SURVIVAL in SG
Hello mga kabayan.. i just want to share some tips base from personal experience being an OFW in SG.
syempre lets start sa budget.
(Calculation per month basis and in SGD)
1.) Room: $600-$800 (HDB Common/SOLO) -mine is $650 all in
2.) Meals: $300-$400 -mine is $300 below. all hawkers and LP para tipid. i dont eat restos like KFC, pizzahut or even jolibee)
3.) Groceries: $200-$300 - mine is $170. i dont cook kasi mg isa lang ako. my groceries are all toiletries and beer.
4.) EZlink: $100-$150 -mine is $110. i live in Bkt batok and work in tanah merah. mrt+bus.
5.) Shopping: $200 (on sale items only but hindi sale lalo pag footwear na gusto ko 
)
6.) REMIT: $1500
*** Rule of thumb mga kabayan.. bawal umutang at bawal mangutang. live within your means always.
*** Always behave is SG. Bihira ka maka kita ng parak kasi yung parak nila dito 80% hindi naka uniforme. so ingat at behave lagi.
***iwasan maki pag away pero kung hindi na talaga makayanan ok lang bsta no touching. no physical contact.
***GoodLUCK mga kabayan
Comments
i forgot to add..
TELECOMMUNICATION: $30-80 (post paid)
mine is just $20. i use prepaid $20 with 3GB data.
Why is i use prepaid? simply because it is cheap. imagine $20 lng per month.
mg data lng naman ako while im travelling in MRT or bus.. kasi sa bahay at ofis may wifi.
3GB per month is more than enough for me and calls to my loveones are done through social media so im not spending on it just connect to wifi thats it.
bawal umutang at bawal mangutang. live within your means always.
yup yup yup agree 100%
parang may mali yata sa phrase ko indi ko na ma edit.. (paano ba mag edit dito?)
umutang at mangutang same meaning.
dapat "Bawal umutang at Bawal Magpa Utang".
Tandaan mga kabayan ha.
Kasi paripariho lng tayo dito nagtatrabaho.
naghanap ng pera at may mga sari-sariling problema.
i face my own problems. you have to face yours
mind your own problems.
Dito na naman tayo san ba yung puede maka mura sa SG.
open for suggestions..
1.) Pagkain- usually ang mura na pag kain sa SG ay yung mga hawkers na malapit sa market.
nasa 1-3dollars and difference compare sa hawkers na wala sa market.
Dun sa mga foodshops na nasa bus interchange usually take-outs only medyo mura din.
Pag may bisita kayo na relatives sa pinas, dalhin nyo sa LAU PASAT or NEWTON Food centre.
Medyo Mura at maraming food choices. Puede din sa MAKAN SUTRA malapit sa esplanade but price not that
cheap but not that expensive also.
2.) MUSTAFA Centre- Cheap for toiletries, perfumes, medicines and etc.
3.) Kasia Mobile - Cheap for mobiles (you can check their website prices are posted)
Been buying mobile for my own and mobile for friends and relatives in this shop. so far ok naman.
4.) SHOES/Shirts/Bags - IMM . I think IMM is bigger than Changi City Point.
Kung mahilig ka talaga sa Shoes din punta ka ng Queensway shopping centre.
Careful lang sa pagbili na mga sale na sapatos.
Kasi yung soles/cushioning ng sapatos nag eexpire yan. usually nasa 2-3 years lng yan.
Yung mga expired na na soles puede pa din gamitin pero madali nalang masira lalo na pag mabasa.
Yung mga 2years older na shoes yun yung may 30% pataas na mga discount.
Minsan 50% pa discount depending on how old the shoes.
Kasi yung soles/cushioning ng sapatos nag eexpire yan. usually nasa 2-3 years lng yan.
Yung mga expired na na soles puede pa din gamitin pero madali nalang masira lalo na pag mabasa.
@JTan mahilig ako sa rubber shoes pero hindi ko alam ito. Thank you sa tip. Hilig ko magpunta sa mga sale sale. kala mo naman dami kong paa na pwede lagyan ng shoes. HAHA.
Gusto ko tong guide mo. nameasure ko if somehow acceptable ung expenses ko. Halos pareho tayo. and difference lang natin eh ung bahay ($750 all-in ako) pero walking distance lang ako sa work. Kaya ang EZ link ko nsa $10 lang per month, $20 kung may bisita. Feeling ko lang pala I'm spending too much on myself pero hindi naman. Thank you ^_^
nice very up to date na tips.
add ko lang. pag bibili ng electronics mag antay ng papromo sa lazada. kadalasan mas mura dahil sa mga bank promotions.
about electronics or gadgets.. singapore is famous sa IT sale nila..
