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Roughly how much for a decent lifestyle excluding overseas travel? 3,000RM per couple? 5,000RM per couple? For views, thanks.

Is it a marker of age, slowly but surely creeping up? Or of a latent desire to appear more appreciative of the finer things in life than I’m naturally inclined to do? Either way, it started about two months ago when I stumbled upon an old room spray that I used to give a few puffs through my revolving door of dorm rooms through uni. I’m not going to reveal my age but my uni days were... let's just say, more than a few years back - and also more than enough time for you to seriously start questioning if a product has expired. But before doing the sensible thing of embarking on a quick Google search, I found myself giving the nozzle a few squeezes and… as it turned out, it smelled the same as before. This bottle has certainly seen better days... Nice! Thus ensued a once-every-two-days spray right before bed. The scent for this pink bottle is Red Berry and Fir, to be clear - with very sweet, almost cloying notes that are fruity at the same time. Perfect for alleviating anxiety (deadlines and existential questioning alike simply move from a schooling environment into a working-world one, eh?), and activating some drowsiness. (Aside: My internet sleuthing later on brought me to the conclusion that room sprays don’t technically.. expire? They generally only diminish in potency, although it’s still possible that some concoctions can go bad. The best way to tell, again, is with how the smell goes.) This past week, I rediscovered a door gift we had received when attending the reopening of the Mercedes-Benz Centre at Alexandra (which coincided with the launch of the current-generation E-Class): An AMG-branded scent! Described as a “classy tea-like scent in a harmonious blend of freshly brewed white tea, delicate white florals and a hint of citrus notes”. Yum. For now, I’ve defected over to this side (unless you work for a rival German brand, who doesn’t want their room to smell like a Mercedes-Benz showroom?). But having two scents to play around with is great for whenever I want to switch things up. I suspect I will spend the remaining half of the year assembling an even larger collection... Room improvement program? It’s no secret that there is more than meets the nose when it comes to scents. The impact of smells on our psychology is one well-documented and researched part of the equation. The other half, of course, comes down to the idea of image-building (self-image too). I’d venture that a scented apartment feels immediately more expensive than a non-scented one, while adults who wear perfume just have… a different sort of aura (whether or not it’s always a good aura is another topic altogether). This portion arguably has a (dollars and) cents aspect too: The perfume industry was valued at USD 50.8 billion (!!) in 2022 alone. In this case, I’d say my recent intrigue with scents is a mixture of both. I’m super thankful that since my mid-20s, I’ve had a room to call mine and mine alone - but as a generally fickle-minded person who shared a space with my brother/sister for more than half my life, I’ve also found that I still have little clue as to how I consciously define a welcoming and cosy space. While a ‘room improvement program’ - based on the bare canvas that I inherited - has technically been in the works ever since my sister got married and moved out, all I see now is essentially extra clutter over that two-year period. And unfortunately, until that clutter disappears (I'm working on it...), this will also never truly be a calming space. To that end, there is a large part of me that believes that infusing the room with a distinct, ‘upmarket’ smell may forcefully induce a sense of familiarity and ease whenever I step back in after a long day out. But the other big part is just the impression that I have that it will help zhng it. Another slight aside: I started writing this mid-week, got sidetracked by other work/events, and in the interim, my TikTok algorithm started feeding me a ton of ‘room transformation’/ideal room/ideal apartment videos. Here's one that I enjoyed: I know it's very idealised and that most rooms that appear on social media are rarely kept in a pristine state, but here's another... (I'd say even the pre-cleaned-up iteration was quite nice already.) At this point, I must also quickly note: I'm fully aware that the idea of having a picture-perfect, Pinterest-ready room in your mid-20s feels can feel very rich in Singapore. Having one’s own room already - much less one that is so beautifully curated - is likely still a massive privilege to the average Singaporean at this age. Still learning When thinking about my “room improvement program”, the platitude that kept popping into my head was ‘The grass is greener where you water it’. If I had to distil the recent scent-obsession down to one goal, I guess I’m trying to make the metaphorical pasture that is my room as green as it can be. Anyway, does anyone have any tips or special things they do for their own rooms to make it a welcoming space to return and retreat to? Hit me with anything - I’m keen to learn! - Matt Additional photos from Unsplash (Jeroen den Otter, volant)

