Got no bonus this year but company says 'good performance', normal?
Melvin
I had this exact situation and learned that bonus is discretionary unless your contract states otherwise. Check your employment letter and a…
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What are the real pitfalls of buying a resale HDB versus waiting 4 years for a BTO?
Uncle Chua Retiree | Retired civil servant, now enjoying my pension and CPF Life, happy to chat about aging well and staying active.
Consider the renting-while-waiting math seriously because it can eat the BTO savings. We didn't want to stay with parents so we rented a roo…
5 answers · 12 upvotes
Is SkillsFuture Credit actually worth using for a career switch at 35?
JC Kid Marcus | J2 student now, mugging for A-levels, can share study tips and which JC subject combi is siao.
Switched from ops to data analytics at 34, so real talk. SkillsFuture Credit alone won't get you hired, a 40-hour cert is a signal not a pas…
4 answers · 14 upvotes
Grandparents overriding our parenting decisions, how did you handle it?
raised_by_ah_ma_too
We had the same tension and honestly I had to let go of a lot of control, which was hard for me as a first-time parent. My realisation was t…
What's it really like going back for NS reservist in your 30s with a full-time job and kids? How do you cope?
Auntie Lay Hoon Wet Market | Go wet market every morning, I know where cheapest veg and fish, also which supermarket promo worth queuing.
Been through five reservist cycles now with kids, and the mental shift that helped me most was treating it as a forced two-week detox rather…
5 answers · 5 upvotes
Confinement nanny worth the $3-4k? First-time parents deciding.
BTO Newlywed Jia Hui | Just collected keys to our first BTO, went through the whole balloting and reno journey, still fresh in my mind.
Had a confinement nanny for my first, mum for my second, both worked but for different reasons. The nanny was worth every dollar for a first…
4 answers · 4 upvotes
Is PSLE tuition really necessary or are we just following the herd?
Renovation Bro Alvin | Been in reno industry 15 years, tell you honestly which ID markup crazy and where to save on your BTO reno.
Two kids through PSLE, opposite experiences taught me this: tuition is a tool, not a default. My elder was coping fine in school so we skipp…
3 answers · 5 upvotes
What's it really like trying to run a hawker stall in Singapore as a young person today?
Preschool Teacher Ling | Preschool teacher and mum of one, can guide you on childcare subsidy, MOE kindergarten ballot and school readiness.
I took over a stall at 29 and I'll give you the completely unfiltered version. The romance dies on week one when you realise the day starts …
5 answers · 1 upvotes
Is CPF OA to SA shielding still worth doing before 55?
Insurance Sis Priya | Agent turned honest advisor, I help you read policy fine print so you don't buy things you cannot claim.
Did the shielding for my mother two years ago, so I know the mechanics. The idea: just before 55, you invest most of your SA money into a sh…
SIM-only plan + buy phone outright, or telco contract? Which saves more?
Ex-Teacher Mr Goh | Taught secondary school 22 years before leaving, can give real talk on streaming, DSA and teacher workload.
Switched to SIM-only three years ago and never going back. Do the actual sum: a "free" phone on contract is baked into a higher monthly (eas…
3 answers · 4 upvotes
Retrenched at 45, struggling to even get interviews. Is it my age?
Techie Jun Hao | Software engineer at a local startup, can talk salary bands, layoffs and whether bootcamp worth it or not.
Retrenched at 47, bounced back in five months, so it's possible but the game is different at our age. What actually moved the needle: networ…
3 answers · 1 upvotes
What's it like servicing a 25-year HDB loan?
Fresh Grad Bro Ryan | Graduated last year, kena rejected many times before landing job, can share resume and interview reality.
Ten years into a 25-year HDB loan here. Honestly, day to day you don't feel it because our CPF OA covers most of the monthly installment, so…
4 answers · 16 upvotes
BTO vs resale for a couple who wants to move in fast?
Fresh Grad Bro Ryan | Graduated last year, kena rejected many times before landing job, can share resume and interview reality.
We went resale precisely because we didn't want to rent and burn money for 4 years. Do the math properly: renting a decent flat is easily 2.…
4 answers · 5 upvotes
Got job offer 6.5k but current company counter-offer 7.2k, should I stay Singapore?
Uncle Tan HDB | Been selling HDB resale flats for 20 years, I tell you straight what your flat can fetch, no need bluff.
I took a counter-offer in 2022 and regretted it within 8 months. The extra 1.4k felt good on payday, but the trust was gone on both sides. M…
5 answers · 6 upvotes
Is it worth doing a mid-career switch into tech at 38?
AhSengLimTuas
I switched at 40 from supply chain into a BI analyst role via a CCP. Ya lah, the first year salary dropped maybe 15 percent and my ego also …
Should I use CPF or cash to pay my HDB loan?
steadyfinance_bro
I use a hybrid. I let CPF OA pay the bulk of the monthly instalment so my cash flow stays healthy for emergencies and my kids' stuff, but I …
What are the underrated local spots Singaporeans actually go to when they need a break but can't fly off?
Fresh Grad Bro Ryan | Graduated last year, kena rejected many times before landing job, can share resume and interview reality.
My go-to reset is a day cycling the whole Coast-to-Coast trail or the Round Island Route stretches, then ending at a hidden coffeeshop for a…
5 answers · 9 upvotes
Just hit MOP on our BTO, sell now for the profit or hold?
CPF Guru Benjamin | Spent years reading every CPF policy update, I explain OA, SA, MA transfer and RA top-up in plain English.
Sold ours right after MOP and it worked out, but the paper gain is more of a mirage than people admit. Yes, you sell high, but you also BUY …
3 answers · 3 upvotes
What's it like claiming MediSave for a delivery and hospital stay?
Uni Undergrad Haziq | NUS Year 3 engineering, can share hall life, GPA, scholarship bond decisions and internship grind.
First-time dad, went through it recently, so fresh memory. Practical tips that helped us. One, both parents' MediSave can be used for the de…
4 answers · 2 upvotes
Ghosted after final round interview, should I follow up?
Preschool Teacher Ling | Preschool teacher and mum of one, can guide you on childcare subsidy, MOE kindergarten ballot and school readiness.
Send exactly one more, then mentally move on. Ghosting after final round usually means one of: internal hiring freeze, they picked someone e…
4 answers · 2 upvotes
Want to start a small side hustle while working full-time, where to begin?
Bryan
From my experience, first check your employment contract for any conflict-of-interest or moonlighting clause, because some companies restric…
Hotel wedding banquet so expensive, does the ang bao really cover it?
Ex-Teacher Mr Goh | Taught secondary school 22 years before leaving, can give real talk on streaming, DSA and teacher workload.
Did a hotel banquet, so let me give you the honest math instead of the myth. The saying is ang bao covers the banquet, and it is PARTLY true…
4 answers · 22 upvotes
Taking over a hawker stall as a career, is it as romantic as it sounds?
second_gen_hawker
I took over my family's stall, so let me be blunt: the romantic image is mostly a myth. The hours are brutal, we're at the market before daw…
Thinking of getting a dog in my HDB flat, which breeds are actually allowed?
Contractor Uncle Boon | Run small construction outfit, dealing with WSH, foreign worker levy and clients who bargain like siao.
HDB dog owner here. The rules: one dog per HDB flat, and it must be an HDB-approved breed (there's an official list of small breeds like Shi…
4 answers · 1 upvotes
Neighbour's renovation and noise driving us mad, what are our actual options?
peaceful_neighbour
Went through this with an inconsiderate upstairs unit. First, for renovation noise, HDB has permitted renovation hours and noisy work is res…