How did your neighborhood Ah Beng in the early 2000s afford car, gold chains, ciggies?
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As someone who just hit 30 with a degree and is currently working, it boggles my mind how the adults in early 2000s seemed to be able to afford all the cool hobbies like car, cigarettes etc.
Nowadays I find finance to be quite tight and only spend occasionally on travels. Some of my friends only have hobbies like online gaming and still feel tight financially without girlfriends.
For those who lived the life, Was life as fun as it looks back then?
Netizens’ comments
- Cars and cigarettes were pretty cheap then. For context, you could purchase a packet of cigs for $2.50 (Benson & Hedges) back then. This was why a lot of secondary school kids tried smoking for fun (and eventually got addicted) because they could simply chip in to share a packet. Now, a packet of cigs minimally cost an upwards of $13?
As for gold chains, it’s not like they buy a new one every other week. Some could be gifts from parents/grand-parents and some gold chains aren’t very expensive.
Lastly, some of these ah bengs did illegal businesses probably. - You’d be surprised by how much tacky shit you can buy if you have no concept of saving for a rainy day.
In other news, today’s headline: The 2020s will see an increasing number of washed up bengs who cannot afford kidney dialysis.
God I wonder why. - There were many illegal activities in early 2000s. Not as available now after years of getting raid, a lot of vice activities got clamped down. It can be as simple as modding game consoles and sell copy game discs, or illegal dens and KTVs.
In reality, they spend a lot. Never save money one. You can be flashy if you want.