The SG Hustle

Over the past year, I noticed myself becoming overly preoccupied with growing my net worth. What began as disciplined monthly portfolio tracking gradually turned into an unhealthy habit—even minor market fluctuations started affecting my mood, despite the minimal time commitment involved. Initially, watching my assets grow each month—whether through salary savings, dividends, or paper gains—gave me a sense of accomplishment. But when recent tariff announcements caused a market dip, particularly in my NVIDIA holdings, the sudden drop in portfolio value triggered unexpected anxiety. Thankfully, I avoided emotional selling and instead took a breather—focusing on family time and reassessing my approach. This experience made me realize that monthly check-ins were doing more harm than good. I’ve since shifted to quarterly reviews, which feels far more sustainable. A three-month perspective helps me focus on gradual progress rather than short-term volatility. My ultimate goal h...

After much reflection, I have decided to move on from my current position—a low-pressure job with reasonable compensation. While my salary aligns with the median for graduates (according to MOM benchmarks), as an NTU First Class Honours graduate, I recognize that my earnings have not fully reflected my potential. What made my pay feel "generous" was the minimal effort the role required. My workdays were undemanding: I’d arrive at 9 AM, take an extended lunch break from 11 AM to 2 PM, and leave by 5 PM—never needing to work beyond office hours. My current workplace is basically a retirement village. While this relaxed pace provided ample downtime over the last few years, it also led to complacency. I could feel myself becoming less driven, and that realization prompted me to seek a change. In the past month, I attended six interviews—resulting in three rejections and three offers. Two of the offers mirrored my current role—comfortable but with little room for growth. The third...

My second child arrived just last week. The delivery went smoothly, and everything felt calm and in control. But as I stood there cutting the umbilical cord and then held him in my arms for the very first time, a wave of emotions hit me—unexpectedly different from what I felt when my first child was born. Back then, I didn’t have many financial concerns. I was with a good company that provided excellent benefits, even covering the full cost of childbirth at a private hospital. I paid nothing out of pocket. Our income comfortably supported our lifestyle, especially since we didn’t have a helper then. Now, it feels like an entirely different ball game. Two children and a helper later, our fixed monthly expenses have increased significantly: Elder son’s playgroup: $350 Infant care for our second child (starting July 2025): $850 Helper: $500 That’s a total of $1,700 per month—just in base commitments. This doesn’t even account for essentials like milk powder, food, and other dai...

 I was catching up with a group of old friends from secondary school recently. It was one of those rare reunions where you laugh about the past, but at the same time, reality hits hard. Times are clearly tough. To my surprise, a few of them had been retrenched. These were people I always thought were comfortably climbing the corporate ladder. Yet, here they were—out of work, trying to stay afloat. Oddly enough, I hadn’t really seen much in the news about mass retrenchments lately. So hearing it firsthand made it feel all the more real. Naturally, I asked what they were doing now. Most of them simply said, “Just looking for jobs.” Some had enough savings to coast by for a while, so they weren’t in a rush to jump into anything temporary. I casually floated the idea of doing GrabFood or some kind of gig work in the meantime—just to generate some income, reduce the burn on savings, and keep the wheels moving. I wasn’t expecting applause, but what I got instead was a chorus of laughte...

As of 12 PM today, the stock market continues its decline, extending what has been a challenging period for investors. On a positive note, I exited all my BTC positions on 6 April 2025 , just before the sharp downturn. Instead of sitting on cash, I redeployed the proceeds into SGX stocks —a move aimed at staying invested while keeping my warchest intact for future opportunities. Currently, my portfolio is primarily equity-focused , with my cash reserves still untouched. The real test now is psychological : maintaining the discipline to hold—or even average down—if the market keeps sliding. To prevent emotional reactions, I’ve removed all price-tracking and news apps , leaving only a single price alert on my work laptop to notify me of major dips. My Outlook & Strategy No quick recovery expected —markets may trade sideways or drift lower in the near term. Focus on quality —accumulate strong companies at attractive valuations for long-term holding. Patience over panic —this is a...

When I woke up on April 4th—Qing Ming Festival—I was greeted by shocking market news: the NASDAQ 100 had plunged by 5% , one of its steepest drops in recent memory. The culprit? A sudden announcement about new tariffs that sent shockwaves through global markets. To be completely honest, I don’t fully understand the intricacies of tariffs or how they directly impact the economy. As someone working in the built environment sector, my expertise lies elsewhere—construction, infrastructure, and real estate—not trade policies or financial regulations. Yet, even without deep knowledge of the situation, I know one thing: market volatility is inevitable , and knee-jerk reactions rarely pay off. My Strategy: Holding Steady, Not Panicking In the past, I’ve made the mistake of panic-selling during market downturns, thinking I was being proactive. I’d hastily adjust my portfolio, convinced I was making a smart move—only to regret it later when the market rebounded. Time and again, I’ve ...

March brought some passive income with dividend payouts from AIMS APAC REIT and Hafary, totaling $858 . Beyond that, my portfolio saw minimal changes. I added 10 more NVDA shares using the premiums earned from covered calls. On the crypto side, I received an unexpected windfall from Pi Network , a cryptocurrency I mined casually years ago. After completing KYC, I discovered a substantial amount in my wallet, which I converted to USDT and then into BTC —effectively turning forgotten assets into additional Bitcoin holdings. For now, I don’t plan to make any new investments. April should be a quiet month unless an unexpected opportunity (or lottery win!) arises. Looking ahead, I expect dividend payouts in May from OCBC, CapitalandInvestment, and AIMS APAC REIT . Holding Position % in Portfolio OCBC 2000 25% Capitaland Invest 10052 19% Aims Apac Reit 20000 18% Hafary 30000 7% NVDA 200 21% BTC 0.111331 9% CRO 7000 0%