stay inside all day when I could enjoy the day better outside?’

‘Is this how I wished to live?’

‘Am I really happy with what I am doing?’

‘Is money that important so I can scarify my life?’

‘What kind of life I have dreamed of? Is this one?’

‘How long can I last living like this?’

‘Are there any other ways to spend my life better/fulfilled?’

‘Why can’t I try to live better?’

‘What is the better life?’

 

Please do not presume that I was only too emotional at that time. Please don’t discourage me by that many people have the same questions but they choose to live without asking because that is the way of life that we are supposed to be live (as we are told). Please don’t tell me we all have to live as how others live and don’t question about our life.

 

I am neither blaming myself nor complaining others. I am just asking questions that I have supposed to ask and looking for the answers that I have been reluctantly avoiding. Honestly, I don’t have all the clear answers to my questions at this stage but I feel far better as I feel empowered to be a leader of my own life again. I claim myself to have an ownership on my life and will keep asking questions in order to find better ways to live.

 

How about you?

 

 

Early Retirement Plan (ERP) makes me lonely.

I talked about my early retirement plan (ERP) very firmly in my previous posts and I believe that it sounded quite solid and strong-minded. However, frankly, my mind is often wobbly and unsure, and sometimes I feel so lonely. There is nobody who I can discuss openly about my future at the moment except my dear husband. I never consider myself as an extreme popular person but I have never expected that I would have this kind of isolated feeling (like an alien). I don’t talk about my ERP enthusiastically any more unless someone asks about it seriously (very rare case). Avoid talking about ‘REAL’ things happening in my life and talking only everyday stuff to people around me (especially, even to close ones) make me feel quite sad.

 

 

 

Since I seriously think about my future at workplace and start talking about my ERP, I have experienced many different types of people’s reaction.

 

Majority of people are who simply don’t get what I am talking about. ‘Early retirement’ doesn’t exist in their life dictionary. They need to follow the standard life which they have been taught from the very early age. Anything unusual is no good. They have to work till the retirement age or later as it is scripted so they don’t question about their life path and also don’t have any interest in the ERP.  

 

Some of them seem to ‘TRY’ listening what I am trying to achieve, but they don’t think they can have the option. They agree but they cannot afford not to work in order to keep their life-style. They have plenty of reasons why they cannot think about the ERP such as kids, mortgage, renovations, new cars, holidays, career, etc... And, never forget to comment that I have different circumstances from them such as no kids, no mortgage, rental income, high savings, etc. Guess what? No one really asked how we have no mortgage and save more than them.  

 

There are some people who I cannot talk about my ERP, especially who are closer to their retirement age or over but still have to work. As long they love what they do, I don’t have any problem with their long working life. However, if they still have to work and spend their life at work for maintaining their life, (sorry) there is no reason to talk about my plan with them. It will be a useless talk to them anyway and I don’t want to be like them anyway (sorry again).

 

Some of them look at me as a weird person who talks unreasonable stuff (BS’s). To them, I am still too young to think about retirement. Instead of that, I am supposed to work harder and focus on progression of career. I need to develop my skills to get better jobs and get paid more to increase my life standard. I must spend more time at work and devote more of my life time for ‘better life’ in future. To them, I am very hopeless, unambitious and irresponsible for my future.

 

Since I seriously think about my future at workplace and start talking about my ERP, I have been feeling;

 

I feel totally ignored. I have noticed that no one is really interested in my plan. My plan is ‘REAL’ but no one seems to take it seriously. People seem to take my ERP as an impossible or only dreamlike plan. I look like a whinger who simply complains about work as everyone does. Since I started taking about my plan, seriously, no one really has asked ‘Why?’, ‘How?’, or ‘When?’ to reach my goal. What I really cannot understand is how many people around me hate their jobs which they spend most of their life, but no one seems to be interested in getting out of the trap. Why? I really don’t get it.

