2026/10/04: August

August was the month that

didn’t start too good

not again not again

after two smooth sailing months

*

Then I had to be away for 1 nights

during one of the weekdays in mid August

I doubt I will enjoy the short holidays planned

if things were not going well

*

Then one week before the planned break

received a huge volume,

in fact the largest this year

*

The deadline collided with my day-off

so I asked for an extension, just in case

but actually finished it before the day

so I could actually travel work-free

*

And enjoyed the short getaway

without the stress accumulated since

the month started

*

Back home for the last third

worked a little

And landed on the highest since the year started

*

2026/10/04: July

July was like

come on let’s do this

shouldn’t be too bad a month

having gone through the worst

but wait it could be going down again

so don’t get too hopeful

*

Then it turned out not too bad

closed the month with the highest figures since January

which was kinda unbelievable

and also brought back the confidence

to stay on with whatever I am doing right now

*

And managed to keep my spending low

throughout June and July

to prepare for the bigger purchases

and festive spending later this year

*

Made my first “unnecessary” purchase this year

1 mini bag and 3 white tops

while getting rid of 3 old tops

the tops were really good buy

with a cash voucher redeemed via payment app

*

And the excitement felt from unboxing the parcel

overweighed the joy from buying something much pricey

*

So that should mark a smoother journey

for the second half of the year I hope

*

 

2026/09/09: 炊飯

週二 ~ 晴

昨天接了一個項目

交付時間是下午五點

其實也是綽綽有餘

*

早上割了草 有點累

所以小休一下

打算十點半才開始工作

*

怎麽知道 10:20 接到緊急單

下午 1:30 要

啊 這樣時間好像很緊

還是接了吧

*

在等客戶確認時

趕緊投入原先 5 點要交的那個

下午才不會那麽趕

*

這樣就一路開 turbo 模式到下午五點

中間喝了一杯自己調的燕麥巧克力、

一杯即飲穀物飲

加一些 Weet-Bix 和大量的水

*

下班了快手地煮了一碗麵

算是今天的第一餐吧

看《也好吃》

是洪愛珠老師教土鍋煮飯那一集

還有家常滷肉和蝦湯泡飯

*

人有年紀了 真的不行

食物下肚后 是有滿足感

但胃酸也開始秋後算賬

天黑前要運動差點做不下去

*

還是一天一點

慢慢來比較好

*

週三 ~ 雨後晴

在冰箱找到一盒豬肉咖喱

好像是兩天前點外送吃不完的吧

我想把它解決掉

所以要搭配什麽來吃？

*

一人午餐就我通常都不會煮飯

但昨天不是看了老師示範的土鍋煮飯

剛好下午也沒什麽做 時間多的很

*

用了一個通常燉東西或煲湯

才出場的陶瓷鍋

但就上一個人用了沒放回

那我剛好可以用

雖然只是煮 1-2 人份的飯

*

一碗米 7分滿

250 毫升的水

依樣畫葫蘆 來吧

最多失敗了 加水變粥

*

大火 水滾以後 轉小火

鍋蓋蓋上

我記得在讀《老派少女購物路綫》

也是有把這段標記起來的

*

然後在等煮熟的 10 分鐘

就想其實我可以加點蔬菜和調味

不就變成簡易版的炊飯了

*

就很快切了四季豆苗

簡單調味 等飯煮熟了

*

飯熟了 開蓋

如影片所見

水基本乾透 一層薄薄的鍋巴

是粒粒分明的白飯

把四季豆拌進去

上蓋 再悶 10 分鐘

*

驗收成果的時候

是熟了 但硬身的米粒

沒想到不一樣的米 這個方式也行得通

豆也是熟了 不過下次應該炒一下 比較入味

*

淋上咖喱

直接吃 1.5 碗

*

那層薄薄的鍋巴

幸好一刮就起

還有一碗飯 晚餐才想要搭什麽菜

*

週四 ～ 晴轉陰

今天繼續來煲一鍋飯

白米再減少一些

*

然後再煮日式蔬菜咖喱

第一次用蘋果切丁

一半米飯 一半咖喱 

慢慢拌著吃 發現咖喱不夠

沒關係 廚房還有

*

2026/08/23: June

June was the month when..

