Live Cheap in Singapore! (part 1)
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Here's the deal. Inflation is causing people great misery, and if you want to have extra cash for whatever reason, you can either earn more or spend less. My advice is to do both, but my purpose here is not to advise you how to generate money.
Some background information: I'm a first-year university student and I spend less than S$200 a month. I still have a life, and I'm just as happy as when I was spending $300-$400 a month.
Anyway, let's go on to the meat of this edition: food. The cheapest food (per unit mass) in Singapore's food courts is, invariably, mixed rice. I've been eating mixed rice forever and it gives me all the carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals that I need. Here are some tactics in buying mixed rice that I found really useful for maximising my eating pleasure while minimising my spending:
1. Choose only one meat, or none
Meat is expensive, and contrary to popular belief, it's possible to live healthy without copious amounts of cooked muscle and fat fibres. Instead, opt for eggs, beans and beancurd (which are priced as "vegetables") to fulfil your protein needs. The cheapest and still-bearable combination is usually 3 veg. or 1 meat+1 veg.2. When choosing meat, pick the one with greater unit mass
This tactic applies if all meat dishes are priced identically. For example, meat balls are less preferable than chicken wings. The rationale is simple: vendors usually use thongs to pick up food, and if they have to repeatedly transfer food on to your plate, they would feel that they're giving you too much. The converse is also true, so pick the chicken wings, pork chops and whole fish!3. Avoid bony meat
Bony meat is not only troublesome to eat but also has less meat than boneless equivalents. This tactic might seem to contradict tactic 2 but how to balance the two is your call.4. When choosing meat, pick the one with a scoop lying in its container
A scoop obviously picks up more food than a pair of thongs.5. If you have decided to eat meat, pick it first
Have you ever realised that the vendors give a lot of the first dish, less of the second dish and even less of subsequent dishes? They do it most of the time, so learn to adapt!6. Take your time to pick your dishes
Don't ask him to pick up your next dish when he's busy picking up a dish. He would obviously pick up less because you're rushing him.7. Choose the right gravey
Gravey is free, but you can get more than gravey for free if you choose the right gravey. One good strategy to follow is to pick gravey that has other ingredients in them. Clear sauce is less preferable to murky, viscous gravey with small chunks of meat in them. Gravey from curry fish head is my favourite because it usually comes with a cabbage slice.8. Choose the "left-overs"
When you notice that a particular container is almost empty and has, say, one and a half servings in it, pick that dish. The vendor is probably anxious to clear that tray and give you more than he ordinarily would!That's all I have for this edition; look out for the next where I'll talk about how to shop cheaply for snacks!
--------------------Part 2 below--------------------
We're still on food for this edition, but I'll talk about how to shop for and manage your snacks so that you reap their fullest potentials. Just some preliminary information that is good to know before we start:
1. Cheapest places to shop
Contrary to popular belief, Fairprice really isn't the cheapest place to shop for your snacks. Try Sheng Shiong, heartland supermarkets and dollar stores instead.2. Cheapest tactics to shop
This is a common-sensical approach, but always look out for promotions at the end of each row at the supermarket. Another common tactic that many people know of but do not practise regularly is to look out for items that are not at eye level. Obviously, items found within a comfortable reach are there because a premium has been paid for to get them placed there.3. Cheapest types of snacks
In most places, snacks are priced as follows per unit (ascending order):1) Fruits (cheap)
2) Sweets ($1-$3)
3) Crackers, potato chips, nuts ($1-$5)
4) Cookies and biscuits ($1 onwards)
5) Chocolates ($2 onwards)
6) Yoghurt, ice cream, cereal, muesli bars (expensive)As you can see, the cheapest snacks to get are 1, 2, 3 and 4. I have always avoided 5 and 6 as much as possible, because the eating pleasure obtained per dollar spent is generally poor. It helps to save money if you don't have a sweet tooth (like me) and love the saltier snacks. However, I still generally go for a good mix of 1, 2, 3 and 4. I would suggest that, even if you have a sweet tooth, you try getting the biscuits/cookies instead of chocolates and dairy products to save a few bucks. An important step in keeping your budget tight is to choose the correct categories of snacks that are inexpensive yet still satisfy your snacking needs.
4. Cheapskate mentality
In deciding what to buy, always remember that the cheaper an item is, the better it is. This is an absolute rule. Even if the taste isn't that good, the pleasure from saving tens of cents should more than compensate for the lack of enjoyment in your snacks.Now that you some prerequisite knowledge, let us now begin the guide proper. The first thing that you should do when you arrive at a supermarket is to decide on a shopping budget and an expected period of time for the snacks to last. I usually go with $10 for 2 weeks. Whatever it is, make sure that you set a benchmark that you can commit to (something that is not too easy but not too unrealistic).
