Cheapest ways to live in Singapore

[tamarind]

Checkout my article about how to live in Singapore cheaply.

http://www.helium.com/tm/772761/alwa...sive-singapore

All comments are welcome.

All tips on how to save money are also welcome. Here's my tips.

1. Cut my own hair. I have been cutting my own fringe and my girl's hair. No need to go salon so save some money.

2. Don't buy car and stop taking taxi. Stick to MRT and bus. I try to take taxi only when I am really tired or really late for work.

3. Use cloths for wiping, reduce the use of tissue paper and save the trees too.

4. Try not to eat in restaurants or food courts. Try to eat at home as much as possible.

5. Buy things only when there are sales at the major department stores.

6. Buy groceries at NTUC, Sheng Siong, Daiso which has the lowest prices in Singapore.

7. Forget about IDD. Use www.skype.com if you need to make overseas phone calls.

8. Use SMS as much as possible instead of voice call.

9. Live without air conditioner at home. You will save so much on your electricity bills.

10. Stick to one credit card for payment to chalk up points and use whenever possible, exchange the points for voucher before expiry and then ask for annual fee waiver

11. Buy refill packs of shower gel, etc, which are cheaper.

[gooogal]

That's a good one!

Add-ons to Tamarind's No.6 - Buy groceries in Chinatown example: Swanton. Cheaper than Sheng Shiong by at least $3-$5!

Tips about savings I am doing and also from internet..
a) Buy hair dye from Indian shops example henna and DIY at home.. this is good especially for touch-ups of grey hair. It is cheap and healthy!

b) Recycle the plastic containers you get from buying food. You can use them for storing of washed/cut fruits or other spices or things you think is suitable. Discard them after a few times because most of the time you will have 'tabao' somemore things and have more containers. Save $$ from buying containers.

c) Leftover grated coconut can be kept fresh by placing it in a container with a few fresh chillies in the fridge. Cut the chillies horizontally to remove seeds but keep the stalk.

d) Don't throw out the leftover wine. Freeze it into ice-cubes for future use like creating sauces.

e) To get the last drops of ketchup in the bottle, grab the bottom and start swinging your arms in a circular motion. The remaining drops will be forced to the top.

[Ribbons]

from my own experience...

1) wash laundry only at full load..

2) wake up early to beat the traffic and cheaper ERP price..

3) drive at consistent pace so as to improve fuel efficiency (ie. reduce accelerations and jam-brakings)

4) cook by steaming more often; reduce the cleaning hassles because of the oil splashes, reduce mopping, and healthier too

5) Instead of window shopping when there's nothing else to do, try the library or a jog at the beaches.

[happybean]

love this sort of threads/tips!

mine:
- borrow books from library or swap books with friends instead of buying new all the time

- use toilet paper (in table top toilet paper holders) instead of tissue

- used to pack breakfast to work (instead of lunch), cos breakfast cost almost the same as a basic lunch if bought outside, and having lunch with peers can be important

- brew my own coffee - coffee from a deli really adds up

- turn off the shower when soaping (unless it's really cold!!!)

- tissue off my cleanser before rinsing, saves a fair bit of water

- recycle plastic bags as trash bags

- walk rather than driving or spending on public transport where possible

- cooking at home doesnt work for me, but what i do is "tabao" home, then any leftovers can be easily kept and heated up; some savings there too

[xiaomantou]

love this sort of threads/tips!
- walk rather than driving or spending on public transport where

or cycle!

[ailicec]

I do not have much to contribute, as I am still learning how to save money......

This point is not really about saving money, more to environment:
1) I use leftover plastic bags (from any packaging) to pick up hairs left on the "pipe cover" (not so sure if this is the correct term).

2) Eat in restaurants only when there is a promotion; like 50% off for ala cart.

3) Try to avoid buying during sales (ask a friend to help if possible), as I realised that I will get caught in all the hype and buy more than I need and also what I do not need.

4) DO NOT window shop during lunch time. It will cause "undesirable" thoughts.

5) Use natural sources for washing floors and surfaces, like vinegar, salt, baking soda etc. No need to buy chemical laden products, not only cheaper and also much safer and non-toxic to health, especially those with sensitive skin and allergies.

6) Read labels on expensive skincare products to ensure that you cannot find a cheaper subsitute from drugstore brands. A lot of expensive skincare actually have very little % of the so-called precious ingredients touted!

To add on:
7) buy a good quality all purpose pump, to wear for work and dinner....hmm, maybe make that 2 pairs; 1 with higher heels and 1 more sensible pair. (now i am still learning this, i definately have way more pairs...but I have not bought a pair of shoes for 1 month.)

[loves]

Stop buying and reading fashion magazines. If I don't know about it, I won't want to buy it.

[ailicec]

hahahaha, good one there. I just did a quick calculation and $10 +/- for WITH, 15++ for CanCam, $5 for Smitten (every 2 months though), and $10 ++ for nu ren wo zhui ta (quarterly)...which means that I can save around $30+ every month if I stopped buying them. *sigh, flesh is willing, spirit is weak.

[tamarind]

Wow very good advices.

gooogal,
Where exactly is Swanton ? Which level ? I must check it out.

happybean,
I make my own coffee too No more paying almost $5 for a coffee at starbucks.