10yrs ago bago lng ako dito at napansin ko yung IT sale maganda talaga ang presyo..
Pero hindi na ngayun..
ingat mga kabayan..
Bago kayo ppunta ng mga IT sales dapat alamin mo muna kung ano ang gusto mong bilhin..
tapos tingnan mo muna yung regular price sa challenger, courts or any I.T. shops in SG.
Para pag punta mo ng IT sale may idea ka na sa price kung totoong sale nga ba talaga to.
Kadalasan ngayun base from my many experience of this IT sales..
ay dinadagdagan nila ang normal regular price bago ka bigyan ng discount..
you will end up getting the item na pariho lng pala ang presyo sa walang sale or worst mas mahal pa.
Tapos ang pinaka key sa strategy nila ay yung freebies na wala namang kabulohan..
Hindi mo talaga nagagamit yung freebies nila kasi wla naman talaga syang silbi
Minsan naman may mga good deal talaga.
kaya dapat diskarte lang.. Mag Red Horse ka kasi ito ang tama ....
@JTan Hay naku, nadale na ko nyan minsan, hindi kasi ako techie. akala ko mura talaga kasi medyo lumang generation na ng i5 at mababa ang specs - yon pala refurbished! nalaman ko na lang nung iabot na sakin ung mismong laptop sa kahon, nakalagay refurbished. Haynaku. Lesson learned talaga sakin to.
except for Apple Refurbished. hehe kasi ung mga refurbished products nila is galing sa 14days no question ask return policy. minsan soli dahil sa factory defect tapos papalitan nila ung part and then dadaan sa rigid QA . kagandahan is may 1yr warranty like a new apple product.
Anothet thing na kailangan bantayan ay yong tinatawag na display sets.. they rarely off these sets even after closing time. lalo na pag cellfone the LED screens are running 24/7 for 1-2years or even more.. then after na medyo obsolete na ang model na yun e under sale yan nila usually 30%-40% discount from regular price.. Even at 70% lugi ka pa rin nyan unless kung ibigay nalang
@JTan
Share ko lng ung sakin.
Rent - 450 All in (condo utility room) with AC and solo bathroom
Pamasahe - 40 to 60 (Aljunied to Bugis) ksama n ung minsang gala kapag weekend
Grocery - 100 to 120 (Food, snacks etc)
Hawkers/Kain s labas - 80 to 100
Communication - 9 (FB promo for 30 days Singtel)
Total = 720 to 750 a month.
The rest i save it para may pang gastos kmi pagdating ng wife and kids ko.
Remittance (secret) haha! but its 70% of my entire salary.
Tips:
I dont drink "alak" sa "Pinas" lang. I dont use Grab/Taxi except if my wife and kids are here. I walk a lot, as in.
I cook food. minsan 2 days ko ulam ung luto ko.
I changed my mindset to "Hindi na pinaguusapan kng magkano kundi kailangan ko b tlga?" kapag ang sagot ko sa sarili ko ay hindi, hindi ko binibili.
I dont buy expensive brands kahit afford ko. I dont see the need and i realized that it can only give you a certain level of satisfaction.
Medyo malungkot lng buhay ko kasi i dont mingle with anyone including our fellow kababayans.
The inspiration comes from my wife and kids. Makita ko n nagiimprove and lifestyle nila s pinas and that i am a good father and provider gives me "true" happiness and gives me a sense of accomplishment.
BTW, i started working here last January lng pala. so medyo fresh p ko dito. I also buy electronic stuffs s FB live auction. I got very cheap items with good quality.
