6/09/2014

Half a thousand


Forty years ago, this guy walked into a bank to get a car loan. The bank officer asked for his salary. ‘Half a thousand!’, he replied confidently. In those days, a Morris Minor cost about $5,000, no need COE. Practically every young army officer could afford a car and a flat after working for less than 3 years. And many were non graduates, O and A levels were the norm. And they were quite comfortable with half a thousand, and getting a one thousand dollar salary, or four figure, was a statement of having arrived for the young men.
 

How many could afford to buy a car today with a $3,000 income? And how many could afford a HDB flat with a single income? Oops, I am wrong on this. Sorry, a $1,000 income is enough to buy a flat.
 

Those were the days when half a thousand could get one quite far, dating the girl next door, going for joy ride with a brand new car with not a concern for the cost of petrol. ‘Chiat hong’ was fun, a leisurely drive around the island with girl friend or family was having a good time. Life might be simpler then, and the stress level was pretty low.
 

Today the people are richer. ‘What is ten million’ is often uttered by the super rich. Life is really good. Don’t ever tell anyone your income is half a thousand. An uneducated cleaner is already earning a four figure income. Half a thousand is below poverty line. A two thousand household income is likely to be below poverty line too.

Kopi Level - Green

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://likedatosocanmeh.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/20140217-singaporeans-retirement-savings-sucked-into-a-cpf-black-hole/

Anonymous said...

Sinkies are still finding it hard to believe that voting PAP is bad for Singaporeans.

Keep on blogging.
Keep spreading the news.

Virgo 49 said...

We can swap brand new cars after every five years selling old ones for teh tuai. (Down payment) for new ones.

Can buy HDB Flats and fully paid within five years.

People said stupid HDB interest only one percent above CPF rates why paid in full ??

Take HDB loans lah and buy other properties.

So many oldies can have HDB flats plus private properties.

Today cannot even afford to buy four tyres.

Anonymous said...

40 years ago, PAP got at least 70% votes and 100% seats in an election. And a $1000 pm salary means "have arrived".

40 years later, PAP got 60% votes and 93% seats, despite even $3000 pm is the poverty borderline, let alone $1000 pm.

Not bad lah, for PAP.

JL said...

Those were the good old days my friend policeman wears short my wife never fail to remind me LOL

Anonymous said...

40 years ago, most Sinkies don't vote opposition for obvious reasons which RB mentioned.

40 years later, most Sinkies still don't vote opposition because opposition is still not ready to be govt even after 40 years.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha ha

Smu law graduate starting pay above 4k everyday squeeze mrt and smell ah neh arm pit or ah tiong b o.

More goooooooooooood years!

Swiss standard living smelling arm pit and foreign b o.

Honest conversation

Honest love

No 1,000 lies.

Not like matilah.

Real honest love.

Not thinking about any dishonest things typical of the matilah.

No worries, real honest conbersation, real love, not thinking of your mei mei or wet pus-y, HONESTLY SPEAKING. SWEAR!

Anonymous said...

Those who had taken out their CPF enjoy life now?

Those who can't take out their CPF at 55 as promised suffer?

Virgo 49 said...

Aiya bro, no need one opposition party 100 percent to be the government lah!!

Coalition government of various parties also can lah!!

What for becomes government of majority one party. Later they also becomes like the PAP after winning two or three elections.

Beast & Wolves guarding your chicken coops? said...

" Those who can't take out their CPF at 55 as promised suffer?"

Anecdotal evidence: 57-year old Man jumped to his death 2 months ago to let school going children get his cpf .......

So u think the family very happy never suffer eternal pain in the heart?

Anonymous said...

40 years ago, there were wonders. Today $5000 is derisory.

Anonymous said...

A fool and his money is soon parted.
The bigger fool let his government keep his money in the CPF until he departed.


Saycheese

Xmen said...

Here is a quote from Ronald Reagan 34 years ago -

"Are you better off now than you were four years ago? ...if you answer all of those questions 'yes', why then, I think your choice is very obvious as to whom you will vote for. If you don't agree, if you don't think that this course that we've been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have."

Four years is all it takes for Americans to vote in a new government.

Dear Singaporeans, what are you waiting for after FORTY years and TWO generations?

oldhorse42 said...

Half a thousand was more than enough in the good old days. Now one needs half a million to be happy in this most expensive red dot.
Surprising there seem to be so many happy people here enjoying good life.Dinning in Michelin starred restaurant, driving million dollars car and living in luxurious seafront bungalow. Wonder where are they from?

Anonymous said...

In those days many young men got to drive their girl friends around either in their own cars or their parent's cars.

Many young men today could not afford their own cars. Their parents also got no cars to lend them.

Only a new chapter can help renew confidence, trust, hope in the future ........ said...

Sinkieland needs a new chapter, a renewal.

Garment should go to the people for confirmation of their renewed trust.

Call a snap election now.

