SINGAPORE: A Singaporean shared on social media that he is now reconsidering early retirement after realising that there is surprisingly little to do in Singapore during weekday hours.
Writing on the r/singaporefi subreddit on Tuesday (Dec 9), the man explained that he recently used a week of leave to “test-drive” retirement. He wanted to simulate what life might feel like once he eventually reaches FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early), so he carefully planned a series of activities to fill his supposedly relaxing weekday schedule.
However, the results surprised him. “I found a few free workout classes during weekday lunch hours and attended some of them, but I realised something unexpected: Singapore is really, and I mean REALLY quiet during weekdays.”
He noted that most people are at work, most events only come alive in the evenings, and even volunteer opportunities are not as readily available as he assumed. Many were already full or required early registration.
To make things more ironic, he discovered that Singapore actually has an abundance of volunteers. This led him to conclude, with a hint of defeated humour, that he did not feel particularly needed.
“After exploring so much of Singapore over the years, I’m finding it surprisingly hard to fill my daytime schedule with things that feel meaningful or interesting,” he continued. “It made me rethink the idea of early retirement… I honestly can’t imagine having this much free time every day.”
He ended his post by turning to others for advice, asking, “For those of you who have already reached FIRE or semi-retirement, did you experience this too? How do you navigate having so much unstructured time on your hands?”
“It might mean that you do not have any hobbies outside of work.”
In response to the man’s post, several locals who had retired early said that his struggle was likely less about Singapore being boring and more about finally confronting a blank slate he had never learned to fill. They believed he had not yet discovered what he was truly passionate about, or even what kinds of hobbies or pursuits genuinely interest him.
One individual said, “If you have no life outside of work before retirement… guess what? You won’t know what to do when you do retire. You need hobbies outside of work. Just coming home, shower, eat, TV and sleep, and more of that on weekends, isn’t exactly life…”
Another shared, “My wife and I retired 4 months ago and have never been happier. We are free to wake up whenever we want, travel whenever we want, read books, play games, work out, watch movies, and eat healthily.
“If you are bored during retirement, it might mean that you do not have any hobbies outside of work. So you might want to continue working.”
A third user also recommended that he simply broaden his horizons by travelling regularly. “Simple, don’t be in Singapore. I explore Malaysia every month, and rotate Vietnam and Thailand every few months, and China and Japan, then throw in one Europe trip every year.”
“If I stay in Singapore, I’m either planning my next trip, meeting fellow self-employed or FIRE-d individuals, or just hanging out with my retired parents and having a simple meal at off-peak spots.”
A fourth added that he could make his retirement more meaningful by doing things with others. “Honestly, you really need PEOPLE to make your unemployment or retirement fun.”
“Having a friend or family member to travel with or go to classes and coffee with every day makes everything so much better lol. My mom retired early and is busier than anyone else in the family.”
In other news, a new hire at a multinational company has opened up on social media about how drained she feels after only three months on the job, saying the environment has become so stressful and “toxic” that she is honestly thinking about leaving.
In a post on Reddit’s AskSingapore forum on Saturday (Dec 6), she spilt that her team seems to have zero respect for her time or personal boundaries.
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