Breakdown of my allowance

Because I am bored, and obstinate; unwilling to settle down to do my revision, I am here to break down what little money I have per week and really analyse why the poor spend all they have!! The marvels of economics revealed in my exploration of my non-existent marginal propensity to save...

I am give SGD$70 per week by mummy dearest..

$20 goes to my handphone fund, which eventually goes back to ma because well... she paid for the phone. It's calculated that I need 25 weeks to pay back the full amount.

That leaves me with $50.

Because I want to be an abiding and radically obedient (hmm. does that sound a little oxymoronic?) Christian, 10% of that goes to tithes. That's $5 gone.

That leaves me with $45.

Because I want to go to the church camp at the end of the year, and because my mother doesn't want to pay for it for me, nor do I want her to spend any more money on me, I am saving $20 per week in the hopes of saving up to $300 by 12 Dec 2006. For this too, I will have to work during the December holidays.

That leaves me with $25. Now, that's only 50% of my allowance gone. Seems like a small percentage. But look at how much I now have per meal.

My family does not cook. Therefore, all my 3 meals are consumed outside, 24/7. Divide $25 by 7. That's $3.57 per day. 3 meals per day right? So how much do I get per meal? $3.57 divided by 3 is $1.20. The last time I checked, I can only buy lemon tea with this money.

It's amazing how I survived this week with money left to tithe. Haix..

Now for the economics standpoint. Why is there this phenomenon where the poor (me) do not save? Simply because the percentage of income used on daily necessities (like food!) are high. Not that I don't want to save. But how do I save when I have barely enough money to buy food?!

Singapore is such a society with meticulous saving habits that people like me are viewed as anti-social or even spendthrifts. Am I?