Ideal salary for living in Singapore is S$6,000: survey

[tanwahtiu]

don't understand why Sinkies need a maid living a HDB?

Is cleaning 3/4/5 bedroom HDB so tedious or mundane that would break the wife backs?

Over consumption of maid services destroy family unity. Take cleaning tasks as a family activities, duty of care and in fact cleaning home is enjoyable and make you appreciate your home more.

My friend earning $2.5k can achieve all you listed, except having the maid

 

[Leongsam]

don't understand why Sinkies need a maid living a HDB?

I don't understand why Sinkies need maids regardless of where they live.

Nobody in NZ has a maid. I clean my own toilets, mow my own lawns, wash my own car and do my own laundry. 45 minutes a day set aside for domestic tasks is all I need.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

Who the fuck wanna stay in sinkieland with a population of ball-less cowards.

Singaporeans are not ball-less. Try knocking a car besides yours when you alight by accident, and you will get a good yelling from even the most gentle or demure lady in the car.

Our people are just more educated. Being more educated by the school and media makes us more predictable. Being more predictable = easier to trap or enslave you, eg. with desires in life or debt.

RUN fears not the more educated or smarter ones, RUN fears those who are not predictable.

 

[chootchiew]

don't understand why Sinkies need a maid living a HDB?

Is cleaning 3/4/5 bedroom HDB so tedious or mundane that would break the wife backs?

Over consumption of maid services destroy family unity. Take cleaning tasks as a family activities, duty of care and in fact cleaning home is enjoyable and make you appreciate your home more.

A typical full package successful husband & wife egos - a car, a pair of wife/husband, 2 children a boy and a girl, a hdb/condo, a maid .
I guess for wife thinking is they can hao lian when going out to public area, can tekan maid., can be a lazy cbs at home. For husband, can fxxx the maid

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

I calculated for a family to live ok in hdb 5 room, drive Toyota need min $10k per month.
This is only normal confortable lifestyle nothing luxurious.

Well said. Even a $80K COE now is more expensive than $80K COE in the past because OMV/parf rebates are lower now + petrol n taxes are higher.

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Runifyouhaveto has given a reasonable breakdown that is considered as ideal.

I know many people earning $2,500 like your friend who do not give money to their parents. Maybe your friend does, but mine do not or give very little. Based on Runifyouhaveto's list, that would save him $1,000.

But is that an "ideal" situation? If the government dared to conduct a survey (or maybe they did but dare not release the findings) they will find that many Gen Y Singaporeans are not giving their retired parents enough money equivalent to a low salary. Some give like $200 per month. What can $200 do for an old couple?

The pioneer generation package was obviously to address this phenomenon. Many elderly, the PAP's biggest vote bank, had turned away from PAP in 2011 because it was sucking the money out of their young children's pockets, causing them to be unable to provide for their parents.

Never give money nevermind.
Some still stay with parents and sponge on them...or borrow money.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

You can get by comfortably on even less by staying single.

No wife, no kids, no debt, and independent parents who don't bitch/whine if you don't celebrate Father's/Mother's Day.

Sinkies are really rigid-minded. Ideal salary, standard rates for wedding ang pow etc.

For example, you don't really need to splurge on a swanky home if you constantly travel on the job.

........in the first place, there is nothing wrong about starting a family.

- As children (ourselves), we fear the burden of taking care of spouse's parents. Giving a respectable standard of living for our spouse's and our parent will bust most's cashflow.

- RUN did not use illustrations of $500 dollar enrichment programmes or $1500 childcare. As parents, instinctively, we want will save on ourselves to provide better for our kids. When RUN goes macdonald, RUN orders upsized double fillet-o-fish meal and give his kid the two slices of fish while he fill himself up with the two burger buns n fries.


Policyholders make policies but don't like us to help them improve on them. They don't believe that RUN can no longer catch up with the pace in life.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

There is a major problem with that budget and that is there is hardly a cent of savings. It's literally a hand to mouth existence.

Correct. RUN believes in prudent financial planning and not getting enslaved by debts.
http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?178786-Get-out-of-debts
But in all honesty, RUN cannot find a single friend around him with kids + $6000 income, being able to save $2K a month.

If you are one of the few who fails the test in school, you need to buck-up.
But if most of your class fail the same test like you, the test paper (society) got problem.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

People forget that in Spore once they are in their 40's they will probably be retrenched. So better save up while you can.

There is nothing wrong being in the civil or uniformed service. RUN strongly encourages people to work in the civil/uniformed service, especially:
- Those with better academic results. Academic result is a greater factor in civil/uniformed service pay remuneration vs. private sector.
- Those with very poor results. There are some jobs which will not be open to foreigners, so at least, they enjoy good job security and enjoy a simple pay raise over the years.
If you are hardworking with A performance appraisal, you can also get up to 5-6 mth bonus (based on last work-year).

