KLCI up 6 points ... another very busy morning with classes, resting now ... checking facebook-email while waiting for another 4 hours of classes!!

I was talking to 3 colleagues(R, P and V) while having lunch with them. It is a rare occasion that I took lunch with my colleagues as I am always in the rush. But ... a change is nice. So, our basic topic is our SALARY. Of coz I initiated the conversation ... into financial, rather than wasting time talking about movies or such?

Anyway, we are in the topic of 'coping' with lives with our 'small' salary ... yes, we have to do part-time. We have to give tuitions after working hours. Not all teachers/lecturers giving tuition .. some of them want 'free time', some more well-to-do, some of them not good enough(new and inexperienced).

It is not easy to have family these days ... R is a married Indian lady, sending her only girl to a private school, costing around RM12k per year. The kinder is around RM6k per year. I am sending my girl to the current kinder, costing R4.5k per year. So, we were telling P, who is just married and young at 30. If we are to be "happy enough" with our meagre salary, then ... when we have kid(s), the burden will be too much for us to take. I do not spend money on myself much ... it is for the kids!!

Anyway, the messages we gave the two young ones, P and V, are to SAVE and INVEST when you are young. Do not wait till we have kids ... into late 30s. I am a living example of a 'financially-idiot' lecturer ... just about 7yrs back. If one starts late, expect to work extremely hard to survive ... like me, working from morning till evenings, even during weekends.

Start young ... increase our income. Live as frugal and below our means as possible. Save the extras. And then ... be realistic ... learn to invest.

TEH