SINGAPORE: In the wake of personal setbacks exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, one resilient woman has opened up about her extreme methods to save up for the next year, rebuild her life, and secure her financial future. Despite facing a brutal retrenchment during the pandemic without any severance package, she embarked on a journey of self-improvement, determined to turn her life around.
Speaking about her ordeal, she added, “After Covid, I tried to save up but unfortunately I got a major illness and almost lost my life. So incurred little tickets of medical bills along the way. I only managed to pay off the bills this month. (Got a bad SME boss who even tried not to pay my salaries for months when I was bedridden).
Despite feeling grateful after recovery, she shared that she feels like she has failed; she explained, “I feel like a major failure. I am so upset, yet at the same time, I am grateful that I am alive (sort of, I am trying my best to recover)… Now I really need to save for housing. My salary is 4000 after CPF, so it is a bit tight.”
Trying to be optimistic despite life being tough, she shared a list of ‘methods’ to save up while asking for recommendations on social media:
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Home cook light food like cold pasta, boiled eggs, and veggies to bring to work. This will save a tonne. Cut out BBT and just drink plain water.
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Switch all hobbies to overseas online lessons. Probably will only keep my gym card in SG.
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No clothes, no makeup, no purchases for the next 1 year.
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Defer my Master’s education and certs, and study on Udemy instead.
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No overseas trips (actually have been doing this since Covid).
Redditor LCH2000 shared that he thinks the plan she had was okay but suggested a few additional considerations like using meal prepping to have more food variety, making use of a microwave to keep the food warm, keeping a water bottle always, staying healthy by working out at home or in a park, while making sure to indulge occasionally, suggesting Carousell as a good platform to shop from for clothing.
Other Redditors emphasized self-care, noting that cutting out hobbies is an entirely drastic thing to consider. r1psmoka mentioned that not having debts is a good position to be in while adding, “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Remember that setting goals isn’t bad; success should not be equated solely with reaching a specific figure.