Whilst the FIRE movement [Financially Independent Retire Early] characterised by frugal living and saving hard may have taken off in the United States, I am not seeing this in Perth in the young set.

So, you may ask, what would you know, how many young people do you actually know? My job was a college lecturer, I was mixing with young people every day so I spend a fair amount of time talking to students out of class and discussing personal issues. I also have an 18 year old nephew so I am exposed to his group of friends, I see these young adults burn through money at an alarming rate. This isn’t unusual for middle-class kids these days, this is normal in Perth.

They haven’t really struggled for money and prefer the convenience of purchasing off the shelf instead of making or building themselves. When I see his mates go out and purchase $700 shoes, I ask myself what are the priorities here? My nephew is undoubtedly influenced by his friends, they are living beyond their means supported by their parents. My sister, on the other had is a widow, her husband died and now she struggles with money – as would be expected.

She can’t afford to support his young lifestyle although the family has vowed to make sure his teenage years were not defined financially by the loss of his father. At some point he needs to step up, he is working as a labourer hoping for an offer of an apprenticeship. He is young and is enjoying life with his mates and his social group, ok, no problems here. However, at some some stage, he needs to get serious about work and securing an apprenticeship and that takes lots of applications, 80 – 100 would be my guess before he gets lucky.

Now, when I say lucky, I mean making your own luck and that takes persistence and being in the right spot at the right time. I have been through all this previously, I am aware of the vagaries of the job market and how soul destroying it can be. It is not his fault he cannot secure an apprenticeship, this is the character building phase of his life. He needs to stay off the booze, keep away from parties and start taking short courses to get tickets to become employable.

So how much superannuation do we need for a comfortable retirement? According to the ASFA Retirement Standard September 2020 report, a couple owning their own house should aim for $620k on retirement. 

They recommend a couple should have around two thirds, or 67% of their pre-retirement income to maintain a similar standard of living prior to retirement. The Association of Superannuation Funds Australia provides an industry retirement standard to estimate how much money you will need to survive on during retirement. 

This report assumes a partial age pension is available, this offsets some of the costs, not everyone is eligible. For people in my age bracket, the pension retirement age is 67. The aim is to be able to retire at age 60 and live off our superannuation earnings for seven years before the age pension kicks in. Every change of government begins with a cold sweat, this long-term investment is constantly exposed to short-term policy making. 

If you saved the money, you put the effort in and have earned the right to retire early. Likewise, if you spent your earnings in your younger years then you will have to delay retirement. Those who actually saved for their retirement should not be disadvantaged for those who failed to save. This is the fairness test, those who save should not subsidise who didn’t, of course, this is not how the system works.

Earn your early retirement and enjoy those early years whilst you are fit enough to travel and move about. You will be getting older, medical issues increasing and less able to do what you want. Retire early and enjoy the early years of retirement, don’t let a bunch of jealous public servants determine your future.   

So I got a little mixed up with the models, I first looked at the three sub-dial chronographs for my nephew. I thought I had looked at the automatic version, it took some online searching but I was correct, it was the pre-2015 automatic model that I originally viewed.

This has changed, the two sub-dial versions are the automatic movement, the quartz movement has three sub-dials at the 10 o’clock, 2 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions. I was looking at a timepiece for my nephew’s 18th birthday and looked at a number of brands – maybe my confusion. The ETA G10.212 is a quartz movement, so naturally, there is no need for a display casebook for a quartz movement. These days, I am now not a fan of quartz movements, despite having one for two decades. I have moved on personally but plenty of people prefer quartz and no one likes to be called a snob.

The 42 mm case is 316L stainless steel, the three link stainless steel bracelet has a butterfly clasp for a clean wrist look. The bracelet suits the style of this sports watch, I wouldn’t consider a leather strap or NATO band for this sports watch. The watch case and dial are fine, or so I thought. I am not a fan of the striped dial, I appreciate that many people are and respect their preferences, it is just not me. I found out my nephew doesn’t like chronographs as he feels the dial has too much going on; fortunately, I made the right decision this time.

