Despite holding a senior position and earning a five figure monthly salary, one 57 year old Malaysian has no plans to upgrade his Myvi or move out of his ageing condominium.
As he approaches retirement, the man shared why he believes success should not be measured by cars, houses or other material possessions.
Are we living or trying to impress others?
In an anonymous post shared on XUAN’s Facebook page, the man said he has noticed how openly people display their lifestyles online.
From salaries and expensive meals to hotel stays and holidays, he feels that many people now treat these things as proof that they are doing well in life.
Are you living your own life, or are you trying to prove something to others?” he asked.
He acknowledged that his views may not be right for everyone, but wanted younger people to understand that their achievements do not always have to be proven through material possessions.
Earns five figures but drives a Myvi
The man said he holds a senior position at his company and earns a five figure monthly salary.
His child is studying at a university overseas, while his wife has her own career and an active social life.
He also revealed that he has a comfortable amount of savings, although he jokingly refused to disclose the exact figure out of fear that someone might rob him.
Despite his financial position, he continues to drive a Myvi.
This has apparently surprised several people at his workplace, with some questioning why a person of his seniority would drive such a car.
Others reportedly told him that people in similar positions might look down on him.
However, he was not bothered by their opinions.
“Who exactly is looking down on me?” he asked.
He said his value should be determined by how well he performs his job, leads his team and delivers results, not by the car he drives.
To him, a car is simply something used to travel from one place to another.
“A car is meant to be used, not worshipped,” he wrote.
He added that spending RM200,000 on a car would make him wonder whether a large portion of that money could have been put to better use elsewhere.
Happy living in an old condo
The man also lives in an older condominium with his wife.
When colleagues visit during Chinese New Year, they sometimes question why he has not moved into a landed property, especially since he can afford one.
However, he and his wife are happy with their current home.
Since only the two of them live there, he does not see the need for a much larger space.
They enjoy walking by the swimming pool on weekend mornings, chatting with neighbours and occasionally sitting together over coffee.
He also believes that a smaller home will be more practical as they grow older, as they will not have to constantly walk up and down the stairs.
“We are not living here to impress other people,” he said.
Newer and more expensive do not always mean better
The same principle applies to his choice of mobile phones.
He questioned why people feel pressured to replace devices that can still make calls, send messages and take photographs simply because a newer model has been released.
According to him, young people can easily be influenced by the idea that anything new must automatically be better.
“Something new is not necessarily more suitable for you. Something expensive is not necessarily more worthwhile either,” he wrote.
Prefers spending on food
When asked what he does with the money he saves, his answer was simple: food.
He admitted that he does not pay much attention to prices when eating, although he would not order something merely because it is expensive.
Rather than visiting restaurants for their attractive interiors or photogenic presentation, he prefers finding places that serve genuinely good food.
Even if a shop looks ordinary and has simple furniture, he would happily return as long as the food tastes good.
Can afford business class but chooses economy
The man also questioned the need to fly business class.
He clarified that he can afford it, but simply does not believe the additional cost is worthwhile for a few hours of comfort.
Instead, he normally pays slightly more for a front row seat in economy class, which gives him additional legroom.
Since everyone is travelling on the same aircraft, he would rather spend the extra money on a good meal.
“It is not because I do not have money. It is because I believe money should be spent on the things that you genuinely enjoy,” he said.
‘Buy the life you want’
As he prepares for retirement, the man left younger people with one piece of advice.
He said there is nothing wrong with working hard and earning more money.
However, people should not spend their entire lives working, only to realise that everything they earned was used to convince others that they were successful.
“What you should truly be buying is the life that you want,” he concluded.
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