How to do saving & lower cost of living in Singapore?

[Lisafuller]

I agree with Mal. Figure out accommodation. Other than that, food might get a bit costly. All depends on your tastes. If you are good with local fare (hawkers or kopitiams) or cooking your own food then food cost should be quite manageable.

Transport as well, getting a place close to your work, or taking public transport instead of grabbing or driving can save a ton of money.

I'm guessing that someone asking how to live on a minimal budget is already mentally tuned to taking the train to get around.

You'd be surprised, many aren't too keen on public transport.

[Lisafuller]

Honestly, housing is usually the largest unavoidable expense here… while it’s not easy, you should apply maximum effort (and sacrifice) to achieve cost savings on housing — that is where savings can be really substantial. I would look for a flat sharing arrangement or HDB room rental.

The remaining cost saving opportunities are pretty obvious, and are not going to add up to much, TBH.

I was on Facebook the other day and noticed that a lot of people are listing rooms for rent at really reasonable prices. I'm assuming they go without an agent so they save a lot.

Watch out for scammers.
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/r ... rs-2129101

Yep, definitely have to exercise discretion, though if you are smart about it, you can bag a really good deal.

[Lisafuller]

Tiger goes on sale often as well, though I'm not sure if I'd call it beer.

If you ever go on the APB factory tour (great team building idea), there is a bar at the end with unlimited free flow, but your first drink must be a Tiger. Normally I don’t like Tiger at all, but they served it super icy cold and that actually made it better — the coldness seemed to drown out the bad taste and it wasn’t half bad!

Any beer tastes better served ice cold. Tiger has a lemon Radler that's delicious, as a soda that is. I can't think of it as a beer, or my appreciation for it goes away.

[smoulder]

Transport as well, getting a place close to your work, or taking public transport instead of grabbing or driving can save a ton of money.

I'm guessing that someone asking how to live on a minimal budget is already mentally tuned to taking the train to get around.

You'd be surprised, many aren't too keen on public transport.

People on a shoestring budget?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I sold both of my cars within 6 months of the North/South line joining the new EastWest line in the late1980s. I lived at the end of Jln Kayu and took a feeder bus to the YCK station and fromm there to Raffles place and the short hop to Int'l Plaza. Haven't owned a car since, albeit I did have a car at my disposal for the last 5 years period till I retired but they belonged to others but I've adjusted just fine. Oh, and we raised two kids as well without any real issue at all. Youngest wasn't born till a year later.

Note: not a shoestring budget either, just realize the value of a dollar (as noted I actually owned two cars and was the only driver in the family).

[Addadude]

Note: not a shoestring budget either, just realize the value of a dollar (as noted I actually owned two cars and was the only driver in the family).

I took one look at car prices here shortly after arriving in Singapore in November 1993 and packed my driving license away. (It's actually long since expired!) Having a car just made no financial sense to me at that time or since. Public transport is excellent here and I certainly have no issues with it and I honestly don't see how anyone could. (My blood pressure is a lot better for not driving here as well!)

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, that was the year before the locals decided to see where their COE pain threshold was. They finally found it in Aug & Sep of 1994 when the COE hit $104,000 for two months running before backing off a bit. It took them 27 years to make another run at it and it petered out at around the same point I believe (in 2019 dollars $104K using CGI would have been $137K thereabouts). I actually sold both of my cars during the 6 month window for obtaining a COE after it started for currently owned vehicles and have never been part of the COE hostage situation.

Oh, and I definitely hear you on the HBP!

[malcontent]

Any beer tastes better served ice cold.

Don’t let my British friend hear you say that !

Sacrilege!

It was probably 15 years ago at a bar in Holland V where he schooled me on the British concepts of ideal beer drinking temps. Prior to that moment, I thought the same thing - best served ice cold.

Now I find myself storing beer in my wine fridge and appreciating it less cold (if it’s the right beer).

[Lisafuller]

I'm guessing that someone asking how to live on a minimal budget is already mentally tuned to taking the train to get around.

You'd be surprised, many aren't too keen on public transport.

People on a shoestring budget?

What they are keen on and what they will end up needing to do are separate things.