We were going to get to the airport well and truly early, we stepped out of the hotel, a 250 walk from the hotel at a little past 11 o’clock in the morning with a short train trip to the airport for a 3.15 flight in the afternoon. What could possibly go wrong?

With 4 hours to burn, we would have a really good look around Frankfurt Airport with no stress. Looking at the departures board at the train station, we could just make a delayed train to the airport so we jumped on without a moment to spare. Everyone was lifting and hauling suitcases and luggage on board, makes sense, we were off to the airport and it was an ICE, that’s an intercity express and while everyone was fighting for seats, we didn’t bother as we only had a couple of stops and were happy to stand between carriages.

They had a screen listing all the stops so no concerns there, we could see Frankfurt Airport with a little aircraft symbol on it. As I’m feeling pretty relaxed, I’m beginning to feel we are going really fast and whilst Frankfurt Airport is a little way out of the city, the time and speed factor seems a little out. Then the realisation hits me, this train is not going to the airport, I feel that sinking feeling in my stomach, this train is going in the opposite direction on and because it is an ICE, it’s going really fast with limited stops.

We can’t get off, we slow down a little going through stations we don’t stop at before open track again and accelerating to top speed. We are in big trouble now, in only half an hour we are finally getting off at Fulda some 114 kilometres from Frankfurt Airport. We had already worked out via the screen displays the stations the train has already stopped at. What stupid fucking system is this? Who fucking cares where we have been? What matters is where we are going. Today German logic fails me

At least the ICE has WiFi, from that we could start planning the trip back, oh no, this isn’t great. The train stops at 12.07 and there is a train going to Frankfurt Airport departing at 12.47 arriving at the airport at 1.51. Ok, it’s going to be tight but this is manageable as long as there are no further mistakes.

This one was on me, I was the one who spotted the train delay and ran for the train, it was my mistake but with a little planning, we can recover. Oh, you have to be fucking joking, the train is now delayed by at least 45 minutes because someone has thrown themselves on the tracks in front of the train – selfish bastard. Ok, another change of plans, an ICE train departs from platform 3 at 12.50 but travelling to Frankfurt Hbf arriving at 2.07, then rushing to the S-bahn for the 2.12 train arriving at Terminal 1 after boarding has commenced.

We are likely to miss the flight now, I start checking flights, there is one at 10.50 that evening, maybe I can make it back to work on time if the flight isn’t fully booked. Right, the train arrives at Frankfurt Hbf, out the door and we are running for the underground platforms, people moving slowly, get out the way. It’s amazing how slick you can move with a backpack on.

Moving quickly, we actually get an earlier train, we have picked up a few minutes and that helps. The train arrives at Terminal 1, we have already planned our route, more running and zipping around slow moving people. Right, out the skytrain and more running up escalators and stairs, where are the check-in counters?

The check-in line is empty, of course, everyone is already at the boarding gate, we get nasty looks from the counter attendant and instructions to run to the gate, boarding has commenced. Damn, held up in immigration, there is a seedy looking character getting quizzed by officials, ok, another line and now we are through.

At the gate, they have commenced boarding but we are through, we made the flight and I’m not going to miss work after all. Now I can breathe a sigh of relief, we have recovered from my earlier stuff-up and somehow made every little deadline with just minutes to spare each time. Now time to sit back and enjoy the in-flight entertainment with a glass of wine.

The term common sense is neither common nor it sense, it doesn’t relate to sound judgment. If sound judgement was so common then people wouldn’t smoke cigarettes, gamble, take illicit drugs, eat junk food and allow themselves to become obese or an alcoholic. Let’s not even talk about booking stuff we don’t need on our credit cards, then there are impulse purchases at supermarkets.

