What’s yours? Netizens ask what are the biggest financial regrets of Singaporeans

SINGAPORE: A question on financial regrets sparked an interesting discussion on Reddit, with one netizen sharing that not buying an HDB flat when they had the chance, alongside purchasing a condo, was their biggest regret. 

The post, headlining with the question: “Biggest financial regret?”, invited others to share their money decisions they also wish they could reverse. 

Many netizens expressed their experience in the comments section. One commented that, given his limited financial literacy, he did not invest earlier and did not know at that time how much he was losing out by leaving his savings in a bank account alone. 

“The best time to invest was yesterday. The second best time is now,” a netizen claimed. 

For others, it is spending their money way too much on unwanted things, and vices such as gambling. 

“Wasted my money on thousands of CDs and DVDs in the past when I could’ve saved the money for a Rolex or investments,” one shared. 

Another netizen admitted that he had spent money on his ‘aspirational goal’, but when he was able to comfortably afford it, he realised that the chase was more exciting than the purchase. 

Furthermore, a netizen also remarked that saving too much money was his biggest regret and said: “I used to follow my mom and dad’s advice and tried to save more than half my salary each month – at the cost of not going out with friends, being able to travel, minor splurges on myself like a better computer for work, etc.” 

Others also remarked that getting married to the wrong person and getting a divorce is one of their biggest financial regrets. 

This thread shows that many people have financial regrets rooted in missed opportunities and limited financial knowledge. It is never too late to start over. This is a reminder to start investing,  budget wisely, and balance saving with living fully.