SINGAPORE: Is the cost of living in Singapore really so high that a family of three can no longer survive on S$1,900 per month?
This is the dilemma a Singaporean father is currently facing. With his wife, who’s currently unemployed, and their child relying entirely on his modest salary, he’s struggling to make ends meet.
Desperate for a solution, he took to r/askSingapore, a Reddit forum, on Sunday (Sept 8) to seek advice on managing his finances.
In his post, he explained that his monthly salary is S$2,400, but after CPF, he only takes home S$1,900. Their monthly bills also come to S$500, excluding the additional expenses for the child and transportation costs.
He asked the community, “How would you guys save or spend your money with $1,900 a month if you have a wife and a kid?”
In the comments section, many netizens told him it’s impossible to support his entire family on his modest salary. One netizen said, “$2400 as a single, no problem. $2400 for a family of 3, including a kid? Man, that’s real tough.”
Another suggested a drastic measure: “Well, short answer, you can’t. Move to JB and cosplay a Malaysian coming down to work. There is nothing else you can do, man.”
A third netizen shared, “You can’t! When earning around that amount, I didn’t do anything or go anywhere! And I was single!!!”
A fourth netizen expressed, “It is not possible. I used to think it was. But you must also account for inflation and the rising cost of living. What if 10 years later, the cost of necessities increases 10x? Your basic hawker meal becomes $20, etc.”
However, not everyone was pessimistic. Some suggested that the family might manage to get by with careful budgeting, strategic savings, and perhaps a side hustle.
One netizen said, “It’s possible, but you cannot have extra stuff like insurance, travelling and all the other wants. And please never fall sick or get out of a job.”
Another offered budgeting tips to help stretch his salary. He wrote, “Be frugal. Purchase food that is only on discount. Limit expenses. Limit stuff to do that costs money.
Rent as cheaply as possible, and go to places with roommates or stay with parents. Work more, moonlight, find 2 or 3 jobs. Pick up and use 2nd or 3rd hand stuff. Depend on giveaways.”
A third netizen suggested that he seek financial assistance. She said, “If you have a monthly household income of less than $800 per person, you can apply for comcare to offset living expenses.
MOE also provides financial assistance to waive school fees and get meal/transport subsidies if the household makes less than $3000.”
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