I cringe every time I hear this term, people magically expect others to adhere to some unwritten term that they should be aware of without ever having been explained to them. So, common sense is considered some arbitrary set of rules that is unwritten and unspoken. How do we learn these rules? I have heard common sense defined as sound judgement derived from experience and not study.

Apparently, you just know. Let’s not bring personal political views into this discussion, on a two party preferred vote, normally just half the country gets the vote wrong. In what could be considered a 50/50 contest, pretty much half the country gets that wrong, so if they display common sense, surely a rational person wouldn’t vote for losing political party.

I am by no means a Rolex fanboy, I do respect both the engineering and marketing departments of Rolex though, they are well organised and managed. So when I look at the Rolex Explorer, do I see any decent alternatives? For me, the Longines Conquest is the natural alternative. Some would argue the Omega Railmaster, maybe the Hamilton Khaki Field, possibly even the Tissot PRS516 with the Powermatic 80, but I only see one real alternative – the Conquest. 

The Longines Conquest is the clear alternative to the Explorer for me. What is ironic is both the Explorer and Conquest were released about a year apart in the early 1950s. Over the years, the Conquest has changed significantly, the Explorer has not, there have been a few upgrades, although the Explorer from the 1950s is pretty much the Explorer of the 2020s.

The Conquest now looks very similar to the Explorer, the Arabic numerals are similar in size and shape. Located at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions on the dial, the black Explorer dial is symmetrical. The Mercedes hour hand and baton minute hand have been around for decades, people love it but I am not a fan.

The Conquest dial is also black, the hands are larger in diameter but do allow a decent lume to be applied, the Arabic numerals are at the 12 and 6 o’clock positions. The remaining hour markers are index markers, the date window is a little small so I can’t see the date under most circumstances with my declining eyesight.

The 41 mm case is borrowed from the HydroConquest, this is awsome as the Conquest now has 300 metres water resistance. The crown guards are pretty sharp with the crown resembling the winged hourglass. The smooth angled bezel works, the scratch potential of a smooth bezel is high, but for a tool watch – this is fine. 

So apart from James Bond author Ian Fleming wearing an Explorer, how did Rolex become such an icon? The Explorer wasn’t the timepiece on the wrists of Hillary and Norgay for their Mt Everest assault but does honour their legacy. This is how Rolex promotes the Explorer, this is an adventure based timepiece with sweeping views of rugged snow capped mountain ranges.

I had gained a certain notoriety down with senior management, they kept track of what I was doing without saying so. I was doing some onsite work and had to submit travel documentation. I had to have a signed release from the Executive Director and had to then submit the travel documentation within five days after the trip.

This is pretty standard type of organisational reporting so I had no problems there. Where I took exception was when I received frequent and somewhat aggressive emails demanding I submit travel forms. I thank everyone down at Directorate Services for their interest and enthusiasm in my [then] recent trip to Adelaide. The Torrens University graduation event was staged at the Adelaide Convention Centre where I received my Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

So I was happy to play along, let’s make a difficult situation fun. The more they demanded, the more obstinate I became. They never actually asked me, they just demanded, so I was happy to return the level of abruptness. Since there was no signed release for the Adelaide trip, this may have been a clue, but they never considered this, so this was an interesting situation.

In keeping with the tradition of red carpet events, I submitted this report:

• Suit by Marcus Hill.
• Industries Inc tailored shirt.
• Calvin Klein designer tie.
• Shoes by Florsheim.
• Timepiece is an Omega Seamaster Diver 300.

Photographs provided as requested.

I guess they finally worked it out, I had submitted leave for this period, I hadn’t submitted travel documentation for work travel, but this leaves me under no misapprehension, they are watching everything I do. Naturally, there was no response, explanation or apology, but I never expected one anyway.

The blue sunray dial of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer WAY211C.BA0928 is the best version according to my personal style. The dial and bezel combination works well on the Aquaracer, this is a decent sized timepiece at 41 mm. It took me way too long to work that the orange text on the dial and highlights on the second hand pointer indicate this is the 41 mm case. There is yellow text and pointer highlights, this is the 43 mm case and while my wrist is large enough, the 41 mm works well.