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/in-your-opinion-podcast-does-a-family-of-4-in-spore-really-need-6426-a-month-for-a-basic-standard-of-living-pt-1 In Your Opinion Podcast: Does a family of 4 in S'pore need $6,426 a month for basic living standard? Synopsis: The Straits Times' opinion editor Grace Ho takes a hard look at political and social issues of the day with her expert guests. In this episode, the first of two parts, she looks at whether a family of four in Singapore needs $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living. In the studio to explain the study and its methodology are Associate Professor Teo You Yenn of the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University; and Dr Ng Kok Hoe, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Case Study Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Highlights (click/tap above): 00:41: Is there a household budget that captures the lived realities of Singaporeans? What is the Minimum Income Standard? 04:55: Addressing criticisms of the study and its methodology 10:00 How is the Minimum Income Standard applied in the United Kingdom, and how does the UK decide what is a living wage? https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/thinking-aloud-6426-a-month-for-basic-standard-of-living-study-on-family-budgets-must-be Does a family of 4 really need $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living? It depends It is about what people feel they need to be socially accepted, not just what they can afford For a few years, money at home was tight. I did not go on overseas field trips or to the cinema, and made excuses to skip class gatherings at restaurants. Each missed activity meant one less shared experience and common talking point - and one step closer to feeling as if I did not belong. This is where the minimum income standard (MIS) approach, which relies on public consensus and not just expert opinion, comes in.

Still complaining about PAP and living in Singapore? Better go Malaysia? 😂😂

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/164-000-singaporean-adults-living-in-private-housing-have-no-11513318 Hmm... pity, empathy or disgust?

I went to view a condo recently and it has an odd shaped living hall. Hall is quite big. just that the odd shape will pose a challenge in renovation. I want to break the odd shape Could anyone give ideas on how i can renovate in a way to address this odd shaped or to break this odd shape? If i put the TV console against the wall, then the sofa and sitting area would have to in the middle of the hall.

interesting article taken from an article on yahoo website... my vote goes to option (1) http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/05/09/th...-a-global-city/ The price to pay for being a global city Did anything strike you as strange after reading today

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/younger-but-tapping-healthcare-as-frequently https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/attachments/2019/05/06/ST_20190506_SKMALAY0667ZL_4819381.pdf

1 in 10 may have it above 60... And this was something I mentioned: This statistic is very frightening, and some of us know someone or even might have it.. If we are in this forum, we are probably a little above average and we should be aware of this ailment, and then do something about it for these folks. We mustn't let them die alone.. Instead of just MUs, maybe when we next have a meal, let's bring some of them out, and as I said, adding another pair of chopsticks isn't hard. My friends and I go to the rental homes spread out throughout Singapore and clean up their homes, and take them out for meals. If funds permit, we also give them something at CNY or Christmas.. And it's not about rounding them up to be locked up in old folks homes, in SG or worse JB... Let them live and die with some dignity. The government provides for their medical needs, and they can get rent free accommodations if they apply, but many aren't literate. $280 is what they are given, and even simply pleasures in life are hard to come by. When you are 80, it's hard to give up smoking... Some live on one meal a day, given by the charitable groups who come, and if these dementia patients forget to come down during the meal distribution times, they may not get that meal. Some of them have bad eyesight, and eat food that's covered with ants.. So take a little time, visit them, say hello and listen. No need for fancy meals, but just take them out for a coffee, a lunch and give them some laughter. https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/i-cant-remember-my-own-name-sometimes-71-year-old-battles-dementia-on-his-own Where are these one room flats found? TPY, Beach Rd, and many more places.. Some are located amongst the very same districts where the high rise, high PSF homes like Queenstown are.... They may have kids, but they are now alone, or the kids have abandoned them, and others just choose to live alone so as not to be a burden for their kids..

Wow... that's a lot https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/study-finds-1379-a-month-needed-to-meet-basic-living-standard-for-single-elderly

