By MERLION$ – MerlionFinance.com

Let’s be brutally honest for a moment, okay?
A lot of Singaporeans damn kanchiong about “start investing early”, “buy SPY500”, “DCA lah bro”, “compound interest magic”.

Yes yes, all that is great – IF you actually have money left after surviving in this economy that charges you 50 cents for cai png gravy.

But what if…

You’re earning $1.8k–$2.1k a month.
Rent? Food? Transport? Parents? Girlfriend wants bubble tea?
Left $50 at the end of the month – then what do you invest? Milo powder?

Let’s talk about the one investment that actually matters when your income is low:

Investing in YOURSELF first.

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💰 Why investing early doesn’t matter if your income is too low

Imagine this:

You earn $2,000.
You save $200 (10%).
You invest it in SPY500 at 8% a year.

After one year?
You make… $16.

Congratulations bro, you can afford one chicken rice and one teh peng.
Don’t say I never teach you.

The harsh truth is this:

“You cannot invest your way out of poverty.
You can only skill-up your way out.”

When your income is too low, investing early has almost no real impact.
You need to raise your earning power first.

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📈 The REAL compounding engine: Your Salary

In Singapore – the land of GST hikes, ERP ambush points, and $6 kopi — your salary is the biggest multiplier of your financial destiny.

Example:

Scenario A – You don’t upskill

Salary: $2,000 → $2,200 → $2,400 (5 years)
Savings: $200/month
Investing impact: Tiny
Stress: High
Life: Still eating cai png without meat

Scenario B – You invest in yourself

You pick up skills, certifications, part-time diploma, bootcamp, whatever.

Salary: $2,000 → $3,500 → $5,000 → $7,000 (5 years)
Savings: $1,000+/month
Impact: Life-changing
Can invest properly
Can save for BTO
Can breathe

The difference isn’t stocks.
It’s you.

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📚 What does “invest in yourself” actually mean?

Not buying crystals.
Not manifesting.
Not those toxic hustle bros telling you to sleep 4 hours a day.

It means:

• Learning a new skill that pays more
• Getting certifications relevant to your field
• Picking up cybersecurity, data, cloud – whatever has future demand
• Switching out of dead-end jobs
• Taking night classes or online courses
• Building a side hustle skill (writing, coding, design, marketing)
• Improving your portfolio
• Networking with people who are where you want to be
• Fixing your resume so it doesn’t look like a Primary 6 group project

Even simple improvements compound.

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🦁 Singapore’s Reality Check

Let’s face it:

• “Low income” in SG is basically poverty mode
• Even MIDDLE income households feel broke nowadays
• Expenses keep rising faster than salary
• A $2,000 salary in Singapore is not enough to survive comfortably

So before you worry about “investing early for retirement”…

Worry about increasing your income first.

If not, you’ll save the same $200 per month for 20 years like a hamster on a wheel.

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💡 The Game Plan

Here’s what I recommend:

Step 1: Stabilise your life

Get your budget under control.
Make sure you’re not drowning.

Step 2: Build income-generating skills

Cybersecurity
Cloud
Data analytics
AI/ML tools
Software engineering
Product management
Digital marketing
UI/UX
Finance certifications

Pick ONE.
Go all-in for 1–2 years.
Your income jumps – guaranteed.

Step 3: After your salary reaches $4k–$6k+

Now you start investing.
Instead of $200 per month…
You’re investing $1,000–$1,500+ per month.

THAT is how compounding becomes a beast.

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🔥 Read this slowly:

Your income is the sunlight and water.
Your investments are the tree.
If the sunlight and water is not sufficient, the tree will never grow.

If you’re young, early career, or stuck at a low-pay job…

Forget about chasing stocks.
Forget about timing the market.
Forget about crypto moonshots.

Your job now?

Become too valuable to be paid cheaply.

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🦁 Final Word from MERLION$

The best investment isn’t Tesla.
It isn’t SPY500.
It isn’t Bitcoin.
It isn’t Bytedance IPO.

The best investment is YOU —
your skills, your earning power, your mindset.

Because once your income grows,
everything else follows:

• Savings
• Investments
• Lifestyle
• Stability
• Freedom

Invest in yourself first.
The market will wait.
But your future cannot.