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…
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How do you actually make sense of all the government schemes for a young family, are they worth the effort to apply?
Property Sis Cheryl | Agent who helps young couples decide BTO, resale or EC, I run the numbers with you no pressure to buy.
Been through it with two kids, and the honest answer is most of these are genuinely worth it and less admin than you fear, because a lot is …
5 answers · 2 upvotes
Why is it that hawker food keeps getting more expensive lah?
Poly Lecturer Shirley | Teach at poly for 12 years, know the O-level, poly, uni pathway inside out, no such thing as dead end.
I'm a hawker, let me explain from the cost side. Everything I buy has gone up, chicken, rice, oil, vegetables, gas, packaging. When my ingre…
3 answers · 14 upvotes
Baby Bonus and CDA, is it worth topping up for our second kid?
Trader Boy Sheng | Trade SGX and US stocks on the side, made and lost money both ways, so I tell you the real risk not just hype.
Two kids here, maxed the CDA both times, zero regrets. Why it's worth it: the government dollar-for-dollar matches what you deposit up to a …
4 answers · 2 upvotes
What's it really like switching from a stable civil service job to a startup in your 30s?
IT Support Ah Kow | IT support for an SME, fix people's laptop and printer whole day, can recommend budget gadgets that last.
Did exactly this at 33, left MOM after 7 years for a fintech startup at Mapletree Business City. First thing that hit me: no more clear repo…
5 answers · 2 upvotes
Started a small side hustle, do I need to declare it and tell my employer?
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 separate issues, tax and employment. Tax: yes, freelance income is taxable and you must declare it to IRAS as trade or self-employed inc…
Ghosted after a final round I thought went great. Normal?
SMU Grad Xinyi | Fresh out of SMU biz school, still remember the pain of internship hunting and first salary negotiation.
Recruiter here, and I'm sorry because ghosting is inexcusable but common. What usually happens behind the scenes: a hiring freeze lands, hea…
3 answers · 3 upvotes
How to tell a genuinely good hawker stall from a hyped/tourist trap?
SAF Officer Regina | Served as officer and now in corporate, can advise how to leverage NS leadership on your civilian resume.
After years of hawker hunting, my tells: 1) uncle/auntie queue over tourist queue, if the office crowd and neighbourhood aunties queue, it's…
4 answers · 1 upvotes
Is it really worth job-hopping every 2 years just to bump your salary in Singapore?
Data Analyst Wei Ling | Work as data analyst in a bank, can advise on breaking into data, SQL upskilling and which cert actually useful.
I did the math on my own career and hopping won, but with a big caveat. Over 8 years I switched three times and went from 4.2k to 11k a mont…
5 answers · 29 upvotes
Do I need to register with ACRA for my small side hustle?
Auntie Rich CPF | Retired at 58 on CPF Life plus dividends, happy to share how I stretched my Special Account, ask me anything lah.
Registered mine once it got serious, here's what I learned. Two separate things people confuse: 1) ACRA business registration, generally req…
4 answers · 28 upvotes
Hotel banquet vs restaurant vs void deck wedding, which did you regret or love?
Pharmacist Hui Min | Community pharmacist, can explain generic versus branded medicine and why some things you no need doctor visit.
We did restaurant after fighting over exactly this, and zero regrets. Honest breakdown from attending all three types: hotel = polished, sea…
4 answers · 2 upvotes
What's it like running a side hustle while holding a 9-to-5 in Singapore?
Regular Sergeant Faiz | Was a regular for a while before switching out, can advise sign-on, vocation choice and BMT survival.
Been juggling a side business with a day job for years, so here's the balanced picture. It's genuinely doable and the extra income and skill…
3 answers · 19 upvotes
Why do Singaporeans still buy cars when the COE is insane? Is owning one ever worth it?
Elderly Caregiver Mdm Fong | Caring for my elderly parents at home, know about eldershield, home care grants and getting a helper approved.
I held out for years taking Grab and MRT everywhere, then my second kid came and everything changed. Lugging a stroller, a diaper bag and a …
5 answers · 4 upvotes
What is the average salary range for a software engineer in Singapore?
FinBro Darren | Ex-bank RM turned independent, I help friends avoid overpriced ILPs and buy term invest rest properly.
From my experience, the average salary range for a software engineer in Singapore is around SGD 6,000 to 12,000 per month, depending on the …
4 answers · 1 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
Poly or JC after O levels? Really cannot decide
Ex-Teacher Mr Goh | Taught secondary school 22 years before leaving, can give real talk on streaming, DSA and teacher workload.
I did poly (engineering) then got into local uni, so it's very doable if your GPA is good. The framing 'JC is faster' is true but faster isn…
Should I use my CPF OA to pay for my flat or keep it earning 2.5% and pay cash? What did you decide?
IT Support Ah Kow | IT support for an SME, fix people's laptop and printer whole day, can recommend budget gadgets that last.
The thing everyone underestimates is accrued interest. Every dollar of CPF OA you use for the flat, you must return to your CPF with 2.5% co…
5 answers · 5 upvotes
Landlord not returning my rental deposit, what can I do?
Data Analyst Wei Ling | Work as data analyst in a bank, can advise on breaking into data, SQL upskilling and which cert actually useful.
Went through almost the same thing. First, keep everything in writing, WhatsApp and email are fine as evidence. Send a firm but polite writt…
4 answers · 6 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
Is switching from a big telco to an MVNO like Circles or Giga actually worth it in SG? Any downsides?
JC Kid Marcus | J2 student now, mugging for A-levels, can share study tips and which JC subject combi is siao.
Switched from Singtel to Circles.Life two years ago and it was one of my easier money-saving wins, cut my bill from 55 to about 20 a month f…
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…
Chronic work stress, can't switch off at night. Anyone found something that works?
Grab Uncle Raju | Driving Grab full time 6 years already, can tell you which platform pays better and how to survive as PHV.
Please don't brush this off as being dramatic, months of 4 to 5 hours sleep with racing thoughts is your body waving a red flag. Been exactl…
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 like negotiating a counter-offer after you already resigned in SG? Is it worth staying?
Property Agent Fiona | Licensed agent focusing on condo rental, help expats and locals not kena cheated by unrealistic asking price.
I took the counter-offer in 2022, a jump from 6k to 7.1k plus a 10k retention bonus with a 12-month clawback. On paper it looked great lah, …
5 answers · 2 upvotes
How do you cope with anxiety around money when you grew up poor?
grew_up_rental_flat
I grew up in a one-room rental flat and I know this fear intimately. What helped me was first acknowledging that the anxiety came from a rea…