5k/mth not enough for the family!
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I think sufficient or not may have to do with how and what he is spending on, financial burdens and such included... there are many others in Singapore raising and maintaining a family on like a 2, 3k monthly total family income. My colleague got 4 kids, not to mention he is living with his parents, all 4 kids still schooling, in secondary and primary. His gross is lower than 3k, net of course lower. His wife is a full time housewife due to having to take care of the kids and parents. House haven't finished paying instalments and such... He didnt write in to ST to complain about his plight.
Did the engineer break down his expenses and show in the forum? I mean who knows. He prob earns a car. lives in a condo. got a maid. Eat expensively, travel oftens and etc. I dunno. Who knows, that could be why 5k is not enough.
Which goes back to my question..... HOW DO YOU DEFINE THE WORD - ENOUGH.
Enough as in -
*4Room HDB
*No shortage of food & clothing
*1 family holiday a year to nearby places
*Children goes to school
*Some money leftover...
OR
*Condo/Landed property
*Only the best from restaurant and branded clothing
*2 - 3 holidays a year to USA, Europe.... etc
*Children must go SAP or International School
*Must have lots of money leftover
*Car (MPV/SUV)
If you only earn $5K..... which is the one you think you could afford
Please use Brain and think..... 
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next time, the 4 sons can sign on army or become gigolo and provide sex services to women or perhaps men... then money will be enough liao... oops remember to buy KY
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question:
- does he own a car? or two?
- do all the children have piano lesson, enrichment course, extra tution?
- do the children want laptops, PCs, computer games?
- do they eat out most of the time?
- take overseas holiday?
$5k/mth is enough for a family of 6 if they can manage their finance and expenditure well, but if they really want to keep up with the other jones and smith, then it is impossible.it wil be best for the ST to report a full picture instead of half-past-six (which they usually do).
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Originally posted by maurizio13:
The above mentioned person should adopt the doctrines of our beloved P4P lackeys here.
1) eat cheaper rice without veggies or meat.
2) don't have handphone, tv, washing machine, computer
3) move his family of 6 into a 2 room HDB
4) take a shower every 2 days
5) walk to work and school
6) bring your plain rice to work and school
7) buy used clothes from your friendly neighbourhood karung guni
8) if want to save further, you can take baths along the kallang river
Follow their methods, $5,000 definitely be more than sufficient.
Let me add one more line...instead of having so much children he can consider DIY
. I seen ppl with lmuch ower income managing better -
Given his income, he's not going to get much help. Doesn't look like he has gotten much sympathy either!
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Given his income, he's not going to get much help. Doesn't look like he has gotten much sympathy either!
A man who lost his job and his wife got cancer.... deserve our sympathy.....
A old.... jobless S'porean deserve our help.....
A person earning $5K a mth.... but was too cheap to use a CONDOM.... is very much on his own.
Like someone said earlier..... if Malay couple could bring up 3-4 kid with just the husband's $1.5K pay.... what is our $5K earning friend doing
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enough or not is subjective....largely depends on his lifestyle, for all you know he may not be extravagant, the salary could go to the kids' education and what else...pre-school fees are ridiculous....for the security guards who can support 6 with $1k salary, something has got to give, you can be sure the children running amok until primary school starts, but by then the cycle repeats itself, the children will most likely end up as security guards too....i for one would like to know how a family of 6 can live with $1k.... perhaps his not enough means not being able to save.....public transport is not cheap to start with..utilities cost have gone up 50% within the last 12 months, then you have phone / internet and other incidentals...minimally i am assuming he has already consumed $2k for essentials....where the rest goes is best answered by the engineer himself...........
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Well, not enough in SG...
Only when you earn like gahmen then enough...
Anyway, it would depend on their lifestyle... Education would cost a bomb, followed by expenses, housing loan, Income tax, GST, etc... it's definitely not enough in SG.
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Originally posted by eagle:
My family household income is just above 5k.
Then how we survive? I have 2 other siblings. And I don't feel like we are making ends meet at all. Just no money for me to realise my dream of getting a degree overseas that's all.
no money 2 study overseas can study in sg mah -
Originally posted by caleb_chiang:
Well, not enough in SG...
