In a cosmopolitan city like Singapore where many things are expensive, young people may find it hard to save up for their future – or so that’s the common view held by fellow Singaporeans.

Young affluent Singaporeans tend to spend a lot on what I believe are ‘wants’ and not necessarily ‘needs’ to maintain a certain lifestyle, and as a result not saving much – (Caveat: it’s only not okay when you spend beyond your means)

Personally, I enjoy a certain level of lifestyle as my peers do: good food, the occasional staycation and travel, and keeping myself healthy & well groomed which usually comes with a hefty price tag. Fortunately I’ve found a few alternatives to help with managing within my personal budgets, so that this lifestyle is sustainable going forward!

Here are some areas in my life where I’ve managed to find great alternatives to the expensive conventional options!

Exercise

Instead of paying through the nose for exorbitant fitness chains membership which can run up to a few thousands (for lifetime) or a couple of hundred (per month), why not try out alternatives that gets you the same health benefits – assuming the purpose of going to the gym is primarily for that purpose.

Alternatives that would achieve similar benefits at a significantly cheaper price:

1. School gym memberships (e.g. SMU gym for alumnis)
2. Neighbourhood gyms (e.g. ActiveSG gyms and classes, and GYMM BOXX)
3. Lifestyle challenges (e.g. Singapore Fit Challenge and Bikini Body Guide Workout)
4. Work out with your friend’s in their workplace or condominium gyms for FREE
5. Credit cards that give me free access to gyms two times a month

 

Beauty & Grooming

Many females in Singapore (heck, the world) are guilty of spending ridiculous amounts on beauty and grooming, to maintain one’s youth. And it is precisely what large beauty chains bank on to charge insane amount for treatments that may/may not necessarily show effects! On various occasions, I’ve managed to bring down ‘package’ costs by at least 60% simply by negotiating with the sales personnel, so that tells you exactly how large their margins are.

Alternatives that would achieve similar benefits at a significantly cheaper price:

1. Always negotiate with your sales person (if you want to stay with the large chains)
2. Try out home-based grooming salons (e.g. Vanitee is a great portal to search for credible options)
3. Explore different grooming salons through discount sites (e.g. Deal.com or Groupon)
4. Purchase your beauty products online (e.g. with heavy discount codes at Flipit or cashbacks through Shopback.com)

 

Food & Drinks

Living in a food paradise does have it’s pros and cons. With so many amazing restaurants and Instagram-able cafes to visit, Singaporean tend to spend quite a bit on food without realizing it. (Trust me, almost 30% of my monthly budget is dedicated to food). Especially in groups, where the person ordering tends to always go overboard, group outings end up a very expensive affair.

Alternatives that would achieve similar benefits at a significantly cheaper price:

1. Go for lunch deals at posh restaurants because dinners are always a lot more expensive
2. Get great 1-1 deals or significant discounts at popular food and drinking hotspots through apps (e.g. The Entertainer App)
3. Explore new food and drinking places through discount sites (e.g. Deal.com or Groupon)
4. Utilize your credit card dining benefits (e.g. plenty of credit cards like Amex, Citibank, HSBC, UOB all have their own form of dining benefits)
5. Make your own food (e.g. Bring food to work once a week or have a cookout over the weekend)
6. Do your research on blogs which recommend good cheap food places in Singapore (e.g. Awesome Chirashi under $30 and Oysters in Singapore without Breaking the Bank)

 

Do share with me if you have any more money saving hacks for fellow young Singaporeans!