is this common are we progressing a society or is it just the authorities are tired of subsidy More S'poreans signing up for 'living wills' 13 Feb 2012 Straits Times A GROWING number of Singaporeans are making the difficult decision not to be put on life support when the end comes. By last December, about 15,000 had signed up for 'living wills', which aim to minimise suffering by instructing doctors not to use artificial means, such as respirators, to keep them alive. This is a steady increase from the 10,100 Advance Medical Directives (AMDs) made by 2008. The rise may be due to an increased awareness of living wills, said Dr Lam Pin Min, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health. Mr J. Lee made a living will eight years ago after deciding he would like to die with the minimum of suffering. He went to his doctor to sign up, after reading about AMDs in the newspapers. 'If I die tomorrow of a stroke, I don't mind,' said the retired dentist, 88. 'What I'm concerned is that if I'm on life support, I may be suffering for five or six months before I go.' Anyone above the age of 21 and of sound mind can make a living will for free. These AMDs are acted upon when a person is terminally ill and is either unconscious or unable to make a rational decision. Application forms are available at polyclinics and most private clinics. The person making the will does not need to hire a lawyer, but the form must be signed by two witnesses, one of whom must be a doctor. The other witness must not stand to gain from the applicant's death. Once the will has been made, family members cannot stop the doctor from carrying out its wishes, even if they have objections. But applicants are free to change their mind at any time. Of the current living wills signed, seven have been acted on. Last year, five people revoked their decisions, according to Ministry of Health figures. Back in 2006, it was revealed in Parliament that few had taken up living wills. Only 3,840 had signed up at that time, even though they had been in place for a decade. It prompted then Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan to say that the ministry would focus on living wills for the next five years. Public awareness about such issues has since improved. The living wills, advance care planning and palliative care all play a role in care for the dying. To raise awareness, the ministry has been holding discussions, talks and seminars for health-care professionals, as well as publicising the matter through the media. Educational materials on living wills were also distributed to doctors and health-care institutions, it added. While these efforts seem to have paid off, some barriers remain. Associate Professor Cynthia Goh, head of palliative medicine at the National Cancer Centre Singapore, said the narrow scope of the wills means that they may end up useless, even for those who had signed up. The directive is carried out only in very specific circumstances, she noted. Patients must be terminally ill and unable to communicate, unconscious or mentally unsound. This is when doctors will turn to the living will, if one is made. Three of them must first certify the patient as terminally ill. 'It's very prescribed,' said Prof Goh. 'Most people do not get into such circumstances. For example, many would still be able to communicate until the end.' Most general practitioners and health-care staff also do not routinely bring up the issue with patients, she added. This is partly because it is illegal for them to ask patients if they have signed a living will or intend to do so. Doctors who do so could be fined up to $5,000, sent to jail for a year, or both. Dr Chai Chin Yoong, chief executive of the Parkway Shenton chain, said its doctors will help only when patients inquire. Some of its limitations were discussed in Parliament in 2008, and a public consultation was held two years later but no policy changes have yet been made. Public awareness also needs to be shored up. For one thing, many may mistakenly associate living wills with euthanasia, said Dr Chia Shi-Lu, a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health. Euthanasia means deliberately ending a life, while living wills are used only when there is no hope of a cure. Dr Lam added: 'I believe Singaporeans are generally still quite traditional and conservative in our thoughts, and speaking about death and end-of- life issues remains a taboo subject.' But the living wills are useful, practically as well as ethically. End-of-life issues can be a significant emotional and financial burden on the family, pointed out Dr Chia. Mr Lee was diagnosed with stomach cancer last year. He is undergoing radiotherapy and receiving palliative care from Assisi Hospice. But if his condition worsens to the point where life support is required, he may have to move into a hospice. Fees for the stay, as well as daily medication and life support treatment, are likely to run high. 'I rather save the money for my daughter,' he said.is email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 'I believe Singaporeans are generally still quite traditional and conservative... Speaking about death and end-of-life issues remains a taboo subject.' Dr Lam Pin Min, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, on the need for greater public awareness

Fair? Some will say taxi driver job must be stressful. Would you pay fine $1000 or one week jail?

This is relatively old news but generating quite a fair bit of discussions on the net. Would be interesting to hear views of MCFers. I personally think the couple is making terrible life choices. In olden days, people have many kids because they have no entertainment and or access to contraceptives. Kids on a farm can also be handy during harvesting time but in SG, it is a big commitment. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/help-for-7-children-living-under-3000-month-singapore-big-family-10504636?cid=fbcna

I mean the really really 366sqft studios with no balcony, if they work in the city and need to iron shirts and suites how do they dry them? In SG it seems to take days for clothes indoors to dry. And one can't iron and then put back to dryer to winkle it again.

swiss standard of living is the best swiss is going to poll on may 18 to vote for 2,500 francs per month to everyone ... no job also got money is spore still aiming for swiss standard of living? Swiss To Pay Basic Income 2,500 Francs Per Month To Every Adult http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McQgQ_NYrGM

anybody with experiences living in ground floor unit of condo or EC? seem some bad press report about littering from the neighbours upstairs, how bout problems of insects, rats, ants etc, is it much worse than living on top floor? also privacy, is it true that anybody can just peep into your home and you are not allowed to do any unauthorise renovations such as blinds, etc on your patio? thanks for all feedback in advance.