@zhypher33 medyo mababa yata yung $60 na 1 month for food
pag mababa yung food tataas din grocery mo.
sa kin po may excel sheet ako to monitor my expenses.
paranoid ata ako in terms of budgeting my money.
im doing it for a decade. accurate talaga.
yung main gastosin talaga meals, grocery, ezlink and our fone bills.
din others/misc pag may extra akng bilhin.
dapat balance talaga yung total expenses ko at withdrawal ko sa atm.
if not, hindi na ako makatulog
yung mga padala ko sa pinas, binili ko mga tshirt o sapatos o mga ersonal na gamit ko.. i consider it as extra expenses. nilalagay ko amount tapos mag "insert comment" ako sa excel sheet kung ano ang binili ko o san napunta yung extra expenses ko. monitored talaga. every morning before my work starts ginagawa ko to sa ofis. hindi puede yung hindi araw-araw ang pag gawa kasi base on experience madami akong makalimotan at magiging hindi na sya accurate. so daily basis ko talaga sya ina-update up to the last cents
@JTan nothing against sa list mo, maganda nga yan kasi budgeted at kita mo talaga ang pera mo.
opinyon lang po lalo na nasa ibang bansa tayo, lahat ng sobra ay nakakasama. as long as nakakabuti sayo yan at hindi naman nagiging cause ng additional na isipin o stress, maganda nga po yan.
good day at happy budgeting
@kabo
Yes. Tama po kayo dyan..
Being an OFW iwasan talaga natin ang stress kasi being away from our families is already stressful.
This excel budget that i made is a way that keeps me from overthinking.
Usually po nauubos lng pera natin at the end of the month and we dont know kung paano naubos yun.
and it keeps me thinking, san kaya napunta yun.
This is not only to budget my money but also a record where the money went. (peace of mind)
This is maybe the result na hindi talaga madali an pera sa abroad kaya paranoid na na dapat napunta sa tama ang pera.. and in my case yes.. mahirap po talaga. during my first month of working in SG i survive with a 50 dollars in my pocket.. hindi na ako nahiya laging hitch nang dinner sa mga haus mate ko para lang mag survive. kinapalan ko mukha ko dun sa mga pag kain at minsa kahit gusto kong kumain at tinitiis ko nalang. iam proud i never resort to borrow money to anyone kahit hirap na hirap na. kaya nun medyo naka bangon na, ay grabe talaga ako sa budget. kaya yun. mayron na akong excel sheet ngayun .. hahaha
i forgot to mention.. ang unang sahod ko after deduction sa agency 250 lng.. 3 buwan po bago ko nakuha ang buong sahod ko.
@JTan Matagal n po pla keo dito. Yes i also have an excel file but nothing close to what you have.
Baka mali lng po kayo ng basa dahil 80 - 100 po ang sabi ko s hawker and 100 - 120 for grocery. 50 - 60 po pamasahe.
5x5x4 = 100 (5$ lunch s hawker)
30x4 = 120 (30$ weekly grocery)
70% of my salary goes to my wife back home. I use the remaining 30% here to live. Out of the 30%, i save 40% to 50%. I use that savings to spend when my wife and kids are here.
I guess, I am satisfied with simple things, although its subjective depending on our definition of the word "Simple".
I download movies bukod s netflix, I only support my wife and kids. I do buy pasalubong but with limits. Hindi po ko ung tipikal n OFW n parang si Santa Claus. I barely go out during weekends. Hindi ko p po na eexplore ang SG. Malaking tulong din siguro ung Me and my wife set a short and long term goal.
Given na bago lng ako dito at dumating p ko s panahon n very uncertain ang SG pagdating s mga FT tulad natin. Malaking tulong din po siguro na ibang lahi ung mga kasama ko s tinitirhan ko, dahil walang pakialaman at walang happenings. I get to keep my privacy and savings. Syempre more friends more gastos. Aminin natin yan. Hahaha!
Godbless po sating mga pilipino na patuloy n nagsasakripisyo para mabigyan ng mas magandang buhay ang mga mahal sa buhay. Mabuhay po ang lahat ng taong tulad natin regardless of race and color.
"Why is i use prepaid? simply because it is cheap. imagine $20 lng per month."
I disagree. Mas makakatipid ka with postpaid if you use a lot of data. I pay $20/month for 20GB of data, with 200 mins. of calls and 200 SMS. Previously, I spend $20 for 8GB of data ONLY sa M1 prepaid. Plus, there's always TPG na libre ang LTE data.
I would also advise against these electronic items na binebenta through FB live auctions. Kung magsisipag ka maghanap sa Shopee, for sure mahahanap mo yung item na yun at almost half the price (although matagal mag ship kasi madalas galing pa ng China). May one time nanonood ako ng isang live auction trying to sell bluetooth karaoke mic, and umabot yung bid to $18, pero at that time may flash sale sa Shopee for a very similar item na only $10 with free extra battery and mic cover pa
Ang maganda sa SG, napakaraming start-ups yung bigla nalang susulpot at sobrang advanced ng digital economy nila compared to other SEA countries. So anong benefit sa atin, you ask?
