This is probably the most common question I often hear anytime someone’s planning to come to Singapore to look for a job: How much do I need in order to survive? Well, wonder no more for today I will give you a comprehensive, no-nonsense, “super-tipid” budget plan that can stretch your hard earned money while making sure you won’t live miserably here in Singapore.

First, a disclaimer. This budget plan is purely based on practical experience and costs are true at the time of this writing. It’s 2009. So obviously, if you are reading these 10 years forward, things are much different. Also, the kind of lifestyle you’re living was not factored in this budget plan. If you only eat at fancy restaurants or wear branded clothes, then obviously, this article is worth nothing to you. Anyway, I think you get the drift.

The important items you will spend on as you consider travelling to Singapore are as follows: Airfare, Room, Food, Transportation, Internet and Job related costs. Please take note that all costs are in Singapore Dollars (SGD). 1 SGD = 30 Pesos.


Airfare
High: SGD 1,000+ (2-way ticket)
Low: SGD 300+ (2-way ticket)
How much to budget: SGD 500 (2-way ticket)

Ways to save:
If you can afford it, buy airline ticket way ahead of time. Take advantage of low-fare promos given by many airlines. Consider Cebu Pacific, PAL EconoLight and JetStar when buying a ticket. Also, compare prices when you will buy ticket online or thru a ticketing agent. Sometimes, one is cheaper than the other.

Room
High: SGD 200 a night for standard hotel
Low: SGD 0 if your spouse or parents are living here
Budget: SGD 300 for a month (if you will stay with a friend)

Ways to save:
If you have a friend or relative living in Singapore, ask them if they can accommodate you. But be mindful. Landlords in Singapore are strict when it comes to number of people living in their rented flat (apartment). Normally, tenants must not exceed the approved number; otherwise, they’ll get into trouble. Check if your friend can accommodate you as a visitor and for how long. Also, it’s best to share with the expenses like electricity, water, etc. It’s good if your friend says “no worries” but I suggest you insist on sharing. It’s the fair thing to do.

Additional info: If you don’t have a friend and don’t want to stay in a classy hotel, you can consider backpackers hotel. It will cost you around SGD 30 per night. There are a lot of backpackers hotel here in Singapore, just search for it in Google.

Food
High: SGD 10.00 per meal
Low: SGD 2.50 per meal
Budget: SGD 250 for a month

Ways to save:
Food in Singapore is relatively cheap. Lots of hawker centres (food courts) are available selling different kinds of meals so looking for a cheaper place to eat will not be a problem. A set meal of chicken rice would range from SGD 2.50 – 3.50. Other more costly variety (noodles, laksa, etc.) could fetch to as high as SGD 5.00 – 7.00. They don’t normally serve free water so better buy an iced lemon tea or softdrinks to quench your thirst, which would cost about SGD 1.20 – 2.00. At SGD 8.00 per day for your food expense, you should be able to get by. The trick is not to always eat out. Buy items in the grocery which you can consume for several days (like bread, rice and canned goods). Best if your could bring some canned goods, noodles, etc. from Philippines that you can munch for at least a week or two, so you can save more.

Transportation
High: SGD 50.00 per day (if you will take taxi)
Low: SGD 1.00 per trip (if you will take the bus)
Budget: SGD 75.00 for a month

Ways to save:
Transportation cost will always be dependent on the frequency and distance of your travel. Generally, you want to travel more frequently – that means you’ve got plenty of interview schedules. Allot 15 days in a month where you will go out to attend interviews (think positive, believe you can have that much interviews). Take a bus and/or MRT for your trips. Save time and transpo cost by visiting Streetdirectory.com to plan your itinerary. At SGD 5.00 transpo budget per day times 15 days, that’s only SGD 75.00 for a month.

Internet
High: SGD 3.00 per hour
Low: SGD 1.00 per hour
Budget: $40.00 per month

Ways to save:
You will need to surf the Internet to look for jobs as application in Singapore are mostly done online. Popular sites are Monster.com.sg, Jobstreet.com.sg, Jobsdb.com.sg. Allot at least 1 hour a day to surf jobs and apply online. Many Internet shops offer SGD 1.00 per hour service so look for those. Before coming to Singapore, print as many resumes as possible and photocopy all your credentials. That will save you money. If you have a laptop and the place you’re staying has an Internet connection, then cost for you will be zero.

