I can’t tell anyone in my real life without sounding like an insufferable, humble-bragging prick.
On paper, I am living the absolute Singaporean dream. Thanks to a mix of luck, grinding through my 20s, and a high-paying corporate role, my take-home pay is $19,000 a month after CPF. By all metrics of the “5Cs,” I’ve made it. But here is the reality of my bank account every single month, laid bare:
- Savings: $10,000 (Stashed away aggressively into high-yield accounts)
- Investments: $3,600 (DCA into global ETFs and blue chips)
- Fixed Expenses: ~$5,000 (Car installment, insurance, condo MCST, petrol, and daily necessities)
- Family/Child: The remainder of the core chunk goes entirely to my baby’s needs, formula, diapers, infant care, parents’ allowance, and groceries.
After the dust settles and the automated transfers trigger on payday, I am typically left with exactly $396 +/- for “entertainment.”
Four hundred dollars. In Singapore. In 2026.
That is my entire budget for the month to maintain a social life, buy hobbies, grab a drink with friends, or get a coffee that didn’t come from a Kopitiam. If I go for one nice dinner with my spouse at a decent restaurant in Orchard, half of my monthly “fun money” vanishes in two hours. If my friends want to book a chalet or go for a weekend trip to JB, I have to mentally calculate if I can afford it, which feels entirely ridiculous given my income bracket.
I’ve trapped myself in a golden cage of hyper-financial responsibility. I am so terrified of lifestyle inflation and so obsessed with hitting early retirement goals that I’ve optimized the joy clean out of my daily existence. My peers look at my job title and assume I’m popping bottles or flying business class. In reality, I’m the guy sweating over whether to upgrade to a large meal at McDonald’s because I don’t want to blow my daily discretionary limit.
I know this is a massive first-world problem. I know people are struggling just to get by, and I am incredibly grateful for the security I have. But security feels incredibly hollow when you realize you’re earning top-tier money just to live like a broke uni student who happens to drive a nice car. I’m saving for a future that feels a million miles away, while completely wasting the years I actually have the youth to enjoy.