Author: smartandpracticalparenting

My son and husband were putting the weights for our entry car for the pinewood derby in cub scouts…

Husband: just because you won last year doesnt mean you will win again this year….

Son: i know that of course…You are not suppose to be negative about it… You dont get what you want, you get what you expect…

I was really shocked as to how my son handled it and i also didnt expect him to say ” you dont get what you want, you get what you expect”

Maybe my son is right because he actually won again this year and we were all happy and surprised except him of course….

I have been working with the profession that i graduated for 16 years. I am passionate on my dream to retire in 2 years. I am starting this talk today to document my journey to achieve this goal. My long term dream is to be able to homeschool and travel at the same time. To be able to go to places that we discuss in the homeschool curriculum. 

It has been said multiple times by famous people that if you claim it, it will happen. Therefore, i am claiming to retire in 2 years and you will be my witness. You will be part in my journey. It is my hope and dream that because i am putting it in a blog, my journey would be an inspiration to others who thinks its impossible. We can work on this goal together and be an encouragement to each other to achieve.

So, to start with, i keep on imagining myself with my family and picturing this dream.

# thanks for reading, till next blog#

My son said to me one day while i was reading a book about finance…

Son: mom, to be financial free doesnt mean you have a lot of money only. 

I: that is true, because if you continue to spend and there is no money coming in, you will be broke in time…

Son: true…what you need is a cashflow just like the cashflow game…

I: correct! Oh my, you think like an adult

After being in North America for so many years, my parents finally agreed to visit us for a few months. One day, my son asked me…

Son: mom, arent grandpa and grandma going to work anymore?

I: no son, they dont go to work anymore, they are already retired …

Son: you mean, they are financially free already? Wow! Must be great to be free.

I: i wish that was true, they are retired from work son…but that doesn’t mean they are financially free…

Son: ah, ok..i thought they are…i thought you would be financially free after working so many years…

I: no, that is not so…to be financially free, you have to plan well…you work smart not hard…

I work 40 hours a week but i only work 4 days. One day, while i was making a budget, i was in deep thought, my son was observing me and out of the blue, he said…

son: i wish we are financially free

i: amen! (i didnt know what to say at that time because i was surprise by this comment)

son: if we are fiancially free, you would not be spending much time doing that, you would be playing with baby and i and we wouldnt be thinking much about spending..

i: true, but even if we became fiancially free, we still have to have a budget because that is the right thing to do, you need to know where the money goes. You need also to make sure, you put money to help other people…

son: yeah, i know…that is for the charity… You need to give back to others and to God, the blessings He gave to us. Financially free or not, you have to do that…

i: thank you son…you made me so happy…im glad you understand the value of charity.

One day while my son was learning how to bike he said..

son: i am scared to fall

i: its ok to be scared and to fall…you can just get up then try again

son: i know i know, i also know that in order for me to learn something, sometimes i need to fail a lot of times… its just like learning how to play chess, every time i lose, i learn a new strategy…

i: yes, you are right.

son: i also know that it is always hard in the beginning  but as you try and try and push through…it gets easier each time…

I celebrated our mothers day at Niagara falls with my family and my mom and dad. It was one of our memorable moments being up close to one of the wonders of the world— the Niagara Falls.

Just like the Niagara falls, our love for our mother is one of the most precious experience on earth. It is one of those love that is hard to explain in words.

While at the boat, my son said…

son: please do be careful…i dont want you to slip especially on mother’s day. I love you so much. I want you to have a very enjoyable mother’s day.

He told me happy mother’s day at least 10 times today — since i woke up, up until we were at the falls, at the bathroom, at the restaurant, at the car and even up until going to bed.

It is the best mother’s day ever… (hope all the mother’s have/had one too)