In the corporate world, most PMETs needs to work more than 2x harder to enjoy a career progression from $3000 to $6000. Look, there is no free lunch in this world. At least in civil service, the odds of you working more than 2x harder, to enjoy the same pay-increment is smaller.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

You can add in friends weddings, funeral wakes and one vacation per year. Not forgetting those who have to rent a flat for 4 to 5 years while waiting for their new flats to be complete, it is extra $3,000 per month.

Yes, this is why it is very hard to save, even for a $6k income earner with kids. You included weddings, funerals, gifts, vacations............let me touch a bit about falling sick.

Tell u something sad, RUN brought his kid to KK hospital A&E on a sunday. When he was registering, he was asked to pay $98 first (which will cover consultation and basic examinations and medications).

$98, just to see doctor in my govt hospital for emergency case. Should we derive the lower-income of basic medical care in hospital? Back then, RUN's child was in such severe pain that he burst out in tears and just laid on the floor. Have you ever heard a child crying in pain, as parents we felt so helpless because we cannot help them.

There were two halls, filled with appx 300 kids on that sunday afternoon. Half are not local, I don't blame them, foreigners also will get sick. RUN waited for 7 hours before going home, on the way home, RUN realized that some of these kids would likely be RUN's child's classmate in pri/sec/jc/poly or uni.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

But is that an "ideal" situation? If the government dared to conduct a survey (or maybe they did but dare not release the findings) they will find that many Gen Y Singaporeans are not giving their retired parents enough money equivalent to a low salary. Some give like $200 per month. What can $200 do for an old couple?

Providing a reasonable retirement lifestyle for old aged is about $1000/pax a month. It is just about $30 and there is a lot of additions when old people get sick.

RUN has the unfortunate honour of going to hospital more than 60 days in a year.

Medishield is a form of health insurance
BUT Medisave is my own savings.

Yet, are you aware there are many new/good medications, medical examinations, injections that we cannot even use our own CPF Medisave savings? Many people don't know because they are luckier than RUN (not sick), but you will faint to know these when it is your turn. What's wrong with using my own savings for better medications or better medical procedures recommended by government hospital?

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

I don't understand why Sinkies need maids regardless of where they live.

Nobody in NZ has a maid. I clean my own toilets, mow my own lawns, wash my own car and do my own laundry. 45 minutes a day set aside for domestic tasks is all I need.

If we are talking about couples in their 30-40s, getting a maid is not a luxury if they are both working.

If both husband and wife works, having a maid buys a little household-chore times + help to take care of elders (if any). In this way, the married couple will have a little more quality time to read a book to kids or bring them out to see the world.

Maids make an very important direct contribution to our nation-building compared to many fake-degree foreign workers. It gives a little more work-life balance to our women folk who are in the workforce.

 

[Runifyouhaveto]

A typical full package successful husband & wife egos - a car, a pair of wife/husband, 2 children a boy and a girl, a hdb/condo, a maid .
I guess for wife thinking is they can hao lian when going out to public area, can tekan maid., can be a lazy cbs at home. For husband, can fxxx the maid

Some wives are blessed. They are smart, chio + marry rich husbands. Their suitors must either have a car or condo (near MRT). You would agree that the married girls in newly completed ECs or condos are really more chio than those HDB BTOs.

sorry, i don't meant to be rude. just an observation.

 

[biondi]

I don't understand why Sinkies need maids regardless of where they live.

Nobody in NZ has a maid. I clean my own toilets, mow my own lawns, wash my own car and do my own laundry. 45 minutes a day set aside for domestic tasks is all I need.

It is easy to say that if you have no children. Moreover, you expect Sinkie mothers nowadays to clean their babies' shit? No way. Especially in Singapore where both parents work long hours, a maid is needed to look after the kids.

 

[garlic]

More than 7 in 10 S'pore workers happy: Survey
They say they are content with their hours, workload and prospects
The Straits Times - August 26, 2013
By: Rachael Boon
More than 7 in 10 S'pore workers happy: Survey
Office workers crossing Maxwell Road in the central business district (CBD) area. Many people grumble about their jobs but it seems most Singapore employees are satisfied with their lot and will probably stick with their employer for a few more years at l
Many people grumble about their jobs but it seems most Singapore employees are satisfied with their lot and will probably stick with their employer for a few more years at least.

In a new survey, more than 70 per cent of the respondents said they are happy with their working hours and workload, as well as their career prospects and development.

Findings also indicate respondents are likely to stay in their jobs for five more years on average.

Age is one determining factor. Respondents aged 15 to 29 said they are likely to stay at least three more years, while those aged 40 or older will probably stay for at least seven more years, taking retirement into account.

The findings are from a survey of 1,003 workers aged 15 to 59 commissioned by Cats Recruit, a Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) unit, in May.

In terms of work motivation, younger employees seem to be driven by different concerns - 42 per cent of those aged 18 to 34 cited higher pay as the most important factor in terms of what would keep them happy. For the overall group, the figure was 37 per cent.

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Higher pay would motivate 19 per cent of the younger respondents to take on more challenging assignments, compared with 16 per cent overall.

Ms Sandra Soon, an assistant vice-president of the strategic marketing department (research and analytics) at SPH, said: "Higher pay and challenging work are something employers can work on."

