SINGAPORE: After struggling to land a full-time role, a man shared that he’s now juggling two gig jobs just to keep up with the rising cost of living in Singapore.

In a post on a local forum on Thursday (May 30), the man, who said he is in his early 30s, wrote that he has been doing GrabFood deliveries “to survive in this economy” since January 2026.

He added that he recently picked up a manual labour job that pays S$100 for an eight-hour shift, and didn’t think twice about taking it just to boost his income.

According to the man, his daily routine currently revolves around balancing both jobs. He explained that he handles GrabFood deliveries during the morning before heading to his second job in the afternoon. “[This second job is on] an ad hoc basis. I am scheduled whenever the company needs manpower.”

Despite the exhausting schedule, he said he still carves out time to apply for full-time roles daily, hoping something more stable eventually comes through.

The man went on to share that when he spoke to his family and friends about his situation, he told them that if he could at least earn S$4,000 from one job, then he wouldn’t need to hustle so hard and get an additional job “just to stay afloat in Singapore.”

Curious to know whether others felt the same way, he asked locals for their opinions:

“If you had a monthly salary of S$4k, would you still opt to do a side hustle (if any) to earn additional money?” 

“S$4k is enough to save/invest and pay for bills. It is doable.”

Although many commenters understood why he felt compelled to take on multiple jobs, several reminded him to be careful and not push himself too hard 

One commenter wrote, “I hope you get a job that pays at least S$4k soon! I admire your grit in doing 2 jobs. Take care always, and listen to your body, it’s the only one you have.”

Another said, “Take care of your body and don’t injure yourself during the second job. Make sure you have the right posture when lifting heavy items, or you will regret it when [you become] older.”

In response to his question about side hustles, many users said they personally would not continue taking on additional work if they were already earning S$4,000 a month from a single job.

One commented, “If I earned S$4k and it sufficiently covered all my needs (savings, insurance, bills, spending, etc.) and if I had my emergency savings, I wouldn’t do a side hustle.”

Another shared, “I bring home around S$2,100. Still go on holiday about twice a year. So S$4k is more than enough in my opinion. It depends on what you want to spend or save for.”

A third added, “If you are single with 0 commitments or any big expense upcoming, I think earning S$4k/month is enough to not take up a side hustle. Like what others have said, your body is your biggest money maker. S$4k is enough to save/invest and pay for bills. It is doable.”

In other news, a woman has come under fire online after describing her own boyfriend as “unromantic” for not surprising her with “just because” flowers.

In a post shared on the r/sgdatingscene subreddit on Saturday (Apr 25), she opened up about wanting more spontaneous and thoughtful gestures in her relationship.

Read more: ‘Is romance dead?’ Woman slammed after calling BF unromantic over ‘just-because’ flowers

This article (‘Just to survive’: Man juggles two gig jobs after struggling to find full-time work in Singapore) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.