After having your objectives in mind, you should be looking for your shopping cart. Please use a basket, not a trolley, if you want to keep your spending minimal. I can isolate three reasons right off my mind:
(a) You have to carry baskets, thus they will feel heavy at some point. Heaviness gives you the impression that you have picked up too many items.
(b) Heaviness makes you tired -- more reasons for you to end the shopping trip early.
(c) Baskets are smaller. You can't overload if there isn't enough space in the first place. They keep you disciplined.
As you can probably infer, I don't like to shop for very long. A typical shopping trip should last no more than 10 minutes. Longer shopping trips make you spend unnecessarily. Another thing you should refrain from doing is exploring the rows excessively. By the time you set foot in the supermarket, you should already have a clear idea of what you want to buy. You are there merely to execute your plan; all decision-making should have been completed beforehand.
Once you've arrived at the relevant section (e.g. cookies/biscuits section), start looking at price tags. Look out for the $1-$2 items. My favourites are Chipsmore and Khong Guan raisin biscuits for cookies/biscuits, Mamee Monster for crackers, Fruit Plus for sweets and a bunch of bananas. Note that each of their unit prices is below $2, and I still have a good mix of all four categories that I've identified earlier. They add up nicely to about $10:
Bananas - $1.20
Chipsmore - $1.60
Raisin biscuits - $2.00
Mamee Monster (2) - $1.50 x 2
Fruit Plus (2) - $1.00 x 2Total - $9.80
Except for the Chipsmore, notice that it takes some trouble to eat the snacks. The raisin biscuits are contained within smaller packets, just like the Mamee Monster and Fruit Plus. You have to peel the bananas individually too. The rationale here is to make your snacks more troublesome to eat so that they last longer. You would most likely finish a packet of Ruffles in one session, but you wouldn't finish a ten-pack Mamee Monster in one session. In the latter case, you would have to take out the individual packets, crush the noodle, pour in the seasoning, shake the packet and gingerly pour the noodle bits into your mouth. I'm sure it's enough to discourage you from snacking on it too often.
One last tip that I found useful is to snack only at strategic times. Snacking right before or after meals is not optimum because you inevitably juxtapose the taste of your snacks with your food. You would therefore derive less pleasure out of your snacks or your food, as opposed to when you juxtapose either with hunger.
I have applied these tips since a couple of years ago and they've served me well. Try it out and see if they help you to save up to tens of dollars a month!
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me not so stingy...
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This is the typical Singaporean mentality here, of which I'm guilty of too ha.
Save and save becos we only have that amount of salary. Indo chinese think differently. Due to their business background, they may probably think along the line of "How can I make more money to cover this extra expense?"
No wonder Singaporeans never move out of the study hard and get a good job mentality.
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Originally posted by Rock^Star:
This is the typical Singaporean mentality here, of which I'm guilty of too ha.
Save and save becos we only have that amount of salary. Indo chinese think differently. Due to their business background, they may probably think along the line of "How can I make more money to cover this extra expense?"
No wonder Singaporeans never move out of the study hard and get a good job mentality.
Like I said in my original post, the optimum strategy is a two-pronged one: earn more, spend less. It's a good habit to cultivate and will serve you better than either of them alone.This is a potent strategy, mind you. Just about a year ago, I had only one stream of income: scholarship allowance. I've decided to basically do something, and now I have 3 streams of income and am working on 3 potential sources of great net worth:
1. Income: scholarship allowance
I was receiving S$4,300 per annum, but recently, it has been increased dramatically (good for me).2. Income: freelance work
I write legal term sheets, proposals and do some web programming for a company that I have developed a good relationship with during my months after A Levels. I'm paid $30 per page of document I write, and I don't even have any formal qualifications. This job earns me a high three-figure sum every month.3. Income: parent allowance
I've somehow managed to negotiate a 5-figure annual allowance from my parents (citing expensive books).4. Source of net worth: education
The biggest investment in my life. I'm doing my best to excel in law school.5. Source of net worth: business
I'm currently building my business too. Hoping to get it running before my 20th birthday.6. Source of net worth: financial investment
I've already invested more than S$20,000 in foreign currency fixed deposit, unit trust and the stock market, and I'm looking forward to investing much more. Yes, this money is my own, saved from my three streams of income and invested prudently. I'm hoping to achieve a net worth of S$100,000 by the time I graduate.The abovementioned would be the first prong. The second prong is to curtail my spending, which I'm advocating to people because it's more doable. This is my strategy anyway, and anyone with comments or ideas is welcome to share.
