31yo man says he gives his parents S$400/month each, but they still compare him to “other children who give more than him”

SINGAPORE: Yet another Singaporean man is stuck trying to figure out how much money he should give to his parents each month.

Sharing his dilemma on r/singaporefi, the 31-year-old man explained that despite earning a comfortable S$7,000 monthly, he has chosen to continue living with his parents in a condo instead of moving out.

He faithfully gives each of them S$400 monthly and covers the maintenance fees for their home, which amounts to S$4,800 per year.

However, despite his consistent contributions, his mum compares him to other children who “earn more and give more.”

He then wrote, “Whenever she says this, it gets me thinking… what is a considerable amount to give as a child.. cause it’s never enough.”

“I think you are giving way too little.”

In the discussion thread, several Redditors pointed out that he was “getting a bargain” since he didn’t have to worry about paying rent or hiring a helper to cook meals and clean the house, which are significant expenses for many living independently in Singapore.

They also explained that his contributions would have been fine had they lived in an HDB flat or if he was younger or had a lower income.

However, with an income of S$7,000 after CPF and living in a condo, they felt he shouldn’t be too “cheap” with the allowances.

One netizen said, “You’re 31, living with your parents, and while this is still normal in Singapore, in my opinion you should pay roughly how much you actually “cost” them. I’d say 2k isn’t too much to expect.”

Another commented, “I think you are giving way too little. 800 dollars a month is not enough to rent any condo anywhere… not even enough to pay for maid that does housekeeping and groceries.”

Others recommended that he allocate at least 10% of his take-home pay to each of his parents. Still, a few disagreed and argued that he shouldn’t feel obligated to give his parents anything in the first place.

One netizen said, “0.. they’re your parents and you’re not their retirement plan. You didn’t choose to be born, they did.”

Another shared, “I give $0. Used to give, and while not outrightly comparing, mom will comment others give the mom this, that, whatever. My parents suck at managing money also, spending whatever they earn, and they earn peanuts nia.”

Read also: Man earning S$4K offers his mum 10% of his salary, but mum is unhappy, says, “10% only ah”

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