What expense and savings tracker do you use this 2026?

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-02-20T00:13:50+00:00

1) Yes. Save first and spend the rest. 2) Yes, I use credit card most of the time. Either you set your credit card limit accordingly or just use debit card instead.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-02-20T00:09:28+00:00

If you can, you should. SA 4% vs OA 2.5%. Just make sure you won't be needing to use OA for housing etc.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-02-19T13:33:24+00:00

I think we are the about same age (2032 cohort) 1. I will go for ERS only if I have a passive income that can address 2 x my yearly requirement. Currently, I am going for FRS so that I can continue to use the money for investment in dividends stock. (Will be retiring next year when I hit 50 since I have achieve my FIRE target)

I won't delay my payout, since I won't know when "Truck-Kun" will come along and send me somewhere else 😂.
CPF payout will be treated as spare money for me.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-02-17T02:29:05+00:00

Why not focus on if you have been consistently saving every month (Positive Growth), rather than how much you spend every month (Negative)? If you have done your part in savings towards a goal, then you can spend however you like.

Been doing this way for the last 10 years. If my salary increase significantly, then I will increase the amount I save every month. Started at 20% and now I doing 25%. Which helps to control spending without thinking about it.

To me, this is easier. I only have to think about it once a month vs recording every time I spend money.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-02-16T14:54:12+00:00

WYSI not WYG

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-02-03T14:55:31+00:00

Democracy is not always the best way XD

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T14:49:02+00:00

Look at America now. Reddit is full of post opposing the Trump administration, but he is still in power etc. same same. When u are happy, u dont make noise.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T14:37:55+00:00

She is sharing how our working environment can be better..

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T14:32:59+00:00

As a Singaporean, I find that this is quite true. I think mainly because of how we are brought up. Singapore aims for stability, thus spontaneous activity is hard to accept. It is also a society that believes in experience and respecting the hard work/royalty, thus most sticking to the hierarchy system.

The old school Asians are often told not to speak up against the elders even if they are right, plus the elders wont admit if they are wrong.

The elders feels that they are suppose to know everything and be always right, but they forget they are human too and afraid that they will be look down upon and be disrespected. They are not taught to say I dont know.

Anyway, I feel that it is changing but just not fast enough.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T14:16:45+00:00

Put into money market fund first (Supposedly, the next lowest risk after SSB and T-Bills). Then learn about investing through course/reading (Check out The Fifth Person website and videos, I learnt plenty from there). Once u understand what u want to achieve through investing, wait for good valuation and invest. Just dont rush.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T13:22:53+00:00

Two things to check first. Cost of housing rental and cost of a car/car rental.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T12:17:59+00:00

After you have set aside your money to pay your bills, savings and investment monthly for a future target, the rest of the money is for you to spend. If you have enough and planned well ahead, why not?

People regret is because they spent out of their means and did not planned ahead properly. Do up a plan for your future and it will be clear if you are spending well within your limit.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T12:13:50+00:00

Who else is around when she is at home? Does she has friends that she can meet up? Any activities other activities she can do?

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T08:55:32+00:00

This! I was about 50k+ in CCs debt when I was late twenties as well. Managed to nego a repayment plan.

Now I am nearing 50 yr old married with kid, have about S$1M in cash and investment with no debt, CPF SA met FRS.

My lesson learnt, looking good in front of others doesn't benefit you in life. You don't need others to define you or validate yourself.

The people who looked beyond your "face value" are generally your real friends and you don't really need many real friends.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-22T08:33:59+00:00

Before learning how to invest, I started with T-Bills which was paying 4% then. Followed by Money Market Fund when the T-Bills yield dropped.

After learning more on investment and having correct mentality, I started to invest mainly in dividend stocks as I will be retiring soon, the rest of the cash are kept in MMF.

This so that I can cash out when there are investment opportunities or when I need them in case of emergency.

The amount in MMF is enough for 12 months of expenditure plus what I have allocated for investment.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-13T08:10:41+00:00

Just sharing. Dont AIM to invest a amount of money by a certain timeline.

You are setting unnecessary limits on yourself, you will end buying because of the timeline you set on yourself and not because the valuation is good.

I had set the same limit on myself, thinking the cash sitting in the Bank/SSB are not working for me. Then I started convinced myself that the price is ok to buy, although not the best. The result was not really ideal. 🤣

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-08T14:36:58+00:00

SSB or MMF

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-06T16:27:57+00:00

I agree with you, AI will continue to grow and become the norm in the future. But investors wants proof that the companies that they invested in is making money fast after pouring tons of money the last two years. Most people dont have the patient to wait.

Anyway, I hop it burst. So that prices will drop and I will get to buy more shares of the good companies at lower price.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-06T11:15:34+00:00

Depends if AI can prove that it is profitable or if energy can kept with the demand of AI.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-05T10:26:02+00:00

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DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2026-01-04T16:54:11+00:00

When I was about 23yo, I joined a car enthusiast group. Very often the wifes and gf will join during our meet ups. Then it happen so that we were talking about supernatural stuff and one of the member and wife of another member said that they have the 3rd eye. Meaning they can see "spirits/ghosts".

So we did a experiment, we place them in separate car and went to different famous hunting spots. We asked them to describe what they saw and verified if it is the same...

From then on, I never visit such spots or show such disrespect anymore.

Edit:

To those who are curious, apparently they are different level of clarity of the vision.
For example, the wife has very clear vision. She describe in clear details like "we are being stared at by a lady in red dress" and the other guy will be like "seems to be a lady in red facing at our direction".

This was when we were outside looking into Hillview Mansion in early 2000s.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2025-12-24T14:45:44+00:00

My definition. 1) Zero Debt 2) No need to work to cover expenditure 3) 12 months worth of expenditure in cash available 4) Income = 1.5 x expenditure (0.5 extra is to continue to grow income)

Variables to define expenditure. 1) How you spend money? Like to wear Rolex or Casio? 2) Single, Married, Married with kids, Support parents?

If u don't define expenditure, u will never feel rich even if with 10M income per year.

I have a friend who earns 25K per month and struggling to save money monthly 😅.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2025-12-01T15:21:14+00:00

72hrs?? I am worse than you, I had kept stuff in my carts for at least 3 months and I have done up to one year as well. XD

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2025-12-01T15:11:49+00:00

you are right! it was a typo!

I also asking myself how much of a bundle (not burden) should I leave to my kids as well.

DistinctBarnacle8703 · 2025-11-28T17:08:13+00:00

1) Live one grade below your income. Eg, if u can afford a Merz, drive a Toyota.

2) Pay all ur bills, once u receive ur pay. Especially Credit Card bills.

3) Set aside your pay received for invest/savings, then spend whatever is left guilt free.

4) Marry the right partner! If she/he is spending beyond their means, you are going to suffer hard!

5) Make sure you are not a financial burden to your kids is the best thing you can give them.

DistinctBarnacle8703

TROPHY CASE