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go vegan and exercise!!!, saves a buck for a bang( think "Mary Chia" slimming models )
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you are a retarded moron indeed. why dont u copy the auntie at the kopitiam always asking people " ho wa lui jiak png" (give me money to eat). These tips do not necessary apply everywhere, you know?
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nice one! haha... really liked your ideas =)
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how to grow $20,000 to $100,000 in two years
please teach me also -
fren of stooky?
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Originally posted by TehJarVu:
how to grow $20,000 to $100,000 in two years
please teach me also1. I have four years.
2. My principal exceeds $20,000. Even without investing (just saving alone at the rate that I'm going), I can get $50,000-60,000 after four years.
3. I'm talking about net worth, not cash.
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save money. eat grass.
i reccomend the one near the RC, well maintained to look nice for the MP.
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In all fairness, I think TS has done a very good job with regards as to how to get the best deal out of mixed rice, especially points 5, 6 and 7.
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save money, don't shave. save on razor blades.
only shave skinhead. than let it grow to shoulder length before cutting again
don't use water. go public toilet to get water. than bring home to boil
don't use electricity. use moonlight to study.
don't use internet. leech from library or school.
don't use public transport. use bicycle.
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Originally posted by skythewood:
save money, don't shave. save on razor blades.
only shave skinhead. than let it grow to shoulder length before cutting again
don't use water. go public toilet to get water. than bring home to boil
don't use electricity. use moonlight to study.
don't use internet. leech from library or school.
don't use public transport. use bicycle.
Maybe you can try and let us know the result?
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Originally posted by TehJarVu:
how to grow $20,000 to $100,000 in two years
please teach me also
invest in insurance, then get yourself accidentally killed. -
Originally posted by skythewood:
save money, don't shave. save on razor blades.
only shave skinhead. than let it grow to shoulder length before cutting again
don't use water. go public toilet to get water. than bring home to boil
don't use electricity. use moonlight to study.
don't use internet. leech from library or school.
don't use public transport. use bicycle.
dun use condom ya -
Originally posted by angel7030:
invest in insurance, then get yourself accidentally killed.
this one not easyif tio caught hor
can go to stay at changi resort
with daily free meals and hotel stay
for a few years u know
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It's always nice to see a pro-active youngster who is actually doing something about his life instead of whining in SGF
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Originally posted by BrUtUs:
fren of stooky?
cai png
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lol this is interesting. what about for other hawker food??
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Just to add on:
8. Choose the "left-overs"
When you notice that a particular container is almost empty and has, say, one and a half servings in it, pick that dish. The vendor is probably anxious to clear that tray and give you more than he ordinarily would! -
Very innovative and observant tips indeed.
But perhaps you have other such food-related tips..? Like what time to eat, or how long you should sleep, or maybe even more innovative tips.
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so where is part 2?
Not bad from a retarded moron. better then most people on this forum ever posted.
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You should also consider the following:
Bring your own water bottle and water. drink copious amount of it before you eat. The water will fill you up and thus you wont eat a lot, plus it helps with slimming you down.
also make your own iced green tea. brew them and store in the fridge for whenever you are thirsty.
You can also buy those Redoxon Orange fizz tablets. For when you want to drink fizzy drinks, the redoxon tablets in your normal orange juice will give u a buzz, yet is healthy enough to keep you free from cold/flu.
Bring home cooked food, tell mummy to cook more rice and dish for dinner, and you pack the rice and dishes into your microwavable container. Put into fridge and bring to school in the morning.
Buy bigger loaf of wholemeal bread. Buy cheese slices and make your own toaster baked cheese on bread.
And boil about a half dozen eggs when you buy them. Make mashed egg sandwich fillings.
Buy $10 jeans from Ck dept stalls and your bags from army market. they are lightweight and made of canvas where you can sew in stuffs you like. The army kit bags was great as luggage and I got a few more for my travelling.
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Originally posted by RETARDED_MORON:
Like I said in my original post, the optimum strategy is a two-pronged one: earn more, spend less. It's a good habit to cultivate and will serve you better than either of them alone.This is a potent strategy, mind you. Just about a year ago, I had only one stream of income: scholarship allowance. I've decided to basically do something, and now I have 3 streams of income and am working on 3 potential sources of great net worth:
2. Income: freelance work
I write legal term sheets, proposals and do some web programming for a company that I have developed a good relationship with during my months after A Levels. I'm paid $30 per page of document I write, and I don't even have any formal qualifications. This job earns me a high three-figure sum every month.
Well, I like that idea. But i'm not too good at programming or law.