Enlisting for NS soon and quite anxious, what should I expect in BMT?
Wei Jie
I was unfit and dreading it too, but honestly BMT was more manageable than I feared. If you're really out of shape you might be posted to a …
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Is a 30k wedding realistic in SG or are we dreaming?
SAF Officer Regina | Served as officer and now in corporate, can advise how to leverage NS leadership on your civilian resume.
Did ours for roughly this range and yes it's doable, but 250 guests at a hotel banquet is the exact combo that blows budgets. Here's the rea…
4 answers · 2 upvotes
Can I use my Medisave to pay for my parents' hospital bills?
Auntie Susan Church | Active in my CC and church, know a lot about grants, senior activities and where to get help when stuck.
Yes you can, Medisave is usable for immediate family including parents, spouse, children and grandparents. Went through this when my mum was…
CPF LIFE Standard vs Escalating plan, which payout option better for retirement at 65?
Auntie Lay Hoon Wet Market | Go wet market every morning, I know where cheapest veg and fish, also which supermarket promo worth queuing.
The core trade-off: Standard Plan gives you a higher, level monthly payout that stays the same for life, while Escalating Plan starts you of…
5 answers · 5 upvotes
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…
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 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
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
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…
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
How do you mentally and physically prepare for BMT when you're not the sporty type?
Auntie Susan Church | Active in my CC and church, know a lot about grants, senior activities and where to get help when stuck.
Practical prep list from a fellow non-sporty survivor: start the 2.4km run twice a week and aim just to finish without walking, do push-ups …
5 answers · 9 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…
Confinement nanny worth the money or can DIY with family help?
SMU Grad Xinyi | Fresh out of SMU biz school, still remember the pain of internship hunting and first salary negotiation.
Did nanny for my first, family help for my second, so I can compare directly. The confinement nanny is expensive but for a first-time mum wi…
3 answers · 1 upvotes
What government payouts am I actually eligible for? So many schemes, so confusing
Contractor Uncle Boon | Run small construction outfit, dealing with WSH, foreign worker levy and clients who bargain like siao.
The trick is most of these are auto-assessed, you don't apply blindly for each. Practical approach: 1) log in to the Supportgowhere / govben…
4 answers · 2 upvotes
Just ORD-ed, how many years of reservist do I actually have and what should I expect?
Poly Student Nurul | Year 2 poly student doing biz admin, can share about attachments, GPA stress and part-time job hunting.
Congrats on ORD. Straight answer: after your full-time NS you serve as an Operationally Ready NSman for a number of years, during which you …
4 answers · 5 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
Boss gave me a counteroffer after I resigned. Take it?
Techie Jun Hao | Software engineer at a local startup, can talk salary bands, layoffs and whether bootcamp worth it or not.
I took a counteroffer once and regretted it within 8 months. The raise was real but the reason I wanted to leave, a manager who overloaded m…
4 answers · 4 upvotes
SIM-only vs telco contract with phone, which actually saves money?
Property Sis Cheryl | Agent who helps young couples decide BTO, resale or EC, I run the numbers with you no pressure to buy.
Did this exact math last year and switched to SIM-only, saving roughly $40/month. Here's how to work it out properly. The "free" phone on a …
3 answers · 4 upvotes
First-time car buyer, what hidden costs nobody warns you about?
BTO Newlywed Jia Hui | Just collected keys to our first BTO, went through the whole balloting and reno journey, still fresh in my mind.
First car surprised me with the recurring stuff, not the upfront. Things people underestimate: 1) parking, a season pass at home (HDB/condo)…
3 answers · 1 upvotes
Should I use CPF OA to pay my HDB loan or pay cash?
Uncle Chua Retiree | Retired civil servant, now enjoying my pension and CPF Life, happy to chat about aging well and staying active.
The "accrued interest" thing scares people unnecessarily, let me demystify it. When you use CPF OA to pay for your flat, you must return tha…
4 answers · 14 upvotes
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
Do I lose my AWS if I resign before December?
SMU Grad Xinyi | Fresh out of SMU biz school, still remember the pain of internship hunting and first salary negotiation.
It depends entirely on your contract, read the exact wording. Many SG companies prorate AWS based on months worked in the calendar year and …
4 answers · 4 upvotes
Hawker food is getting so expensive, how do you all still eat cheap?
Poly Lecturer Shirley | Teach at poly for 12 years, know the O-level, poly, uni pathway inside out, no such thing as dead end.
Feel you, prices really crept up. My real-world tactics that keep my food budget sane: hit the older heartland hawker centres and coffeeshop…
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
Constant work anxiety and burnout, where do I even start to get help in SG?
Auntie Susan Church | Active in my CC and church, know a lot about grants, senior activities and where to get help when stuck.
Been exactly where you are, the Sunday night chest tightness, so first, that is real and you are not weak, that is your body waving a red fl…
3 answers · 4 upvotes