Only when you earn like gahmen then enough...
Anyway, it would depend on their lifestyle... Education would cost a bomb, followed by expenses, housing loan, Income tax, GST, etc... it's definitely not enough in SG.
aiyah, 5K S$ is 11.5K in malaysia leh, why dont earn in Singapore and live in malaysia. May be go to HK, 5K S$ is 26 K a month leh...lower income tax, no GST, send your children to shenzhen to study even cheaper.
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4 kids is just too much.........
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For whatever reason that guy think that he wants 4 kids..... it is now too late to do anything, you can't go kill your children now to save cost could you
Therefore there is only 1 thing the guy COULD do..... that is to save cost or make do......
Everything is getting expensive..... it is not only affecting those with $5K.... it is also affecting most of us with only $2K.
So what does most of us.... or at least those with common sense, Do
Didn't we cut cost by buying less and look for cheaper stuff at another location... JB being a S'porean fav ... If you can't afford a SONY LCD TV.... then a less branded AKIRA LCD would have to do...... or like me, still use CRT TV.SOME PPL here would like to tell you that using your common sense is ''following" Govt propaganda.... and that you should just not do as you are told, or if not, you are just a lackey. But those ppl FORGET to inform you that NOBODY WOULD BE PAYING YOUR BILLS FOR YOU.
If cost cutting and changing brands of product you used to get, sounds too ''Pro Govt" to you..... feel free to keep buying the more expensive stuff..... you may want to even put a downpayment for that Condo you think you could afford..... can't do without a CAR (MPV/SUV) could you....
or how about that mth long holiday in Europe you always wanted.... There's always credit cards and bank loan.... 
But do remember...... even if the Opps WIN the election and PAP close down shop 3.5yrs from now...... IT WOULD STILL BE YOU WHO WILL PAY YOUR OWN BILLS..... So do keep up those Anti-PAP stand, Gods know that S'pore would need ppl to keep the 'buying' going, and I for one, will keep my COMMON SENSE and buy things base on what I can afford...... so go ahead and call me a lackey
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Originally posted by hloc:
For whatever reason that guy think that he wants 4 kids..... it is now too late to do anything, you can't go kill your children now to save cost could you
Therefore there is only 1 thing the guy COULD do..... that is to save cost or make do......
Everything is getting expensive..... it is not only affecting those with $5K.... it is also affecting most of us with only $2K.
So what does most of us.... or at least those with common sense, Do
Didn't we cut cost by buying less and look for cheaper stuff at another location... JB being a S'porean fav ... If you can't afford a SONY LCD TV.... then a less branded AKIRA LCD would have to do...... or like me, still use CRT TV.SOME PPL here would like to tell you that using your common sense is ''following" Govt propaganda.... and that you should just not do as you are told, or if not, you are just a lackey. But those ppl FORGET to inform you that NOBODY WOULD BE PAYING YOUR BILLS FOR YOU.
If cost cutting and changing brands of product you used to get, sounds too ''Pro Govt" to you..... feel free to keep buying the more expensive stuff..... you may want to even put a downpayment for that Condo you think you could afford..... can't do without a CAR (MPV/SUV) could you....
or how about that mth long holiday in Europe you always wanted.... There's always credit cards and bank loan.... But do remember...... even if the Opps WIN the election and PAP close down shop 3.5yrs from now...... IT WOULD STILL BE YOU WHO WILL PAY YOUR OWN BILLS..... So do keep up those Anti-PAP stand, Gods know that S'pore would need ppl to keep the 'buying' going, and I for one, will keep my COMMON SENSE and buy things base on what I can afford...... so go ahead and call me a lackey
I think you are a realist and I for one don't think that common sense is a bad thing.What I do feel is that the wealth distribution/wage gap is too big. Its too capitalistic.... the govt policies should tax the rich abit more and distribute it to the lower masses.
According to a "source" she invests in property alot. Its more profitable to invest in SG than in AUS and cheaper too. Its easier to start investing in AUS but you don't make as much. The downside is that its very hard to break into the property market in SG. In other words the rich get very rich and the poor stay poor.
