Singapore is not a cheap place to live. Rent, food, transport, phone bills — it all adds up fast, especially if you’re single and paying for everything on one income. A few years ago, I looked at my bank account at the end of the month and had almost nothing left. So I sat down, went through every single expense, and made small changes. Within a few months, I was saving an extra $500 every month — without moving to a smaller flat or giving up my social life. Here’s exactly what I did.
1. I Tracked Every Dollar for One Month
Before changing anything, I needed to know where my money was actually going. I used a simple free app to log every purchase for 30 days — from my morning coffee to my Grab rides. The results surprised me. I was spending almost $300 a month on food delivery alone, and I had three subscriptions I had completely forgotten about.
If you want to save money, this is always the first step. You cannot fix what you don’t measure.
2. I Cut Food Delivery, Not Food
I didn’t stop eating out. Singapore has amazing hawker food, and I wasn’t going to give that up. Instead, I stopped paying delivery fees, service charges, and surge pricing for food I could easily walk out and get myself.
- Ate at hawker centres instead of ordering delivery 4–5 times a week
- Saved delivery apps for only bad weather or late nights
- Brought lunch from home two days a week using leftovers
This one change alone saved me close to $200 a month.
3. I Reviewed Every Subscription
Streaming services, a gym I barely visited, a cloud storage plan I didn’t need — small monthly charges that quietly drain your account. I cancelled what I wasn’t using and shared a couple of subscriptions with family members instead of paying for separate accounts.
Tip: Check your bank or credit card statement for the last three months. Anything you don’t recognise or haven’t used, cancel it today.
4. I Switched How I Got Around
Private-hire rides are convenient, but they add up quickly in Singapore. I started taking the MRT and buses for my daily commute and only used Grab or Gojek when it genuinely made sense — like late at night or when carrying heavy items.
Using an EZ-Link or SimplyGo card consistently instead of mixing between cash and ride-hailing apps made my transport spending far more predictable.
5. I Set Up Automatic Savings
This was the change that made everything else stick. On payday, before I could spend anything, a fixed amount moved automatically into a separate savings account. I never saw that money in my everyday spending account, so I never missed it.
Start small if you need to — even $100 a month automated is better than “saving whatever is left,” because there’s rarely anything left at the end of the month.
6. I Compared My Phone and Internet Plans
Telco plans in Singapore change often, and loyalty rarely gets you the best price. I called my provider, asked if there was a better plan for my usage, and switched to a SIM-only plan since I wasn’t due for a new phone. This saved about $30 a month on its own.
The Result
None of these changes were painful on their own. I didn’t stop enjoying life in Singapore — I still eat out, still see friends, still take the occasional Grab ride. But by tracking my spending, cutting the things I didn’t value, and automating my savings, I freed up around $500 every month, almost without noticing.
If you’re a single working adult feeling like your paycheck disappears too fast, start with just one of these steps this week — tracking your spending or automating your savings. You don’t need to do everything at once to see a real difference.