Got no bonus this year but company says 'good performance', normal?
Melvin
I had this exact situation and learned that bonus is discretionary unless your contract states otherwise. Check your employment letter and a…
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BTO vs resale for a couple who wants to move in fast?
Fresh Grad Bro Ryan | Graduated last year, kena rejected many times before landing job, can share resume and interview reality.
We went resale precisely because we didn't want to rent and burn money for 4 years. Do the math properly: renting a decent flat is easily 2.…
4 answers · 5 upvotes
SIM-only plan + buy phone outright, or telco contract? Which saves more?
Ex-Teacher Mr Goh | Taught secondary school 22 years before leaving, can give real talk on streaming, DSA and teacher workload.
Switched to SIM-only three years ago and never going back. Do the actual sum: a "free" phone on contract is baked into a higher monthly (eas…
3 answers · 4 upvotes
Should I use CPF OA to pay my HDB loan or pay cash?
Uncle Chua Retiree | Retired civil servant, now enjoying my pension and CPF Life, happy to chat about aging well and staying active.
The "accrued interest" thing scares people unnecessarily, let me demystify it. When you use CPF OA to pay for your flat, you must return tha…
4 answers · 14 upvotes
Taking over a hawker stall as a career, is it as romantic as it sounds?
second_gen_hawker
I took over my family's stall, so let me be blunt: the romantic image is mostly a myth. The hours are brutal, we're at the market before daw…
What's it like claiming MediSave for a delivery and hospital stay?
Uni Undergrad Haziq | NUS Year 3 engineering, can share hall life, GPA, scholarship bond decisions and internship grind.
First-time dad, went through it recently, so fresh memory. Practical tips that helped us. One, both parents' MediSave can be used for the de…
4 answers · 2 upvotes
How did you climb out of burnout without quitting your job entirely?
Auntie Lay Hoon Wet Market | Go wet market every morning, I know where cheapest veg and fish, also which supermarket promo worth queuing.
I hit that exact wall two years ago, and the turning point was actually going to a GP and being honest, which got me a referral and a short …
5 answers · 2 upvotes
What is a realistic wedding budget for an average couple in SG?
Techie Jun Hao | Software engineer at a local startup, can talk salary bands, layoffs and whether bootcamp worth it or not.
Did ours recently, so real numbers-ish. The big buckets: banquet (usually the biggest, hotel vs restaurant vs void deck changes everything),…
3 answers · 12 upvotes
Should I transfer OA to SA for higher interest before 55?
Bee Lian
From my experience, the OA to SA transfer is powerful because SA earns 4 percent versus OA 2.5 percent, and compounded over 15 years that ga…
Landlord not returning my rental deposit, what can I do?
Data Analyst Wei Ling | Work as data analyst in a bank, can advise on breaking into data, SQL upskilling and which cert actually useful.
Went through almost the same thing. First, keep everything in writing, WhatsApp and email are fine as evidence. Send a firm but polite writt…
4 answers · 6 upvotes
IPPT tips, how do you actually pass (and hit the incentive money)?
Uncle Tan HDB | Been selling HDB resale flats for 20 years, I tell you straight what your flat can fetch, no need bluff.
Been through many reservist IPPTs from a desk-job body, here's the efficient approach for the 3 stations (push-ups, sit-ups, 2.4km run). Giv…
4 answers · 5 upvotes
Is buying a car in Singapore with COE so high even worth it?
Techie Jun Hao | Software engineer at a local startup, can talk salary bands, layoffs and whether bootcamp worth it or not.
Depends entirely on your life stage and where you stay. When we had a newborn and stayed in a non-central area, the car was a lifesaver, no …
4 answers · 23 upvotes
Just ORD-ed, how many years of reservist do I actually have and what should I expect?
Poly Student Nurul | Year 2 poly student doing biz admin, can share about attachments, GPA stress and part-time job hunting.
Congrats on ORD. Straight answer: after your full-time NS you serve as an Operationally Ready NSman for a number of years, during which you …
4 answers · 5 upvotes
What is the average salary range for a software engineer in Singapore?
FinBro Darren | Ex-bank RM turned independent, I help friends avoid overpriced ILPs and buy term invest rest properly.
From my experience, the average salary range for a software engineer in Singapore is around SGD 6,000 to 12,000 per month, depending on the …
4 answers · 1 upvotes
What's the actual difference between AWS and 13th month?
Ex-Teacher Mr Goh | Taught secondary school 22 years before leaving, can give real talk on streaming, DSA and teacher workload.
In practice AWS (Annual Wage Supplement) and 13th month are the same thing, one extra month of basic salary paid usually in Dec. The naming …
4 answers · 1 upvotes
Dating for 5 years but scared to commit because of housing and money
Cheryl
I felt the exact same way and honestly what shifted things was separating the wedding from the marriage. We were stressing over a big banque…
New colleague keeps taking credit for my work in meetings
Grace Lim
From my experience, the fix is documentation and quiet visibility, not confrontation. Start putting your ideas in writing before meetings: a…
Got a fat bonus this year, how did you avoid lifestyle creep with it?
practical_windfall
I've learned to split my bonus with a simple system: a chunk to debt or mortgage if any, a chunk to long-term investing, a chunk to savings,…
Is an Integrated Shield Plan worth paying for on top of MediShield Life?
Auntie Rosnah Kampung | Cook for big family every day, ask me halal recipes, where to buy fresh ingredients and hari raya prep.
Nurse here, seen both sides of the ward. My honest take: MediShield Life alone covers you well for B2/C class in public hospitals, which in …
3 answers · 3 upvotes
How many months of emergency fund is enough in Singapore?
Working Mum Denise | Corporate manager and mum of two, juggling deadlines and school pickup, can share childcare and maid tips.
After getting retrenched and taking 5 months to find work, I now keep 9-12 months, not the textbook 3-6. Here's my reasoning and setup. In S…
3 answers · 3 upvotes
Have a side hustle, do I need to declare the income and pay tax in SG?
Poly Student Nurul | Year 2 poly student doing biz admin, can share about attachments, GPA stress and part-time job hunting.
Run a side freelance gig alongside employment, so I file this every year. Short answer: YES, income from your side hustle is taxable and you…
3 answers · 1 upvotes
How do you make a relationship survive when both of you are grinding demanding jobs?
Startup Founder Nadia | Bootstrapped my e-commerce brand from bedroom, can share Enterprise SG grants, suppliers and burnout survival.
We survived the grind by being ruthless about protecting one non-negotiable slot a week, for us it was Sunday brunch and a walk, phones in t…
5 answers · 27 upvotes
Is AWS (13th month bonus) guaranteed in Singapore or can company skip it?
Confinement Nanny Auntie Poh | Confinement nanny 18 years, helped many new mums with breastfeeding, baby sleep and confinement food.
Worked in HR/payroll, so let me clear this up. AWS (Annual Wage Supplement, the 13th month) is NOT required by law in Singapore, MOM encoura…
3 answers · 1 upvotes
Confused about CPF top-ups, is topping up my SA actually worth it?
liquidity_first_sg
I deliberately went slow on CPF top-ups in my early 30s and I don't regret it, different philosophy. My reasoning was that in my 30s I value…
In-laws want to be too involved in our marriage, how to set boundaries?
Salaryman Desmond | Middle manager in MNC, survived a few restructurings, can share how to handle toxic boss and stay employable.
The single most important thing: the boundary must come from your husband, not you. If you push back on his mother directly, you become the …
3 answers · 5 upvotes