I think I also falls into the same frugality trap cos am still sticking with my monthly spending budget set like 5 years ago. It is a very comfortable budget... but it is no where near my own advice of 3 to 4% wr. I should really up my wr to a healthier number.
Maybe 1Q2026 up budget by 20% to account for cny... and then Q2 up another 10%... each quarter up 10% until reach 3% wr.

on a side note, thanks to taco T, i've been taking advantage of the high vol in the options market. managed to print decent avg 40K rm every month since apr liberalization month. 100% success rate despite the roller coaster ride. I wonder how long this can last and should this "income" also be factored in spending budget?
(I definitely cannot say I am retired anymore cos this activity does take up daily attention and time, albeit a small amt of time)

definitely due to the high vol... it was only due to this that I dare to dabble a bit in this kind of activities... plus only after April 2025...
but who knows... a big part of the high vol is due to trump.. so can last 3 years?


edit: looks like the party continues after yday's nvda announcement... but I feel its wiser to be more prudent moving forward... should be cutting my short term options risk by half... market feels too complacent...

That said, the Fed put is still much alive... (bubble is still bubbling)...


This post has been edited by Wedchar2912: Nov 20 2025, 08:21 PM

Just sharing from experience, for awareness.

A 2.4% WR sits right at the very conservative end of what most people consider a normal swr range.
Traditionally the benchmark is 4%, but newer research indicates the realistic band at 3 to 5%, depending on context. (Worth google search a bit for independend reading... plenty of good material out there.)

Of course, if someone prefers a conservative WR and sleeps better with it, nothing wrong there.

But just to give some feel:

1m at 2.4% → 2k pm (feels very tight for a millionaire rite?)
10m at 2.4% → 20k pm (still feels tight for someone with that net worth)
20m at 2.4% → 40k pm (less tight?)
50m at 2.4% → 100k pm

You’ll notice something funny:
People with more money could comfortably adopt a higher wr… but ironically they often don’t increase their spending.
Meanwhile those with less might actually need a slightly higher wr just to make life practical.

Just some perspective from the trenches.

Actually, if really risk adverse... Just throw everything into epf. 10m in epf and boh chap already. Especially if at a old age like 50 and above.

Turn off all social media and ignore the parliament noise. Everyday take out 1000rm and spend that... Life is simple.

Note: everyone else not lazy, there are safe ways to generate income with 10m.

Read the context and one should know which grouping one wants to be in.

Some really wants to be lazy in retirement. No harm.
Some wants to double or triple one's networth while in retirement. No harm too.

Lol.

Edit: was too direct in my first reply. Haha.

This post has been edited by Wedchar2912: Nov 21 2025, 05:19 PM

At gym... It's not messy if you read it again.

Then again, patience towards those not yet fired... Is good.

are we talking about banks giving anyone a loan to purchase a property without financial documentations or support?
which bank so kind?

Life gives us 90 diamonds : the early 20 blur, the last 20 uncertain, but the middle shine brightest if used wisely.

Of cos... Very correct...

Me just assuming all of us deserve 90 diamonds... Also assuming we all are lucky....

I think one solution is by the time one reach 80 yo and still alive, just set the wr to 10% of whatever outstanding wealth one has (after distributing any inheritance one wish to bestow away).
If by 90 still alive, set wr to 15%.

What does everyone think of this idea?
It's a plan I think I may put in place when I reach 80... If still alive of course.

sorry, i find this story interesting and hope you don't mind I ask some question to get a bit of clarity.

he is 78 today, so he told you the story when he was 55 at retirement age?

he had 9m back in 2002 or today?
at 78, his kids also 50 thereabout now rite?

I like your "Nice T20 life until 75, then frugal like Ramjade till dead" sentiment/idea...
If things go according to plan, the frugal phase is short anyway. And honestly, by that age, I think most people are perfectly happy to rest on their laurels and slow things down.

That’s roughly the kind of framework I was thinking about too — more of a sliding withdrawal rate that changes with age, instead of one fixed number forever.

Something along the lines of:
40 to 55: set wr between [3 to 4]
55 to 60: set wr between [3.5 to 4.5]
60 to 70: set wr between [4.5 to 6]
70 to 75: set wr between [6 to 8]
75 to 80: set wr between [8 to 10]
80 to 90: set wr between [10 to 10]
90 to __: set wr between [15 to 20 ]


The key idea is that the withdrawal rate keeps rising, but the spending budget (for that year) is always calculated as:
WR × net worth at the start of the year, and you recalc this every year.

So on paper, 10% sounds huge — but in reality it’s 10% of whatever net worth is left at, say, age 83.

And yeah… your idea also means you’ll be thinking of Ramjade when you hit 75.... lol

Ah... Diff is that atok has the resources of a whole country's healthcare system to cater to his needs... Plus the alleged 40b wealth.

He sneeze only they admit him at IJN. You difficult to get such treatment.