 

I feel worried. Am I wrong? Will I be okay? I feel like if I have chosen answer ‘A’ when majority of people have confidently chosen answer ‘B’. I was sure to choose ‘A’ but, suddenly not sure if I am right or wrong as no one seems to agree with my choice. I know that I must choose my own pathway instead of following others without examining my own life but choosing solitary pathway and stepping forward alone make me nervous.

 

I feel lonely. I would love to share my ERP with friends, family and people around me. I want to get useful tips from others and improve/adjust my plan if needed. I would like to share my ER journey with people and help them to get on the similar journey as soon as they can. However, it is awfully hard to find anyone to share. Our simply-life living approach is taken as Scrooge-like lifestyle and being conscious on spending is considered as thinking about only money. Trying to achieve early freedom from work to enjoy more of my life becomes a lazy behaviour. I do not worry about how I would be shown to people but I am being sad that people don’t even try to understand what we really want to achieve.

 

Too long list of complaining? I know but, I want to be honest with what I feel at the moment and share my unclear feeling with people who try to achieve early retirement as we do. Sometimes I feel nervous but at the same time, I am very honoured by my situation that allows me to plan for the early freedom. I don’t deny that I feel lonely to choose unusual path but I strongly trust my decision.

 

How do I get over this loneliness and keep myself strong?

 

Early Retirement blogs and books help me tremendously. Whenever I feel lonely and unsure about my plan, I try to read the EG blogs or books. I feel released by knowing that I am not the only one and many people who are far smarter and open-minded are trying to achieve the same goal. These blogs clear up my vagueness and refresh me why I have chosen to retire as soon as possible. Life is finite and I cannot afford to waste it. The ER bloggers and authors’ clear vision on their future is simply eye opening and inspirational. I truly suggest you to visit their blogs to open up our mind.

http://www.bravenewlife.com/

http://earlyretirementextreme.com/

http://simple-living-in-suffolk.co.uk/

http://retiredsyd.typepad.com/about.html

http://lackingambition.com/

 

I need to believe in myself and my decision. Honestly, it is not easy to keep believing your decision and keeps going ahead when people surround you don’t agree with the decision. I believe that we need to listen and re-evaluate our journey time to time but I refuse to follow how other people want me to live. I have been living the standard life recommended by society and I don’t want to live and end as scripted. I know it is time to live on my own plan and be a leader of my own life.    

 

Very fortunately, I have a wonderful supporter who shares my (our) plan together. We talk a lot about our future and share information which can help us to get on our dream faster. Having a same vision is privileged and it makes our journey far delightful.

 

I truly wish that one day my family, friends and close colleagues can understand what I am trying to achieve and share our journey together. One of my favourite ER boggers mentioned that we cannot tell people what to do. All we can do is showing them how we live. I want we all enjoy our life more and have more time to spend for doing what we like to do and being with whom we would like to be. I have learnt that I cannot change them by talking so I will show them how life can be enjoyable through my ERP. I hope this can help people to live ‘a better life’.

 

 

 

 

 

Die at work?

Die at work?

 

I truly hope this is just a typo or misprint.

 

‘About 600,000 Chinese a year die from working too hard, according to the China Youth Daily. China Radio International in April reported a toll of 1,600 every day.’ http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-07-03/in-china-white-collar-workers-are-dying-from-overwork

 

 

 

 

This is simply unbelievable.  As a very ordinary person and also an employee, the number of death toll is absolutely staggering to me. Finishing my life at work would be the last thing I would wish for. 1,600 people every day means about 67 people every hour and about a person every minute… so while I am typing this, some people have already ended their life at work. It sounds very depressing, doesn’t it? However, the worst fact to me is that not many people seem to take these very serious figures seriously.

I was born and grown up in South Korea so I do know what kind of pressure people need to bear at workplace and what kind of work ethos is required in order to survive everyday life in the ‘Hard Working’ environment. Fortunately, I was working as a self-employed person so I could choose not to deal with workplace pressure but social pressure and prejudice that suppresses person’s (especially my own) free-will was unbearable.