Sinkieland is going nowhere in this climate of loss of trust, confidence, hope in the future

Further delay will be wasted precious time to start a new chapter

Anonymous said...

Today many young men drive sports cars worth half a million. Papa got money what.

And many got a private property before even starting to work. Papa and mama got money what.

Anonymous said...

Gerald Ee said recently want good, better service pay MORE $$$$$$ lah!

No BIG $$$$$$ drive what car?

Go squeeze mrt and buses with ah neh, ah tiong, pinoy and smell their b o and arm pit.

Too bad if smell like 3 days never shower .....

Gerald Ee said already no $$$$$ dun expect good things.

Heard his late father sommersault in his grave after hearing another idiotic moron son uttering shit .......

Anonymous said...

/// Gerald Ee said recently want good, better service pay MORE $$$$$$ lah! ///

Unbelievable.
We pay million dollar salaries to our PAP Ministers.
Got good service or not?

Anonymous said...

Gerard Ee only saying the hard truth. Honest dialogue. Or you want to hear the lies?

Anonymous said...

How many would spent 30 or 40 years saving their CPF reach 55 spend it all?

These is their hard earn money not a windfall, it took a life time of slow savings from their work?

Most will keep it for rainy days left some for investment and get better returns?

Anonymous said...


How many would spent 30 or 40 years saving their CPF reach 55 spend it all?

These is their hard earn money not a windfall, it took a life time of slow savings from their work?

Most will keep it for rainy days left some for investment and get better returns?

After spending a whole lifetime of savings they got to spend it all?

Of course they will put aside in a few banks for fixed deposit, wait for better condition to invest part of money and part of it put in the bank for fixed deposit in case of raining days or out of jobs between 55 and 65?

Instead it more important to have reserve in your bank between 55 and 65?

With 30K of new immigrant every year to complete for jobs?

old auntie kena bully in fast food outlet by 3rd world pinoy said...

That's the problem in sinkieland. The higher the price, the smaller the pigeon hole in the sky, the stronger the b o in mrt, the jam on road worsen to become jam, butter, kaya, nutella, peanut butter, ............. soon chilli, ketchup, dark sauce, sesame oil, what have u all add on ........ sustainable or not yew tell me lar?

Now ms 155k. Honestly speaking, even jack up till 1,000,000 also they said must continue go up, up, up and blast into outer space ........

Problem is they want make everybody work like superman, no they treat everbody like supermen ........ no need retire. Work and work and work. Longest hour in the world, mind u. World cbampion. World cup standard you know. Good things that matter cannot even go past 3rd in asia 2014 world cup qualifier. But all the bad things all world champion. Most expensivd city, longest hour, work until drop dead, oldies work in fast food to survivd kena scolded and scolded and bully non stop by farking 3rd world pinoy chaik za bor one third the age.

Next time ah neh in blue will walk up and body search sinkies suka suka.

Million dollars prices?

What did sinkies get in return?

Oldies in sinkieland very cham!

After seeing old auntie kena scolding and lashing by 3rd world pinoy, wanted to smash ft in her face but million lollars ministars will charge sinkies for sure for standing up for fella sinkies.

So how?

Yew tell me lah?

Anonymous said...

One side hope to maximise their profits and investments and delay giving back the money CPF promises at 55 on the other sides hope to get back their money after saving for 30 to 40 years for their own save keeping and use how?

Show them the middle fingers said...

Pay them millions for them to open floodgates to get 2 million 3rd world fake talents to shit on sinkies head.

Enough or not?

Yew tell me lah?

Must wait until they make yr wives and daugthers become ah neh, ah tiong, pinoy comfort women then WAKE UP izzit?

Where were you on sat?

Where were yr friends on sat?

Where were your relatives on sat?

Got turn up or not to support fellow sinkies?

So 12th July can make it 100,000?

Say: "yes we can"

Show them the middle fingers!

Enough is enough.

Push somemore sinkies going to fall off the clift liao.

You can only save yrselves

Just need spend $3 mrt fares on a sat afternoon.

You will be rewardes with good karma and future for yrselves, children and grand children.

Bring yr friends, relatives, neighbours, everybody you know.

Tell them they have gone too far.

Sinkies eating plain porridge and cheapest bread.

Million dollars tax payer monies ministars gargling mouth with shark fins for dinner. Big lobster, abalone, Alaskan king crabs, norwegian oysters, caviar, 50,000 sq ft bungalow, $50 million French Chateau along holland rd, $50,000 french cooking lessons, 2 lollars fifty cents nasi padang .........

Are sinkies MAD?

What are they paying for?

Own cpf money give u bk $400 a month, somemore must beg them?

Got logic?

Can remember 12th July 2014, rain or shine?

One whole life time BLOOD, SWEAT, TEARS retirement and coffin money just kena locked up like that?

U still dun wake up?

Say what?

That's right!

12th July 2014

Anonymous said...