Ribbons,
Totally agree with you about steaming food. Now I almost never fry anything.

ailicec ,
Totally agree with you about window shopping during lunch time ! I am guilty, must change.

loves,
I also try to control not to buy fashion magazines, will try to stand and read at 7 eleven or supermarket

[ailicec]

tamarind, i guess it is even more effective if we don't even browse the magazines in the first place!!! See no "evil", do no "evil" :p

[Stawbewwy]

I love this thread! Thank you girls so much for posting your tips

One thing that I am always a sucker for is "SALES". Whenever there's a huge sale going on, I am tempted to buy so many things that I don't even use. So avoid such places unless if you already have something in mind Cheers!

[lilfoot]

eat out (for non-working peeps) *maybe just for me
cooking at home doesn't work for me.. one meal will cost like $20 at least, and that is provided I don't pop a bottle >_<~ i tend to splurge more when cooking at home

zhup chai png from coffeeshop is the cheapest and most filling but not very healthy despite always telling them not to add gravy (so much oil!). fish soup + rice is a good alternative.

bring your own lunch (for working peeps)
eating out when working in town area is expensive. it's not that difficult to wake up 45mins earlier to prep a lunchbox. fried rice (leftover rice from yesterday's dinner + chop some char siew, fishcake, throw in a handful of pinenuts if you like to be healthy) or rice with simple stir fry (veg/mushrooms/longbeans with pork/beef) can easily be heated up in the office pantry's microwave. salads can also be very healthy and still filling..

give up caffine
used to drink a lot of coffee when I was younger but has stopped all caffine intake so hehe.. less spending there. takes alot of effort (imagine 4 cups a day to none at all) but it's really for the better. turn in earlier, so you won't feel so tired in the day. 15min power naps during lunch hour also help alot.

keep cartons of milk in the fridge.
when having the urge to snack or drink tea/coffee, milk helps to keep the craving away and also when heated up, warm milk helps to sleep better.

cook pasta instead of instant noodles.
it is more filling and not to mention healthy. buy canned tomato puree and add salt to taste instead of buying prego pasta sauce if you're lazy to cook a whole batch of tomatoes everytime you cook pasta. a can of tomato puree cost less than $1.20 (sometimes got offer or sale can get at $0.90) wheras a bottle of prego is like $5+ you can easily slice some button mushrooms and chop some baby aspharagus for a healthier meal. crabsticks and fishcake are relatively cheap too and makes for an alternative flavor. I've not eaten instant noodles for years.

premium membership at NLB ($21+/year)
is worth every cent. save those magazine subscription fees. the local libraries are all very well stocked, you can find almost everything. with exception to the latest novels or paperback (these come in a little slower, sometimes 3 months after the inital release). you can easily satisfy your literature craves. want to learn a new language? the library is your friend. tampines NLB has CDs for french, german, spanish, italian, you name it.. add on with a couple of language books you're well on your way.

[shinystar]

im a student so trying to save my allowance by:

- im using season pass so its equivalent to "free" bus rides so i try to take bus as much as possible to save on mrt fare which could add up to $20 a month. i make use of my "wasted" time(compared to taking mrt its faster) in the bus by resting.

-i would purposely make detours to avoid going to shopping centres..and if i have to pass by one i would walk very quickly to prevent any temptation

- after school i would get a little hungry (mouth itchy to eat some food) and i used to stop by old chang kee,polar, kfc etc to grab some small bites but now i always carry a packet of biscuit and water. i will eat it when im hungry. i save up about $20 from this little bites.

-i try to eat at hawker centres than at food courts

-i love to eat ice cream so instead of buying outside i would buy a tub back with cones and scoop my own..ultimately im satisfied although not 100% but at least 50% and above



actually many little things we do daily can be saved if we make an effort to

[chubbyvoo]

this is fun my contributions -

- when eating outside, bring along plain water. save $$ cut down sugar too.

- for mothers who goes to wet market, avoid Tues, Sat and Sundays, everything is slightly more expensive on these few days.

- i get my sons and their father to go to the toilet together, so that only need to flush once

- buy a thermal pot for cooking soup, saves gas.

- after switching off the iron, the heat can still use to iron some clothes with thinner fabrics

- i don't go to expensive hair salons, i had been with a home salon for a few years, save lots and lots.

- after washing rice, don't throw away water, can use to water plants or wash your face (whitens and smoothens, heehee)

- i keep a few packets of tomato and chilli sauce each time i visit mcdonalds

- keep tele-conversations short

one last one - avoid shopping centres with expensive car parks

[Jean]

Student here so always trying to maximize cash!

1. Buy staples on sale!

2. Or buy with discount cards like Tangs rebate or Charles and Keith membership. If you don't have them ask around.

3. Make own lunch at home. I like salads (veges are cheap!).

4. Try to park cheaply, which means at public car parks even though more troublesome and sometimes time consuming.

5. Rent VCDs vs watching movies in the cinema, so bloody expensive!

6. Buy 1 magazine per month!

7. Think about buys for a week before buying.

Oops, okay abit haphazard but you get the idea I hope! Look forward to seeing all your ideas!