It was one of the main reasons why I chose to leave my home country to have a ‘Better Life’ in Australia. So, am I happier than before? Did I make a right choice then? Certainly, my lifestyle has been changed a lot and I feel far freer than when I was in Korea. However, more than 10 years of employment has started questioning myself about my dreamed life that I was hoping to find when I left Korea. Am I having a life which I wished for? Am I happy truly to live like now, spending most of my life at work? Wouldn’t I be able to do something more meaningful in my finite life? Will I be okay to exchange my life to money rest of my life?

At this moment, 12 people are sitting around me in their own cage and say nothing. All I can hear is noise from typing the keyboard. Deadly quite…  ‘Are they still alive?’ A silly thought has hit my mind while I am pretending to be one of the busy employees. Fortunately all are definitely alive. I cannot stop giggling head off as it is too depressing way to live our precious life inside of this little cage. Isn’t it insane to live or die at work? Were we really born to live like this?

 

A lady in the lift this morning said loudly to her colleagues when she left the lift. “Another day another dollar!” (which means “good day!”) And we all laughed out. Yes, indeed… another day, another dollar. How many of us are working for only money? Why do we exchange most of our life time for money (to buy and to have more things). Even though who can claim that they love to work, it doesn’t satisfy my curiosity why we need to spend most our lifetime at work (or die at work).  I believe that it is time to examine our life and find out what life really means to us.

 

·        Find out the most important things in our life: Very unfortunately, I still don’t have clear idea about my future such as what to do and how to achieve my dreamed life after my planed early retirement has commenced. However, I ‘100%’ clearly know that I neither want to spend all my life at work nor die at work. Very often we make a mistake by focusing more on less important things. To avoid making the mistake, we need to know what the more important things in our life are. These will direct us to get on a right life path. The most important things for me are health, good relationship with my husband, time for myself, travel, setting up my own money maker etc…. so that I need to spend more time and energy for these things. Knowing what the most valuable things to your life are is the first step towards to your dreamed life.

 

·        Find out the true meaning of work: The reason why I go to work every day to me is very clear at the moment. I work for only getting paid (I know it sounds terrible but it is undeniable ‘TRUE.’). Unfortunately, I do not like what I am doing every single day. Work neither fulfils my passion nor thrills me any longer. Don’t get me wrong.  Work used to be one of the most important parts of my life. I tried hard and I finally realised that I don’t want to exchange my life to work any longer. To me, life is too precious to waste for get more money in order to spend more. How about you? Why do you go to work? Ask yourself and get truthful answers. I am sure it will let you rethink about your current life which can be eternal.

 

·        Find out things to do: As I became a social animal that has been kept in a zoo-like environment for a very long time, I am seriously scared of having too much free time. Will I be okay with managing my life instead of being told what to do? Many of my colleagues commonly asked me what I am going to do with very worried voice/tone when I mentioned my early retirement plan. Of course, I know what I want to do when I am free. I want to do whatever I want to do without being told what to do. I want to do things what make me happy, fulfil my passion and excite me every day. I don’t want to anything when I don’t feel like to do and I want to spend more valuable time with my loved ones. I hate being so tired and lack of energy after work that I cannot think of doing anything I wanted to do and having another days for going to work. I believe that there are so many more things to do in our life instead of working.

 

·        Find out ways to achieve: I do not want all my wishes and plans end up as ‘BS’. I have seen many people who know what they want and how they want but refuse to take any actions to achieve their dreams. Too hard...? Without sincere efforts, dream can stay as only dream. My husband and I have been working on our financial independence in order to achieve our early retirement plan. We have been saving more (over 70% of our salary currently), reducing unnecessary expenses and keeping a simple lifestyle, and we are ready for our freedom as time we want/decide. Having no worry about having a job for living is an absolutely wonderful feeling. It sounds too easy but too hard to do? It is all up to how truly you want to be free. Started as overseas students who were having less than $1,000 in the bank accounts, we have achieved our financial independence within 10 years so why can’t you do that?

