[Manthink]

There are 532,000 personal cars in S'pore for a population of 5.9 million so only 11% of people own one.  If the average household has 3 persons, then about 30% of residents have access to a private passenger car.  Since 80% of the people live in HDB flats, only 20% stay in private property.  So 2 of the big ticket items out of the 5Cs are attainable only for a small % of residents here.  

...and Please remember this calculus is from an resource-less island nation with popular density of 8592 per km².

[EvertonDiehard]

Isn't it fun to read those who continue to measure material well-being as a "quality of life"...
That is exactly what the OCBC's Report about "Spending beyond Basic" is TRYING to sell...and get you in DEBT.

Every S'porean has aspirations to upgrade themselves.  Imagine a boy who grows up in a 3-room HDB flat who has to endure crowded trains and buses to get to school. His parents tell him to study hard and get a well paying job so he can one day afford a condo and car which they equate with a better quality of life.  However, the son, who is now in a management position, still finds himself living in a HDB unit and unable to afford a car in his 40s.  Wouldn't he lose heart that his S'porean Dream has remained unfulfilled deep into adulthood? 

[EvertonDiehard]

...and Please remember this calculus is from an resource-less island nation with popular density of 8592 per km².

I totally agree with you, but the 89% who don't own a car have to watch the 11% who do, drive their expensive vehicles every time they are out and about.  Wouldn't this yearning for a higher standard of living cause them to contemplate moving overseas where a house and car are common possessions for the middle class? 

[Manthink]

Every S'porean has aspirations to upgrade themselves.  Imagine a boy who grows up in a 3-room HDB flat who has to endure crowded trains and buses to get to school. His parents tell him to study hard and get a well paying job so he can one day afford a condo and car which they equate with a better quality of life.  However, the son, who is now in a management position, still finds himself living in a HDB unit and unable to afford a car in his 40s.  Wouldn't he lose heart that his S'porean Dream has remained unfulfilled deep into adulthood? 

Every human is entitled to "upgrade" themselves....using 5C as a benchmark is not keeping with times and reality.

I am curious if you had experienced SG's public tpt system during peak hours..

[EvertonDiehard]

Every human is entitled to "upgrade" themselves....using 5C as a benchmark is not keeping with times and reality.
I am curious if you had experienced SG's public tpt system during peak hours..

I must admit that I have been driving for more than 30 years, and seldom take public transport except when my car is sent for routine servicing every 6 months.  From what my friends and colleagues tell me, the trains and buses are packed like sardines during rush hour.  

[Manthink]

I must admit that I have been driving for more than 30 years, and seldom take public transport except when my car is sent for routine servicing every 6 months.  From what my friends and colleagues tell me, the trains and buses are packed like sardines during rush hour.  

Hang on - so you believe in 2nd-hand news from your "friends and colleagues" , and for 30 years you assume having a car and not taking public tpt is consider a "Singaporean Dream" ???

I am curious when and where you were born ? 

[surfer]

I own a car and I do take public transport. Most of the time the mrt train is packed. Very seldom do I see empty trains when I take public trains. I’ve been driving for more than 35 years and I buy my cars brand new each time I change them.
I’ve dropped out of the rat race and is living the life of a retiree. Worked hard and I’ve accumulated my 5 Cs.

[babygirl]

Hang on - so you believe in 2nd-hand news from your "friends and colleagues" , and for 30 years you assume having a car and not taking public tpt is consider a "Singaporean Dream" ???

I am curious when and where you were born ? 

[babygirl]

Every human is entitled to "upgrade" themselves....using 5C as a benchmark is not keeping with times and reality.

I am curious if you had experienced SG's public tpt system during peak hours..

[RiseofAsia]

Every S'porean has aspirations to upgrade themselves.  Imagine a boy who grows up in a 3-room HDB flat who has to endure crowded trains and buses to get to school. His parents tell him to study hard and get a well paying job so he can one day afford a condo and car which they equate with a better quality of life.  However, the son, who is now in a management position, still finds himself living in a HDB unit and unable to afford a car in his 40s.  Wouldn't he lose heart that his S'porean Dream has remained unfulfilled deep into adulthood? 

