Increase
Wednesday 2nd Aug 06 08:45am
We all know it will happen sooner or later. And it has. SBS and SMRT have applied for fare increases to their services. With cab fares now raised, is it any wonder that buses and the train fares will increase?
It is not unfiar to say that our island is a very expensive place to live in. Everything increases yet salaries remains largely uneffected in most cases. To take a taxi now during peak hours means a SGD$4.50 cost the moment you get in. Enough for one decent meal in a hawker centre.
Perhaps i'am a little luckier. I got my driver's licence recently and have a company minivan to drive. My diesel is also free. After driving for 2 months and doing some simple math, i see a staggering result.
My transport savings alone came up to an eye popping SGD$500. And this, not even including taxi fares.
500 dollars can buy a family of 4 groceries to last one month, based on an average of 100 dollars a week. But there is a silver lining to the looming increases.
For buses and trains, the individual companies have promised that there will be no change in monthly concession passes to students and the elderly.
Where then, does that leave us, working adults that have to work our brains out but can't seem to save because of all the bills we have to worry about when the month ends?
The powers that be seem to forget that working adults, no doubt earning a living, have other costs to take care of. Houseing, Food, Utilities, children's education etc etc.
Did i mention that even conservency charges for households have increased? That is not forgetting the fact that edcuation costs have ALSO increased.
Raising oil prices have effected the whole world, no question about it. However, if prices continues to raise and salaries stagnant, how can anyone continue to afford to make a living for themselves?
I am not poor. Infact, i am one of those lucky ones that are currently quite well to do.
But let us not be complacent. Money will not last a person forever. I may be totally broke tomorrow.
I have already seen problems croping up, slowly but surely. Parents are now urging their kids to get the best grades, to be the jack of the most trades. Language courses, Musical courses, Skills enrichment courses and the list goes on.
Many of my juniors are crying for mercy. Silently.
Swimming lessons, Piano Lessons, Tuition, CCA. As if that's not enough, schools are loading these poor kids with tons of homework and remedial lessons. A typical school day can last anywhere from 7am till 7pm.
These poor kids don't even get paid to "work" for so many hours like the adults do.
All these, to what means?
MONEY.
The better your qualification, the better you will get paid, the better the job you will get.
Make no mistake, I have made my own calculations.
For a simple family of 4 to survive comfortably in the next 5 years, the total combined family income must be at LEAST 6,000 singapore dollars.
1) $1,000 for household maintianance (Assuming a 5 room HDB flat)
2) $1,000 for car (monthly re-payments, petrol, parking, maintainence)
3) $1,000 for groceries (3 full meals a day for 30 days, inclusive of eating out)
4) $1,000 for education (Assuming 2 school going kids at secondary level)
5) $1,000 for Extra Cirrcular programes for kids. (Tuition, swimming, piano lessons)
6) $1,000 for miscellenous costs (Medical, Fines, repairs, etc etc)
The above is just a very rough estimate. On average, total combined income for a normal family with both graduate partners is SGD$4,000. BOTH parties have to be gainfully employed. If one spouse were to be unfortunately re-trenched, the household income takes a beating.
Is it ANY wonder now why we have so many robberies, murders and what nots? At the end of the day, the cause of all these problems is MONEY.
So my Juniors work their asses, dicks, hairs and vaginas out. They have to get those grades. They HAVE to be the best.
Work work work. Fight fight fight.
So much so, they forget to be human.
They forget to live life and relax.
So how?
EarlGrey
We all know it will happen sooner or later. And it has. SBS and SMRT have applied for fare increases to their services. With cab fares now raised, is it any wonder that buses and the train fares will increase?
It is not unfiar to say that our island is a very expensive place to live in. Everything increases yet salaries remains largely uneffected in most cases. To take a taxi now during peak hours means a SGD$4.50 cost the moment you get in. Enough for one decent meal in a hawker centre.
Perhaps i'am a little luckier. I got my driver's licence recently and have a company minivan to drive. My diesel is also free. After driving for 2 months and doing some simple math, i see a staggering result.
My transport savings alone came up to an eye popping SGD$500. And this, not even including taxi fares.
500 dollars can buy a family of 4 groceries to last one month, based on an average of 100 dollars a week. But there is a silver lining to the looming increases.
For buses and trains, the individual companies have promised that there will be no change in monthly concession passes to students and the elderly.
Where then, does that leave us, working adults that have to work our brains out but can't seem to save because of all the bills we have to worry about when the month ends?
The powers that be seem to forget that working adults, no doubt earning a living, have other costs to take care of. Houseing, Food, Utilities, children's education etc etc.
Did i mention that even conservency charges for households have increased? That is not forgetting the fact that edcuation costs have ALSO increased.
Raising oil prices have effected the whole world, no question about it. However, if prices continues to raise and salaries stagnant, how can anyone continue to afford to make a living for themselves?
I am not poor. Infact, i am one of those lucky ones that are currently quite well to do.
But let us not be complacent. Money will not last a person forever. I may be totally broke tomorrow.
I have already seen problems croping up, slowly but surely. Parents are now urging their kids to get the best grades, to be the jack of the most trades. Language courses, Musical courses, Skills enrichment courses and the list goes on.
Many of my juniors are crying for mercy. Silently.
Swimming lessons, Piano Lessons, Tuition, CCA. As if that's not enough, schools are loading these poor kids with tons of homework and remedial lessons. A typical school day can last anywhere from 7am till 7pm.
These poor kids don't even get paid to "work" for so many hours like the adults do.
All these, to what means?
MONEY.
The better your qualification, the better you will get paid, the better the job you will get.
Make no mistake, I have made my own calculations.
For a simple family of 4 to survive comfortably in the next 5 years, the total combined family income must be at LEAST 6,000 singapore dollars.
1) $1,000 for household maintianance (Assuming a 5 room HDB flat)
2) $1,000 for car (monthly re-payments, petrol, parking, maintainence)
3) $1,000 for groceries (3 full meals a day for 30 days, inclusive of eating out)
4) $1,000 for education (Assuming 2 school going kids at secondary level)
5) $1,000 for Extra Cirrcular programes for kids. (Tuition, swimming, piano lessons)
6) $1,000 for miscellenous costs (Medical, Fines, repairs, etc etc)
The above is just a very rough estimate. On average, total combined income for a normal family with both graduate partners is SGD$4,000. BOTH parties have to be gainfully employed. If one spouse were to be unfortunately re-trenched, the household income takes a beating.
Is it ANY wonder now why we have so many robberies, murders and what nots? At the end of the day, the cause of all these problems is MONEY.
So my Juniors work their asses, dicks, hairs and vaginas out. They have to get those grades. They HAVE to be the best.
Work work work. Fight fight fight.
So much so, they forget to be human.
They forget to live life and relax.
So how?
EarlGrey
1 Comments:
*nodds head in agreement* :P
Post a Comment
<< Home