 

Please remember that Life is finite. I don’t want to kill either myself or my life at work and hope you don’t either. I believe there are far many things to achieve, experience and enjoy in our life beside of work as long as you set up yourself financially free and mentally and physically healthy. Who has set up the rule that we have to work till when we are old or die? I cannot promise that I will never see this type of shocking article in future but I hope at least some of them who read my post start evaluating this insane work life and try to escape from it as soon as possible.

 

 

 

Breakfast in Sydney and Dinner in Bali

Having the same boring cereals in the office would not be this special without the fact that I will be in Bali tonight. I even didn't mind that full cream milk was run out and only fat free milk which I would never choose was left in the fridge for my breakfast. Nothing could bother my uplifted mood. I am very excited.

This is the first abroad trip since we came back from the last long, 5 month trip. Wow... We have let the 9 months passed unconsciously. Being mindless on time is always painful as our life is finite. We have diligently made short trips with family and friends but it has been a while we fly out to overseas so this trip excites me more than usual.

"Again? How many times you are going away?"
This is most of my colleagues' reaction about our continuous trips. I do admit that my husband and I may have bit of wonderer's blood but I don't think that our trips are extraordinary or extreme. '4 weeks a year', the only time officially given (as an employee) cannot be enough to us. Both of us take our time very seriously. 'Who is not?' However, many people don't seem to care about wasting their only life in the tiny cubicles. I hope my observation is wrong. So, we try to spend time as much possible for traveling which brings a new breeze into our life. Money? is always a big deal, isn't it? We still travel like a student in order to travel as many times as possible.

Travel has become one of the most important parts of our life.The reasons are simple.

Travel offers 'Changes' which make our life fuller. I trust that we all need changes any stages in our life, either bad time or good time, boring time or exciting time, hard time or easy time, etc...Changes can refresh and energise us. Different places, different people, different cultures and lifestyles excite me. New experience opens up my mind. It dilutes prejudice and perceptions on others, and opens up my understanding in differences.Learning and experiencing new things allow me to accept the nature of difference and also grows me up.

One of the best parts of travel is relaxing and recharging my mind and body. Getting away from ordinary daily life offers special relaxation feeling that I needed.

What can beat the excitement of travelling. From the moment, start looking for a destination to go, my life gets brighter. Having something to look for is like unwrapping a Christmas present.

Anywhere I go, actual value of money is different. I feel richer in some countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.. but certainly not in many European countries. in Switzerland, all we could afford was stuff on sales in local supermarkets. Value of money that we earn and have can be easily ignored unless we travel. knowing the real value of money opens opportunities and life options that can be extremely useful for our future decisions.

zźAs we travel more often, size of our luggage gets smaller and lighter. I still remember that our first trip to Europe, our luggage was ridiculously big and heavy. Trip for 2 weeks in bali doesn't require too many stuff any more.Travel teaches me how to live simple life and how good to have less.

Travel with loved ones is simply the best way to get closer to each other. Spending time and experiencing memorable moments together is priceless. Trust me.Travelling is one of the main reasons how we can be still like honeymooners after 13 years of being together.

What I actually wanted to say was my undeniable excitement but as usual I talked more than necessary. All I want to say to you is go travel and enjoy your life. Because it is worthy. It doesn't seem to be real that I will have dinner in Bali when I am sitting in th office in Sydney at the moment but it is just amazing to imagine myself in Bali tonight. How good is that!!!

Stress Can Kill You

Last weekend, my husband and I had a nice catch-up time with a couple who had a long weekend trip together a couple of weeks ago. As we live very close to each other and share similar views on many things, we have been together quite often recently. Having time together with them has been always great pleasure to us. Our friendship has been grown up very naturally as what they
have been through in Australia is very similar to ours (both of them are immigrants from overseas as well). So, when they said that they wanted to come over for a chat, we welcomed them delightfully.

We started with sharing information about properties that we have been looking for and continued our conversation throughout the dinner, and we had noticed that there was something wrong between the couple. Ms was constantly on warrior mood and Mr was trying hard to save his last vane. Ms looked like completely stressed out and Mr looked like totally exhausted by depending himself. The last position we wanted to be on our precious weekend night would be in between family battle zone but it was already unavoidable and all we could do was smoothing the situation. 

