Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)
1. MINIMUM WAGE
As fresh graduates enter the workplace with little to no experience, some are forced to settle for entry-level jobs with minimum wages. Whether you are a secretary at a recruitment firm or a personal assistant at an advertising company, the relatively low salary you earn every month makes it difficult to save money.
2. RECURRENT RENT EXPENSE
Some young adults move out once they start earning a decent amount of money. The independence, freedom, privacy, and convenience can be attractive but the reality of the rent expenses can hit you hard.
In the city centre, it will cost you at least S$500/month to live in a single room and at least S$1,500 to live in a small apartment by yourself. It makes more economic sense to stay at your family home and set aside the hundreds of dollars per month to your savings or investments.
3. INDULGING ON DESIGNER LABELS
Most young working adults spend their fortune on designer labels such as Prada and Louis Vuitton as well as other artisan brands. You may think that you are standing out from the crowd by carrying your S$2,000 Prada tote bag and your S$300 artisanal fragrance but you are simply creating holes in your pocket.
4. CABBING EVERYWHERE
Heading to work late? Hail a taxi.
Coming home after a crazy night out? Hail a taxi.
Aside from designer and artisan goods, you are preventing your savings from growing by cabbing everywhere. Five late night taxi rides can cost you at least S$100 and that equates to about 10 lunches at the nearby food court. This is why you must set aside an “emergency taxi fund” with a maximum of S$60 per month. You must not ride a taxi beyond your intended budget.
5. TECHNOLOGY AS NECESSITY
Technology is so pervasive in a young adult’s life that its costs are virtually inescapable. Interacting through social media is not just a culture but also a necessity. But staying connected comes with costly price tags as having the latest gadgets and paying for the monthly broadband fees can affect how much you can save.
6. EASY ACCESS TO SAVINGS
Most of us struggle with keeping our hands off our savings accounts. With the easy access of Internet banking, credit cards and multiple ATM machines, it is more convenient to spend cash than to save it. For young adults with this dilemma, make spending a chore by converting some of your money to US dollars. The thought of having to go for and pay for the currency exchange will likely to dissuade you from spending!
Image Credits: pixabay.com (CC0 Public Domain)