Madaming vouchers, promotions, rebates, etc.
Like for example, kaka-launch lang ng Amazon.sg sa SG. May promotion sila na $10 off for $40 worth of deliveries.
For McDonald's, recently may 40 days of 1 for 1 items sila when you download their app. Imagine getting 2 McSpicy for only $5.
DBS may Multiplier account, you get higher interest for your deposits if you use their other services.
Lazada and Shopee palagi may coupon pag 9.9, 10.10, 11.11. For those planning to get electronic devices, minsan may discount coupons sila going as high as $150 discount for $800 purchases. Purchase through ShopBack para may small cashback ka.
Sa mga hawker centers, using PayLah for the first time will give you $5. Same with Singtel Dash. GrabPay gives you up to 10 rewards points for every $1 spent. FavePay may rewards din.
Okay tama na, masyado nako madami nabanggit na brands. Baka singilin ako ng advertisement fee ni admin hehehe
These are good tips/advices.
It's important to allocate budget for "Self-Improvement" (Self Investment).
One book good to read is "The Richest Man In Babylon by George Clason".
@arvs0z you are correct .. there are now service providers like circles offering 20GB for $20 postpaid... But before there was none.. at ayaw ko din lumipat even now.. kasi 1.5GB-2.0GB per month lng nauubos ko at nasa akin pa kung kailan ako gusto mg load ulit..puede naman hindi muna ako mg internet kaya mamaya na ako mag load.. postpaid hindi puede yung mamaya na ako mg bayad.. but if you are a heavy user of data then Circles is the best option for you.
Actually there is a misconception sa SG na mahal daw.. when you compare prices in SG to major cities in Philippines like Manila and Cebu parang paripariho lang o minsan mas mahal pa sa atin.. Clothing, grocerries and telecomunication are cheap here.. pero yung mga tourist para sa kanila mahal kasi andun lng sila sa tourist area na syempre mahal talaga.
Pero sa atin may option tayo.. sa probinsya or dun sa mga tabo ay maka mura ka talaga. While here locals does not have that option.
I agree with JTan in terms of data usage. kung maliit lang naman ang data usage mo, mas mura kung prepaid. Naka-prepaid din ako, $13 per month for 1.5gb data (Singtel). Kasi i walk to work everyday (less than 1km), pagdating sa trabaho di naman ako nag-iinternet, sympre nagtatrabaho nga. Pag dating sa bahay may wifi na. 'yong data gagamitin ko lang pag lalabas ako ng bahay pra gumala. pang google maps lang.
totoo matipid ang prepaid..yun ay kung matipid ka rin sa data .Ang diskarte ko before is nagloload ako $30 for 5 gb for 1month, since 1.5~2gb lang kaya ko ubusin per month, marami pang natitira. buti nalang naeextend yung natirang data basta magregister ka ulit bago ma-expire (walang ganito sa postpaid), so nagload nalang ako ng $10 for 1gb/month (+yung natirang data) for the next 6 months hahah. tas load ulit $30 pag naubos na talga. may wifi naman kasi sa bahay.
balak ko din sana mag data plan noong una, kaso:
pag kinompute mo yung monthly bills for 24months + yung bayad sa gadget.. mejo hindi worth it. At nakakapanghinayang bumili ng latest gadget dahil ang bilis magdepreciate ng presyo. well this is subjective haha
@hitearth Kung hindi ka gaano ng data.. prepaid is the best option.. tama ka.. pag hindi mo naubos at ng load ka before expiry, ma add yung bagong mong data to your old data balance.. pag may wifi sa bahay at wifi sa office no need na seguro ng more data. kasi mg data ka lang while on your way to office/home. pero yung iba kasi ng da download while travelling hindi nlang mg download sa wifi bago umalis .. kaya yun. ubos ang data
My brother in-law uses Cricles.life postpaid. 20Gb for $20 (myrepublik also offers the same promo).. Tas tong in-law ko ginawa nya hindi na sya ng bayad sa spotify ng premium kasi sabi nya marami naman daw syang data 20Gb hindi na uubos so no need ng premium spotify may advertisement nga lang.. puede din. you can play spotify without subscription but sympre with advertisement and hindi ka yata na maka gawa ng sariling playlist.