SINGAPORE: When a local family of three that has been finding itself spending a significant amount on commuting costs took to Reddit, seeking advice as to whether or not it would be better to get a car instead, many commenters weighed in with their thoughts and experiences.
On Feb 19 (Wednesday), u/Alwaysafinebabe wrote in an r/askSingapore post that their family–made up of parents and a baby–usually take Grab, train, and bus rides to get around Singapore for work and to personally go around.
In the last three months, they’ve spent almost $1,000 each month on transportation expenses. Considering that their total combined monthly income is $10,000 after CPF, this means nearly a tenth of their earnings goes to commuting.
“Does it make sense to have a car at this point?” the post author asked.
Many commenters on the post were helpful, giving u/Alwaysafinebabe a realistic picture of what car ownership entails.
“The cost of owning and maintaining a car is higher than $1k per month. More realistically between $1.5 to $2k per month,” wrote one, adding that car owners need to also think about insurance and road tax, maintenance and servicing every six months, the cost of fuel, interest on a car loan, parking fees at home, at the office, and in different places, and ERP fees.
Another asked the post author to also consider time costs for maintenance, looking for parking, and the administrative side of car ownership.
One chimed in to say that if a person decides to buy a second-hand car, then repair costs also have to be factored in.
A number of commenters who said they are in the same situation as the post author said that while commuting is expensive, it still comes out as cheaper than buying and maintaining a car.
There were other Reddit users, however, who advocated for getting a car if one can afford it, simply because of the convenience having your own car brings.
One wrote that when it rains, or when the baby runs out of diapers, the benefit of having a car cannot be outweighed. “It’s a question of whether you can afford (to own a car) and do you want to. Not whether it’s worth it or not,” they added.
“It’s different when you have babies and children,” another agreed.
A commenter wrote, “I would go for it if you can budget for it.”
One commenter offered a different bit of advice and suggested: “Try renting a car for the short term and see if you enjoy the convenience of it?” /TISG