A Big Paycheck ≠ High Income: In Investing, Would You Rather Build Skills or Take the Easy Route?

Tiger_SG
2025-09-10
Reward Tiger-CoinsReward 500 Tiger-coins

Recently, a programmer in Singapore shared his experience online after calling an electrician. The repair took just 40 minutes but cost him S$300, which translates to an eye-popping S$450 per hour. Netizens joked, “Time to sign up for electrical courses!”

At first glance, technical trades like electricians, plumbers, locksmiths, or even nail technicians seem to earn far more than regular office workers. After all, they can charge premium rates for urgent jobs. But look closer, and you’ll see that high hourly pay ≠ high income.

From an investing perspective, this looks a lot like high-volatility assets:

When opportunities strike, returns can be huge—but they’re rare and costly to maintain. By contrast, a steady full-time job—whether in IT, finance, or other industries—resembles fixed-income assets: the returns may not be flashy, but they’re consistent and predictable.

Now, when high hourly pay also comes with stability, that’s the real jackpot: effortless high income. But let’s be honest—opportunities like that are extremely rare. In investing terms, it’s like finding a high-beta stock that not only spikes but also delivers consistent, repeatable gains.

For most investors, the reality is closer to 1 win out of 10, often ending in a net loss.

Questions for you:

Would you choose:

A. To upskill yourself and take on side gigs with high hourly pay?

In investing: sharpening your stock-picking ability to capture high-volatility, high-return opportunities.

B. To stick with your main job and easy way to get stable income?

In investing: add to high-dividend stocks, and reinvesting those dividends for compounding returns.

REWARDS

  • All valid comments will receive 5 Tiger Coins (5-50 coins; depend on comment quality)

  • Tag your friends to win another 5 Tiger Coins

  • High quality comments will win options handbook or mouse pads

—————

Open a CBA today and enjoy access to a trading limit of up to SGD 20,000 with upcoming 0-commission, unlimited trading on SG, HK, and US stocks, as well as ETFs. Find out more here.

Other helpful links:

In Investing, Would You Rather Build Skills or Take the Easy Route?
Recently, a programmer in Singapore shared his experience online after calling an electrician. The repair took just 40 minutes but cost him S$300, which translates to S$450 per hour. But look closer, high hourly pay ≠ high income. From an investing perspective, this looks a lot like high-volatility assets. Would you choose: A. To upskill yourself and take on side gigs? In investing: sharpen stock-picking ability to capture high-return stocks. B. To stick with your main job and easy way to get stable income? In investing: add high-dividend stocks, and reinvest dividends.
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.
Reward expired
Due to insufficient number of valid participants, 500Tiger coins have been refunded to the initiator
Deadline to 09/19 02:04
Reward-post

Comments

  • koolgal
    2025-09-13
    koolgal
    🌟🌟🌟我会采取混合策略，即：我的主要工作是提供稳定的收入，并增加兼职工作，如提供学费，以提供额外的收入。此外，提高我的投资知识，投资股息ETF以提供被动收入。这样我就两全其美了。

    正如沃伦·巴菲特喜欢说的：“永远不要依赖单一收入。进行投资以创造第二个来源。”

    他还说：

    “睡觉不想办法赚钱，就干到死。”

    因此，我的主要工作是我的主动收入引擎，而我的投资是被动收入。

    @Tiger_SG @TigerStars @CaptainTiger @Tiger_comments @TigerClub

  • Shyon
    2025-09-10
    Shyon
    I’d go with Option B—sticking with my main job and building stable income. Predictability and consistency matter more to me than chasing occasional windfalls. Just like dividend investing, the steady flow may look “boring,” but over time, compounding does the heavy lifting and builds lasting wealth.

    That’s not to say I don’t admire those who go for Option A. Upskilling to take on high-value side gigs can boost income, but it often comes with uncertainty, irregular demand, and physical limits on how much you can handle. In investing terms, it’s like timing volatile trades—you might win big once, but sustaining it is tough.

    So I prefer focusing on stability while letting my portfolio compound in the background. Dividend reinvestment feels like the “silent worker” that doesn’t need me constantly chasing the next opportunity. Over time, that reliability gives me peace of mind and financial freedom without worrying about the next high-paying gig.

    @Tiger_comments @TigerStars @Tiger_SG

  • Zarkness
    2025-09-13
    Zarkness
    Everything u choose A or B have its own meaning to it, especially with ownership of characters of each person is different. Some would choose A but doing B , some would be having best of both world … some would say results don’t lie but I would want to highlight something , those mistakes that each made will be the stones for further path , so till one day when we meet … our path cross and many will see each other there 🙏❤️🌹
  • LucasOng
    2025-09-10
    LucasOng
    Everyone think is safe to rely on a stable job for income. However the safest way to rely on one single income is in fact the most risky way to live your life. If you lose your job, you lose that single source of income.


    Everyone should always upskill themselves, and build multiple source of income. See each source of income as a small stream of water, no matter how small it is. When all the steam of water is form up, it will become a lake or even a river.
  • Tiger_SG
    2025-09-17
    Tiger_SG
    Thanks for participating in discussion.The tiger coins have been sent. You can check them in the tiger coin center “history“.
    @UTOtrader
    @AN88
    @TheStrategist
    @FTGR
    @Jackosen
    @ECLC
    @Sachy
    @Zarkness
    @1PC
    @Zarkness
    @Mrzorro
    @Joker_Smile
    @KienBoon
    @dragonfyre
    @Zarkness
    @LucasOng
    @TimothyX
    @太复杂的我不懂
    @Subramanyan
    @北极篂
    @koolgal
    @SN19
    @MHh
    @Shyon
  • TimothyX
    2025-09-14
    TimothyX
    当机会来临时，回报可能是巨大的——但它们很少，维持成本也很高。相比之下，一份稳定的全职工作——无论是在IT、金融还是其他行业——类似于固定收益类资产：回报可能并不华丽，但它们是一致且可预测的。

    现在，当高时薪也伴随着稳定性时，这才是真正的头奖：毫不费力的高收入。但说实话，这样的机会极其罕见。从投资角度来看，这就像找到一只高贝塔值股票，它不仅会飙升，还会带来持续、可重复的收益。

    对于大多数投资者来说，现实情况更接近十分之一的胜利，通常以净亏损告终。

Leave a comment
30
8