How it all started?
Today, I am going to tell you a story, a story of my investment journey. How it all started? First, let me introduce myself. I am Software Engineer by profession based out of Pune in India working in an MNC.
My Family consists of me, my wife, our six yesr old son and my father. I recently lost my mother.
So, coming back to my story, I always lived a disciplined life with typical Indian middle class values. I guess this is the most important attribute for becoming a decent investor. Completed my engineering and got a decent job. A software job was chosen as it was ensuring good and regular cash flows,in the form of salary. Once in the job, like every one else, I felt like a free bird and I wasn't aware of "i" of investing. I was spending freely without tracking any expenses, not doing any budgeting and not caring where my money was going.
Then, bought a house in Pune. The year was 2008. The world was in the middle of economic crisis and I had taken a home loan which had a tenure of 25 years and I was paying EMI equivalent to half of my salary. Also took a few traditional policies to save taxes. I was a bachelor then and my father had just retired. Father had pension so I had no dependents back then. I remember my then boss cautioned me about the risk that I was taking. Looking back, it was indeed a huge risk. But fortunately nothing bad happened.
Next, got married. The honeymoon period of one year went away rapidly and we were finding it difficult to run the house with our existing cash flows. This is when, I started tracking my expense pattern. I was also trying to increase my earnings. Fortunately I got a new job. With the increased cash flow due to increase in earnings, it was reversion to mean and we continued with our life style and spending habits. I remember tracking the stock market and buying some stocks based on tips from office colleagues and the brokering institute. But, without any understanding.
Soon, the good news arrived and we were blessed with a baby boy, the year was 2013.
We were all very happy. For me, it felt as an added sense of responsibility towards my son and like every parent I felt like my son should have access to best of everything that this world has to offer.
The Trigger
My son was one month old. The date was 9th December 2013. It was a weekday and I was doing household chorus with my wife. I was using a mixer grinder. The lid of the mixer grinder was not fixed properly and when I started the mixer grinder, the lid suddenly opened. By reflex action, I tried closing the lid with my left hand which was placed on top of the lid and within a fraction of seconds three fingers of my left hand were chopped off. All hell broke loose. Me and my wife rushed to the hospital and the doctor immediately operated on me. They were able to restore two fingers, but, first digit of my left index finger was amputated.
The Aftermath
This sudden event came as a shock to me and my family. I was experiencing risk first hand. Me being lefty, I was skeptical about how will I write? In fact, I even tried writing with my other hand while in hospital. A realization dawned upon me that risk exists everywhere and can manifest itself when one least expects it. With home loan still running and having responsibility of a newborn, I felt my family future shaky. Never before in my life I was so vulnerable. I vowed that I will do everything under my capacity to change things.
The Change
I think you are a summation of your experiences in life.The above event marked as changing point in my life. Fortunately, I escaped narrowly and am able to do almost all the things, including writing and driving. It could have been a lot worst.
From that day, I decided to pursuit FI (financial independence) so that I would never face such situation again in future. Over six years have passed, and each day I try to learn something new. Today I can safely say that I have firm foundation to FI.
What is my take on FI ?
How I started setting my finances right?
These are topics on which I will write my subsequent posts.
Hope you liked my story.
Please do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
My Family consists of me, my wife, our six yesr old son and my father. I recently lost my mother.
So, coming back to my story, I always lived a disciplined life with typical Indian middle class values. I guess this is the most important attribute for becoming a decent investor. Completed my engineering and got a decent job. A software job was chosen as it was ensuring good and regular cash flows,in the form of salary. Once in the job, like every one else, I felt like a free bird and I wasn't aware of "i" of investing. I was spending freely without tracking any expenses, not doing any budgeting and not caring where my money was going.
Then, bought a house in Pune. The year was 2008. The world was in the middle of economic crisis and I had taken a home loan which had a tenure of 25 years and I was paying EMI equivalent to half of my salary. Also took a few traditional policies to save taxes. I was a bachelor then and my father had just retired. Father had pension so I had no dependents back then. I remember my then boss cautioned me about the risk that I was taking. Looking back, it was indeed a huge risk. But fortunately nothing bad happened.
Next, got married. The honeymoon period of one year went away rapidly and we were finding it difficult to run the house with our existing cash flows. This is when, I started tracking my expense pattern. I was also trying to increase my earnings. Fortunately I got a new job. With the increased cash flow due to increase in earnings, it was reversion to mean and we continued with our life style and spending habits. I remember tracking the stock market and buying some stocks based on tips from office colleagues and the brokering institute. But, without any understanding.
Soon, the good news arrived and we were blessed with a baby boy, the year was 2013.
We were all very happy. For me, it felt as an added sense of responsibility towards my son and like every parent I felt like my son should have access to best of everything that this world has to offer.
The Trigger
My son was one month old. The date was 9th December 2013. It was a weekday and I was doing household chorus with my wife. I was using a mixer grinder. The lid of the mixer grinder was not fixed properly and when I started the mixer grinder, the lid suddenly opened. By reflex action, I tried closing the lid with my left hand which was placed on top of the lid and within a fraction of seconds three fingers of my left hand were chopped off. All hell broke loose. Me and my wife rushed to the hospital and the doctor immediately operated on me. They were able to restore two fingers, but, first digit of my left index finger was amputated.
The Aftermath
This sudden event came as a shock to me and my family. I was experiencing risk first hand. Me being lefty, I was skeptical about how will I write? In fact, I even tried writing with my other hand while in hospital. A realization dawned upon me that risk exists everywhere and can manifest itself when one least expects it. With home loan still running and having responsibility of a newborn, I felt my family future shaky. Never before in my life I was so vulnerable. I vowed that I will do everything under my capacity to change things.
The Change
I think you are a summation of your experiences in life.The above event marked as changing point in my life. Fortunately, I escaped narrowly and am able to do almost all the things, including writing and driving. It could have been a lot worst.
From that day, I decided to pursuit FI (financial independence) so that I would never face such situation again in future. Over six years have passed, and each day I try to learn something new. Today I can safely say that I have firm foundation to FI.
What is my take on FI ?
How I started setting my finances right?
These are topics on which I will write my subsequent posts.
Hope you liked my story.
Please do share your thoughts in the comments section below.
What an interesting read! Thoroughly enjoyed reading your story Atul! Very few people are willing to share their learnings for others' benefits for free,thank you very much! Looking forward to read more of your writings. Please keep it up, all the best!
ReplyDeleteThank you for kind words. :)
Delete