Spending majority of year in Sing as a Retired Tourist?

[Lisafuller]

Rent is not static. I would give it up and rent in a much cheaper locale such as Chiang Mai or Melaka or KL or HuaHin.

If I didn't own a home here, I'd rent in CM. Was there a couple months ago - really lovely locals and slow pace of life. Plenty of nature as well and everything is dirt cheap.

It's a good point, even though my rent price may be good now, I may be priced out eventually.

PNGMK, what's keeping you here in Singapore?

Lisafuller, thanks for the rec for Chiang Mai.

I'm still having a hard time letting go of Singapore but I feel like its the right long term thing to do.

If you're close to retirement or work remotely, CM is a great option.

[Lisafuller]

TBH, I can’t imagine spending the majority of the year in Sing as a retired tourist. What in the world would you do with your time? Unless you have family here or something?

Completely agree, there really isn't much to do here, and the stuff there is to do can be completed in a matter of days.

[Lisafuller]

Hangmann, I am in a similar situation… have lived in Singapore since 1996, my oldest kid will be starting college in the US in 2024, second one in 2026. We will move to the US together as a family in 2024. Many reasons to do this, but financial reasons is a major one.

Some in my situation could be facing serious reverse culture shock. However, I work for a US company here, interact daily with US based employees, and keep close contact with my family and friends in the US. Outside of the pandemic period, I also travel to the US at least once a year on personal and often multiple times on business. I’m just as comfortable tucking into a nasi lemak at a hawker for S$4 as I am hitting the Taco Bell drive thru and getting a beefy cheese burrito and free ice water for US$2.29 (yes, food in the US can be cheaper than a hawker if you know what you’re doing). My wife lived in the US for 5 years (that is where we met, and why I ended up in Singapore), and we have all been to my parents’ house dozens of times over the years, going there again this month. So we are all pretty comfortable over there.

That said, I don’t think anyone can live over half of their life here and feel nothing. The best way to describe it would be mixed feelings. I think it would be different if I thought we would never be back here. I’ve got in-laws living here and nearby in the region, so there’s no avoiding it. We might even retire here eventually. So it’s not goodbye… it’s see you later.

Our situations are practically identical Mal. I'm partial to the bean and cheese burrito from the dollar menu. And yes, you don't just live somewhere half your life and not develop even a little bit of an attachment, even if it is a negative one (not saying this is the case for me but you get my point). Off-topic, how did your daughter find the SAT? Scores are supposed to come out tomorrow.

[Lisafuller]

I suppose a retired tourist in Singapore would be thinking of it as a nice safe homebase from which to jet all over the region, rather than stay on the island the whole time. In my semi-retired state, I am happy to live a quiet life - relak at home, kaypoh my neighbours, stroll to the park, sit at coffeeshop and watch the kampung chicken. But then I've been living in the neighbourhood over 20 yrs and it's become my natural habitat.

Agree, singapore makes a good homebase, but an expensive one. And honestly, sounds like a good life, it's the simple things that matter.

[Lisafuller]

To be fair, the immigration situation is a challenge for some. Like many things in life, the issue is whether you are on the right side of any policy, directive, etc. We can all evaluate whether things are favourable (unfavourable) or whether they are favourable (unfavourable) for me...

Completely agree, to each his own.

[Lisafuller]

Perhaps most importantly, I strongly oppose the immigration policy here, it's not right that Singapore advertises itself as a progressive melting pot of many races when in reality the government only wants Chinese people. The American in me says this is wrong, and the longer I spend my time (and money) here, the more I am implicitly supporting this policy. No more.

As a minority in Singapore, I've no issue with the immigration policy (ie. keeping existing ethnic balance) as I can see why it works for Singapore's unique context.

To each his own. Enjoy your retirement wherever it may be

The immigration policy here ain’t perfect, but I agree with Jalan — it is sensible and maintains a delicate balance — and it’s not just ethnic, it’s cultural. When you have limited space and a lack of babies being made, the fabric of your society can quickly unravel risking societal unrest/instability. That is something you just can’t afford on this tiny island. You can see their prime objective is to build a tightly woven society that can stand the test of time, even if that means sacrificing promising immigrants with greater financial means or talent.

I believe they learned from mistakes made in the early/mid 2000’s when they let in too many PRC Chinese that lacked the necessary cultural aspects to properly integrate here. And today it’s clearly not just Chinese for the sake of Chinese. They have also improved in terms of the importance they place on family ties. Again, not perfect, but like many things in Singapore, there are sensible reasons behind the seemingly unique policies that appear out of step with other countries.

Singapore really isn't like another country, it's a state built on ethnic diversity so to do anything other than maintain the ethnic breakdown would be politically unpopular.

[malcontent]

I’m just as comfortable tucking into a nasi lemak at a hawker for S$4 as I am hitting the Taco Bell drive thru and getting a beefy cheese burrito and free ice water for US$2.29 (yes, food in the US can be cheaper than a hawker if you know what you’re doing).

Just an update, for anyone who still thinks hawker food is cheaper than food in the US… I just hit Taco Bell over the weekend - receipt attached.

