What Are Some Things You Missed Most From 1990s & 2000s In Sg?

SINGAPORE: Do you sometimes go on a trip down memory lane? A Singaporean looks back on the 1990s and early 2000s, asking a question that makes us ponder: “What are some things you missed most from the 90s and 00s?”

Explaining his top 3, he shared:

1. Less foreigners and crowds, specifically before the mid 00s. The foreigners that were here were either the top execs or working in low-paying manual jobs. Much less competition for the average Singaporean. Everything changed when they opened the floodgates in the mid 00s.

2. People were less materialistic, elitist and judgemental. No IG and TikTok and people were not pressured to compared with one another and becoming so unhappy.

3. The most iconic movies were made in the 90s, like Jurassic Park, Independence Day, Titanic and the whole lot of Disney cartoons. Same thing for mediacorp tv shows. Nowadays the movies and shows used too much CGI, stories are complicated and difficult to follow and acting standards certainly dropped.

Comments were quickly flooded with people reminiscing the same.

Redditor Custom_Fish shared, “In primary school I remember hearing about a Tamiya car shop somewhere in tampines. My friends and I drooled at the kind of rare parts we might find there that weren’t available in our local shop in Toa Payoh.”

Citing how technology was back then, he added, “We used the school library computer, on its 56kpbs connection (might’ve been 10kbps…), to try find information on where this particular shopblock was. No one knew how to read maps and we barely understood the internet as more than the platform where we play neopets.”

MrFantasticallyNerdy chimed in, talking about the bus rides before adding, “Remember the paper bus guides that we depended on to figure out which bus to take? It was indeed a whole adventure!”

currypuffz shared about library computers stating, “The only thing people used my school library computers for was to play Adventure Quest.”

NatAnirac reminisced on her and her husband’s favourite shows, sharing, “Me: Watching Cardcaptor Sakura on Saturday morning in my pajamas on Kids Central. My husband: Watching chinese dub Digimon Adventures on Sunday morning on channel 8.”

mipanzuzuyam also shared the show she enjoyed: “10am: Powerpuff Girls” and “1030am: Pokemon.”

cheesetofuhotdog jokingly added, “I used to rmb(remember) what time got what show on which channel. Now I cant even rmb(remember) my wife’s phone number.”

Redditor Outside-Ad9447 compared the weather before and today, saying, “I was in primary school in late 90s, early 2000s. I remember I could walk back home in the middle of the day (~1-3pm) and not really break a sweat. Try doing that now, I think can die lol.”

User ultravxolence agreed sharing, “this!!! i always remembered temperatures that started with ‘2’ instead of ‘3’ lmao.”

Although it’s nice to travel down memory lane, the question should probably be, why does everyone like to look back in the past?

Between today vs the 90s, what changed?

According to SingSaver, the biggest difference will probably be financially. Here are 15 things that have changed since the 90s:

1. Public Transport: MRT fares have increased by 225%, from S$0.65 to S$2, and bus fares increased by 150%, from S$0.60 to S$1.50. To save money, consider using a credit card like the Standard Chartered Smart Card, which offers 6% cashback on MRT and bus rides via SimplyGo.
2. HDB and Housing: The price of a 5-room HDB flat has risen from around S$230,000 in the 1990s to at least S$400,000 now. If you’re interested in buying an HDB flat, check out our step-by-step guide for first-time buyers.
3. Movie Tickets: Weekday movie ticket prices have increased by 116% from S$3 in the 1990s to S$9 to S$10.50 today. To save money, consider watching movies on weekdays or using your student pass to enjoy student discounts.
4. Car Ownership: Owning a car in Singapore has always been expensive, with new cars costing around S$70,000 in the 1990s and about S$120,000 today. Consider buying a second-hand car or relying on public transport to save money.
5. Petrol: Petrol prices have risen significantly from S$1.30 per litre in the 1990s to S$3.10 per litre today. To save on petrol costs, explore petrol credit cards that offer discounts.
6. Certificate of Entitlement (COE): Car COE prices have soared from S$2,000 to S$30,000 in the 1990s to S$78,000 to S$114,000 today. These prices fluctuate, so staying informed is essential if you plan to buy a car.
7. Water Bill: The cost of water has increased by 30%, from S$2.15 per cubic meter to S$2.75 per cubic meter. To save on your water bill, consider using credit cards that offer rewards for utility bill payments and adopting water-saving habits.
8. Electricity Bill: Electricity tariffs have risen by more than 100%, from S$0.15 per kWh to S$0.32 per kWh. You can save on your electricity bill by switching to a competitive electricity retailer and using the right credit card for additional savings.
9. Medical and Dental Treatment: Medical and dental treatment costs have increased nearly 78% in the last 20 years. Consider checking your employment benefits for medical and dental reimbursement or adding insurance riders for coverage.
10. Marriage Registration Fees: Fees for marriage registration have increased for both Singaporeans/PRs and foreigners. Be aware of these fees if you’re planning to get married.
11. Coca-Cola (Canned Drinks): While the price of Coca-Cola has gone up, the product size has decreased through a process called shrinkflation. Be mindful of such changes in product sizes.

While there may be downsides, let’s discuss what today has provided.

12. Clothes: Buying clothes in the 1990s was more expensive and less convenient than today. Consider shopping online for more affordable options and explore money-saving life hacks for your wardrobe.

13. Brokerage Fees: Investing has become more accessible with lower brokerage fees. You can start investing with small sums of money using various online brokers with low fees.

14. Data: Internet access has become significantly more affordable, with mobile data costing as low as S$6.90 per month for unlimited usage.

15. Newspapers, Books, Music, TV Shows, and Entertainment: Many forms of entertainment are now available online for free or at affordable subscription rates, making accessing a wide range of content easier.

Enjoying the trip down the 90s’ memory lane? Enjoy today, too, as it will be part of the future’s memory lane as well.

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