Job related costs
Budget: SGD 100.00

Ways to save:
When you got a job offer and your work pass has been approved in principle, you will have to undergo medical examination and pay for the work pass. Normally, the company that hired you will pay for this but not all companies do this. To be sure, set aside some money to cover this expense. SGD 100 should be enough.

There you go. An itemized budget plan for a super saver like you. So, excluding airfare, roughly how much do you need in order to survive in Singapore? Let’s break it down again:

Room: SGD 300.00
Food: SGD 250.00
Transportation: SGD 75.00
Internet: $40.00
Job related costs: SGD 100.00

GRAND TOTAL: SGD 765.00

You will need about SGD 800. Again, this is just a guide. Adjust your budget according to your specific needs. Happy job hunting.

Send in your comments or suggested topics at sugarpinoy@gmail.com. Click on the links below for other useful Singapore and Pinoy information. Read more on this article...

In our previous article, we discussed Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) stricter criteria for S-Pass approval. In this rather difficult environment, one cannot afford to just mope in one corner and wait for manna from heaven to come in the form of an attractive job offer. It’s not gonna happen. Wake up buddy and get moving, it’s not the end of the world. Here are some other alternatives that you can consider:

2. Be bold. Aim for E-Pass. Yes, that’s right. Be bold. Based on reports, the stricter rule is for S-Pass, not for E-Pass. So, to increase your chances, apply for jobs that give at least SGD 2,500 in salary. I’m not saying this is easy but if you are a professional, with a degree, experience and all, the effort that you will put in applying for S-Pass jobs is the same as applying for E-Pass jobs. Might as well aim higher. Don’t be afraid. Believe in yourself.


3. Improve your Resume. Pretty generic advice but many of our jobseekers out there neglect this basic and simple fact. Truth is if you keep on doing the same thing over and over again, you cannot expect to achieve different results. So if by sending your CV in its current form, you are not getting any replies. Try “upgrading” it. You can read, “8 Indispensable Tips to Create a Job-magnet Resume” for some idea.

4. Do not job hop yet. This is important. If you have a job now, no matter how you hate your boss, no matter how far it is from where you are living, no matter how you think your job sucks, DO NOT job hop yet unless you have a 100% sure replacement. And getting a job offer is not considered “100% sure” as you still need a work pass approval. In these tough times, you’re lucky enough to have a job to hold on to. Be smart in making your moves.

5. Retreat now. Be back tomorrow. Say your social visit pass already expired and you haven’t landed a job yet, If you’re persistent enough, you can exit Singapore and go back again to continue trying. I heard you need to spend at least 5 days out of Singapore before you can be allowed to come back. So consider that before you make any decision. To consider this option, obviously you have to look at your budget. Do you still have enough money to sustain your stay here? If you do (or if you have a generous, kind-hearted friend), then by all means, persist. One can never go wrong with persistence.

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Lately, there are a lot of real life stories I’ve been hearing about the impact of stricter S-Pass system implemented by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) last 1 June 2009.

S-Pass is for semi-skilled foreigners who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 1,800. (There are different kinds of work passes here in Singapore. If you want to know more about it, you may read our previous article, “Beginner’s Guide on Singapore Work Passes.” For this article, our focus is on S-Pass.) Applicants are assessed based on multiple criteria including salary, educational qualifications, skills, job type and work experience. Anyone can apply for S-Pass however; there is a limit on the proportion of S-Pass holders that firms can employ – it’s only 25% of the company's total work force.

S-Pass applicants of late realize that getting an approval is like winning a lottery – it’s just so darn difficult. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but still, it’s totally not a walk in the park. It’s already bad that a first time foreign worker gets a job offer only to be rejected once his/her S-pass application is submitted. What’s even more heart-wrenching are those who are currently employed, got a job offer with better salary from another company, resigned from the present one, only for his/her new S-pass application to be rejected. The person ends up losing everything.


So, in these difficult times for foreign workers, is it time to kiss your Singapore dream goodbye, pack your bags and leave? Hardly. This new ruling from MOM is not the end of the world. Surely, our folks from MOM have to balance different interests and decide whatever they think is best under the present circumstances. We can’t question their wisdom on that. What we can do is to accept reality, cope with the situation and respond accordingly.

