The SG Hustle

Previously, I shared monthly portfolio updates to track my passive income journey. Since transitioning to quarterly updates in Q2, I’ve focused on longer-term progress and strategic adjustments. This approach suits my current investment style, which emphasizes steady income and measured growth. In this Q3 2025 update, I will cover: Year-to-date passive income performance Portfolio changes made during the quarter Market observations and strategy refinements Challenges and lessons learned Next steps and goals for Q4 2025 Year-to-Date Passive Income Breakdown Passive income continues to be my primary focus, with steady contributions from key sources: SG Dividends: SGD 5,110 YTD My dividend stocks remain a reliable foundation of passive income.  Covered Call Premiums: USD 3,618 YTD Covered call premiums from my options positions have provided consistent additional income. I remain selective in this strategy, focusing on quality holdings where I can generate extra...

Feeling burnt out and stuck in a job you hate is more common than you think. Especially in Singapore’s corporate scene, where the pressure to perform and keep moving up is intense. You show up every day, but inside, you feel drained. The work no longer excites you, and the routine feels suffocating. But quitting outright feels impossible. What do you do next? First, acknowledge how you feel. Burnout is real and valid. It’s not a sign of weakness or failure. It happens when the demands of your job overwhelm your ability to cope. Long hours, tight deadlines, endless meetings, office politics, all chip away at your energy and enthusiasm. Over time, the passion that once drove you can fade into exhaustion and frustration. If you are trapped in this cycle, the first step is to pause and take stock. What exactly is making you unhappy? Is it the company culture, the nature of the work, your manager, or something else? Pinpointing the root cause helps you decide your next move. Once you know...

This is the question I ask myself more often than I care to admit. Not because I am morbid. Not because I am fearful. But because I am a father, and I know that life does not give warnings. If I die tomorrow, what happens to my family? Can they keep the house? Can my kids still go to school? Would my spouse know where everything is? In Singapore, where life is expensive and responsibilities run deep, death is not just emotional. It is logistical. That is why I built a financial plan designed to function without me. Here it is, step by step. Step 1: Life Insurance That Covers What Matters I carry term life insurance worth one million dollar . No complex products. Just pure coverage. The goal is simple. If I die, my wife receives a lump sum that replaces my income for at least twenty years. This ensures that the mortgage is cleared, the children’s education is fully covered, and daily life can continue without panic. I chose term insurance over whole life because I want maximum cov...

This is not easy to admit. Not at a coffee shop with friends. Not at family gatherings. And definitely not on social media, where fatherhood is usually wrapped in feel-good quotes and pictures of smiling kids. But I’ll say it here, because I know I’m not alone. I love my kids. Truly, deeply, and without question. But I also regret becoming a father. Not because of them. But because of what I lost and what I became. Before kids, I had freedom. I had time. I had energy. I had identity. I could sleep. I could plan. I could chase dreams without guilt. I could go for supper without checking my phone every five minutes. I could just... breathe. Since becoming a father, every part of life feels heavy. And I don’t just mean the physical exhaustion. I mean the mental weight of being responsible for someone else's everything; safety, education, emotional well-being, future. It’s relentless. And sometimes, it’s thankless. Fatherhood in Singapore comes with invisible pressure. You pro...

Losing a job is no longer unthinkable. In today’s economy, it is a very real possibility. Retrenchments, restructuring, and AI disruption are already hitting close to home. For many Singaporean families, the fear is not abstract. It’s personal. It’s survival. I’ve asked myself this question many times: What would I do if I lost my job today? Not in theory. Not someday. Today. Here’s the exact plan I’ve built to protect my family and myself for six months without income. Step 1: Lock Down the Essentials The first thing I did was calculate our family’s minimum survival budget. No lifestyle upgrades, no extras. Just the non-negotiables. Our family needs S$5,500 a month to cover: Utilities and internet Groceries Insurance premiums Transportation School-related expenses Parents’ allowance That means six months = S$33,000. Once I had that number, I made it my mission to ensure we had enough in emergency savings. Today, I keep S$50,000 in liquid cash, easily accessible t...

Climbing the corporate ladder has long been the traditional path to financial security and career success. Work hard, impress your boss, secure promotions, and one day you will reach the top. For years, that was the story I believed in too. Yet over time, I realised the ladder was not as straightforward as it seemed. The higher you climb, the steeper the sacrifices. Long hours, more stress, office politics, and a sense that you are trading health and time for a title. That is why I made a deliberate choice. Instead of devoting all my energy to climbing higher in the corporate world, I am betting on a side hustle. For me, a side hustle is not just extra income. It represents freedom, flexibility, and a way to build something of my own while still maintaining stability from my full-time job. In this article, I will explain why I chose this path, what benefits I see in building a side hustle, the challenges that come with it, and how I plan to grow it without burning out. The Problem wi...

Stock charts rise and fall. Experts argue on TV. Politicians make promises. But behind all that noise, one question quietly keeps families awake at night: “What does this mean for us?” For ordinary households in Singapore, market volatility isn’t just about red or green lines on a screen. It’s about whether there’s enough for groceries, tuition fees, medical bills, and maybe , just maybe, a family holiday. The Domino Effect of a Shaky Market When the market sneezes, families catch a cold. Jobs feel less secure. Companies tighten budgets, promotions get delayed, and retrenchment whispers grow louder. Savings shrink. Investments in CPF, insurance-linked plans, or stock portfolios lose value overnight. Costs don’t stop. Bills, school fees, and elderly care keep rolling in, even if paychecks feel less certain. This domino effect creates a unique kind of anxiety. Parents start cutting back, children sense the stress, and households shift into survival mode. The Hidden Emotional Tol...

How many fathers secretly dream of leaving their jobs, but never dare to? Not because they lack courage, but because the weight of family, finances, and duty makes quitting feel impossible. For many men, the dream of a different life, a more fulfilling job, starting a small business, or simply taking a break, constantly lingers at the back of the mind. Yet, that dream often collides with a harsh reality: the father’s role as provider. In Singapore, this tension is magnified. With high costs of living, aging parents, and children who need our best, many fathers feel like they’re standing on a tightrope, afraid to fall, yet unable to step off. The Silent Pressure Cooker Most fathers won’t say it out loud. At family gatherings, they smile. At work, they nod through meetings. But deep down, the truth is heavy: Every paycheck is already spoken for: mortgage, childcare, medical bills, parents’ allowance. The fear of instability is real: what if the next job doesn’t come quickly enough? ...