just went thru these pages and for christ's sakes dun fight in one thread please

like just PM each other, or meet in real life's kopitiam or starbucks to discuss constructively

LYN's interface is so outdated already and not like reddit where you can reply to one's comment and hide all the replies, I'm sure those two takau here knew that

keep repeating the same non-nutritive context for one million times won't help each others and is just a waste of time for the other people following this thread, go to the OG reddit thread and debate with smarter minds over there please

This post has been edited by Melvin117: Sep 20 2018, 02:26 PM

I'm still in my 20s but am fortunate enough to have a decent family background and have the chance to travel around the world already.

I was hooked when I first discovered the FI/RE or FF concept but I have discovered that this isn't really for young folks.

I do agree that we should go traveling as soon as possible cause that experience and exposure will have added value on us and help with our holistic developments. The same with using branded-but-not luxury stuffs (some branded stuffs are just household brands in the west but frankly we're too poor to afford them).

I would generalise it as my generation is exposed to decent living standard now thanks to the internet age. it's really hard for us to live frugally when we are already struggling to afford literally any property or even a decent car.

Then we are going back to the arguement "is travelling a boost to our personal skills or just a pure enjoyment".

That would be a 1000 words essay and I'll just state that I'm on the stand that travelling is good for self-development. It does in fact helped in my interviews, made me stand out in during my peers during working and let me have different views on investment per se.

Those are the points which make a person more valuable, higher pay and able to see opportunities and dodge risks. (actually made gains in bitcoins and sold everything before the peak and didn't go in like everyone else during the peak again)

This simply makes a person, i.e. me, to simply accumulate income faster.


Of course, my type of "travelling" involves a few weeks and a deep look in the culture of the locals, not just pure an insta-taking session like those "one week 3-5 euro countries" trip. Those are for me, pure waste of money and nothing to gain other than exhaustion and a great hit on the bank esp with our garbage exchange rate.

NGL internet gives a lot of info nowadays but something is just unobtainable without visiting the spot.

I'll just try to put down a few things here:
1. Switzerland: can you imagine a place where people can live with their easy-going life harmony yet the whole place is being run beautifully? (Japan is not easy-going life harmony lmao)
2. Northern Europe in a general: people can actually close shop at 5 and not work on weekends and yet still live like saints!
3. China and Japan: business means working 2-10 of the workload of a normal white human, and that's how we Asian become ultra successful in so short of time
4. every european country other than italy and france: man Malaysia is just good man cheap food 24/7 insya'Allah
5. Italy and France: culture is good stuffs and one definitely can make money while maintaining them

These might not be something significant to you but all these times spent definitely shaped me, or some parts of me!
And of course travelling is fun, ain't gonna deny that

I'll just say you are yet to pay a visit to somewhere significant, go travel more！

p/s: add one more

6. europeans dont give a shit about luxuries(LV, blueberry and Chanel) unless they are realllllly rich and from upper class, and always curious what's wrong it is with Asian

This post has been edited by Melvin117: Dec 19 2018, 04:26 PM

Well, first thing is that I can see things you guys couldn't see from all the things I have listed

Experience and exposure are stuffs one couldn't value with monetary terms yet having unlimited potentials.

It's the same thing about sending kids to overseas for higher education I'll say (having received one myself)


Wayyyy more than that and these two are the obvious ones ofc.

Useful for networking too

This post has been edited by Melvin117: Dec 20 2018, 10:15 AM

Basic assumption gained from people downright denying the good side of travelling tbf.
Even I as a strong supporter of the statement only mentioned it does help in soft skills, character building and such, not the direct monetary effects.

For interviews, it's all about the wow factor and the display of a person's character and leadership and skills.
While applying for top jobs or decent companies(MNCs for me), applicants are usually sharing a similar set of skills and abilities. It's the individual's characteristics that will make the difference here and I would just say the exposure gained from travelling definitely helps.

For business opportunities, it's more apparent. Seeing something that we don't have here in overseas and just bring it here? Let it be goods, concepts, or just an idea or MLM. Definitely not fresh news.

Networking, well, of course, a more knowledgeable person will be more popular, have more kinds of stuff to talk and you know, more chances for everything if the person can capitalise on it.
And not only sales could be gained, investment ideas, and most importantly, relationships that makes networking so important.
This aspect shines so much in the job listed in my signature.


Truth to be told the free trips were really meh (only got those that went to and go to China lmao), and even for those to Europe and other decent places, those were no different than following traditional travel group

Only good for marketing and let the company and agent feel good and free

I have travelled all over Europa and other decent places with the way I want (weeks long, full immersion on culture and conventional life) with my money mainly (some earned from doing insurance business)

And you're wrong, most people actually do read the policies, just not detailed enough to go through like 20-30 pages of them

It's not a direct effect like I have said, it's subtle, it's soft skills, it's all about character building


Really sound financial view and advice over there!


Hey, I wrote a part of what I want to express in the top part of this reply. Please give my reply to @tippman a read first yeah

Remember my sixth point listed on what can be seen from travelling?

Luxuries are not important. Buy stuffs which are essentials. But don't cheap out.
Like Ikea. Like decent clothes from Uniqlo. Like a good leather bag that lasts forever with no brand. Discounted.

Small stuffs like this lead me to think about cutting commitments in long run. It's all subtle changes.

My goal is not to retire early but build up a business that can sustain itself by the time I need free time to spend with my family (I'm actually below thirties , have inherited properties from my parents' legacies but for my goal, I'm still a decade away from making my business into what I want it to be)
IDM working for 9-5 as long as not whole day like the bulk of business owners in Malaysia, you know, like those start-ups

Books and people will tell you travelling is a waste of money and I do agree that travelling at old age will be truly waste of money (it's a luxury by the very definition)

Travelling when one is still building or working on something, however, will give the person a boost, however light it is.
Some trips are just fun, but some trips are truly soul-searching and open one's eyes to perceive stuff differently. And I think these characteristics are what make top talents and entrepreneurs stand out among normal people, and lead to big bucks (if that's the goal).

All I say is, in one's capacity, go travel as much as one can!
Ain't persuading you people to travel like rock stars, and ofc careful planning is required.

This post has been edited by Melvin117: Dec 20 2018, 12:36 PM