No more Singapore dream, only left Modern Singapore slavery.

[EvertonDiehard]

Hang on - so you believe in 2nd-hand news from your "friends and colleagues" , and for 30 years you assume having a car and not taking public tpt is consider a "Singaporean Dream" ???
I am curious when and where you were born ? 

Please stop jumping to conclusions and misinterpreting my post.  If I don't believe my friends and colleagues whom I interact with on a daily basis, who should I believe?  The Straits Times?  Good health, enjoying the luxury/convenience of a private residence and a car, having a comfortable income that will enable me to retire early, earning enough to support my children till they graduate from university, being able to afford overseas vacations twice a year etc. are all part of the S'pore Dream.  The opposite would be the S'pore Nightmare. We all have aspirations.

[EvertonDiehard]

No more Singapore dream, only left Modern Singapore slavery.

The reality is that this small island is not meant to have 6 million residents living cheek to jowl.  Of course the price of properties and cars have shot through the roof.  If we are home to say 3.5 million, prices of both will come tumbling down to more affordable levels. If most S'poreans aspire to own a house, condo and car, but only 20% are staying in private homes and 11% own cars, there will be a huge number of disgruntled Sinkies.   

[EvertonDiehard]

In most countries, migrant workers from overseas usually get blamed when the economy is in the doldrums, while property prices and unemployment are high. Why would S'pore be any different when 40% of our workforce consists of foreigners?

[EvertonDiehard]

I own a car and I do take public transport. Most of the time the mrt train is packed. Very seldom do I see empty trains when I take public trains. I’ve been driving for more than 35 years and I buy my cars brand new each time I change them.
I’ve dropped out of the rat race and is living the life of a retiree. Worked hard and I’ve accumulated my 5 Cs.

Thanks for your honest sharing! The 5Cs may are not the "be all and end all" of the S'porean Dream, but those who claim that they have no interest in buying a house/condo and car here are not being honest.  Even though enjoying the 5Cs is not enough to make us happy if we are in poor health or have no one to share these luxuries with, I would rather be feeling lonely inside my GCB than in a 1-room rental HDB flat. Let's all be honest.

[webinarian]

    
I am a retiree and I find the public transport system is more than enough for me.  

I won't add in a liability to waste away my resources.  

.

[surfer]

Thanks for your honest sharing! The 5Cs may are not the "be all and end all" of the S'porean Dream, but those who claim that they have no interest in buying a house/condo and car here are not being honest.  Even though enjoying the 5Cs is not enough to make us happy if we are in poor health or have no one to share these luxuries with, I would rather be feeling lonely inside my GCB than in a 1-room rental HDB flat. Let's all be honest.

Yes I have my car, cash, credit cards , country club membership, and condo. These were the 5 Cs to achieve when I was young.

[Manthink]

Please stop jumping to conclusions and misinterpreting my post.  If I don't believe my friends and colleagues whom I interact with on a daily basis, who should I believe?  The Straits Times?  Good health, enjoying the luxury/convenience of a private residence and a car, having a comfortable income that will enable me to retire early, earning enough to support my children till they graduate from university, being able to afford overseas vacations twice a year etc. are all part of the S'pore Dream.  The opposite would be the S'pore Nightmare. We all have aspirations.

Relax lah.. need to to sound so defensive. Why do you consider me "jumping to conclusion" over a simple question about where and when were you born ?

Speaking of being defensive - I am also okay with your Life View  that your prefer "feeling lonely inside my GCB than in a 1-room rental HDB flat.."  ..and nor it matters to me whether that  you believe in your "friends and colleagues" or you able to retire while sending your children to universities. - I am all happy for you.

The point I am challenging you is your insistence about having "5C" while holding a presumptuous view that those who does NOT agree with your outlook as "not being honest" ...

You already cited 80-20 figures of HDB-private data..Are you going to call those staying in HDB as less-than-honest people ???

[babygirl]

Relax lah.. need to to sound so defensive. Why do you consider me "jumping to conclusion" over a simple question about where and when were you born ?

