Most FIRE stories begin with a revelation — a book, a blog post, a number that changed everything. Mine began with something quieter. A habit. A discipline. A decision made at 22 that I kept making, year after year, without fully realising where it was taking me.
I am a CPA. I spent decades understanding money professionally — balance sheets, cash flows, financial statements. But what actually got me to Financial Independence at 49 had nothing to do with sophisticated strategies or insider knowledge. It was something far simpler. And far more available to you than you might think.
It started before I knew what FIRE was
When I started working at 22, nobody told me about the FIRE movement. There was no grand plan, no spreadsheet with a target retirement date. There was simply a deeply held belief — instilled early — that you save what you earn, and you live on the rest.
So that is what I did. Consistently, quietly, for two decades.
I was not earning an extraordinary salary. I was not lucky with investments. I was just disciplined. I saved consistently and I avoided the trap that catches most high earners — lifestyle creep. As my income grew, my expenses did not grow to match it. By the later stages of my career, I was saving roughly 50% of my income. Not because I was depriving myself. But because I had never gotten used to spending everything I earned.
The properties that changed everything
At 36, I purchased my first investment property in Singapore. Three years later, the loan was fully paid off. That same year, I put down a deposit on a second property — and spent the next six years paying off 80% of it.
For six years, I had two properties rented out simultaneously. Every dollar of rental income was channelled deliberately — into bonds, CPF top-ups through voluntary housing refunds, and equities in both the Singapore and US markets.
This is the part most people overlook. It was not just about buying property. It was about what I did with the income those properties generated. I did not spend it. I reinvested it, systematically, into assets that would generate even more income. Rental income became dividend income. Dividend income compounded quietly over years.
The CPF piece that most Singaporeans underestimate
As a Singaporean, I had one significant advantage that I used deliberately — my CPF.
Voluntary contributions to CPF SA (Special Account) earn a guaranteed 4% interest per year and are completely tax-free. I did not make additional cash top-ups — I simply left my SA to compound naturally through my regular mandatory contributions over the years. The compounding effect over two decades is significant. In 2022, I also made voluntary housing refunds on my properties, returning CPF funds I had withdrawn back into my account to earn interest again. It is one of the most underused wealth-building tools available to Singaporeans
The moment I realised I was done
At 49, after six years with a company I deeply valued, I was laid off. Within a month I found a new role. But something had shifted. I quickly realised I was not a good fit — for the organisation, or for the version of myself that kept showing up to earn a salary.
So I left. And this time, I decided not to go back.
By then, the rental income from my properties and returns from my investment portfolio were enough to cover my daily expenses — including the cost of caring for my elderly parents. Twenty-seven years of consistent saving and investing had quietly done their work.
I had reached Financial Independence without ever having set it as a formal goal.
What this means for you
You do not need to have started at 22. You do not need to own two properties. You do not need a CPA qualification.
What you need is a clear picture of where your money goes, a commitment to saving a meaningful percentage of what you earn, and a plan for putting that money to work in assets that generate income.
If you are in your 40s or 50s and wondering whether it is too late — it is not. The compounding that happens in the decade before retirement can be extraordinary if you start now and stay consistent.
Here is what I would suggest as your starting point:
- Get clear on your net worth. Know your assets, your liabilities, and the gap between them. This is your financial baseline.
- Review your CPF strategy. Are you making voluntary top-ups? Are you optimising your SA? If not, this is one of the highest-return moves available to a Singaporean investor.
- Identify your passive income potential. Rental income and dividends were my two pillars. What could yours be?
- Track your savings rate. Not just what you save, but what percentage of your income you save. This single number, more than almost anything else, determines how quickly you reach financial freedom.
Twenty-seven years of quiet consistency was enough for me. Whatever your timeline, the principles are the same.
Start. Stay consistent. Let time do the work.
— Eunice
My Fifty Freedom | Build the wealth that buys back your time