How do you actually negotiate a higher salary at a local SME?
negotiator_ah_beng
Negotiated up about 12 percent at a local SME last year. The trick with SMEs is they're less rigid but also more personal, so frame it right…
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Always tired and low energy, went doctor but tests normal
Nabil
I had the same and it turned out to be a mix of stress and low iron even though the general test looked okay. Please go back to your GP and …
Is buying a car in Singapore with COE so high even worth it?
Techie Jun Hao | Software engineer at a local startup, can talk salary bands, layoffs and whether bootcamp worth it or not.
Depends entirely on your life stage and where you stay. When we had a newborn and stayed in a non-central area, the car was a lifesaver, no …
4 answers · 23 upvotes
COE expiring, renew for 5 or 10 years or just scrap and rebuy?
Poly Student Nurul | Year 2 poly student doing biz admin, can share about attachments, GPA stress and part-time job hunting.
Renewed mine for 5 years last cycle, here is my logic. If your car is genuinely well maintained and you like it, renewing on the PQP (the av…
3 answers · 5 upvotes
BTO vs resale flat 2026 for young couple, is waiting 4 years for BTO worth it?
Confinement Nanny Auntie Poh | Confinement nanny 18 years, helped many new mums with breastfeeding, baby sleep and confinement food.
We went resale in a mature estate (Bishan) in 2024 and I don't regret it, even though we paid COV of about 30k on top. The math: BTO would h…
5 answers · 3 upvotes
My partner and I have totally different money habits. Marriage soon.
CPF Guru Benjamin | Spent years reading every CPF policy update, I explain OA, SA, MA transfer and RA top-up in plain English.
Married 6 years, my husband was the spender. What saved us was the "three pots" system. Joint account for shared stuff (rent, utilities, gro…
3 answers · 1 upvotes
What's it like running a hawker stall in Singapore?
Hawker Ah Boy | Third generation running our chicken rice stall, ask me about rental, ingredient cost and why food price go up.
I ran a stall for two years and closed it, so here's the cautionary tale. My food was good, people liked it, but I couldn't make the numbers…
4 answers · 5 upvotes
Side hustle selling on Shopee, do I need to register business and declare income to IRAS?
Tiger Mum Serene | Two kids in primary school, survived PSLE once already, can share tuition and DSA strategy without the stress.
Two separate things here, both important. First, ACRA registration: if you're doing business under your own name exactly as per NRIC and it'…
5 answers · 3 upvotes
Company forcing 5-day RTO, is it worth quitting over?
Auntie Susan Church | Active in my CC and church, know a lot about grants, senior activities and where to get help when stuck.
Not overreacting, 3 hours daily commute is 15 hours a week, basically two extra unpaid workdays of your life. That's a legitimate quality-of…
4 answers · 7 upvotes
IPPT tips, how do you actually pass (and hit the incentive money)?
Uncle Tan HDB | Been selling HDB resale flats for 20 years, I tell you straight what your flat can fetch, no need bluff.
Been through many reservist IPPTs from a desk-job body, here's the efficient approach for the 3 stations (push-ups, sit-ups, 2.4km run). Giv…
4 answers · 5 upvotes
Poly diploma vs JC then uni, which path did you actually find more worth it?
jc_route_reflect
I took the JC route and went to uni, and while it worked out, I'll be honest that JC was academically intense and not everyone thrives in th…
Retrenched at 45, feeling stuck. What did you do?
Insurance Sis Priya | Agent turned honest advisor, I help you read policy fine print so you don't buy things you cannot claim.
Been there at 47. First, breathe. Practical steps that actually helped me: 1) Registered with WSG (Workforce Singapore) career matching, the…
4 answers · 5 upvotes
BTO vs resale flat for a couple in our early 30s in a hurry to move out, which one did you regret less?
Elderly Caregiver Mdm Fong | Caring for my elderly parents at home, know about eldershield, home care grants and getting a helper approved.
We went resale in Bishan in 2023 because we simply could not wait 4 years, and I don't regret it, but the cash was brutal. The valuation was…
How to keep the wedding budget sane when everyone expects a big banquet?
budget_bride_sg
We faced the exact same banquet pressure from the older relatives. What we did was compromise smartly: a moderate hotel banquet to satisfy t…
Interviewer asked expected salary and I anchored too high, did I kill my chances?
Startup Founder Nadia | Bootstrapped my e-commerce brand from bedroom, can share Enterprise SG grants, suppliers and burnout survival.
Don't panic and definitely don't send a desperate 'I'll take less' email immediately, that screams insecurity and weakens you before they ev…
5 answers · 2 upvotes
Can I really keep a dog in an HDB flat, which breeds are allowed?
Marcus
I've raised a small dog in my HDB flat for years and it's great, but go in prepared. Check the current approved breed list before you fall i…
Best way to do a JB weekend trip without the crazy causeway jams?
jb_regular_sg
Regular JB-goer here. My timing rule: go super early, like leave home before dawn on a weekend, cross before the crowd wakes up, and come ba…
With COE so high, is owning a car even worth it for a young family?
Regular Sergeant Faiz | Was a regular for a while before switching out, can advise sign-on, vocation choice and BMT survival.
Ran the numbers hard before buying with two young kids. Truth: owning a car in SG is almost never the cheaper option versus Grab and public …
4 answers · 5 upvotes
Is an Integrated Shield Plan rider worth it or am I overpaying?
Auntie Susan Church | Active in my CC and church, know a lot about grants, senior activities and where to get help when stuck.
Sorted mine out after the same confusion, here's the honest breakdown. MediShield Life alone covers subsidised (usually B2/C class) treatmen…
4 answers · 4 upvotes
What's it like using MediShield Life for a big hospital bill?
Auntie Rich CPF | Retired at 58 on CPF Life plus dividends, happy to share how I stretched my Special Account, ask me anything lah.
Dealt with this for my spouse's major hospitalisation. Practical reality, the system is well integrated, the hospital computes subsidy plus …
3 answers · 1 upvotes
Is a local uni degree still worth it these days?
Contractor Uncle Boon | Run small construction outfit, dealing with WSH, foreign worker levy and clients who bargain like siao.
I'll be the voice for nuance from the hiring side. We still filter many roles by degree for efficiency, so lacking one closes doors, that's …
4 answers · 1 upvotes
How do you handle the classic why do you want to leave your current job question without sounding like you're running away?
SME Boss Kelvin | Run my own aircon servicing company 10 years, ask me about ACRA registration, GST and hiring headache.
Rule one, never badmouth your current boss even if he deserves it, because the interviewer immediately imagines you saying the same about th…
5 answers · 3 upvotes
Feeling burnt out and empty even on weekends, is this normal?
Wen Jie
From my experience, what you're describing sounds a lot like burnout, and losing interest in things you used to enjoy is a real warning sign…
Need to sell HDB but haven't hit MOP, what happens?
Data Analyst Wei Ling | Work as data analyst in a bank, can advise on breaking into data, SQL upskilling and which cert actually useful.
You generally cannot sell on the open market before MOP, full stop, that's the rule and there's no "penalty payment" workaround to sell earl…
Which government schemes should a new first-time BTO couple actually apply for?
Yong Sheng
From my experience, as first-timer married couples buying a BTO you should check the CPF Housing Grants that apply to new flats, and if you'…