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problem if u tax the rich more: They might move out of Singapore, and the government collects less tax overall. Sure, to not tax them so much might seem to be based on money from my reason, but if they move out, where are we going to get the top-up?
In some ways, I feel that the government is moving in the right direction. Tax the rich less, tax expenditure, especially on "luxury goods" more. You use and spend less, you pay less tax. After all, even if you don't spend the extra money you earn, you will still lose them due to inflation.
A businessman once told me, it is better to lose money through property or investments than to lose them through inflation.
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Let's not complain, the report may just had been an isolated case.
But i just make me wander if the report consider the end of the year tax rebate that the government had provision for such a family. A family that is so supportive of the government's policy ?
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Originally posted by eagle:
problem if u tax the rich more: They might move out of Singapore, and the government collects less tax overall. Sure, to not tax them so much might seem to be based on money from my reason, but if they move out, where are we going to get the top-up?
In some ways, I feel that the government is moving in the right direction. Tax the rich less, tax expenditure, especially on "luxury goods" more. You use and spend less, you pay less tax. After all, even if you don't spend the extra money you earn, you will still lose them due to inflation.
A businessman once told me, it is better to lose money through property or investments than to lose them through inflation.
Put a big stamp duty for buying Investment properties.
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Originally posted by eagle:
problem if u tax the rich more: They might move out of Singapore, and the government collects less tax overall. Sure, to not tax them so much might seem to be based on money from my reason, but if they move out, where are we going to get the top-up?
If there was a more even distribution of wealth amongst Singaporeans, it would never have come to this point where the "rich" make such a big impact.Take a sacrifice, make it a fairer place to live in.... once and for all. To sacrifice a few rich to give thousands a slightly better lifestyle and hope that Singapore is a good place to live in.
My Mom will kill me for this
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Like I said earlier, that guy could be needing 4 kids to help out in the paddy field.
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Originally posted by 沈金病:
Like I said earlier, that guy could be needing 4 kids to help out in the paddy field.
My comments were not drawn from this particular case. Having a friendly discussion with eagle.In my opinion he had too many children ...4 which was more than he could handle and is not viable in this generation unless you are well off.
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4 children in Singapore? You need 8k/month to live comfortably. Otherwise be prepared to scrimp and save
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$5K per month definitely not enough for a family of 6... not enough to have a steak each eveyday!
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What I do feel is that the wealth distribution/wage gap is too big. Its too capitalistic.... the govt policies should tax the rich abit more and distribute it to the lower masses.
Genie99a.... is it wealth distribution/wage gap to big, we are too capitalistic and/or Govt Tax system is co*kup..... I'm not sure which is which myself.....But I do know that I shouldn't spent beyond my means to repay my loans. And that is just common sense Even if the tax system is revamp..... I doubt our Mr $5K earner would have felt any better if he couldn't control his own Finance better..... 
Whos right, whos wrong or whos at fault..... matters little NOW.....How you keep your spending to the lowest while still keep up your lifestyle is the Big Question. Like I suggested..... cut back on all Non-necessary items and look for cheaper alternate.....Sound too Pro Govt Then free feel to spend like no tomorr..... and see if any of the Opps will pay your Bills for you...... and DO tell me which of the parties would..... looking for someone to help pay for a 'L' lense. -
Even if the Govt were to distribute more to the lower income, a household earning $5k/month will not get much, if any.
Any such policy will be targetted at households earning $1.5K/month or less, or at most $2K/month or less.
That's my view anyway.
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Originally posted by onlooker123:
Even if the Govt were to distribute more to the lower income, a household earning $5k/month will not get much, if any.
Any such policy will be targetted at households earning $1.5K/month or less, or at most $2K/month or less.
That's my view anyway.
It's difficult to satisfy everybody.It's difficult for the govt to raise the safety net because it recognises that no matter how high it gets, those that just miss it will still complain anyway.
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get marrried n have kids only when u can afford it. y follow the norm. what 4 have 3 or 4 kids n all eat shit