By Brandon Chia - published
Be it hounding an authorised dealer for your first luxury watch in your 20s, putting that down payment on a second home in your 30s or globetrotting around the world in your 50s, BAZAAR reflects on the milestones Singaporeans covet through the decades, and explore what that Singaporean Dream starter pack looks like at different points in life.
Disclaimer: This article is meant to be taken with a pinch of salt—Maldon Sea Salt Flakes only, of course.
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20s: Starting From The Basics
‘Work hard, play hard’ is the motto of this era as adults fresh out of university grasp the responsibilities of independence. Thankfully, most of you still have the energy to party and let loose into the wee hours of the morning before crawling out of bed for that nine-to-five corporate job that pays well enough for you to put a down payment on a Build-To-Order flat at a prime location—Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio and Bidadari would be great—with your partner.
While you save up for that five-room flat on the 24th floor with a Japandi interior, you do not hesitate to blow that first bonus on a stainless steel OMEGA Speedmaster, or a classic Chanel double-flap handbag in black leather and gold hardware in one of the many European cities that you gallivant about during the summer months, collecting stamps on that powerful red passport while clearing your annual leave.
30s: Time For An Upgrade
Parties are a thing of the past now that you’ve climbed the corporate ladder and worked your way into more intense hours. But at least it has opened the door, literally, for much-needed upgrades such as a new Executive Condominium—your second home, yay. Singles over 35 are also rejoicing, now that you are allowed to apply for a BTO; and make that a nice and spacious one, thanks to that Central Provident Fund.
When you’re not working, you are enjoying family time with your partner, who spoils you with a bigger and blingier diamond ring from Tiffany & Co. for your 10th anniversary, and beautiful children—or fur-babies if that’s your choice— which you can’t help but gush about to anyone who asks. Of course, you can’t stop at a new house. You need a new set of wheels that is shiny in appearance and high in brand prestige but still big enough for the whole family to cruise around in comfortably. Nothing less than a Mercedes Benz, a BMW or a Jeep for the adventurous.
Regular travel is still on the cards, especially to Korea or Bangkok, where aesthetic procedures and Botox are much more affordable—you may tire easily these days, but you don’t have to look it.
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40s: Finding Inner Peace
Do your back, neck and shoulders ache? Decades of carrying the burden of paying off that mortgage and providing the best the world has to offer for your loved ones will do that to you. Well, it’s high time to put that disposable income to good use. Take The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands and ION Orchard by storm with those platinum American Express credit cards, tapping away on the little terminals at check-out to secure that bag, shoes and clothes from the likes of Dior, Prada, Loro Piana and more.
Call up your girlfriends and spill the tea about nasty colleagues or the shenanigans your kids have been up to over a decadent dinner at the poshest restaurant every week and subscribe to a Como Shambhala package for a relaxing massage. If you prefer something more low-key, use those SkillsFuture credits to pick up a new hobby through the many courses on ceramics, wine pairing, yoga and more. Go forth, find your happy place.
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50s: Golden Era
Congratulations, you’ve hustled enough over three decades that your CPF is stacked, the house is fully paid and your kids’ university fees are tucked away nicely. But hey, this is hardly your final act because one would argue that your life has truly just begun. The mantra ‘health is wealth’ leads you to hire a personal trainer after seeing countless body transformation video ads on Instagram to get rid of that gut and whip those muscles into shape.
Of course, your rejuvenated sense of self calls for new wardrobe must-haves. There’s no better time to chase the peaks of luxury—Hermès Himalayan Birkins, quarter-of-a-million Patek Philippe timepieces and dazzling gemstones galore that you can now wear with pride. Your Renaissance era also comes with freedom and the power to choose when to work— and if you even want to work.
Now is the time to tick things off your bucket list with high-end tour packages, breathtaking accommodations and glorious meals, traversing lands at the edge of the Earth, from Alaska or Iceland to the North Pole... all on business class of course. Oh, early retirement has never looked so good.