I guess this article is mainly for those who live in Singapore as I'm currently living in Singapore for about two years and no doubt, Singapore is an expensive city to live.
I would like to share a few tips on how to save money in this lovely city, yet expensive while enjoying your life. I am in my early twenties and I like freedom and trust me I love spending money. But if your father is not a Bill Gate or you, yourself is not a millionaire, you might want to listen what I am about to say. So, here is a few tips;
1. Living expense
Unless you live with your parents or you own a house in Singapore, you are gonna need to pay the rental fee. This is an unavoidable cost ,but you can reduce it. Like how? If you don't mind sharing your space, you can share with your friends or get a roommate to reduce the rental fee. In a positive way, you can even get a company while you are away from your family and friends.
2. Food
We all have to eat to survive and this expense is also gonna incur everyday. Singapore has a culture of dining out and you can easily find food court and restaurants. Although it is very easy to go outside and eat, you will have to pay the price too! And may be it is the time for you to learn to cook too. It may sound crazy,but it will save you a lot of money. I also come from someone who don't know how to fry an egg to now-can-cook-at least-edible-food. For the first six months in Singapore, I always eat outside. When I started to cook home, I found the saving in my money although I know you're lazy and so do I, but it is time for you to get out of that blanket. If you eat outside, it will cost you at least $3 for one meal without any drink. But with $3 you can buy one pack of pork from Fairprice and cook and drink the water at home. If you save $3 a day, you save at least $90 in one month already. I am sure you cannot always eat $3 worth chicken rice and if you still don't wanna cook, avoid those food courts in shopping malls, for the same meal they will charge you double especially in downtown area like Orchard. As a youngster, I am pretty sure you also cannot always eat in food court. I also would love to dine in those restaurants and take foodfie and then share on instragram and facebook. So,know the timing when to dine in. If you're a student go on weekdays and go for lunch , you will get a student discount and try to avoid those weekends and after office hours.
3. Label and branded items
I love brands and when I say brands, they are expensive too! If you cannot avoid it, do buy it but know your limit too. Know when the promotion and discount will come in, I believe if you are not a celebrity, you do not necessarily need to get all the new arrivals, sometimes it is worth the wait for Sales which will mostly come in December when Christmas and New Year held. But when I say discount, I would like to remind you to buy only what you need, you do not have to buy all those on sales items just because it is discounted. I have been a victim in those kinds of situation a lot when you later stacked with a lot of unnecessary items or quite-don't-like-but-reasonable items.
And if you are a coffee addict, you would like to hang out at StarBucks, you will end up spending extra few dollars for coffee. I know it is nice to have a coffee while sitting in StarBucks and post it on instragram or facebook. But this is the same brown colour liquid and if you want to save money, may be you want to buy some coffee powder and make yourself at home.
4. Alcohol and Drugs
I like to drink and party and I believe so do you. Well,yet drinking alcohol and smoking is really expensive. With a new restriction , it will not be allowed to drink on the street like we all used to, you will need to go to bar and club where the alcohol price is doubled again with service charge and GST. If you cannot avoid it , go for it ,but again know your budget. Try to cut it little by little and start to quit if you are willing to save money. I don't mean not to go at all,instead you can reduce the times you go to club, drinking and smoking. And you can do it! ;)
5. Know yourself
Last but not least, I would like to share this mindset for you to know yourself. You are surrounded by all those millionaire friends and you need to attend all those social parties and hang outs and need to buy those branded things. But remember ,know yourself and don't try to pretend and show off. If you would like to spend like a millionaire, be yourself a millionaire first, otherwise you do not necessarily need to spend like them. I have seen a lot of people who try to act like one and then with a lot of debts behind those branded items and hang outs.
So,here comes to an end and thanks for reading. Those are a few tips to save money and I know it is not easy to save but to spend. But I hope you all can save more, spend less and have a better future.
I would like to share a few tips on how to save money in this lovely city, yet expensive while enjoying your life. I am in my early twenties and I like freedom and trust me I love spending money. But if your father is not a Bill Gate or you, yourself is not a millionaire, you might want to listen what I am about to say. So, here is a few tips;
1. Living expense
Unless you live with your parents or you own a house in Singapore, you are gonna need to pay the rental fee. This is an unavoidable cost ,but you can reduce it. Like how? If you don't mind sharing your space, you can share with your friends or get a roommate to reduce the rental fee. In a positive way, you can even get a company while you are away from your family and friends.
2. Food
We all have to eat to survive and this expense is also gonna incur everyday. Singapore has a culture of dining out and you can easily find food court and restaurants. Although it is very easy to go outside and eat, you will have to pay the price too! And may be it is the time for you to learn to cook too. It may sound crazy,but it will save you a lot of money. I also come from someone who don't know how to fry an egg to now-can-cook-at least-edible-food. For the first six months in Singapore, I always eat outside. When I started to cook home, I found the saving in my money although I know you're lazy and so do I, but it is time for you to get out of that blanket. If you eat outside, it will cost you at least $3 for one meal without any drink. But with $3 you can buy one pack of pork from Fairprice and cook and drink the water at home. If you save $3 a day, you save at least $90 in one month already. I am sure you cannot always eat $3 worth chicken rice and if you still don't wanna cook, avoid those food courts in shopping malls, for the same meal they will charge you double especially in downtown area like Orchard. As a youngster, I am pretty sure you also cannot always eat in food court. I also would love to dine in those restaurants and take foodfie and then share on instragram and facebook. So,know the timing when to dine in. If you're a student go on weekdays and go for lunch , you will get a student discount and try to avoid those weekends and after office hours.
3. Label and branded items
I love brands and when I say brands, they are expensive too! If you cannot avoid it, do buy it but know your limit too. Know when the promotion and discount will come in, I believe if you are not a celebrity, you do not necessarily need to get all the new arrivals, sometimes it is worth the wait for Sales which will mostly come in December when Christmas and New Year held. But when I say discount, I would like to remind you to buy only what you need, you do not have to buy all those on sales items just because it is discounted. I have been a victim in those kinds of situation a lot when you later stacked with a lot of unnecessary items or quite-don't-like-but-reasonable items.
And if you are a coffee addict, you would like to hang out at StarBucks, you will end up spending extra few dollars for coffee. I know it is nice to have a coffee while sitting in StarBucks and post it on instragram or facebook. But this is the same brown colour liquid and if you want to save money, may be you want to buy some coffee powder and make yourself at home.
4. Alcohol and Drugs
I like to drink and party and I believe so do you. Well,yet drinking alcohol and smoking is really expensive. With a new restriction , it will not be allowed to drink on the street like we all used to, you will need to go to bar and club where the alcohol price is doubled again with service charge and GST. If you cannot avoid it , go for it ,but again know your budget. Try to cut it little by little and start to quit if you are willing to save money. I don't mean not to go at all,instead you can reduce the times you go to club, drinking and smoking. And you can do it! ;)
5. Know yourself
Last but not least, I would like to share this mindset for you to know yourself. You are surrounded by all those millionaire friends and you need to attend all those social parties and hang outs and need to buy those branded things. But remember ,know yourself and don't try to pretend and show off. If you would like to spend like a millionaire, be yourself a millionaire first, otherwise you do not necessarily need to spend like them. I have seen a lot of people who try to act like one and then with a lot of debts behind those branded items and hang outs.
So,here comes to an end and thanks for reading. Those are a few tips to save money and I know it is not easy to save but to spend. But I hope you all can save more, spend less and have a better future.
