{"id":17039,"date":"2015-06-19T17:00:42","date_gmt":"2015-06-19T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/?p=17039"},"modified":"2016-05-27T12:38:45","modified_gmt":"2016-05-27T04:38:45","slug":"fathers-day-special-my-financial-life-changed-when-i-became-a-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imoney.my\/articles\/fathers-day-special-my-financial-life-changed-when-i-became-a-father","title":{"rendered":"Father\u2019s Day Special: \u201cMy Financial Life Changed When I Became A Father!\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
For first-time fathers especially, having a baby means big changes in money management. However, this can often be forgotten, of swept aside in the midst of the excitement and worries that come with expecting a child.<\/p>\n
Most parents would get lost amid shopping for a crib and a stroller, and forget to have a frank discussion about how becoming a parent will change their financial life. New fathers have a massive amount of things to consider, and sometimes it becomes so overwhelming that they tune things out.<\/p>\n
As a Father\u2019s Day exclusive, here we talk to the fathers in iMoney, on how they financially deal with the arrival of their bundle of joy.<\/p>\n
While most fathers would look for better paying career opportunities, Rossnan Cheong did quite the opposite. He moved from a cushy corporate job to a start-up company that paid him less. However, he believes all that was made possible because he had planned his investments ahead of time using the savings from his previous job. The more flexible hours was something that he saw as being more important than anything else.<\/p>\n
Cheong and his wife started planning on the financial needs of their child when they found out that they were expecting. He knew that he had to set aside funds for the delivery and the regular doctor\u2019s visits. They started to do a lot more bulk grocery shopping in order to cook more often. Generally, luxuries were cut down and they went out a lot less often than before.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d be surprised at how much you can save by just staying home”, chuckled Cheong. \u201cEven my wife\u2019s fashion budget has been put on hold for quite some time now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adjustments included setting aside more into investments like Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) and moving up property investing plans. Cheong had also made a property purchase early on and they suffered quite severely since they had a lot more money being set aside for these things. However, he knew it will pay off. These decisions were not just so they had money when the baby was born but for longer term plans.<\/p>\n
When their little one was finally born, the first thing that he did was to invest a medical insurance plan worth RM200,000 for her. They were already covered with insurance and they made sure that their daughter was also covered. That\u2019s primarily health coverage for her in case she\u2019s hospitalised or anything.<\/p>\n
When speaking on his daughter\u2019s future education needs, Cheong understands that it can cost a bomb<\/a> when his daughter goes to college. He now has primarily set aside his ASB investments, followed by the properties that they own for this purpose. He expects that they\u2019ll be financially secured enough to comfortably send his kid to university overseas by the time she turns 18.<\/p>\n Every big financial decision is made with the need of his daughter in mind. They decided to stay in the house he had originally bought for investment because of the space. They also recently sold both their cars because they were too small and bought one bigger one. It\u2019s a practical decision as they often travel as a family anyway. Ross believes there\u2019s always Uber<\/a> or MyTeksi otherwise, which still costs less if you\u2019re not actively using your second car.<\/p>\n Their monthly budget saw only a slight increase since they stopped their other unnecessary expenses but baby-related stuff comes up to between RM400-RM800 per month. They mainly spend on diapers, doctor visits and medicine as well as baby food. Then there are occasional larger expenses like play pens, mats, clothes and toys but those are made with gaps in between to spread out the damage.<\/p>\n When asked what financial advice he would give his daughter, this was what he said \u201cThings cost money! I think that\u2019s something that maybe I didn\u2019t quite grasp when I was young.\u00a0 The most important lesson for her to understand is the value of money. From there we can work on getting her to understand how we must always have more than one way to make money. Maybe I\u2019ll teach her to sell lemonade on credit and collect interest!\u201d<\/p>\n See this: With GST, will parents with school-going kids\u00a0<\/strong>be further burdened financially?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Ian Leong strongly believes that financial planning is the foundation of any successful family planning. Before trying to start a family, the couple need to be mentally prepared to save up and sacrifice to make adjustments on their lifestyle and spending. Both are equally important and must go together concurrently.<\/p>\n When Leong first found out that his wife was expecting their first child, he first invested in a property and bought an education plan. He recognises that providing his kid with the best education is the best legacy he can leave behind.<\/p>\n Unlike most first time fathers, Leong didn\u2019t switch jobs or look for other career opportunities with the arrival of his child. His job, when he was expecting his first child, provided sufficient financial security he needed. He saw his monthly expenses spiked up by about 50% primarily for milk, diapers, and nanny\u2019s fee.<\/p>\n \u201cThese additional costs can kill you if you aren\u2019t prepared for it,\u201d Leong said.<\/p>\n However, he has invested in healthcare insurance for his kid worth RM100,000. They have also cut down on various unnecessary expenses to contribute more towards savings<\/a> and other investments. Whenever he and his wife need to make big financial changes, the needs of the kid comes first above everything else.<\/p>\n Now a father of two, Leong\u2019s financial advice for his kids is, \u201cWork hard on your own. Don\u2019t think of inheriting anything from your parents. By the time of inheritance, the amount of money they get is probably worthless\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/span>Father #2: Ian Leong, 32, Advertising Sales Manager<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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