Hur..... they reject minimum wage increase .... Yahoo news: Swiss voters reject world's highest minimum wage, block fighter jets ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss voters on Sunday rejected proposals to introduce the world's highest minimum wage and spend $3.5 billion buying new Gripen fighter jets from Saab. About 76 percent of voters in the wealthy nation dismissed the proposal made by Swiss union SGB and backed by the Socialist and Green parties for a minimum wage of 22 Swiss francs ($25) per hour, final results showed. Meanwhile, some 53 percent blocked a government plan to free up funds to replace Switzerland's aging fleet of fighter jets with 22 Gripen jets from Saab. Just over 55 percent of those eligible voted, the government said. The clear rejection of the proposed minimum wage - which corresponds to a monthly paycheck of 4,000 francs (about $4,500) - brings relief to business leaders worried the measure would have hurt competitiveness and damaged the Swiss workplace. "If the initiative had been accepted, without doubt that would have led to job cuts, particularly in remote and structurally weaker regions," Swiss Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann said at a news conference. Sunday's vote is the latest in a slew of initiatives being put to voters to try to address the widening income gap in the generally egalitarian country. Voters overwhelmingly backed a referendum last year to give shareholders a binding say over executive pay, but turned down a proposal to cap the salaries of top executives at 12 times that of a company's lowest wage. Supporters of the minimum wage had argued the proposed measure would have helped smooth out salary inequality and ensure a person working full-time can live decently. Despite the resounding "no", Daniel Lampart, chief economist at SGB, said the debate around the measure in the run-up to the vote had prompted many firms to introduce a minimum wage of more than 4,000 francs. Discounter Lidl raised minimum Swiss salaries to 4,000 francs last year and retailer H&M has vowed to follow suit next year, although employers do not acknowledge a direct link to the proposal. Swiss voters have a history of voting against proposals they feel could hurt the country's economic success story or threaten competitiveness. Yet the public unexpectedly voted by a razor thin majority in February to curb immigration from the European Union and last year backed a proposal to give shareholders a binding say over executive pay - both times ignoring warnings from business groups. more of the stories: link: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/swiss-voters-reject-worlds-highest-minimum-wage-projection-115625943--finance.html

hi, all much has talked about our livelihood in this country - past, present & future . . . so many have had happened, especially from maturity of internet into 'screen faced ppl' everywhere (face glued to smartphones, tablets etc.) - only these faces available . . . http://kindness.sg/the-kampong-spirit/ most of all, the way our governments and public services (town council, police, lta, nea, hdb & son on) have become these days where its really nothing more but Pay And Pay! with such pace established today . . . is it possible to rekindled those kampong spirits from the 70s & 80s to this new 2010s & 2020s? , or ???

Hello , anyone living in JB and commute to s'pore to work? How long it take from Nusajaya to s'pore by bus ? Any jam at the custom ?

Hey hey hey ......... Sg make it again .......... top 10 ! World Ranking Who say Japan is expensive .......... haha

