SINGAPORE: After being repeatedly urged by family and friends to start investing, a 22-year-old local earning about S$1,400 a month took to Reddit to ask if it is really necessary.
In a post on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Tuesday (Mar 24), the young man shared that he remains unsure about investing, especially after seeing how it has turned out for some people around him.
He explained that several of his friends had lost quite a lot of money through investing, which left him feeling wary and somewhat put off by the idea. “It kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth,” he wrote.
To provide more context, he went on to outline his current financial situation and how he manages his income.
According to him, he earns around S$1,400 a month after CPF from his part-time job. From this, he sets aside S$700 for his monthly spending and allocates the rest between his emergency/backup fund and savings, splitting it in a 70 to 30 ratio. “When I tell people that I live off S$700 a month, they say I must be struggling or something.”
However, he said that this lifestyle works well for him and that he finds the amount more than sufficient for his needs.
“To be honest, S$700 a month is a very comfortable amount of money for me. I’ve had this plan since I was 17 or 18, with small changes here and there. I know that I’m still young, so I don’t have a lot of expenses compared to a working adult since I’m still partially depending on my parents, but I’m slowly pushing away from them.”
“One of my life’s greatest regrets is that I didn’t start earlier.”
In the Reddit thread, many locals said his friends and family were right and that he should start investing now.
One user shared that starting early had worked out well for him. “The amount of comfort I have now (at 38), simply because I invested early, is crazy. Investing early not only builds your portfolio, but it also forces financial awareness, which is the real key to financial freedom when you’re older. Do it.”
Another commented, “Yes. One of my life’s greatest regrets is that I didn’t start earlier (started investing in my late 20s). Start with something small to just understand how things work and see if it’s for you too. Perhaps S$200 or S$300 a month to get the hang of things and grow your knowledge/habits.”
A third added, “Definitely start now. At S$1.4K, I assume you’re still schooling and doing a part-time job. So investing is a good habit to build discipline. And there is a market crash ongoing right now. With little skin in the game, you’ll be able to go through the crash cycle and come out of it with valuable experience.”
On the other hand, some felt that if he was not comfortable with investing at his age, he should focus on building an emergency fund first or work on improving his skills so he can secure a higher-paying full-time job in the future.
One user added, “You don’t need to rush. Focus on increasing your income first. No use micromanaging a small amount; I’d rather you save first and then read up on investing topics.”
In other news, a young woman battling an eating disorder says she was left devastated after her boyfriend, who had once urged her to eat more healthily, ended their relationship and told her with a “straight face” that she was “too fat.”
Detailing their relationship and breakup in a post on r/SGexams on Saturday (Oct 4), the woman revealed that she had a crush on her ex for four years and that they had been in the “talking stage” for two years before officially becoming a couple in 2025.
