Budget

[movingsoon]

Hi everyone, my family and I will be moving to Sing in the middle of August. Actually it's just me first and my family will follow a couple of months after me. My wife and I are trying to figure out our budget and doing worst case scenarios. A few questions came up, so I was just wondering if someone can answer them for us.

1.) We plan on getting a 3-4 bdr apartment. How much should we expect to pay in utilities every month? 2 AC at night, and possibly 1 during the day during different hours. Let's just say 4 hours during the day.
2.) We have not decided if we want to get a maid, but is a realistic budget for a maid around S$700. This icludes salary and tax?

Any assitance would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[Charlatan]

Sounds like we are in nearly the same situation. I'm looking forward to the answer to this as well...

[kimm]

Honestly I dont know that question too,but I knew someone
is paying about a near $1200 per months with the A/c running
nightly.
And for the maid,salary is around $320 to $350 per month.
Levy is $295 per month.Monthly misc for maid around $300.
Well I gether it should be around $1,000 per month.

[No Borders]

We're in a 4 bedroom and the utility cost is around S$ 380-420 each month.

As for maid - levy is S$ 295, salary range between S$ 300 - $ 400 (of course you can go higher than that). Plus : food, you can also give them shampoo, soap, etc or not or give them money.

Hope this helps.

[Flutterby]

The following should help you gauge cost for electricity,water and gas (if piped and not cylinder gas).

http://www.pub.gov.sg/conservation/hseh ... l1=3&l2=14


http://www.citygas.com.sg/CONTACT.HTML

http://services.spservices.sg/cs_EEC_fr ... ameset.asp (click on energy saving tips- it will give u idea of what it costs to have the aircon/lights on etc)

Hi everyone, my family and I will be moving to Sing in the middle of August. Actually it's just me first and my family will follow a couple of months after me. My wife and I are trying to figure out our budget and doing worst case scenarios. A few questions came up, so I was just wondering if someone can answer them for us.

1.) We plan on getting a 3-4 bdr apartment. How much should we expect to pay in utilities every month? 2 AC at night, and possibly 1 during the day during different hours. Let's just say 4 hours during the day.
2.) We have not decided if we want to get a maid, but is a realistic budget for a maid around S$700. This icludes salary and tax?

Any assitance would be appreciated!
Thanks!

[Matney]

Can't help with the maid issue as we are maidless.
We pay about $450-500 monthly for electric, water, gas. They all come together in the bill. We run at least 3 AC nightly and one if we are home.
Hope that helps a bit.

[k1w1]

We pay our maid $430 a month and we buy all her toiletries. Probably I would think, she costs (which sounds like a hideous thing to say about someone) about $800-900 a month. Salaries can go a lot lower, especially for Indonesian women, but if you want someone experienced then this is a fairly realistic amount to pay her.

Utilities will range (for the amount of activity you described) from around $200-400+ per month. We spend about $100 a month on phone/internet and one mobile phone too. If you budget $400-600 for all bills, then that would probably be okay.

[k1w1]

Oh, I meant to say that if you have your aircon at about 25 degree (C) then this will be about how much you should look at. If you have it less than that (20 degrees or so), it will be much more expensive.

Some have a thermostat function, which will keep the price down too.

[jpatokal]

$400-500 per month sounds kinda high to me for a 3/4-bedroom apt, I don't think I've ever had a bill go over $200 (although that was for a 2-br and usually just little old me in it). These days I find using a ceiling fan instead of AC at night more comfortable, and it'll also save you a bundle.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I have heard that the bills can get up to 4 digits quite easily but I can't see how unless you run aircons all day long at 22 degrees.

Like JP I use ceiling fans. Only difference is I don't have aircon except a small casement type of `6K btu in a converted balcony (where I am at the moment) that is my computer room) Even then it's only on Sunday afternoons possibly that the aircon come on for a few hours. I love the fact that I get up in the mornings without the dry throat that usually an aircon will give you.

My utility bill averages 180-220 a month with a large portion being taken up by water (twice the national average) due to the fact that I take care of my senile MiL who tend to put the hose in the bucket that she used to bathe with and then wander off and forgets about it. Oh, add in another 25/month for bottled gas (and we cook at home everyday, morning and nights) I have 5 adults living in a 4 bedroom flat (it was 6 until Feb when my daughter got married).