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Poly student who spends $20-30 on food daily says, “Singapore’s cost of living is so depressing these days”

SINGAPORE: A polytechnic student close to graduating is worried about how she’ll be able to afford university fees while coping with the rising cost of living in Singapore.

Posting on Reddit’s ‘Ask Singapore’ forum, the student discussed how challenging it has become to afford daily meals.

She pointed out that spending $20-30 on food daily feels “insane,” especially for someone like her who will be balancing a busy school schedule without a part-time job to help with expenses.

“Why is the cost of living in SG so depressing these days?

Nowadays, food court food is also very expensive. Why is one bowl of fish soup $10-13 at the kopitiam?” she asked, noting how even affordable food options have become pricier.

She also added that while eating for less is possible, it’s unrealistic to expect people to rely only on cheap hawker food or promotional deals forever.

“I don’t mean that eating that daily is a bad thing; I am just plainly stating that if inflation were to continue, we might have to resort to this,” she explained.

In addition, the student expressed a deeper sense of worry about the future, saying that the thought of working a 9-5 job while dealing with all these costs was just depressing.

“It’s sad and frustrating to know that to stay happy in this country, you basically need to be able to fund it,” she wrote.

“This is extremely depressing and sad to think about… I just want to leave this place at this point,” she lamented.

“Eating out every meal is not the norm”

In the comments section, many Singaporean Redditors highlighted that relocating to another country might not be the best solution, as inflation and rising costs are a global issue, not just a problem in Singapore.

They pointed out that she would likely face similar financial challenges even if she moved abroad.

One Redditor explained, “Inflation does not only happen in Singapore. Don’t just focus on the negatives; look at the positives of this country.

It is safer, has no typhoons or earthquakes, a relatively lower crime rate, and offers a competitive job market where you can achieve something if you put your mind to it.”

A few, meanwhile, criticized the student for saying that eating Hawker food every day was unrealistic. One Redditor commented, “What an entitled mindset; what is wrong with eating Hawker food daily?

If you want to have a share of the luxury cake, you must work hard rather than complain here. No one is stopping you from leaving SG; this is where you will learn to be humble.”

Other Redditors suggested that the student could survive on less expensive meals by looking for budget-friendly food options, like cooking at home or seeking cheaper hawker centres or less popular food courts.

One Redditor added, “Cook? No family eats $20 to $30 per head meals daily. Eating out every meal is not the norm. Eating hawker food for every meal should not be the norm.”

In related news, a man shared on social media earlier this month that he and his wife have a combined income of S$10,000 but still feel the pinch from the high cost of living.

“I know both our salaries are above the median in SG, but I can’t help but still feel the pinch from the rising cost of living as a sandwiched class,” he said.

“We are not huge spenders and do not spend unnecessarily on enrichments or luxurious holidays,” he added

Read more: Even with S$10K/month income, SG couple with 4yo daughter say they can’t afford to have more kids due to Singapore’s high cost of living

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)

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