SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man in his late 20s shared on social media that despite having saved S$200,000, he still hesitates to quit his S$6,000-a-month job and take a break.
Posting on the r/singaporefi Reddit forum, he wrote, “I’ve been feeling extremely fatigued and demoralised at work and was toying with the idea of taking a few months to just recuperate, travel, and take a ‘gap year’ of sorts. I’m still relatively young without any house or kids to pay for, so it wouldn’t be that bad, but the worrywart in me is still worried that the job market will pick up if I were to leave my job and take the few months off next year, and it also worries me when I think about how I may not be earning as well as others and maybe can’t exactly afford to take the time off.”
Seeking reassurance and different perspectives, he turned to the online community for advice, asking, “If you were me, what would you do? Would you take time off work?”
“Taking a few months off when you’re still young is no big deal.”
In the discussion thread, many commenters encouraged him to take time off, arguing that S$200,000 in savings was a solid financial cushion.
One commenter shared his personal experience, saying, “Do it. I’m in my late 30s, quit my job, and have been travelling around for five months. Best decision ever. If you don’t have any huge financial obligation, then make the plan, set aside budget, get your insurances, and just go.”
Another wrote, “Do it. Quit your job, take S$20k to S$30k from your S$200k and go travel. Meet people. Learn their stories, share yours, (and) create new ones. When you’re 60, sipping on a Kopi, you will thank your younger self.”
A third said, “Taking a few months off when you’re still young is no big deal, especially if it helps you recharge.”
However, not everyone was convinced that quitting was a good idea. One user bluntly told the man, “The comments might cuddle and tell you to take a break, but honestly no, do not take a break. Market is bad; unless you wanna be jobless after a gap year, don’t.”
Another echoed this sentiment: “Please stay in your job for now. (The) job market has been quite challenging in many sectors recently. In my own experience, the job search has been brutal and extremely draining. If the job market gets worse after that career break, you’ll be more stressed.”
In other news, an elderly woman is allegedly pressuring her son-in-law, who earns around S$6,000 to S$7,000 a month, to let her daughter quit her job and be “a full-time housewife and care for her grandson”.
A relative of the family shared the story on Reddit on March 20, saying that the elderly woman even went as far as threatening her son-in-law with divorce. She told him she would convince her daughter to leave him if he refused to comply.
Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)