When they make a scheme compulsory it means they did not have confidence in the scheme or they know something you don't.

It could also mean that they need the money desperately and cannot afford anyone to say no.

40 YEARS BLOOD, SWEAT Money GONE! KUA CHA POON GONE! said...

Only 65 give out $400 one month?

One year only $4,800?

But $5,000 is derisory?

Are we living on the same planet and same sinkieland?

After 10 years only $48,000

So means ms 155,000 need 40 years to draw down from 65 until 105 years old?

Wah lao!

Chow cheesebye!

I very fed up liao.

BLOOD BOILING ......,,,,,,,

Anonymous said...

On side they feel people should not take back their money because they might spent it, it is better for them kept it themselves rather then return their money, they could used for better purpose like funding or investment to maximise their profits or other purpose?

On the other sides think they are old enough had nothing to do with how they go to spent their money, they had been working and saving for the past 30 to 40 years it is their hard earn money as it was promised to return to them at 55?

How to solve these delimena?

Anonymous said...

One side think of the longer they can delay giving back the money the better, as more they can profit from the money, on it with more cheap fund you have the better in can hold on to investment and get higher the returns and funding your other needs, the less chances you need to give back as the persons might died earlier then 65 or 70 so can keep the money for other uses?

But on the other sides, they think they had been promised what they save hard around 37 percent per month should be return to them as promised at 55, no questions or excuses, which they took a lifetime to slog to get these amount of money?

How to solve it?

b said...

CHange is the only constant. 40 years ago there was only a handful of PHDs. Nowadays, there are busloads of PHDs and many are unemployed or going to be unemployed. Tradesmen are more valued than PHDs these days.

Anonymous said...

Since all of you would spend your money anyhow on mei meis, let me keep them for you so your money will always be safe with me.

Virgo 49 said...

Right bro, Jurong drive-in, bring girl friend or chow seer with another, hard to detect.

Wah Bruce Lee shows, line up till ayer rajah road.

agongkia said...

You all uncle miss the boat lah.Those born during that times are the lucky one and have the most opportunity to be rich .
Whether collect chapjee kee or illegal 4D,open protitute den or ah long...become the you know who and makan kopi rui..
Who ask you to join air force that time.I am not surprise that some banker today are ah long in the past.
You gong gong live in suateng and cannot see far.That time angmochu only few k nia.
Only if I am born during your times,life would be different for me now.

Anonymous said...

We tend to think of people who reminiscence about the good old days are looking at the past through rose coloured glasses, but in the case of Singapore people really do miss the good old days, unless you are one of the unlucky ones who politically were on the wrong side of the ruling elites, then its bankruptcy or jail time or both.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

To those of you who still don't believe it is a tax nyah nyah nyah nyah-nyah!

But wait there more.......Sign up and receive a REGULAR MONTHLY TAX REBATE of not $10, not $50...not even $200!!

Five Hundred Dollars!!!--- all yours to spend however you like...every month! Just think of all the wonderful things you can do with that money every month. For e.g. you can cut down the number of days you have to go to the MRT to sell pockets of tissue to bleeding-heart strangers! How's that for "career flexibility"? Taking time off your job is positive to your life-work balance, isn't that just fantastic.

So what are you waiting for? Pick up the phone and Call now for our special bonus offer!

Anonymous said...

How about themselves if most of their own money locked up forever?

They locked up others hard earned savings forever? Giving lots of excuses?

People give them a few hundred dollars per month?

Anonymous said...

However, 50 years ago, it was even better. I could go to the Odeon cinema on North Bridge Road with my sweetheart, then walk to the side lane of the Rex cinema, have Indian Rojak and soup kambing and catch the Green Bus Co. #?? home to 9th mile Bukit Timah and still have change to sit at the corner mama shack for 2 coffees and buy a packet of Matterhorn menthol's all for less than $10 but if I wanted to save on some cash, I’d buy just one or two cigarettes to have with my coffee then go home for a little loving….. The PAP changed all that.

Anonymous said...

For those who genuinely need the money to tide over difficult period between 55 and 65, will be in trouble? Even they are penniless they can't take out their money from the CPF?

In today context, of heavy foreigner jobs competitions and higher and higher cost of living?h

Anonymous said...

On one side the party need these huge pool of funding, 37 percents people money savings in the CPF for various purpose to generate income, through various way like investment in properties, stocks fund other projects, recession use, pay themselves high pay, hope to delay as long as possible to return the CPF to people, hope wait until around 70 the give them a bit of handouts here and there, don't give them the principal if they died before 70 good luck to them?

On the other side many of those pay below average genuine need the money for back up in they out of job, due to massive influx of foreigners, take care of family many married late, children and other genuine reasons setting aside for raining days, as they had slog hard the whole like for 30 over years for their money saving, as they had promised it will be returned to them when they reached 55?

Each party and persons had the valid and very good reasons for their the money, how?