How I Live on a $3200 Monthly Salary in Singapore | Budgeting as a Homeowner and Sole Breadwinner

Turn on [CC] for subtitles.

In this video I'll be talking about how I budget my monthly salary of $3200 as a homeowner and sole income-earner in Singapore.

🕑 TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 Introduction
1:21 Personal & Financial Background
2:02 Cost of Living in Singapore
2:45 Budgeting Framework
4:45 Actual Breakdown of Salary
19:26 Automation (or not)
21:36 Final Thoughts

✏️ RESOURCES:

🔗 SERVICES I USE + REFERRAL CODES (only if you wish to support me, no pressure):

🌐 MORE INFORMATION:

📹 MY EQUIPMENT & TOOLS:
– iMovie for video editing
– Canva for graphics

*Indicates use of affiliate links which provide a small commission that help to support this channel.

[LisaAdultinginSingapore]

hi everyone, to answer a commonly asked question of "how i spend so little ($250) on food every month", the answer is: i don't just spend $250. the $100 that i contribute to my joint account with my partner is also mostly food expenditure. my mother also buys groceries with her own money, and we have extended family members who buy us food sometimes and so we eat a lot of dabao-ed leftovers. we've been getting food hampers from family service centres, so we occasionally get essentials like rice, noodles, and household toiletries from that. hope that clarifies.

[snooppy]

what is most impressive is despite your slow start situation, you did not blame the whole world but instead make a concrete plan like how the older folks that goes through early days of singapore after independence. Huge respect for you. I am confident you will be successful in life with that attitude!

[kaixin]

Mad respect for you. You deserve to strive in life with the amount of determination and dedication you have for your mother and your own life. I'm in my early 30s and still trying to figure things out. Your video is of great help, especially to future young Singaporeans.

[Mrlife]

Mad respect for you & how you are able to journey through life while having so many responsibilities on your plate. Hope you strive in your career, ultimately increasing your monthly salary in the future.

[deliakhan]

When I started my job 15 years back, I used to track my expenses so detail like this. I would put graphs to track category of expenses month to month. However, I realized aiming so much for saving while good for discipline, it made me stressed out when I was not able to hit my goal due to uncontrolled factor. As life took me to earn more, I realized it became easier to save naturally but I have cultivated such a habit to be in control for years that it made it so hard for me to live with my partner and others when more spending is needed.

[tall_albert]

Great work and kudos to your level of financial literacy and planning at this age. I really like the part where you mentioned striking a balance between living a life today vs saving for tomorrow. I hope more young people get pushed your video and realise it's not rocket science the importance of starting young. Also being appreciative of what you have vs sulking over what you don't have. Best wishes in your career as you continue on this journey and hope you achieve your goals in life!

[saumunc]

Thank you for being so transparent with your income and sharing your template. It feels realistic and extremely helpful.

[davidschwang]

Lisa, I am a retiree over the age of 70, I would like to salute you for your wisdom at such a young age, you are a great model for all young persons in Singapore. All the very best to you for your future endeavour.

[angkailin]

Respect to you, Lisa. I am amazed at how details you are with your finances. Although I am not a homeowner and sole breadwinner, I have struggled with finances since I stopped taking allowances and having to balance work and school, and also with school loan. I can't imagine how is it for you.. You are really an inspiration! I hope you will be able to achieve your goals! You go girl!! Please take care of yourself too!

[mikes]

Dunno why YouTube recommended this but I agree with many commenters that this is refreshingly honest in such a materialistic world we live in. Big applause to your discipline. 👏🏼 Your future is bright. High-5 from Seattle.

[muffledd]

Lots of respect for you!! It’s not easy being this disciplined :) Currently 19 and this helped me a lot in the process of learning how to ‘adult’ in sg. Thank you for posting this<3

[HumdrumSingaporeanREACTS]

Respect that *Budgeting as a Homeowner and Sole Breadwinner*
😌
Really shows a lot of passion & determination that you have!!!
In addition... ...
Moreover, I understand how you recognise the need for self-care (e.g. therapy) Showing the importance of it sometimes

[ming]

Hi Lisa, I found your video (and subsequently your channel) through YT's algorithm - and I just want to say that you've done really good work on this video. It was concise, informative, and straight to the point (I did watch it at 1.5x speed, a la uni lecture style). As a fellow Singaporean around your age, this really helped me plan in a local context. You've earned a sub! Looking to learn more from you!

[PRSer]

This might honestly be the most truthful and honest breakdown of life for most normal Singaporeans. I don't think a lot of young Singaporeans have even half the planning and budgeting you're doing. I know I personally did not and I'm 39 now. If I earned $3200 at 25. Trust me most of that cash will be spent on partying hahaha

[rex]

you deserve a higher salary for your level of communication clarity, well-structured logic and most important of all, willing to share!

[SGbeerlover]

I started work during the lehmen brother era. My first paycheck was $2250/mth and I didn't get any pay raise for the 2 years I was with the company. If I had learned from you at that age, I would have been at a better financial situation. Thanks for sharing and it's such a great topic to share on

[GreenWaifu]

Managing a household and being the sole earner is no small feat, and your insights are valuable. Budgeting is a skill we all need, regardless of our age or circumstances. It's commendable that you're open about your experiences. This kind of practical advice resonates with young adults like me and a wider audience.

[austinequaint]

I am in my 30s and even till now my budgeting is not as detailed and organised as yours. Great job! This sharing will definitely help a lot of people who are starting out to manage their finances. I wished there were such videos to watch 10 years ago, it would have aided me a lot in my financial literacy journey. Kudos for your effort to share!

[MrZipher]

Alot to learn from you, I'm turning 28 soon. Although I'm having slightly higher take home pay, but we all have our own situations. You have to pay for morgage..I don't but I worry about getting a home next time and family/kids. I also have repayment of 550 per month back for my uni fees to my mum. Gotta learn how to budget better like you so that I can keep track better.

But what I admire is the last statement, don't compare with others. Yes everyone is different, as long as we are happy we don't always yearn for more then I think we are okay. Thanks!

[joycegoh]

Proud of you for being sensible and mature at such a young age. The fact that you have started on retirement fund at this age will mean you have an earlier, or greater monthly cash payout in future. I only started to think about retirement, investment when I was 30!
You will do well in future. All the best!