[Lisafuller]

I sold both of my cars within 6 months of the North/South line joining the new EastWest line in the late1980s. I lived at the end of Jln Kayu and took a feeder bus to the YCK station and fromm there to Raffles place and the short hop to Int'l Plaza. Haven't owned a car since, albeit I did have a car at my disposal for the last 5 years period till I retired but they belonged to others but I've adjusted just fine. Oh, and we raised two kids as well without any real issue at all. Youngest wasn't born till a year later.

Note: not a shoestring budget either, just realize the value of a dollar (as noted I actually owned two cars and was the only driver in the family).

Under what circumstances would you end up with two cars for a one-driver family?

[Lisafuller]

Note: not a shoestring budget either, just realize the value of a dollar (as noted I actually owned two cars and was the only driver in the family).

I took one look at car prices here shortly after arriving in Singapore in November 1993 and packed my driving license away. (It's actually long since expired!) Having a car just made no financial sense to me at that time or since. Public transport is excellent here and I certainly have no issues with it and I honestly don't see how anyone could. (My blood pressure is a lot better for not driving here as well!)

I completely get it, but driving is a huge stress reliever for me, though that might sound ironic considering how packed the roads are in this country. Driving at night is a whole different experience.

[Lisafuller]

Any beer tastes better served ice cold.

Don’t let my British friend hear you say that !

Sacrilege!

It was probably 15 years ago at a bar in Holland V where he schooled me on the British concepts of ideal beer drinking temps. Prior to that moment, I thought the same thing - best served ice cold.

Now I find myself storing beer in my wine fridge and appreciating it less cold (if it’s the right beer).

I once visited a bar in Phuket where the beer served was sort of a slushy texture. I thought it was a little overboard but it was DELICIOUS! And especially refreshing in the unforgiving Thai heat.

[Lisafuller]

Yeah, that was the year before the locals decided to see where their COE pain threshold was. They finally found it in Aug & Sep of 1994 when the COE hit $104,000 for two months running before backing off a bit. It took them 27 years to make another run at it and it petered out at around the same point I believe (in 2019 dollars $104K using CGI would have been $137K thereabouts). I actually sold both of my cars during the 6 month window for obtaining a COE after it started for currently owned vehicles and have never been part of the COE hostage situation.

Oh, and I definitely hear you on the HBP!

The COE makes cars prohibitively expensive. When I first moved here, I drove a sage green Mercedes. When my daughter was born, we opted for a more family friendly Chevy Optra. After that, we only bought secondhand cars. No regrets at all. Today I think if you're paying sticker price, you're getting ripped off.

[jalanjalan]

in 2009 we managed to renew our COE for 10yrs for 3k. Oh I miss those days.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I sold both of my cars within 6 months of the North/South line joining the new EastWest line in the late1980s. I lived at the end of Jln Kayu and took a feeder bus to the YCK station and fromm there to Raffles place and the short hop to Int'l Plaza. Haven't owned a car since, albeit I did have a car at my disposal for the last 5 years period till I retired but they belonged to others but I've adjusted just fine. Oh, and we raised two kids as well without any real issue at all. Youngest wasn't born till a year later.

Note: not a shoestring budget either, just realize the value of a dollar (as noted I actually owned two cars and was the only driver in the family).

Under what circumstances would you end up with two cars for a one-driver family?

I'm a old farm boy and one of my pastimes was the rebuilding and/or restoration of motor vehicles and motorcycles. I'd done several restorations before leaving the US but when I came here I picked up a nice older Ltd Edit Ford Cortina that was celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ford in Singapore. It was in perfect nick so it was great for traveling on the other side of the causeway up & down the peninsula. The other car I bought as a non-runner and rebuilt it as it had a reasonable history in Singapore. It was a former Sg Grand Prix Mk I Mini-Cooper with a special factory modified engine designed specifically for racing. It was raced with some success at the old Upper Thompson racecourse back in the 1960's. I got it and rebuilt it in my workshop behind the B & W I lived in in Seletar Camp. That one was for play. It was FUN to drive and could also scare the hell out of a Yank who, up till that time had never driven a front wheel drive car. It was a super-quick matchbox with wheels. It was also the last car I sold (own). Just for grins......