The Rat year. How apt. What a better year than the Rat year to start considering entering the rat race of the ever-pragmatic Singaporean society and hoping to find a way out (think Cashflow, the boardgame).

Imagine you wanting to get married, have a car and a HDB flat by the age of 30. Well, I'm 25 this year so its 5 more years to go. Marriage will cost roughly $10,000 in unrecoupable costs (honeymoon, wedding pictures, car rental and what not; only the dinner's covered by angbaos), you'll probably need a 10k down for a decent car or thereabouts, and a HDB flat would probably need around 30k down or so. That puts you in for 50k in downpayments for an average university graduate's lifestyle.

Add to that holidays, new computers/handphones/gadgets, dental and doctor fees, indulgences, daily expenditure on food and water, new clothes and what not, and you are looking at a hefty sum of money.

So, assuming that I have 50 months left to being 30 (which is around there). Even with a monthly income of $5k AFTER tax, I need 10 months alone just to cough up the downpayments. Then you needa consider a car's monthly payments, flat payments, a little extra on the wedding, a new iPod, a PS3, a new computer, extracting your last wisdom tooth, insurance and what not. How about some monthly savings, contributions to your parents, bills bills and more bills to pay?

It ain't funny. There's alot to plan ahead and to prepare, to brace yourself. We could all start today and make sure that in 5 years time, we wouldn't be mired in debt and with no way out. Or we could just live off the credit card and lament about being broke in 5 years time. It really isn't a joking matter.

So rat. Rat race. Who loves working to death and being bored about waking up on Monday mornings? I don't. But that's alot more acceptable than being debt-ridden and held down by all your committments, just because someone told you that you should tour the world while you are young. By that same logic I should get myself a Ferrari since I'm young, as I'm not gonna appreciate fast cars that much when I'm old too. Only that we don't all have the ability to pick up a Ferrari.

Nope, Chinese New Year gui Chinese New year, the days ahead aren't gonna be all fun and games. Lotsa hard work and toiling to be done, and now is a good time as ever to actually be prepared to deal with it. A quarter of a century old already; what's your plan for the next quarter?