Growing Up Poor in SG: 5 Things You Won’t Get

Ever wondered what life’s really like growing up with limited means in Singapore? It’s more than just not having the latest gadgets. It’s a constant balancing act that shapes your entire outlook. Let’s delve into some realities many Singaporeans who grew up poor understand all too well.

SG: The High Cost of Living

• Poverty in Singapore often means a perpetual state of financial strain. Many Singaporeans are working hard but still struggling to make ends meet.

How expensive it is to be poor

• The cost of living in Singapore is notoriously high, and this disproportionately affects lower-income families. The recent GST increase to 9% has only added to the burden.

• Many Reddit users highlight the hidden costs that others don’t see, like the inability to afford quality healthcare or educational opportunities. These create a cycle of disadvantage.

Constant Fear and Exhaustion

• The constant worry about finances takes a significant toll on mental health. It’s a never-ending cycle of stress and anxiety.

The fear. Perpetual fear.

• Reddit users describe the exhaustion – not just physical, but emotional and mental – that comes with constantly worrying about basic needs. This can lead to a sense of hopelessness.

The exhaustion. Everyone around you is exhausted, and unfortunately everyone tends to take it out on each other. The exhaustion comes from all different places, and the consequences of the exhaustion are a general hopelessness that is difficult to find the energy to look past to something better. Poverty is trauma

• The fear of unexpected expenses, like a medical emergency or car repair, is a constant presence. One unexpected event can wipe out any savings and plunge a family into debt.

Breaking the Cycle: Solutions

• Financial literacy is crucial. Understanding budgeting, saving, and investing can help break the cycle of poverty.

That you can save and scrimp as much as you want and one emergency will wipe it out and still leave you needing to borrow, if you even have someone to borrow from.

• Access to affordable healthcare and education is essential. Subsidies and financial assistance schemes can help level the playing field.

• Community support is vital. Sharing resources, offering help, and creating a supportive network can make a significant difference.

That money does in fact buy happiness. It buys the joy of safety and security, it buys gifts for your family at Christmas and the ability for your kids to go to camp or their friends’ birthdays. It buys eating what you want for dinner and not just what you can afford. It buys going to the doctor when you are sick versus toughing it out until it’s too bad to treat or you are on the brink of death. Money buys the comfort and happiness (and lack of perpetual stress) that poverty rips from you.