there was no additional recurring expenses

so I could finally take things easier since day 1

and thankfully no unexpected one-time expenses

by end of the month

*

Work-free weekends all the way

attending local events during Duanwu

and saw a real Dragon boat parked at the river bank

doing family outings during Father’s Day

watching the whole TW Golden Melody Awards

*

countless photos of the cats

before that one decided to leave again, noooo

food food and more food

including visiting our favorite Hakka restaurant

for the very last time(s) before it closed

*

and ended up with not-too-bad huh a month

in fact got the highest figures this year

after all the struggles in the first 5 months

*

started looking at items listed for mid-year sale

but didn’t actually place any order

because I really don’t know what’s waiting ahead

*

2026/07/01: May

May was the month I was finally taking things easier

having survived the checkpoints in

March (1^st quarter) and April (1-third)

why bothered to worry

if you are not ready to make changes anyway

*

But was kinda stressed somehow mid-month

when a good friend invited me for more paid events,

while I was on a tight budget

 

*

This is a good friend I really enjoy hanging out with

so I didn’t want to say no

and that’s no way I wanted to accept the ticket

as some sort of gift

*

so let’s do it

however something happened while I was travelling

on the way to meet up for the first event

heard an interview of a famous photographer, Wing Shya

where he mentioned about taking things easy and enjoy

you gonna make it somehow, financially

*

of course it sounded easy for

someone of that position to said so

but definitely doesn’t apply to nobody like me

*

but that kinda sparked a new idea

instead of feeling stressed about attending events

and not enjoying myself throughout the process

the money was not gonna be refunded anyway

*

So let’s just enjoy and worry later

by the time we finished the first event

and looking forward to the second event by the end of the year

we had secured tickets for the third event

somewhere in the middle

perfect!

*

Did I came back feeling recharged?

Defnitely

Looking forward to the next meet-up?

Can’t wait

*

Things definitely got smoother

or at least I felt so

with the shift in mindset

*

2026/05/31 April

Not gonna lie

did badly in April

but it was the month definitely gonna spend more

with some birthday celebrations

for myself and others in the family

*

But have set aside

a larger sum of passive income

for the expected spike

*

So I am just going to take time to

enjoy the little celebrations

ignoring the sugar intake, giving a treat etc.

*

But did I end up buying anything to treat myself?

no I didn’t

coming back to the plunge which was

just too hard to ignore

*

At the end of the day

a penny saved is a penny earned

that would be the ultimate treat

*

But it turned out to be a wonderful month

since there was less stress from (no) work

thanks to the sum set-aside

*

2026/05/06: March

March was considered the crossroad month

as the year started really bad

if things stayed the same

then that’s the time to make some changes

but who knows what kind of changes

*

And March turned out to be pretty good

good in the sense that

it was not as bad as expected

but not really good per se

*

Ended the month with a short trip

for Sunset Rollercoaster live show

and 2d1n staycation at a friend’s place

and the pair of ticket actually was won

via a contest on radio

*

That really changed everything

more than just the live show itself

like there are still enjoyable things in life

other than the worries, anxieties and more

*

Thanks for treating me good, March

doesn’t sound like something I would say last time

but it really seemed like the light at the end of the tunnel

but not really, at least before April

*

As I was keying in the income vs spending sheets

on the last day of March

wait… there’s still a small surplus

in spite of all the struggles??

*

A small victory to be celebrated

should I give myself a little treat?

no no, thanks for not checking out

that item you never really need

*

2026/04/07: February

February was a month of high spending

festive spending could be so overwhelming

no matter how much I was cutting down on

non-essentials, impulse purchase and self-indulgence

look here’s your long list of must-spends

*

but thank goodness

Lunar New Year was in mid February this year

so there was a good buffering month in January

half of the stuff was bought in back then

*

and had more time to dig cash all over the house

including the mouse holes where Jerry lives

to pack them in Angpao

*

but “let’s think about this after Lunar New Year”

noooo it was a 28-day

saying goodbye to February

with a significant gap between income vs spending

in short with a burnt hole in the pocket

*

with no debt?

okay here’s your pat on the shoulder

and did you have a good time during the season?

yes definitely

*

2026/03/03: January

January was the month

I was trying to convince (deceive) myself

we gonna just take it slow

as things are gonna turn out fine

*

and true enough

wrapped up the month with

a new low similar to January 2025

but more prepared for this

*

having spent the whole year of 2025 at home

finally travelled in January

a 2-night trips to KL

meeting friends with

a sleepover at the birthday girl’s place

*

followed by a 3-night trip again

meeting the same friend again for

a little shopping and bubble tea

which is sort of like an annual ritual for us

before the friend flying back to her city

*

and also a longer trip southbound

to JB and Singapore

which was the first overseas trip since 2020

*

it felt great to travel again

but at the same time weird

as I wasn’t working most of the time

while I was frantically working on something

during travel before Covid

*

great to be going out again

yet can’t wait to be back

to get back to my everyday routine

and of course my cat ready to roll on her back

*

and of course there was this transition from

this quiet year-end Christmas vibe to

all festive Lunar New Year mood

*

but this time round

was more carefully with

holding back on spending

which gave me a “scream emoji” last year

*

2026/02/03: December

December was finally treating me good

with a peak in early December

yet managed to get some good rest

towards the end of the month

*

Like even though it wasn’t exactly a busy year

but there was this feeling of relief that

it’s finally ending

without knowing what’s ahead

*

A quiet Christmas dinner + gift exchange

with a close friend at an old-school restaurant nearby

and the food was surprisingly good

*

Should I move on to do something else next year?

