Materialistic lifestyle of Singaporeans
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Everyday everywhere, we seems to be on an endless pursuit for a higher standard of living. Using the lastest handphone, changing new car, living in big house, buying big television set, wearing the best gear etc.
What are your point of views on this? -
Some cannot even afford a car die die still want to buy one.
End up heavily in debt. -
actually it's only teenagers. but for me as long as can use it's good enough, don need very good.Originally posted by Gordonator:Everyday everywhere, we seems to be on an endless pursuit for a higher standard of living. Using the lastest handphone, changing new car, living in big house, buying big television set, wearing the best gear etc.
What are your point of views on this?
This problem also reflects on how students nowadays wat kinda steads they want.
They want those that are nice and have alot of functions jus like those gadgets they owned lo.
They are still kids la.. -
it's ironic in a sense that i find that in one corner, some singaporeans can afford posh sport cars, live a luxury lifestyle while in another corner, some can't even make ends meet. For them, feeding their families and seeing their children through school is already quite a burden.
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If people are poor due to poverty or economic weakness i can understand.
however in Singapore where opportunities abound, i still can hear many men whining about high petrol prices, cost of living and basically anything they can think off.
When COEs were high...people whine...when COE became cheaper...people still whining.
Incompetant people would always be amoungst us. Its true that we love big homes, nice cars and have a huge appetite for wealth. Its so chinese to be in love with these things and remember its also people like us that made singapore what it is today. -
singaporeans never learn.
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For some, material things are forms of status. They like to show off their wealth.
Compared to some people..eg malaysians.. even tho some msians are rich, they dress shabbily, drives average cars, and lives in average houses. -
This development is due to a variety of reasons. The 5Cs (coined by our govt), the deluded goal of 'SWISS STANDARD OF LIVING' (by SM GCT), the noble aim of reaching 1st world status (with a 3rd world administration).Originally posted by Gordonator:it's ironic in a sense that i find that in one corner, some singaporeans can afford posh sport cars, live a luxury lifestyle while in another corner, some can't even make ends meet. For them, feeding their families and seeing their children through school is already quite a burden.
Even the upgrading carrots at every election and control of COE prices have created a material-first society, the pursuit of a comfortable lifestyle has been warped by our people into the pursuit of material assets.
The more the merrier.
The more expensive = perceived 'higher status' in society.
Instead of earning enough to reside comfortably, we become deranged money-earners and this is certainly not helped by our rising costs of living - groceries, utilities, fuel, property etc etc.
Our low birth rates can also be linked to this factor as singles find it easier to pursue their careers without the added burden of family. The costs involved in starting a family are significant enough (without being materialistic) to discourage many Singaporeans of this generation to even consider the thought. Is it any wonder fewer and fewer among the better-educated prefer to stay unattached?
Just like the arrogant and empty boast of reaching Goal 2010, our purported SWISS STANDARD OF LIVING is fast becoming more of a fantasy. -
maybe they are afraid of kidnappers.Originally posted by alexkusu:For some, material things are forms of status. They like to show off their wealth.
Compared to some people..eg malaysians.. even tho some msians are rich, they dress shabbily, drives average cars, and lives in average houses. -
yup, thats the point. Stand out too much, u get kindap, murdered, etcOriginally posted by dragg:maybe they are afraid of kidnappers.
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singaporeans are pampered.
so much so they have no qualms about overspending. -
not saying that having a high standard of living is bad or anything. just that i find that we are always constantly buying and changing to better and newer stuffs eventhough the things we are replacing are still brand new.
1 good example is handphones, it's amazing the frequency of singaporeans who changes their phones within a short period of time. take a look around and u see majority of the people using costly high end phones. sometimes i wonder whether they really uses those expensive features or they buy them for the sake of buying?
and those cars on the streets, most i see are brand new if not relatively new. and there seems to be increasing no. of sport cars on the road, even in the heartlands. -
to those who have the money and are secure about themselves, they do not need to justify anything, it is those people that really don't have the money and are insecure that have the problem, they pretend to be someone they are not, that is when the problem really starts.
Singaporeans basically have a good life. But at the same time, you've got to work for what you want. There are opportunities out there it is up to you to make the most of it. You don't like your situation, guess what? You are the only person who can do something about it.
nothing wrong with wanting a better quality of life. if you can afford it by all means enjoy it. -
Originally posted by Gordonator:
you can blame the COE and the government for that one.
[b]
and those cars on the streets, most i see are brand new if not relatively new. [b] -
how many singaporeans are actually rich? or debt free?
most have borrowing power. once they lose their job they lose that power. with that everything crumbles. -
nowadays no handphones, find job get discriminated one.
nabeiz -
i dont know anyone without handphones.Originally posted by The man who was death:nowadays no handphones, find job get discriminated one.
nabeiz -
my parents debt free.Originally posted by dragg:how many singaporeans are actually rich? or debt free?
most have borrowing power. once they lose their job they lose that power. with that everything crumbles.
but not rich. -
they have finished paying all the housing and car loans?Originally posted by Ito_^:my parents debt free. but not rich. -
now u know meOriginally posted by dragg:i dont know anyone without handphones. -
Yup, many people chalk up lots of debts (and interest!) on their credit cards, and have to work very hard just to pay off the debts. They just want the image and experience the lifestyle of being 'rich', but they are actually struggling to keep their heads above the water.
The moral of the story is, don't spend beyond your means. -
there's more to life than simply earning big bucks.
do not take things for granted, treasure what u already have. -
Unfortunately, it takes a SIGNIFICANT amount of BUCKS to survive in SG. Just paying off utilities and taxes are enough to squeeze one dry of personal savings and other basic needs.Originally posted by Gordonator:there's more to life than simply earning big bucks.
do not take things for granted, treasure what u already have.
And with increasing costs of living with no parallel increments in salary packages, one wonders if we are facing a 'controlled' inflation to in our economy, a facade to claims by our govt that the economy is projected to grow in 2006. -
No wonder many bankruptcy cases. They themselves to be blamed.Originally posted by Manager433:Some cannot even afford a car die die still want to buy one.
End up heavily in debt. -
I know of one case where I heard from my friend working in the bank of this newly married couple who earned a combined income slightly over 2k takehome pay and they applied for a loan to buy a BMWOriginally posted by Manager433:Some cannot even afford a car die die still want to buy one.
End up heavily in debt.
She advised that her manager still approved the loan because 'they can repossess the car'