2500 SGD Enough?

[Addadude]

To yes you can...
reading his posting, it would seem that his CURRENT company is paying his expenses for transport, housing, schooling PLUS $2,200. However, the positions he mentions (it would appear that he is not relying on his original company to send him to Sg) only have salaries in the $2,500 range - no extras whatsoever. If that is the case, then it makes no sense for him to come over here.

To sugar,
Saving is pretty important if you've got young kids...

[fifa]

I agree Addadude - from the original post it is pretty clear that the guy is looking at $2.5K jobs, not getting an intercompany transfer with the perks still attached. A job advertised with a $2.5K salary in the IT sector is not going to come with living expenses covered. Maybe you'll get a car allowance if the job calls for it.

Living & working aroad for low pay but the experience and all that jazz is a nice thought, but I wouldn't do it with a spouse and 2 kids. Not unless I'm working for non-profit/charity organisations and living in some dirt cheap country.

Besides, suppose the original poster does get only $2.5K -- there is no guarantee that he will get a Q1 pass and be allowed to bring his family here. He may just get only a Q2 pass.

It isn't always about people not willing to accept that one can survive in Singapore without an expat package. Just because it's doable doesn't mean that one should do it.

[ohcomeon]

what is the point on living here without the money to save for the kids future?  if his disposable income is $2500 for  a family of 4, there;s not going to be much left over is any for saving for the future uni etc

[impossible mission]

Can't do it on 2.5K. Not on your life. Especially not as a foreigner living in Sing.

Hell, I know single local people making this money and getting around with difficulty and they still live at home!

Forget about wonderful projections showing how it can be done: For a modern (western) lifestyle in Singapore you will need at least 100k a year. Especially with a family of four.

[Tough]

Unfortunately, I have to agree with many people here that SGD2500 per month (without any extra on top of that like for housing ) is not a good deal if you have a family of four. You don't save a cent and it is not easy getting by with that amount of money. I am not living a lavish lifestyle myself but feel that living with SGD2500 per month with family is tough.

You should probably contact directly companies you are interested in and by that way see what is your market value.

Good luck!

[KiddieMan]

yes boy, your kids are gonna bother u about expensive toys and clothings and handphones and many other things u have no choice but to "spend it" to give the best to your  2 little spolit kiddies !!!

It's no the expenses that is a liability but your Kids that u have to factor in.

Sell them off in Columbia or US if u have the option of doing so, that's wht many poor american and briton families are doing now.

[Want2BXPat]

Thanks everyone!  All of your postings help.  From the looks of it, it is doable for some people, although a bit difficult.  I guess for now, we'll have to wait for the right time and aim a bit higher (although not aiming high for an expat package).  To be honest, in our current situation, we are saving quite enough.  After all, it's just electricity, phone, phone and cable TV are our only expenditures,  And we are also entitled to paid leaves, airfares, etc.  To be honest, we know we will be getting less when and if we move to Singapore.  It's just that I am not growing in my career here.  Tech advancement is so slow.  Not much places to go to, and safety is concern when going out.  So to sum it up, we just aim to move, live, save a bit, then grow.  Thanks again to you all and may you have good fortune.  The   same goes to Singapore.

[$2800 family man]

I went to Singapore on a no frills package with a local company for 2 years. Gee it was hard, but 1997 rent was shocking. We had one 3 year old.
But note - my wife is a Singaporean so that gave me access to the family support network and cheaper options for living (HDB rental in wifes name, no huge bond for telecom etc). Because I was married to a local I adapted quickly to local living - but still suffered because staples like bread, milk, cheese (and beer) were 3 times the price.
We had no spare money, no savings - but we did have a great experience and it still looks great on my CV.
However, if something major would have gone wrong, requiring extensive medical treatment or hospitalisation then we would have had to rely on my wife's CPF savings. You need to allow for that.
So if its a short term 2 year stay you are looking at then OK.

[idea4u]

we live on a local packet, 10K monthly. Two young kids, paying all (rent, food, transportation, bills etc) . We are managing the live comfortably, but can not really save.

Just to give you an idea.

[guiness]

i think 2500K net base salary is do-able however it depends who you are eg. i know some taxi driver who gets 2K SGD a month owns a house, 4 kids, wife not working etc. and he has no complaints but consider he has had 20 years to save, pay off his home loan, build support network etc.
.

[Expater]

It is not poing earning so much, when ones spends it off so fast like that 10K a month guy...

The more you earn, ironically, the more u WANT to spend it....

Seeing 10K a month creditted into your bank acct is too irrisistable to NOT spend it .....

BOttomline is the more u have, the more likely u'll spend it.

and kiddiman was right abt those money sucking kiddies ...

Cost of food for kiddies ?? Breakfast, Lunch DInner ? Extra groceries Means more power bills usauge + internet Access for kiddies...

Handphones and NIKE shoes for kiddies ?

CLothes for kiddies

and if u have a little girl, worse !

U have to buy bra and panties for her...exxtra cost...
At least for a boy, he need not wear any underwear.......

kiddies also need toys like Hotwheels etc....avg - 39.90 sgd......every week.....

2.5k is enuff....for only 1 individual.

[IdealisticEconomist]

Idea4U :-

is the typical person that every ecnomist are talkng about.

These are category of people, are people who are living beyond their means and are likely to default on credit card bills because most of their savings have been depleted / or they have lost their jobs as a result of their predicament.

Lotsa ppl say that Saving is a luxury.

How true.

And there's another group of people:-
For a single person, saving is a blessing and godsend.

It's savings that propell these group of people to become "High Nett worth" individuals B4 starting a family in a short period of time because they save the most.

If everyone were to follow this category of species, (save and not spend), it would help the global economy to depress prices (ie; property & retail) thereby, making it more affordable for MORE people to spent on goods at bargain prices !

Now, Economists hate people like that .
Economist always encourage people to spend not for YOUR benefit, but THEIR benefit.

Because their salaries depend the GDP growth of the country!!!!!

SO if economist tell u to SPEND !

Do the opposite !

If dosen't benefit anyone of us. !

[Anti-Everythang]

I do not believe for a fact that we consumers contribute one bit for any economy. !

It's business spending that's driving up the GDP.

It's a case of GOVs putting money (liquidity) in the stock market to prop up their share prices so that they can Use THAT money to spend on other things !

and THAT money happeens to be taxes that we are FORCED to pay !

[darren]

Local point of view...

$2500 is DEFINETLY NOT ENOUGH for a family of 4, you shouldnt even be considering. Whoever say its enough got to be KIDDING!

If you're a local, $2500 may be do-able supporting a family of 4 but you will not be able to save much.

If youre a expat, forget it, you probably will not have money to pay rent.

You should consider only if its 4k or more.

Wish ya good luck :-)

[Dont move]

$2500/month is not possible to live.
I live in HDB, wife one child, live a pretty basic life, food, bills etc, average $4000/month