The reason of the clash was very simple. Ms was very much stressed, Ms was very anxious and Ms was very irritated. Her un-understandable behaviour became totally understandable at the end of our conversation. Recently, she has
been having a very stressful time at work. New job, new position, deadlines, unachievable target, annoying managers, intolerable pressure, etc…. (Welcome to the normal work life Ms!). Returning to workforce from the long break stresses her too much and she seemed to look for a punch bag (=Mr) in order to release the dreadful stress.     

 

The main point I want to tell you is, ‘Stress can kill you.’ Stress can kill not only you but also your family who loves and supports you the most. Stress can kill your precious life and can poison your happiness. So, don’t let it overrule you and your life.

Below tips are how I could beat my stress that invaded my life for two and half years and made me mentally and also physically sick. I would like to share them with someone who is having a stressful time at the moment (especially, my friend Ms).

 

 

Keep being positive: I know it is hard but you have got to try to be positive. Whenever negative thoughts and worries come to your mind, you need to push them away. Our mind is vulnerable but it is also unbelievably strong and powerful. Allow yourself to switch on your strong mind and let it lead you to get through this hard time. All will be just fine. Reading out positive affirmations (e.g. Life is good. All is well. I am at peace etc…) and being with positive people will definitely help you out. Be positive! 

 

 

 

 

 

Do exercise: Here you go again… I know I cannot stop talking about exercise but it worked to me and I know it will work to you. I still remember the first day I went back to the gym. I was jumping and crying at the same time. I didn’t know that I had energy to overcome the stressful time as I was totally knocked down by the miserable circumstances. However, I found out that I was wrong while I was out of breath and sweating all over the body.  I realized that I certainly had a will and energy to make the situation better. Exercise can help you to stop returning back to negative thoughts again and again. Healthy mind can be only built on healthy body. I believe that doing exercise is a sign of loving yourself and loving yourself will empower you to win the battle.

 

Take a break: Having a break to get a distance from the current situation is very helpful. It wouldn’t make the problems smaller or disappeared but your approaches can be more reasonable and favourable. When you push yourself too hard, you can easily miss the key point and make outcome worsen. You need a break to see the situation properly. Very often, you will be pleasantly surprised that the problems were not that serious as you thought.Plan a holiday with your loved ones. If time doesn’t allow you for a long trip, take a short trip to relax your mind and recharge yourself.

 

 

Do what you like to do: Think about what you like doing the most, what you make yourself happy and, just do it. I like painting pictures, writing blogs, walking along the beaches and having a long run.  These things relax me as they allow me to be close to my inner self. I am a person who cannot sit still, who makes people feel dizzy (according to my husband’s brave description) but I become a totally different person when I paint. I truly enjoy the time of my own. Doing what you like to do will allow you to experience tremendous pleasure and the feeling will ease your stress. 

 

Let it go: I know you do your best to solve the problems and manage the difficult situations. However, there are always things beyond our control. All we have to do it let them go. Do not blame yourself or try to think what you should have done. It wouldn’t help any better but only stresses and depresses you more. What is the point then? As I experienced, it is not easy to erase problems from our mind but it is VERY important to TRY ‘let go’. If you don’t empty your mind, you cannot cheer up yourself. When you let it go, you will realise that your life is still full of goodies.

I hope my tips can help anyone needs to release stress (especially my friend Ms). When I was having a stressful time, I felt extremely lonely even though my lovely husband supported me as much as he could. I thought that I was the only one who suffered the most. Please remember that no one is completely happy always and many people are having a difficult time as you are. You are not alone. Take hands from people around you who are always ready to help and support. However, please remember that who can take the first step to help you is only ‘YOU’.

 

 

 

 

Money on the street?

Do you know you can find money on the street?

 

What would you do if you find a $100 dollar note on the street? I guess most of us would look around first (just in case anyone is looking at us) and quickly pick up the note, and smile. Am I right?

