An example of a typical Singaporean couple (典型新加坡夫妻例子)
Take for example a Singaporean couple who falls in love and decide to settle down. The man is in his thirties and woman in her twenties. They have a combined income of about $8,000. The man buys a proposal ring that costs $7,000 (Larry’s brand as girlfriend likes it). The couple also buy a pair of engagement rings that costs $6,000 (Cartier due to peer pressure). The wedding photo package costs $6,000, wedding dinner costs $7,000, honeymoon to Korea $3,000. They then decide to apply for a DBSS flat after countless tries with HDB’s BTO without success and have to cough up $350,000 (by taking up an HDB loan and wiping out their CPF and savings). They then spend $20,000 on minor renovation and furniture.
舉個例子, 一對新加坡情侶彼此相愛並決定共度一生. 男人30多歲, 而女人20多歲. 他們的總收入約8,000新幣. 男人買了價值7,000新幣的求婚戒指(因為女朋友喜歡). 這對情侶還買了6,000新幣的訂婚戒(因為同儕壓力). 婚紗照花了6,000新幣, 婚宴7,000新幣, 到韓國蜜月旅行3,000新幣. 接著他們決定要去申請購買DBSS(Design, Build and Sell Scheme, 有設計的新加坡組屋, 外表可能像condo 那麼漂亮的), 因為有太多申請HDB(新加坡組屋)BTO(Build-To-Order, 相當於台灣說的預售屋)的失敗經驗, 而房子花了他們350,000新幣 (有貸款並且動用他們的公積金與儲蓄). 最後他們又花了20,000新幣來裝修及買家具.
The man decides to upgrade his car as he could not resist the latest continental car design and coughs up $100,000 (by taking a car loan). The man likes to collect watches, saw the latest Rolex and could not resist it. He has no cash but buys it for $12,000 with an interest free 24 month installment since it is so cheap per month.
(男人決定要買更好的車, 因為他無法抗拒最新的概念車款這又花了他100,000新幣(貸款). 男人喜歡收集手表, 看到最新的勞力士也無法抗拒. 他現金不夠,所以分期24個月 12,000新幣, 這樣一個月分攤下來會比較便宜)
Then the man tells himself that if he loses his job, he is finished. He is stuck in a rat race and saves on food, entertainment and transport cost. He does not drive his continental car to areas with ERP and instead takes the MRT there. The wife is in the finance industry, and with many banks doing cost cutting, she is very concerned now as she realizes she has nothing much to do during office hours.
男人告訴他自己, 如果他失業, 他就玩完了! 他像是老鼠賽跑, 儲蓄食物, 娛樂, 與交通費用. 他也不開他的概念車到需要ERP(Electronic Road Pricing, 電子道路收費)的地方, 而會選擇搭捷運. 老婆從事金融業, 有很多銀行開始縮減支出, 她了解到現在她辦公時間並沒有甚麼事情好做.
The above is a real life story. (上面是真實的故事)
The only way the couple could afford all that is if they belong to the high earners group, if they have financial assistance from their parents or if they are born rich. Unfortunately, they are not.
這對夫妻唯一能夠負擔這些的方法, 就是他們屬於高收入族群, 或是如果他們有來自父母親的金錢援助, 或是他們生來就很有錢. 但很不幸的, 他們都不是
We have not even talked about Singaporeans with lower earnings.
我們甚至沒有談論新加坡較低收入的族群
How Singaporeans get themselves in debt (新加坡人是如何負債的)
Most Singaporeans will be in debt if they do the following: (大部分都是這樣負債的:)
1) Earn less than what they spend (花的比賺的多)
2) Have no savings (沒有儲蓄)
3) Lose their jobs (失業)
4) Stay in a company for too long without promotion and their company pay them pathetic bonuses
(在同一間公司待太久但並沒有升職, 而且公司只付他們微薄的薪水)
5) Spend on liabilities (花費的負債)
6) Do not delay gratification (不肯暫緩慾望)
7) Marries somebody that likes Cartier or Larry’s (和喜歡名牌戒指的人結婚)
8 ) Do not invest (不投資)
To avoid racking up debt and getting stuck in the rat race, don’t do any of the above!
要避免負債與老鼠賽跑, 就該將上面做為警惕!
By Kelvin Ng, who has been investing since 2007 and blogs at Personal Finance Master. Posted viawww.MoneyMatters.sg, your guide on how to make more money, save smarter, invest intelligently, and enjoy your money like a pro. Click here to get our free report on what you must know about financial freedom.
