It was Nurses’ Day two days back, and I wish everyone a Happy Nurses’ Day!

I want to share my views on surviving as an independent student in Singapore.

A little background: I was a secondary three dropout and started working a few part-time jobs (food services, logistics, events industry) for a few months in 2015 at 15. Afterwards, I tried several online businesses till my national service (NS) in 2017, but most didn’t go as planned; I have been independent since the age of sixteen and have never received any money from my parents and have been staying on my own since 2022, which has been more than two years. Right after my NS in 2019, I worked on several jobs (laundry, interior design, food services), and when COVID-19 started, I worked mainly in security, retail, and healthcare.

In the initial stage, it was hard to get a job as I did not have a certification or work experience. One of the jobs I remember was working as a logistics coordinator for an on-demand delivery start-up in 2015, where I was offered $7 per hour without a CPF contribution. Initially, I helped with administrative matters and distributed flyers during the baby fair. When the project trial started, I had to travel to various fast-food outlets in Limbang, Chua Chu Kang, and Balestier. I worked for roughly three months and made over $3000. It was a massive amount back then for a 15-year-old me.

Then, I tried doing online business, not limited to hosting game servers, reselling domains, web hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), dedicated servers, buying and selling, and creating a classifieds platform. You name it, I have spent most of my time doing these until my NS, and this is where I got my IT knowledge.

Things weren’t as good for me until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, where you could easily find a minimum $10 per hour job with CPF. An example will be working as a temperature screener in the supermarket or even $12 to $18 per hour if it is healthcare-related. I didn’t know the opportunities and had no lobang. So, I worked as a security officer in a hotel and took a course to obtain my security license. I am exempted from the other two courses as I used to be a provost back then in my NS. I was offered the previous year’s progressive wage model (PWM) for the security sector, which was $1150 basic pay for a 6-day, 8-hour rotating shift (7-3, 3-11, 11-7). I knew nothing until I started working in a Community Isolation Facility (CIF) a year later when I learned that I could easily earn $200 a day in a 12-hour shift with 2 hours or more breaks in between with bento meals provided.

So, as time passes, with more work experience, I can find a job more quickly than before and, of course, with higher pay. But then there are living expenditures such as dining, transportation, rental, and utilities. So, how do I manage that? As you can see, many complaints online say everything is expensive in Singapore. I would only agree if you are a big spender who spends on your wants instead of needs. If you know how to save, it shouldn’t be a problem. And if you are willing to work 72 hours instead of 44 hours weekly, there is no way that you can go hungry. The tips would be:

1. Eat at hawker centres or coffee shops instead of food courts or restaurants.
2. Take public transportation instead of taxis and private hire cars. I only take it when I think I am going to be late.
3. Buy things online rather than in retail because it is usually cheaper, and there is no need to pay for space.
4. Go for an affordable haircut. It doesn’t have to be that expensive.
5. Celebrate only when needed. Not always.
6. Make use of your concession card to get a student discount.
7. Always look for referral, cashback, promo or coupon codes to offset your bills.
8. Compare prices with different platforms.
9. Buy items in bulk if there are additional discounts. Make sure they are used and not thrown.
10. Negotiate for an additional discount if appropriate.
11. Skip the middleman so that you don’t have to pay additional fees.
12. Make sure the pay of the job is the market rate. Do not apply if it is less.
13. Place your savings in a deposit account with daily interest. Risk-free.
14. Bring your water instead of buying a drink.
15. Use a BuyNow PayLater. Provided that you can control your savings.
16. Use a card with no additional foreign exchange fees when spending in another currency.
17. Apply for a credit card with no annual fee if you need emergency funds. Provided you can control your savings.
18. Use a card or app that rewards you instead of paying cash.
19. Buy things at the right time. The price might inflate/deflate. Reduced to clear. $1 7-eleven deals.
20. Play games on your phone instead of going to expensive arcades.
21. Buy a preloved item instead of a brand-new one.
22. Apply for financial assistance, if available.
23. Apply for sponsorship or scholarship if you are confident that you can commit to the bond.
24. Have a healthy lifestyle. Simple exercises. Do not eat instant noodles, as they are neither nutritious nor cheap and will lead to health issues.
25. Quit alcohol, smoking and gambling.

My Estimated Expenses: 150 sqft Room Rental ($950), A/C + Shared PUB ($75), Concession Pass for Transportation ($49), Dining ($450), Telco ($25), Insurance ($50), Studies ($50) – Total $1649 per month

Things or Apps that I commonly use: GitHub Education Pack, Humble Bundle, Cloudflare, Linode, Malwarebytes, ESET Mobile Security, Carousell, Shopee, Qoo10, Lazada, iHerb, GOMO, Grab, Gojek, TADA, Trust Bank, GXS Bank, Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Cloud, Notion, Scrintal

Additional Tips: Always do thorough research on the things that you are planning to get. It is good to get cheap stuff, but make sure it is also authentic. Using search terms like “company gift set”, “lucky draw”, or “birthday gift” might let you get the item that you want at a lower price because the seller does not wish to buy the item and is looking to sell it for cash.

I hope my post is insightful for you and that you manage to save.