 

How about an old fridge standing on the street that is signed “Free and Working”?

 

When we were heading home from the beach after a regular Sunday walk, my husband saw an old fridge standing on a foot path with a note “Free and working”. As a frugal couple (as you might know already), we decided not to leave the money standing there. We stopped our hatch back car next to the foot path and squeezed the fridge into our car. This was not the first time we have found a treasure on the street so both of us knew what to do and took the action straightaway as followed.

 

·        Working? : We switched on and put some water bottles in the fridge/freezer to find out whether it was actually working or not. Yes, it was working!

·        Saleable? : We cleaned the fridge inside for a prospective customer and took some photos including the label that contains additional information. Ready to sell.

·        Marketing? : My husband uploaded the photos with simple advertisement comments on the local ‘FREE’ online classifieds site.

·        Waiting? : Waiting for a right customer. Many people inquired about the Ad but most of them didn’t take any further actions (ring, ask, and never turn up… very silly but exceptionally normal.).

·        Right price? : We put the price higher at the beginning and gradually reduced as per the responses.

 

Finally, a guy turned up with a sports car and looked at the fridge, and wanted to pay the agreed price. My smart husband offered a delivery (as it was quite close to our place and as obviously his car cannot carry even a single chair) with extra $40. We put the fridge into our hatch back one more time and delivered it to him, and made $170 including delivery. It sounds not bad, doesn’t it?

 

I have spoken like that I had involved a lot in the process but most of them were done by my husband who is very good in selling things. He sells whatever he finds even broken things. Amazing thing I have found from his selling is there will be always a buyer whatever he tries to sell. One of the memorable selling experiences is a TV stand that we found on the street (Council Clean-up) and used for more than 5 years, and sold for $100. My husband sells not only thing found from the street. He regularly cleans up our storage and tries to sell old things that we don’t use any longer. Selling the unwanted things can help us to keep less stuff in the house and also cover our future expenses by the useful cash.

 

I know many people would like the second part of this event (Earning money) and being reluctant to do the first part (Carrying, cleaning, advertising, negotiating and delivering), and decide ‘better not to bother’. However, I hope you remember that there is unchangeable fact that nothing is for free. We are happy to put little bit of efforts to get extra money which could be ignored. Honestly, we are financially very sound. I know some people would (did) ask us why we do this kind of extra (non-necessary) work (efforts) for the little money when we don’t have any problem with money. The answer is simple.

 

Why not? What can be the problem with making money on the stuff which is not useful to someone but can be useful to others? When we voluntarily exchange our precious life to work in order to make money (Money = Life), every single dollar is valuable to me and I think it would be ridiculous to ignore the chance to make money.

 

Our attitude toward money and frugal lifestyle keep us financially independent. I have noticed that many people don’t want to talk about money as if it would make them look down (and down, and down…). Many people think that buying good value stuff on sale, talking about savings, picking up things from outside and reuse, and living on a simple budget do not make them look better. However, what is ‘Better’? Do you really think buying stuff by credit cards (debts) and live pay cheque to pay cheque but having more stuff is better than living frugally and having financial independence? It is all up to you.

 

Don’t I feel embarrassed? I used to be. When I was an international student, I had to get many stuff from the council clean-ups. Buying expensive stuff was simply unaffordable as I had to pay school fees (over $2,000 per subject) on the top of my living cost (living in Sydney is tough). I felt quite uncomfortable to be shown to others that I cannot afford to buy them then. However, funny enough now when I really can afford to buy anything I want, I don’t feel embarrassed to low my living standard. I am proud of our attitude on money and spending habits. Also, being free from others’ perspectives is truly wonderful.

 

I am not saying that you need to look around to find stuff to sell. What I want to say is we need to rethink about value of money and treat the money more thoughtfully. Don’t forget how big part of your life is being spent at work for getting the money. Waste money is same as wasting our lifetime.

 

I am glad to know that the fridge is serving someone and we made a pocket money from the simple extra effort. If there is something ‘Free & Working’, definitely, we will do it again.