Originally posted by CX:
I'm not judging your lifestyle... Before we go any further, let me
just say that as I read your post, it sounds healthy and
wholesome.
BUT...
cost of gym clothes? shoes?
cost of swimming trunks? goggles?
cost of badminton racket?
jogging... ok... lets say u use the same pair of shoes for gym and
jogging... fine.
cost of tv... i guess its "free" since u still live with your
parents and of course, they pay for the electricity.
cost of laptop?
Sure, u can say that some of these are 1 time expenses and once
incurred, they last for some months, if not years... But u still
need $$$ to buy it in the first place right?
and of course, misc expenses incurred in the course of your
education? tuition fees? money for photo-copying? gf?
[b]You're luckier than many.
I was an undergrad before and I had a hard time cos of family
financial problems. There was no savings, no cpf and I had to pay
my own way in both fees and allowance.
I had a very hard time cos there were days when I had my bus pass
and nothing else. I skipped meals, worked double shifts, and I
didn't have a gf (face it... how to date when u're dead
broke?).
Some may say I tua kang and all that, but hey, i'm not here to try
to prove anything.
Its great that u lead a frugal lifestyle. But don't forget that
frugality itself is a relative term. It suggests that u spend "very
little" compared to a "norm".
But what about the lesser fortunates who earn very much less than
the "norm" and still have a family to feed? They would envy your
definition of "frugal".[/b]
gym clothes is my jc and uni free shirts... or army AHM/
singlets 
swimming trunks is saf one
badminton racket bought on offer
jogging same shoes as gym, Brooks saf shoes
laptop is an expense that was already necessary since I used it a
lot for school and make full use of it so that I can excel in my
studies.
Actually to me, I don't find myself frugal at all... Many times, I
actually lament that I can spend less for more... It is just that
some forumers think that I'm frugal..., which I certainly don't
think so. To me, I don't have the want for many things, hence I
don't see the need to spend that much... The main reason is as you
have described your uni life, I see many people like you..., and I
want to spend as little as them on most of the things. In addition,
I have friends who spend very little on food too. This is stupid in
my opinion, because food is what builds our body, and eating the
right amount and type is sort of a long-term health insurance; you
spend less money in the long run if you are healthier, hence saving
more money.
I know some working friends who would tell me, money spent can be
earned... But before I even start earning money full-time, I don't
see why I should really spend that much...
True, savings in a bank account will only depreciate with time due
to inflation. However, having it allows you to have something to
fall back upon when the need arises (sound like the PAP on national
reserves hor 
)