iet’s just leave it to next year

and see the year come to a close

with a carefully balanced income-expenditure sheet

*

A year without any travel

since the meet-ups didn’t happen

until January

*

A year without buying any clothes

with the exception of

2 tops in Jan

3 pairs of shorts in Nov 

2 pairs of sandals in Dec

for replacement purpose

put into immediately use

*

a pat on the shoulder

*

2025/12/31: November

Had a breakdown in mid November

didn’t expect that coming

but glad that it happened, somehow

*

Was working on a challenging task

being not really productive

having spent the whole morning on it

*

Then received an email with

an AI generated report

and additional instructions based on the report

*

Went through the report

SOS I can’t even fully understand the content

not to mention the instructions

*

So I replied with a request to quit the task

because I don’t think I am going to

get it right

*

The person said

will get back to me in one hour

while they discuss it further with the client

*

I guess this kind person

just want to give me some time to cool down

*

So what I did during the one hour break was

entering the amount spent during the sale period

not to my surprise

but someone has to foot the bill right

*

That was the kind of “kick in the butt” moment

decided to continue on

by starting from scratch

incorporating the additional (but reduced) instructions

and spending the next 3 days

completing this task

*

It was tough

but definitely fulfilling

having completed something

you thought you couldn’t have

*

coincidently the final bill from the task

happened to match the

total amount spent on shopping

*

Do I want to do it again in December?

no thanks

even though I would be glad to

earn extra income for festive spending

*

2025/12/19: 平實

往年到了年底會寫回顧

今年好像沒什麼特別的事

*

由於工作逼不得已的轉變

收入銳減、難度提高

一整年都在調整焦慮

*

一年來 沒出遠門 沒買衣

沒出遠門 自然也沒去看演出

一年沒買衣和鞋子

這個真的可以講一下

*

生活中 又好像過得特別充實

擼貓、掃葉子、煮麵、泡茶、運動、看書

好像發現 其實也沒有很焦慮

*

維持這樣的生活

不用追著錢跑

提早實現「微 FIRE」

也沒有很想回到以前那種

沒日沒月在加班

就算出國都捧著電腦的生活

*

但話說回來 也是要感謝當時的自己

才得以看過那些風景

*

2025/12/01: October

When you thought that things couldn’t get worse

but indeed it did in October

recorded the second lowest month since January

the monthly graph was showing a downward trend

since August, with sharp decline since then

like I don’t know anymore

*

but the good things is

had managed to hit the “minimum annual” in September

so… let’s take every hard-earned penny in Q4 as BONUS

*

and I managed to keep my expenditure low

lowest this year

so that I can still buy everyone

a little something nice before Christmas

*

and by doing so

i know what's the mininum surviving fund 

to make it through a month

*

but other than work

i had such a good time

sometimes I had to convince myself that

it’s okay not to feel guilty about

taking my own time

in whatever I am doing

*

sometimes I asked myself:

Are you making ends meet?

Yes, with some self-control

Are you still enjoying your work?

Yes, most of it

Can you see yourself working from 9-5+?

No, not at all

*

so let’s keep going

at least for now

*

2025/11/05: September

there was this week in September

where I got nothing coming in at all

yet I turned down 3 tasks

i was not comfortable handling

*

due to reasons like

unprepared for pre-edited tasks by AI,

unfamiliar scope, tight deadline etc..

*

these reasons might seem like

burying my head in the sand

*

but sometimes

i just have to listen to this gut feeling

no! this is not for you

even though you need the dough

*

things got better towards the end of the month

thank goodness

*

in fact I tried to turn down another task

and this project manager I have known for some time

encouraged me to give it a try

i was given the privilege to take a look

before accepting the task

yes sometimes we don’t

*

i am a part-timer who works

30-50 hours per month

not per week

good luck!!!

