A true story from the other side of the bank counter
How Many Hours Are You Worth?
《你的一小时，值多少？》
I sold loans for eight years and never believed in them. This book is what I learned about where your hours really go, and how to buy them back.
Pre-order S$22.90 (retail S$29.90) · ships March 2027
The problem
You earn more than ever. So why don't you feel free?
Because you never pay with money. You pay with hours. Every single thing you own was bought with time spent at work.
Most people divide their pay by their office hours and get a comfortable number. Take away CPF and tax, transport, work lunches, the commute and the drinks to recover after work, and your real hourly pay is often less than half of it.
Try it yourself. The numbers below are the example from the book. Put in your own.
True hourly pay calculator
What is one hour of your life really worth?
Your numbers
Worked out for you, using the book's factors
Your real hourly pay
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The system in the book
One situation. Two gates. Three paths. Four verdicts.
One situation
You want to buy something. That moment, hand already reaching for the card.
Two gates
Is it worth that many hours of your work? Can you pay in full cash, with no loan and without touching savings?
Three paths
What does it give you: income, relief, or pleasure?
Four verdicts
Saying no is easy. A yes has to earn its way through.
It isn't a rule to stop buying. It clears away what you don't need, so your hours and cash can go to the things that pay you back: a skill, a tool, an asset.
What you'll take away
Five things you'll keep using
- Your true hourly numberOne number you'll start dividing every price by, without trying.
- Two questions before any purchaseThey stop you before "need or want?" lets you fool yourself.
- Income, relief or pleasureSee at a glance which things feed you and which only give a quick high.
- Your freedom checkpoint and finish lineFirst, your Earners pay for your Needs. Then, your 25× number.
- How to protect what you've savedFrom an ex-banker who got scammed twice, so you don't have to be.
The story
From a Rolex to slippers
I was once the smiling banker across the desk. A steel Daytona, a gold Cartier belt, a S$2,500 work bag I used once. I sold products designed for the rich, never for the poor.
This book is how I walked out, one step at a time: my grandmother's thrift, one sentence from my mother, two scams, a 7kg backpack, and the number I finally learned to count.
It's a true story, not a textbook. The lessons are carried by what happened.
And there's an uncle in slippers…
You'd walk past him at the wet market without a second look. When you finish the book, you'll understand why he mattered most.
First readers
What early readers said
“A good book, to me, is one that makes me forget the time. This one kept me in my seat for four hours until I finished. I'd heard many of these ideas from Gary before, but reading them together made me rethink my wants and needs, and how I practise 知行合一.”JACKIE · MY PARTNER AND FIRST READER
“我和作者相识于大阪的一家钱汤。读完这本书，我才看见一个更完整的他，也重新思考了时间、选择，以及自己真正想要怎样的生活。”
“I met the author at a public bathhouse in Osaka. Only after reading this book did I see a fuller picture of him, and rethink time, choices, and the life I really want.” (translated)
李欣怡Free
Read the first third free
Part One, about 16,000 words, as a PDF. Send me a WhatsApp message and I'll send it to you. It starts with the banker's story and ends on the chapter the book is named after.
- No cost, no spam
- Decide on the book after you've read it
Pre-order
The paperback, shipping March 2027
S$22.90S$29.90
Join the pre-order list to lock in the early price. You'll be first to know when payment opens. The digital edition comes later.
- S$7 below the retail price
- Printed in Singapore, in bookstores and online
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Questions
You might be wondering
Is this financial advice?
No. I'm bank-trained, but I'm not your financial adviser. The book shares what I did, not what you must do.
When will I get the book?
Paperbacks are planned to ship in March 2027. Pre-order price S$22.90, retail S$29.90. The digital edition follows later.
Is there a Chinese edition?
Yes. The Chinese edition is being translated now. Join the list and you'll hear when it's ready.
Who is this book for?
Working people who earn decently but still don't feel free, and readers who want a true story rather than another money textbook.