'Can’t afford it, don’t want it. Broke, fix it.'
Meet Kevin, a financially balanced chemical engineer that fixes pushbikes for a living, because he likes it…
In 2014, after 10 years working for Big Pharma in various roles––beginning as a chemical engineer, Kevin had enough of being in an office. A keen sportsperson he surprised his peers and fled the corporate life to work in a golf shop. Doing what many of us only dream about––Kevin followed his heart instead of his pocket.
For Kevin, working out on a golf course, enjoying his days while honing his swing was just what the doctor ordered. And, in the same flavour of following his heart, it wasn’t long before Kevin traded his dream job in for another dream job, and started his own small business as a mobile bike mechanic.
Kevin, someone who has always been sensible with money, did take a pay cut when he left his corporate job––which is the only part of that chapter he misses. But, now that homeowner, small business owner and, since very recently, Father, Kevin, spends his days driving around town fixing pushies; his life has never felt richer.
Yes, he jumped down a rung financially, but it wasn’t an uncalculated risk when Kevin threw in his office job. He’s happy to have less, but values every penny he earns, a value instilled in him from a very young age by his parents.
Kevin says his parents were “very frugal,” but that he didn’t feel he went without much growing up. A common conversation in Kevin’s house was weighing up the reasons why a thing was more expensive than another thing. He says he remembers constantly hearing his father commenting on how well something was made. Such as why they never upgraded their television through his whole childhood––because, “It was made so well.”
This type of appreciation for the value of things meant Kevin never really wanted for much beyond his financial capabilities. The first time he ever borrowed money from anyone ––even his parents––was to purchase a 2bdr apartment at the age of 24, an apartment he recently refinanced with TMFG. Kevin even admits to refusing credit several times from the bank, with an,
“If I can’t afford it, I don’t want it,” attitude.
It’s this healthy relationship with money––realising the difference between wealth in life and wealth in the pocket–– that allowed Kevin the freedom to leave his healthy paying job to follow a lifestyle choice, and why he has little regret about it.
Recalling the moment he realised what wealth was––and that his family didn’t have it, Kevin speaks of a kid at school who had the entire collection of Transformer toys. A dream for a young boy. Kevin remembers his 8yr-old self was quietly in awe of his classmate’s treasures, but he didn’t want them. In his head he’d reconciled–-
“This kid’s family has wealth and we don’t, oh well.” Probably one of the most important lessons for a kid to learn, and a lesson many go an entire life without.
What it did for Kevin was give him a freedom to earn and appreciate things other kids may not have. So when he no longer liked his high-paying office job and was enjoying his cycling and the outdoors. It was a no brainer. His accountant wife, Kai-Li was fine with his decision too.
Kevin and Kai-Li have always used mortgage brokers and they know their stuff when it comes to the process, so when it was time to do the second refinancing on their Carnegie apartment, they went straight to TMFG. Highly confident in Belinda’s capabilities, and with their high regard for mortgage brokers, the finance-savvy couple barely even asked any questions, they just, “let Belinda handle it.”
Did they have a figure in their mind when they started down the refinancing road? Nope, said Kevin. Kevin admits, while he knows a lot about finance it still “hurts his brain” to try and work out how much finance he can get.
They settled for,
“Just whatever was appropriate.”
A perfectly healthy attitude.