I still remember the day my first part-time salary came in.
My heart literally sank.
"Oh wow... this is what I'm getting into."
Seeing the number on my payslip made everything feel real.
Until then, choosing part-time had simply been a decision I needed to make so that my mind and body could recover.
That payslip was the moment I realised I was now living with the trade-offs of a decision I had made.
As I write this today, I can't help but feel relieved that somehow...
we adjusted.
We adapted.
We figured things out.
And life went on.
........
So if you ask me today,
Is it really possible to live on a part-time salary in Singapore?
My answer is...
It depends.
I'm sorry if that's a disappointing answer, but there simply isn't a straightforward yes or no.
It depends on...
your financial starting point.
Your baseline salary.
Who is journeying alongside you.
Your responsibilities and commitments.
Whether you're supporting children, parents, pets—or all of the above.
Your debts and mortgages.
The lifestyle you hope to have.
The experiences you want to prioritise.
These are just some of the factors that determine whether working part-time—or even not working—is a realistic option.
Life doesn't always allow us to choose our circumstances, and some of these factors are beyond our control.
But I've also realised that we often have more influence over our choices than we think, especially once we're clear about our values and priorities.
So if you're ever considering a different way of living or working, perhaps begin by asking yourself:
What kind of life am I trying to build?
What sort of lifestyle and experiences truly matter to me?
And how can I build that life in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable, for myself and the people around me?
Because once you're clear on that, your decisions about money, lifestyle and priorities often become much clearer too.
"The lives we admire are rarely built on one moment of courage or one stroke of luck."
........
Looking back, it wasn't one big decision that made this arrangement possible.
It was years of both major life and ordinary day to day decisions that laid the foundation for the life we have today.
Just as importantly, I'm grateful that we share similar values.
Our idea of a rich life is largely aligned and I honestly can't overstate how important that has been because working part-time isn't just my journey.
It's ours.
I think the biggest adjustment was learning to distinguish between what we genuinely valued vs what we had simply become used to.
At first, some changes felt like I was short-changing myself.
Like I wasn't "living life to the fullest."
But over time, they stopped feeling like sacrifices.
They became the natural next step as we grew clearer about what mattered to us.
We asked ourselves:
"Is this still worth it?"
"Does this still bring us joy?"
"Is there an alternative that serves us just as well?"
Slowly, those questions became our way of living and we noticed little changes....
For example, some subscriptions disappeared.
Facial packages.
Class memberships.
And this year, we decided to experiment not renewing our Wi-FI subscription.
To our surprise, we hardly noticed the difference. Our mobile data and hotspot were more than enough.
That's how most of our lifestyle changes happened.
Not through deprivation but through experimentation, decluttering and simplicity.
Some things we let go of.
Some things we realised we never really needed.
And...others became even more valuable.
We still travel.
We still can buy some gifts and meals for our families and friends.
We still spend on experiences that bring us joy.
We still spend on clothings that bring comfort.
I've come to realise that living on a part-time salary isn't only about spending less.
It's about spending differently. Not all things are worth chasing, some are just trends.
Understand what is truly worth your time, money, and energy, and having the courage to let go of what isn't.
Perhaps that's what intentional living really is.
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