SINGAPORE: Expense

It's fun to be here but it's expensive for the four of us on one salary.

To travel we are dipping into our savings. If we didn't travel we still wouldn't make enough to contribute to retirement, savings or college fund for the girls.

I take care of the kids, Lula is in school half days, Maya is home with me and often I take a few hours for myself (or drs appts, paying bills, date, whatever) and then I get a babysitter.

Top expenses are: Childcare (School & babysitting), Taxi's with the children, air conditioning ( $200-$400) a month. I try to cut down on A/C but I find being sweaty unbearable and sticky ten minutes after showering to be unpleasant. If I can shop at more than one market I can save a lot of money. The times that I did all my shopping at the expat super market were convenient but super expensive.

It would be nice if I could find a job that fit in with Rob's schedule and I may need to think more seriously about that down the line since I would make more money than the cost of school or babysitting.

With the falling dollar Singapore is not cheap- not the bargain I assumed it would be.