@modernPtwoI I’ve worked from home since my kids were little (they’re both teens now), so I’ve generally favoured outsourcing, within our budget. The periods that go over budget will immediately feel stressful, so something will have to go. But agreed that with languages, it’s about daily use. Unfortunately I couldn’t really keep that up for Chinese, although we tried watching cartoons dubbed in Mandarin (with subtitles and at 0.75x). In secondary school, it might be easier to make decisions about when extra help is needed. My daughter took over managing her own studies from Sec 1, with only CL2 tuition over Zoom until her IB exams. My son also still has CL2 tuition, but doubt we’ll use that grade. We keep the tutoring as my son is close to his tutor, treats him like a friend/mentor, and I think the human connection is valuable too. Our tutor is also pretty busy these days, so tutoring happens once or twice a month now.

@zeit-033699 You make a really good point; it appears that the safest way to do internet banking these days is to use a secured home network.

@slmkhoo Thank you for the clarification; that makes sense! Then, I suppose, larger things like furniture would not be considered “expendable.”

@Mark_81 said in Childcare costs: Agree with the above parent / user, I feel there’s no need to overdo it - spend what is comfortable and within your means (e.g. it’s not necessary to send your child for so many different types of classes / lessons or even enrol them into “premium” centres and facilities). On this note, I recently chanced upon a centre that provides very affordable secondary and junior college tuition starting from only $30 for a 2 hour lesson. Might be worth checking out if you have children that are at that age / still schooling. It all comes down to balance. Simple family time or allowing children to pursue their own hobbies can often be just as beneficial for their development as a full schedule of classes.

Hi all, Just wondering if anyone else has started using Chat GPT or similar AI tools to help manage family finances or reduce expenses? I started using it out of curiosity, but now it’s almost like my personal assistant – I’ve asked it for: Budgeting templates tailored to a Singapore family of four Meal plans to help reduce food wastage and save on grocery bills Free or low-cost holiday activity ideas for kids during school breaks Help drafting appeal letters (e.g. for enrichment refunds or financial aid!) Honestly, it feels like this tool can replace a financial advisor, planner, and even tuition support in some ways. But here’s what I’m wondering: Are we going overboard trusting a free AI tool to help us make money-related decisions? Is it ethical to use Chat GPT to draft things like appeal letters or negotiate fees? Can it really help us save money long term or is it just giving “nice-sounding” advice? Also — I’ve read stories of parents using Chat GPT to generate PSLE-style questions and skip tuition. If that’s true… that’s potentially hundreds saved per month. But would that be shortchanging our kids? I’d love to hear how other parents are using AI to manage money or support their kids without spending more. Have you found real cost savings from using Chat GPT? Or do you think it’s just a passing trend? Let’s exchange tips! (And maybe save each other some $$ too )

Dear KiasuParents readers, We are currently recruiting married dual-income couples to take part in separate individual interviews for a study on monetary management practices. This research project seeks to understand different patterns of financial allocation between spouses, transitions of money management styles over time, and the relationship between decision-making and monetary allocation. Every interviewee will receive a $40 SGD gift voucher for participating in the research. If you: Are a Singaporean citizen Are married, and both you and your spouse are currently employed Have a bachelor’s/master’s degree or above Are willing to participate in the research project via in-person/online interviews and surveys Then click on the LINK to sign up or learn more! Your participation as couples would be highly valuable to this research. Thank you!

My kids are very interested in finance thanks to all those youtube and tiktok content creators and we find it difficult to broach the topic, how does other parents introduce the concept of investment? Our time only got savings haha

@slmkhoo I get the impression one of the first things taught in self-defence is creating the opportunity to run/escape lol I am reeling fresh (ok, last month) from a pickpocket attempt in an city (not London) in the UK - attempt by 3 ladies! They came straight for my backpack. I guess I was the easiest target because the rest of my family used PacSafe backpacks that day. They did successfully unzip my backpack, but thankfully, nothing was nicked.

Bumping up this thread. Given the recent Firstcom scam/debacle revelation, I wanted to share that our local universities actually have some decent courses that are SkillsFuture claimable. U can check out NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE), NTU Academy for Professional and Continuing Education (PACE), SMU Graduate Academy. SUSS also has modular stackable post-grad courses (which run after office hours, ideal for working adults).

I find Singapore so expensive, particularly if you have to raise a child in this country - the cost of food, clothing and education specifically is making early retirement much harder for us parents. Example education and tuition related fees, most centres are charging anywhere from $60-$100+ an hour for secondary or JC classes. For parents who share similar experiences as me, I’ve recently chanced upon a centre that is offering extremely affordable tuition at only $15 per hour, might be worth checking out. If any of you enrols your child inside, let me know how it goes!