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/02/21/we-achieved-swiss-standard-of-living-in-2000/ We achieved ‘Swiss standard of living’ in 2000? February 21st, 2014 | Author: Contributions I refer to the article “ST Editor says we’ve hit Swiss standard of living 13 years ago?” (TR Emeritus, Feb 12). “Swiss standard of living” was achieved 13 years ago? It states that “Could some well educated and informed TRE readers look into the economic data and statistics and tell us whether we really had achieved the Swiss standard of living in 2000″. So, first let me quote from the article at issue – “Big lessons from a little Swiss Alpine resort” (Sunday Times, Feb 2) – “It was not so long ago that Singapore dreamed of attaining the Swiss standard of living, not the other way round. That was in 1984. To keep things real, government leaders set their sights only on reaching the levels the Swiss enjoyed at that time, and to do so by 1999. But the Asian financial crisis got in the way, the target slipped by a year, and it was only in 2000 that we managed to hit the mark. By then, the Swiss had moved further ahead, of course”. No need to do any statistical analysis? I normally try to use statistics wherever possible or appropriate as the “reasonable basis” for my articles. However, for the subject issue it may be arguably “so simple and obvious”, that for a change – I shall not be doing any statistical analysis at all. “Basis” in deriving the conclusion? But, to get back to the basics – what is reasonable “basis”? According to the dictionary.com - “basis” is the bottom or base of anything; the part on which something stands or rests … anything upon which something is based; fundamental principle; groundwork … basic fact, amount, standard, etc., used in making computations, reaching conclusions, or the like No “basis”? So, what is the “basis” for the conclusion and statement that “it was only in 2000 that we managed to hit the mark (Swiss standard of living)? Absolutely nothing – not a single word in the entire article to even give a hint as to how this conclusion was derived? If anyone can find anything in the article – please let me know. Was it news to you too? Also, if we had achieved the Swiss standard of living in 2000, why is it that we have never been told of such a great achievement in the media? If anyone can find any mention of this before the subject article in the Sunday Times – I would be grateful if you could let me know, as I’m sure that Singaporeans may be very interested in this matter. “Swiss standard of living” in Parliament? Oh! By the way – here’s what MP Inderjit Singh said in Parliament – “We can safely say that we have failed to achieve the goal set by the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, of a Swiss standard of living for most Singaporeans, except for the higher income Singaporeans including foreigners who just recently decided to make Singapore their home. So I call for a breather in this quest of growing the population and focus on improving the lives of Singaporeans and achieve that promised Swiss Standard of living for most Singaporeans first before we plan our next growth trajectory” - just in case you bring up what one of our former Prime Ministers said in 1999, about achieving the Swiss standard of living? “Standard of living” defined? Let us not forget the fundamental definition of “standard of living” is not just “GDP per capita in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms” using the 1984 data as the basis of achievement in 1999! – kind of like conveniently forgetting about 15 years of inflation and growth! - It is about “The standard of living includes factors such as income, quality and availability of employment, class disparity, poverty rate, quality and affordability of housing, hours of work required to purchase necessities, gross domestic product, inflation rate, number of vacation days per year, affordable (or free) access to quality healthcare, quality and availability of education, life expectancy, incidence of disease,cost of goods and services, infrastructure, national economic growth, economic and political stability, political and religious freedom, environmental quality, climate and safety. The standard of living is closely related to quality of life” (Source: investopedia). Uniquely Singapore! Leong Sze Hian Leong Sze Hian is the Past President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, an alumnus of Harvard University, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow and an author of 4 books. He is frequently quoted in the media. He has also been invited to speak more than 100 times in 25 countries on 5 continents. He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Chairman of the Institute of Administrative Management, and founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of Brunei and Indonesia. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional qualifications. He blogs at www.leongszehian.com.

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How true is it? If it is true...damn..we are really in a pile of s--t if we can't afford to pay the HDB loan. And I'm sure it will happen to many people once the retrenchment starts ________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________ About 6 years ago, my wife and I were out of jobs and we could not afford to pay our monthly instalments to HDB (it was about $500 per month). As a result, we had an outstanding debt of $11K to HDB. One day we received a letter that said HDB wants to force us to sell our 3 room flat to pay back our money owing. We went to the local MP to seek help and they wrote a letter to HDB on our behalf. We then received a letter from HDB to go down to AMK branch office in order to meet their officer, Mr Chua. At the end of the session he still insisted we pay another $200 on top of the previous $500 per month!! We went in to ask for help to work out a solution to our financial situation and instead they suggested that we should now pay $700 a month! Is this help?!?!? We gave up realising HDB would not help us. We decided to borrow from wherever we can to pay every month until we can both manage to get a job! Since then, we have been paying $700/mth as agreed with the officer earlier, but they still called us every month trying to force us to pay additional CASH payments on top of the $700 we already paid using CPF! Luckily for us, everything went quite smoothly and we are able to pay off most of the outstanding amount. Today, the outstanding balance is only about $1700+. Recently however, during January 2013, we received a letter from HDB saying that they wanted to force us to sell off our flat again!!! Back then, the outstanding amount was only about $5500. So we went down to HDB again and asked what happened? What happened to the agreement that was made earlier? They just said that as long as we have an outstanding debt totalling more than 3 months of the monthly instalment amount, they had the right to force us to sell our flat! Offcourse we need our flat, or where else will we live? So we paid another $2500 from our CPF, then in Feb 2013 they called again saying we hadn

Living with Less I LIVE in a 420-square-foot studio. I sleep in a bed that folds down from the wall. I have six dress shirts. I have 10 shallow bowls that I use for salads and main dishes. When people come over for dinner, I pull out my extendable dining room table. I don

Planning to get a resale flat near Dawson, where the highest floor is 40. Wonder how is it like living in a place with several tall blocks & large number of apt units? Appreciate your kind feedback on the pros and cons. Thanks very much