I wished I had made better plans, earlier, to settle my house loan. I had thought that house loans are something you religiously pay off until you get old. This is until I had an epiphany. Influenced by certain life events surrounding death. Why wait till you’re old to have it all paid off when you can do it earlier. Death waits for no man and does it not relief your loved ones from the burden of carrying that debt once you’re gone?

I began to become serious with paying my debts as I stepped into my 40s. It started with my car loans, my ASBF and as of recent, my housing loan. I allocated a certain amount of money every month that goes into my lump sum fund. Combined that with my dividends, my initial target of getting it all done by early 2028 was cut down to just this month.

I went to the bank branch where I set up my loans and asked for the final amount, hoping to clarify the total figure I would need to settle. Apparently, it is not the same as the ones they put online, which was a bit surprising to me. This discrepancy is because there are other fees included that are not explicitly mentioned on their website, such as processing fees and administrative charges that can accumulate over time. So, after calculating my projected payment and considering these additional costs, I settled the amount over their teller counter, feeling a sense of relief that I was finally taking a step toward closing this chapter of my financial obligations.

Just last week, I received the residual amounts of my insurance. I don’t really know what it is called. Now I am just waiting for the lawyer to call me regarding the geran and all.

Honestly, it feels great to live simply. I am also toning down on getting new clothes, bedsheets and books. This is because I recalled a hadith I came across on reels. Narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abdullah : The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned bedding and said: There should be bedding for a man, bedding for his wife, and third for a guest, but a fourth for the devil. This is not to say that we need to provide one for the devil. But it goes to say that if we have something in abundance, the extra is wasteful if not used appropriately. Shaitan loves sins like these. Which is why zakat is always reminded onto muslims. Through zakat, Muslims cleanse their wealth, protect it from mismanagement and nurture a heart of compassion, generosity and social responsibility.

I still have other small commitments scheduled at certain months of the year. Things like car insurance and road tax, life insurance, spotify and property-related taxes. Of course, this blog also comes with it’s price that I pay every 2 years for the hosting and it’s domain. Otherwise, life is good for the basic needs to eat, sleep and loving others.