The department was commissioned by Cats Recruit to do the survey.

Ms Soon added that "people are more conscious about working overtime and want greater work-life balance".

This view was reflected in the survey - 57 per cent of respondents said they are only "somewhat willing" to work overtime, whereas just 24 per cent said they bring work home at least once a week.

The survey also noted that about 40 per cent of all respondents ranked having a job that uses their skills or expertise as the most important job aspect, while 37 per cent ranked job security as the second most important.

Ms Soon said people are increasingly looking for a five-day work week - something seen as important in promoting a family-friendly work environment.

WEIGHING WHAT EMPLOYEES WANT

Higher pay and challenging work are something employers can work on.

- Ms Sandra Soon, assistant vice-president of the strategic marketing department (research and analytics) at Singapore Press Holdings

 

[Logisex]

$6k per person is only enough to live hand to mouth in Singapore

These are things which I wish i could have learn and practice 20 years ago:
- Insured yourself for at least the next 20 -25 years. Total insurance should be about 60-70% of your current total annual income x 20-25 years.
- Put 6 months of your salary in a FD and you should only use them as a last resort
- Put at least 20% into investment products and increase the amount as your income increase. Educate yourself but don't wait till you have become an 'expert' to invest. Start somewhere like buying funds.
- Ensure that your parents are well taken care off including their medical needs. There are tons of Sinkies out there who have their own families and kids but are still giving 'token sums' of $200 etc to their poor parents. Super self-centred. You should take care of your parents first before even thinking of getting a wife
- Invest in yourself through education and networking with the right people. Try to be an entrepreneur but if you are really not make out to be one, at least work hard and smart to stay employable.
- Exercise to stay healthy - no need to join a gym. Just jog/walk around your estate. Pay per visit at your community centre gym/swimming pool if you need a workout. Buy a treadmill.
- Don't buy books - borrow from library. Keep TV to a minimum and listen to free music on radio instead of buying.
- Buy a property/HDB flat asap and never sell it unless you are going to upgrade big time. Use you pool of cash from your investments and savings to buy a second property for rental income
- Don't be stingy on clothes and personal hygiene. Quality stuff are not always expensive but don't buy too many.
- Try to go to restaurants only with people whom you want to network or learn from. Otherwise just eat at hawker centre/food court. Best is to cook a few meals at home every week
- Save/invest the rest after paying for monthly utilities/food/public transport

Take care of the above before you think about getting a wife, car or having kids - which are luxuries in Singapore but Sinkies still see them as necessities. Why do you need wife and kids anyway and if you want sex, just pop by GL. Network and develop friendships instead

 

[Ganesha]

don't understand why Sinkies need a maid living a HDB?

Is cleaning 3/4/5 bedroom HDB so tedious or mundane that would break the wife backs?

Over consumption of maid services destroy family unity. Take cleaning tasks as a family activities, duty of care and in fact cleaning home is enjoyable and make you appreciate your home more.

So Sinkies created jobs for foreigners or Foreigners created jobs for us?

 

[johnny333]

There is nothing wrong being in the civil or uniformed service. RUN strongly encourages people to work in the civil/uniformed service, especially:
- Those with better academic results. Academic result is a greater factor in civil/uniformed service pay remuneration vs. private sector.
- Those with very poor results. There are some jobs which will not be open to foreigners, so at least, they enjoy good job security and enjoy a simple pay raise over the years.
If you are hardworking with A performance appraisal, you can also get up to 5-6 mth bonus (based on last work-year).

In the corporate world, most PMETs needs to work more than 2x harder to enjoy a career progression from $3000 to $6000. Look, there is no free lunch in this world. At least in civil service, the odds of you working more than 2x harder, to enjoy the same pay-increment is smaller.

Last time those who worked in the civil service accepted the idea that the pay was low but job security high. Nowadays it's different matter. They expect high pay & security. If anyone wants to become.

Working at an MNC can be tough but they pay much better . Some of them have job reviews every 6 months but you get a chance for pay increments & stock options. You will also get head hunted However not all MNCs are good unless you are a foreigner e.g. an american working for an american MNC, a Jap working for a Japanese company,..

 

[Leongsam]

Working at an MNC can be tough but they pay much better . Some of them have job reviews every 6 months but you get a chance for pay increments & stock options.

I started life working for Texas Instruments. It was a great training ground when it came to preparing someone for the uncertainties of life.

I saw managers being promoted with great fanfare and fired a month later for screwing up. I witnessed new hires being walked out of the door after a week.

Probation never ended even when it was "officially" over. Your performance could go from hero to zero in a week.

It molded my attitude towards life and made me determined not to have to depend on a job for financial security.

 

[escher]

My friend earning $2.5k can achieve all you listed, except having the maid

Hang PAPs from lamp posts with piano wires
Or necklace them with burning car tyres

then with 2.5k in Singapore, Singaporeans can live well and in luxury
PROVIDED ALL THE PAPs AND COLLABORATORS ARE IN THE LAND OF JOSS STICKS AND CANDLE WAX EATERS

KILL THEM ALL