*

2025/10/07: August

August was the month

when expectation went further lower

since things weren’t really good

but still managed to make ends meet

and enjoying the moments

for the past few months

*

got a project on a topic I was interested in

and spent 2 weekends delving in

lasted from Friday – Monday

work didn’t feel like work

when it was something of that nature

*

and thank goodness

didn’t hear back from the client

i.e. no negative feedback / revision

*

that was when I realized

this is still something i enjoy doing

even though times are tough

*

having the time

to entertain my worries about what’s next

probably means I am a little too free

*

maybe my cats can give me an idea of

what I need to do more

or maybe not

they probably will tell me to work harder

to buy more treats

*

2025/09/05: July

kicking start July

feeling relieved that

we made it through the first 6 months

so things are going to be okay?

*

but at the back of my mind

there’s also this fear for uncertainties that

what if things take a turn

for the next 6 months

*

added steps which means extra time

small volume after work hours

yes yes yes

bring it on

*

the length I was willing to go

to crawl towards the minimum figures

towards the end of the month

*

at the end of the day

i am more than happy

to keep my personal spending low

by cutting down non-essentials and

one-time expenses

*

that is when I came to realize

there are little pleasures in life

that cost little or nothing

chirping birds, dew-laden grass,

the cats going round and round

waiting for their meals to be served

a bowl of noodle in front of TV during lunch

sun shining through the window

right before sunset

*

it has been a long way

to be right where I am today

and it definitely feels good here

so let’s dive in to live the life

*

2025/08/12: June

Waddled through June

with a challenging project

back and forth

the fear is real

what if I lose the client due to

mishandling of this single project

*

Forget about the extra time and effort spent

just want to get this right

for once and for all

*

Started to grab the pattern

after these months

when to expect a peak and trough

throughout the month

*

Feared for the worst in July

i actually left a few POs

completed, ready for billing

so that I at least have something

to start the third quarter with

*

Towards the end of the month

on a Friday which was a local public holiday

a friend suddenly texted to see if

i want to hang out

*

that is not what we usually do

as we usually meet up on Sunday

but readily said yes

thinking perhaps she wanted to

have a quick catch-up

in the middle of a peak

*

It felt good after that quick session

hope she felt the same

even though that means

falling out with my usual routine

e.g. leaving the cats waiting for their treat until late

almost can’t hit my minimum reading time  

skipped workout routine all together

*

and lost some sleep

due to the Matcha latte

taken too late  

*

2025/06/30: May

started May with a large project

something which has not been done in awhile

that required a time tracking sheet

and spent a few days and nights

just to work on a single project

which turned out to be quite a satisfaction

when the whole thing was completed

*

things took a different turn

during mid of the month

after getting notification about

further change of policy

which will result in further pay cut

w0ith immediate implementation

*

It’s not just about uncertainties anymore

but it just went crashing down

but first took a few days to

enjoy the quiet days after the rush

*

there were these moments that

i wished i am not doing this anymore

but no I still need the money

and this is still something i enjoy doing

look it’s not so bad after all

back and forth

*

towards the end of the month

thank goodness to the large project

which made up of 60+% of my total in May

that was how bad things were

but it happened to be the highest in 2025

*

so i really didn't know 

what to expect next

*

2025/06/01: April

setting job insecurity aside

April was a pretty fulfilling month

of meet-ups, cheat days and

ended up adopting a new kitten

*

gave up two live shows

one had been on my wish list for a long time

one was a recent favorite

*

but there isn’t anything too painful about it

that makes me go like

damn should have gone instead

*

and guess what THE FIRST TAKE channel 

is showing the live showcase

CENTRAL MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT FESTIVAL 2025

both Taipei and KL shows (premieres today!)

*

the concert took place on 26 Apr

which was the night i picked up the kitten

behind my house!!!

if i were to go to the concert...

*

then there was this feeling that

i thought I could have saved a lot from

not doing this and that

*

but nope some non-recurring expenses

will always come your way and say

look we will not make things easier for you

*

so did i buy anything for myself this month?

no i didn’t

in fact I had nothing in mind or in cart

but thanks to everyone

who made this month felt special

with the cake, gifts and wishes

*

2025/05/16: March

March usually marks 

the end of trial period

for a brand new year

and before you know it

the first quarter is ending soon

*

things began to pick up a little

going easier on me

like look

as i had hit the lowest low

for the past few months

things couldn’t get worse than that

*

from the worst case scenario imagined

during the beginning of the year of

simply not making ends meet

overflown by festive spending

that’s quite a relief

*

it seems like

i might be able to keep the job

a little longer after all

*

have been telling a few close friends

I am going to lose my job to AI real soon

*

looking forward

hoping things will get less turbulent

*

that kind of struggle

simply felt unreal

work it out or move it out

since I am not ready to get out

just have to work it out 

*