For some people, being self-employed is one of the best things to have happened to them.
Personal finance YouTuber Kelvin — who makes around S$20,000 a month from his various income streams — is one of these individuals.
The Ipoh-born content creator moved to Singapore in 2007 and became a citizen in 2021.
In a sit-down interview with Max Chernov, he shared his perspective on Singapore — praising the country’s relative efficiency compared to Malaysia.
The duo also spoke about the culture of hard work here, and how the country may be a “perfect” place for some but not others.
Max kicked off the interview by asking his fellow YouTuber if it was psychologically difficult to switch his citizenship.
In response, Kelvin said that it wasn’t too hard, noting that both countries had similar cultures.
“Even though I feel that Malaysian foods are better,” said the newly-minted Singaporean with a cheeky grin.
Source: Max Chernov on YouTube
However, Kelvin then admitted that he liked Singapore a lot more than Malaysia — citing the country’s efficiency.
He gave Singapore’s small size and well-developed public transport as examples.
“The place I’m from, Ipoh, the public transport is not as good so I have to drive everywhere,” said Kelvin.
For someone like him who doesn’t like to drive, having accessible public transport is a green flag.
Kelvin also notes that things move a lot faster in Singapore thanks to its efficient administration.
Source: Max Chernov on YouTube
“In Singapore, everything can be done online, there’s no issue,” he said.
“They can just mail you the entire passport…but that’s not possible in Malaysia”.
Max then asked Kelvin the golden question: “What do you not like about Singapore?”
The latter chuckled and shared his mixed feelings about the hardworking culture here. Kelvin proceeded to list the standard life path familiar to most Singaporeans.
“As a kid, you’re taught to study hard so that you can enter university. And in university, you have to study even harder, so that you can find a good job.”
Source: Max Chernov on YouTube
After that, it’s a matter of climbing the career ladder, said the self-employed YouTuber.
He acknowledged that this could be a good life because it guarantees you a certain sum of money.
Kelvin also noted that Singapore is a place that rewards hard work, even if it may not be the most relaxed place to live in.
From the perspective of the government — which only has human talent as a main resource — they also have no choice but to push for hard work.
“Imagine if every Singaporean tried to relax a little bit more, Singapore wouldn’t be as competitive as it is right now.”
As it turns out, Kelvin started doing YouTube in 2020 while juggling a full-time job.
When Covid-19 hit Singapore and everyone was working from home, he had some extra time to put into building his channel.
Source: Kelvin Learns Investing on YouTube
He decided to pursue YouTube full-time when his company let him go in 2022.
Kelvin also shared that his income from YouTube at the time was about equal to that of his day job.
When asked if he’d return to a stable corporate job, Kelvin replied with a resounding no — even though he admitted that he’s at the mercy of YouTube and its advertisers.
“Right now I work hard, I can directly get my own reward.”
Kelvin had previously shared that he made S$20,000 a month, although he clarified that back then, this amount included his YouTube, his job, and investments.
Source: Max Chernov on YouTube
He estimated a good S$6,000 to S$10,000 a month from YouTube alone.
However, since doing YouTube full-time, he said that he now makes two to three times that amount.
Kelvin shared that most of the income comes from affiliates and not so much the ads or sponsorships. A quick check shows that he now has over 94,000 subscribers on his channel, Kelvin Learns Investing.
Despite earning a handsome sum, Kelvin only spends about S$500 to S$800 on himself every month.
He splurges more on his family, spending S$2,000 to S$3,000 a month on insurance, his child’s education, mortgage, and going to nice dinners with his wife.
In the future, Kelvin hopes to give his wife the option to retire if she needs to.
He also wishes to secure a future for his child where they don’t have to worry about their education.
As a final note, Kelvin believes that everyone is in control of their destiny — especially Singaporeans.
“As Singaporeans, your options are a lot more, just because the Singapore Dollar allows you to have a lot more options,” he said.
“If you think Singapore is an expensive place, just know that there are options”.
Also read: Auntie Bursts Into Laughter When Asked If She Has Enough Money To Retire In S’pore
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Featured image adapted from Max Chernov on YouTube.
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