There are still some alternatives which you can employ. Here are some tips for foreign worker looking for a job in Singapore in light of the new stricter S-Pass system:

1. Apply for EPEC. If you haven’t done so yet, this is the best time to do it. We have extensively written about EPEC on this blog. If you want to know more, you may read: EPEC Demystified: Important Things You Need to Know About EPEC and 6 Smart Ways to Maximize the Value of your EPEC. The reason you want to have EPEC at this time is basically twofold: one is to buy you time to legally stay in Singapore while you still hunt for that elusive job and two, to make you somehow more attractive to Singapore employers, thereby increasing your chances of getting a job (and a work pass approval).

Be sure to visit this site for Part 2 of our article: Stricter S-Pass system is not the end of the world. Here are some of your alternatives…

Send in your comments or suggested topics at sugarpinoy@gmail.com. Click on the links below for other useful Singapore and Pinoy information. Read more on this article...

This is the latest news from AsiaOne by Jamie Ee Wen Wei

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has tightened the criteria for giving out foreign worker S-Passes and the June 1 change has hit hiring in sectors from services to IT and manufacturing.

S-Pass applicants are assessed on a points system based on multiple criteria including salary, education qualifications, skills, job type and work experience.

Although the criteria are unchanged, MOM has recalibrated the points allocated in each criterion to encourage employers to employ better qualified S-Pass holders.

Foreign workers eligible for the S-Pass must be semi-skilled diploma or post-secondary holders earning at least $1,800 a month.

As of December 2008, there were about 74,000 S-Pass holders.


Last week, responding to queries from The Sunday Times, MOM said the recalibration was to encourage employers to employ better qualified S-Pass holders.

An example would be hiring an employee with longer work experience.

The ministry did not disclose what specific points are allocated for each criterion.

MOM said the revision will apply to renewals and to new S-Pass applications.

To help companies manage the transition, MOM said it will consider granting a one-time renewal of up to one year to affected S-Pass holders who may not have acquired enough points.

The ministry said it has briefed employers and industry associations.

It has also created an employment self-assessment tool and an online calculator on its website to help bosses assess if their S-Pass applicants meet the criteria.

Human resource experts and employers The Sunday Times spoke to said companies, especially those in retail, IT and manufacturing, as well as shipyards, are feeling the impact of the stricter rules.

These jobs often require shift work or hard labour, and are often unpopular with Singaporeans.

Department store Metro's human resource and operations director Edward Tan said his company now has to be more selective about the S-Pass workers it hires. They make up about 5 per cent of its workforce.

Over at shoe retailer Charles and Keith, human resource manager Chia Wai Jyy said her company has had difficulty upgrading its workers from work permits to S-Passes.

One case was rejected recently. 'Previously, if the worker satisfies most of the criteria, chances are he or she would get the pass, but now the standards are higher and all criteria are strictly adhered to,' she said.

But taking another perspective, Mr Josh Goh, senior manager of corporate services in The GMP Group, a human resource firm, said companies here should look into revising their job compensation and benefits package, or redesign them.

The aim, he said, is to make them more appealing to Singaporeans or permanent residents, rather than depend on S-Pass holders.

He also advised local job seekers to be less fussy, and to adjust their expectations and explore opportunities in the less popular jobs.

This article was first published in The Straits Times Read more on this article...

Now more than ever, finding a job in another country is a lot more challenging than it used to be. It will be doubly difficult if you are just charting into the unknown and leaving luck to determine your fate.

SuGar Pinoy site has always been about shedding some light about working, living and succeeding in Singapore. We are happy that through this blog, we are reaching a wide audience that find our articles useful and informative. The author is quite pleased that through the information shared on this blog, some Pinoys are able to get a job and start living the good life here in Singapore. To you guys I say welcome and wish you all the best during your stay here.

There are some readers though who doesn’t have much time to read a full article. To better spread the word and get more bite-sized tips, Sugar Pinoy has joined Twitter.

Twitter is a micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. You can start following SuGar Pinoy updates on twitter.com/sugarpinoy


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