The ceramic bezel is the striking feature of this Aquaracer, whilst the sharp edges of the bezel are not so much to my liking. I realise this is functional, this provides the wearer to set the bezel in the water easily. The horizontal streaked dial is meant to represent the teak decking found on boats. I love the contrasting colours, the orange trims of the 41 mm version really stand out. The large screw-down crown adds some bulk to this timepiece. I really like the sizing of the crown, it is large and easy to handle with a crown guard protecting half the crown.

The case and bezel have lots of sharp edges, this isn’t actually to my personal style; however, I appreciate the industrial overtones and this style is popular. I am not a fan of the lugs on the bezel, the newer reference WBP201B.BA0632 has dropped the lugs from the bezel of the older reference WAY211C.BA0928, but I won’t be updating. I will be sure to make sure the case is not polished when I get my watch serviced, the polishing removes all the sharp edges and drops the value of the timepiece. Whilst I won’t be looking to sell this, I can live with scratches but I can’t live with rounded edges. 

Interesting feedback, I am employed in a state government organisation that must always remain undisclosed. I am protected under the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003, better known as whistleblower protection.

So when I was allowed to take outside employment in the Democratic Republic of Congo, I took this as leave without pay. I had returned to Australia for offshore rotation, that is paid leave and I was in Australia so I volunteered for Worldskills judging of apprentices in a skills competition. So when the rest of the guys returned to work on Monday, the question came up if OHalloran was there. There was already discussion that I was to be abused by some, based on very loose office discussions as it was discussed that I would volunteer this weekend.

The discussion was all he was talking about was the Congo, naturally I am not there to defend myself – not that I would anyway. I don’t care about their clicky office gossip, I really don’t rate this type of behaviour. I did discuss it, these guys did ask me and I responded to their questions. However, actions speak louder than words and on my return to the office, someone was sitting at my desk as they had issues with their desk. It was no problem, I didn’t consider asking him to return to his desk, I just said I will take a desk outside of the office. 

I just started work, I pretty much didn’t talk to anyone, I did not initiate any conversations – I just got on with it. I certainly didn’t discuss my overseas adventures and, if asked, I kept my answers short and to the point. So based on this behaviour witnessed by everyone in my workplace, there was no substance to these claims. Of course, malicious office gossip is rarely based on fact, so I may find the actual events and what is talked about in office gossip morph into reality.

You don’t have to have a large house, an expensive European motor vehicle, or multiple overseas holidays every year. Of course, that is nice and I wouldn’t mind that given the opportunity. However, many of us fall short in the wealth stakes, and that is fine.

What I do see is people trying to live the champagne lifestyle on a beer budget. For me, wealth is a privilege that the vast majority of us don’t possess. Do we really need large houses if we don’t have a large family? A large house full of empty rooms makes no sense, it is a poor use of financial resources, physical resources and ultimately time.

Do young homeowners really require a theatre room? This is an unnecessary expense, yes, it is nice. Young families once purchased their first home in the outer suburbs and upsized as their earning potential increased. If you have a large family, multiple bathrooms and toilets is nice, even two toilets is good in most circumstances  

In their later years, they might downsize when their family has grown up and moved out of home. They can move to a smaller residence, free up some capital for retirement, travel and enjoy themselves. But what do they do? They want to go on a 5-star holiday staying at the most expensive hotels and engaging in activities that drain their wallets. 

I prefer budget travel, it is less organised, you wake up in the morning and decide what you want to do for the day. Ride a bike around a bush track, go into town and hang in a cafe for a while or maybe a movie in the afternoon. The options are endless, the real questions are where do you want to go and how long do you want to stay? Hanging out in a cafe and later in a park reading a newspaper – now that is an afternoon.