SINGAPORE: A man who spends around S$1,200 per month on Grab rides took to social media to ask if purchasing a car would be more cost-effective than using Grab for transportation.
“I spend a lot on grab transport due to my son’s ASD and ADHD conditions. He cannot take public transport as he will get claustrophobic easily and don’t want to sit with strangers at all. He will go into meltdown quite easily when tired. Should I get a car myself?” the man wrote on r/askSingapore on Saturday (March 30).
Most Singaporean Redditors in the comments section advised against buying a car, as they believed he would spend more money. One Redditor commented, “I think Grab is the cheaper option for you.
If I’m not mistaken, if you spend above $2k, then it’ll be worth it to buy a car instead due to all the other fees incurred.”
They also pointed out that factoring in costs like insurance, petrol, parking, ERP, maintenance, depreciation, and loan interest, car upkeep would surpass S$1,200.
One Redditor who owned a 2020 Subaru Forester GT shared his expenses as an example: “Cost: 110K (COE was only 30K back then); Loan: 50K; Repayment per month: 930; Insurance per month: 75; Petrol per month: 300; Parking per month: 200.
This is a pretty small loan and very low COE. Then there’s also periodic maintenance, replacement of tires and battery, etc.
Of course, buying a car in Singapore is never a wise decision financially, so you need to just decide whether the convenience is worth it to you.”
Others stated that, apart from financial reasons, it would also be unwise of him to purchase and drive a car since he has a child who needs attention.
They explained that it wouldn’t be safe because, as he said, his son melts down easily when he gets tired, which will, in turn, potentially distract him while he is driving.
Conversely, a handful of Redditors encouraged the man to purchase one. One individual who is also on the spectrum shared:
“My son never melts down in the car. A good car seat will give you peace of mind to hold him down while you drive. It helps you to have supplies and also a safe space to take your time with things in more ways than you can imagine.
I’d reckon that a new car would cost you easily 70k in down payments and about $2000 total all in a month on average. You can cut down the dp by getting a 1-2 year old car. Just don’t get too high a loan, and try to get a shorter tenure.
I took a 5 year one and it’s almost done, feels free. Car interest is expensive.”
Some also suggested that the man should explore car rental schemes or consider buying a second-hand car.
Additionally, one person mentioned that if the man finds transportation expenses too costly, he could look into applying for the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS).
Taxi Subsidy Scheme
As per SupportGoWhere, the Taxi Subsidy Scheme (TSS) offers a means-tested subsidy of up to 80% for taxi travel aimed at helping individuals with transportation needs.
This scheme provides financial assistance to eligible applicants, such as those with disabilities and a monthly household income per capita of $3,600 or below.
All that is required to apply for the TSS is to complete an application and send it in by mail, email, or online. Applications are often processed in 15 working days.
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