$2 for a beefy melt burrito (and yes, I got a free iced water… plus a bunch of free hot sauce too). This burrito is 620 calories, not exactly “good” calories, but it’s definitely enough for a meal (by Asian standards).

[NYY1]

I’m just as comfortable tucking into a nasi lemak at a hawker for S$4 as I am hitting the Taco Bell drive thru and getting a beefy cheese burrito and free ice water for US$2.29 (yes, food in the US can be cheaper than a hawker if you know what you’re doing).

Just an update, for anyone who still thinks hawker food is cheaper than food in the US… I just hit Taco Bell over the weekend - receipt attached.

$2 for a beefy melt burrito (and yes, I got a free iced water… plus a bunch of free hot sauce too). This burrito is 620 calories, not exactly “good” calories, but it’s definitely enough for a meal (by Asian standards).

I wouldn't be interested in eating that for free. Some hawker food is not particularly healthy either, but I think the freshly made stuff is generally better than any fast food (here or there).

[malcontent]

I’m just as comfortable tucking into a nasi lemak at a hawker for S$4 as I am hitting the Taco Bell drive thru and getting a beefy cheese burrito and free ice water for US$2.29 (yes, food in the US can be cheaper than a hawker if you know what you’re doing).

Just an update, for anyone who still thinks hawker food is cheaper than food in the US… I just hit Taco Bell over the weekend - receipt attached.

$2 for a beefy melt burrito (and yes, I got a free iced water… plus a bunch of free hot sauce too). This burrito is 620 calories, not exactly “good” calories, but it’s definitely enough for a meal (by Asian standards).

I wouldn't be interested in eating that for free. Some hawker food is not particularly healthy either, but I think the freshly made stuff is generally better than any fast food (here or there).

I was not suggesting anyone make this a part of their regular diet, same goes for most hawker food.

But if you are in the US and want something cheap & quick, this does the job. It was the only fast food I’ve eaten on this trip, and it wasn’t half bad - especially considering the price.

[NYY1]

Just an update, for anyone who still thinks hawker food is cheaper than food in the US… I just hit Taco Bell over the weekend - receipt attached.

$2 for a beefy melt burrito (and yes, I got a free iced water… plus a bunch of free hot sauce too). This burrito is 620 calories, not exactly “good” calories, but it’s definitely enough for a meal (by Asian standards).

I wouldn't be interested in eating that for free. Some hawker food is not particularly healthy either, but I think the freshly made stuff is generally better than any fast food (here or there).

I was not suggesting anyone make this a part of their regular diet, same goes for most hawker food.

But if you are in the US and want something cheap & quick, this does the job. It was the only fast food I’ve eaten on this trip, and it wasn’t half bad - especially considering the price.

I think hawker food like mixed rice (steamed or stir fried stuff), the meat stalls (roasted pork, etc), and some soups are not too bad. Can be high in salt and cooked in oil, but not really much worse than cooking at home or any restaurant. If one avoids the fried stuff and processed meats (crispy chicken patty, etc), I would say it is better for you than the vast majority of fast food or the mass chain restaurants (also high in salt and often a lot of processed meat). Some hawker stalls are very good tasting while others probably aren't much better than your burrito (i.e. manageable, but definitely not going out of the way to eat it).

If one cooks with fresh meat and veggies at home, a lot of the junk can be reduced. But this takes a concerted effort and often the oil/salt content is just as high.

[malcontent]

I wouldn't be interested in eating that for free. Some hawker food is not particularly healthy either, but I think the freshly made stuff is generally better than any fast food (here or there).

I was not suggesting anyone make this a part of their regular diet, same goes for most hawker food.

But if you are in the US and want something cheap & quick, this does the job. It was the only fast food I’ve eaten on this trip, and it wasn’t half bad - especially considering the price.

I think hawker food like mixed rice (steamed or stir fried stuff), the meat stalls (roasted pork, etc), and some soups are not too bad. Can be high in salt and cooked in oil, but not really much worse than cooking at home or any restaurant. If one avoids the fried stuff and processed meats (crispy chicken patty, etc), I would say it is better for you than the vast majority of fast food or the mass chain restaurants (also high in salt and often a lot of processed meat). Some hawker stalls are very good tasting while others probably aren't much better than your burrito (i.e. manageable, but definitely not going out of the way to eat it).

If one cooks with fresh meat and veggies at home, a lot of the junk can be reduced. But this takes a concerted effort and often the oil/salt content is just as high.

Agree. Although I’m not a big fan of fan (rice), I eat home cooked food >90% of the time when I’m not on the road.

Right now I’m on a business trip in the US, so it’s >90% restaurant food, except on weekends at my parents home, where the majority of my meals are homemade… lasagna, casseroles, a roast or meatloaf, etc.

I am fortunate that my wife and kids can tolerate a >90% rice-free diet when we all travel to the US. When I was growing up I ate almost no rice whatsoever… might see uncle ben once a year , and I won’t count rice-a-roni which is technically pasta!

[jalanjalan]

Every Friday we claim our 3$ paylah cashback for our hawker food breakfast, so it's extra cheap