Speaking of being defensive - I am also okay with your Life View  that your prefer "feeling lonely inside my GCB than in a 1-room rental HDB flat.."  ..and nor it matters to me whether that  you believe in your "friends and colleagues" or you able to retire while sending your children to universities. - I am all happy for you.

The point I am challenging you is your insistence about having "5C" while holding a presumptuous view that those who does NOT agree with your outlook as "not being honest" ...

You already cited 80-20 figures of HDB-private data..Are you going to call those staying in HDB as less-than-honest people ???

[Manthink]

No more Singapore dream, only left Modern Singapore slavery.

Precisely - I don't get it why some ppl insist in benchmarking "5Cs" as  "dream" when we know already 40% of SG's population are foreign slaves (for S$) and OCBC's report shows Bankers are worry that fewer SGreans able to "spend beyond Basics" ?

As a SGrean, I can confidently tell those Bankers to F...k OFF and don't mislead us to get into DEBT

[Manthink]

I own a car and I do take public transport. Most of the time the mrt train is packed. Very seldom do I see empty trains when I take public trains. I’ve been driving for more than 35 years and I buy my cars brand new each time I change them. I’ve dropped out of the rat race and is living the life of a retiree. Worked hard and I’ve accumulated my 5 Cs.

Congrates with your post-Rat-race life and enjoying your golder years now..
However, do note some fine-print  for car "owners" need to be aware of...

a. You don't really get to "own" a car in SG. It is a 10-Years "entitlement" paid in Cold Hard Ca$h.
Using your 35-years of driving....on paper it means you "own" 3.5 COEs which at the end of each entitlement, usually get back < 10% of the remaining "body" value of the car for as scrape. For simplicity, I leave out other miscellaneous cost of "owning" a car.

b. MRT train will always be packed for simple efficiency reason during peak periods to handle Mass travels..
Hence the "M" in the MRT...

[surfer]

Congrates with your post-Rat-race life and enjoying your golder years now..
However, do note some fine-print  for car "owners" need to be aware of...

a. You don't really get to "own" a car in SG. It is a 10-Years "entitlement" paid in Cold Hard Ca$h.
Using your 35-years of driving....on paper it  means you "own" 3.5 COEs which at the end of each entitlement, usually get back < 10% of the remaining "body" value of the car for as scrape. For simplicity, I leave out other miscellaneous cost of "owning" a car.

b. MRT train will always be packed for simple efficiency reason during peak periods to handle Mass travels..
Hence the "M" in the MRT...

Well…. In my 35 years of driving I did drive 7 different new cars.    . Am waiting for Cat B to drop further before changing my next car.

[Manthink]

Well…. In my 35 years of driving I did drive 7 different new cars.    . Am waiting for Cat B to drop further before changing my next car.

Thank you for contributing to SG revenue and banker's bonus and commissions....for "owning" 7 different new cars

[surfer]

Thank you for contributing to SG revenue and banker's bonus and commissions....for "owning" 7 different new cars 

You are most welcome. I normally don’t take any car loans to buy my cars.

[Huliwang]

I noticed quite a number of jobless and low wage earners are living in starvation condition like eating 1 or 2 meals only.    

[Manthink]

You are most welcome. I normally don’t take any car loans to buy my cars.

Me too. though I don't change cars as often since the vehicles serve me well for the entire COE period and more importantly within my "basic" budget.

[Manthink]

I noticed quite a number of jobless and low wage earners are living in starvation condition like eating 1 or 2 meals only.    

There are many SGreans had been struggling just to meet basic needs since the Pandemic...

Which is why I find OCBC report expecting SGrens to "spend beyond" rather insulting.

[bobby]

[Scythian]

.
Collecting sewage water to sell them to PUB office @ 40 Scott's Road.

[Tee tiong huat]

    
I am a retiree and I find the public transport system is more than enough for me.  

I won't add in a liability to waste away my resources.  

Good...

[Tee tiong huat]

Why live until so miserable?

God created human beings to enjoy