‘Everything is $10’: Singaporeans on Telling Parents ‘White Lies’ About Spending
A recent Reddit thread on r/askSingapore sparked a hilarious yet relatable discussion on whether Singaporeans tell their parents “white lies” about how much they spend. From meals and shopping to travel and luxury purchases, many admitted they understate their spending to avoid nagging, guilt-tripping, or endless lectures about financial responsibility—even when using their own hard-earned money.
The original poster (OP), justinebw, shared a personal anecdote about spending $13+ on a tub of Nutella ice cream from FairPrice Finest after seeing it on TikTok. But instead of revealing the actual price to their dad, OP told him it cost only $8, claiming it was on promotion. Ironically, the $13+ was already the discounted price, with the regular price being $15+.
This small fib led to a wave of responses from Singaporeans who admitted to doing the same, proving that “price adjustments” are a common household practice.
Many shared their personal tactics for reducing the reported price of their purchases.
"Everything is $10. Settled." – broken-telephone
"For my own mental health, I tell my parents (esp mum) white lies about EVERYTHING, but yes, about my level of spending in particular." – CapitalOwl1318
Some recalled instances where even buying gifts for their parents resulted in scoldings.
"Bought phone for parents for $1.8k, told them $900. Still got scolded :(" – originaldetamble
"Got a free Samsonite luggage costing ~$600 from a credit card sign-up promo and gave it to my mom. She scolded me because she thought I spent $600 on it. Only when I showed her the bank claim SMS did she ‘forgive’ me." – suspicious_skidmarks
The fear of parental judgment seems deeply ingrained, as some admitted to automatically downplaying costs.
"I used to tell white lies about costs, but eventually, I stopped sharing or just gave an estimate (e.g., phone was $1.6k, I’ll just say ‘$1k plus’). I no longer see the point of telling them the costs if I’m paying for things myself." – malaxiangguoforwwx
"I will never understand parents who bother their son/daughter over how much they spent even though it's their own money." – Remarkable_Reserve98
Many Singaporeans say this behavior stems from their parents’ mindset on money.
"Asian parents will always react the same way. If expensive, it’s ‘WHY SO EXPENSIVE?!’ If cheap, it’s ‘WHY BUY THE CHEAP ONE?! SPOIL VERY FAST!’ You can never win." – Spritzes
This widespread habit likely stems from how older generations view financial responsibility. Many parents, having grown up in an era of thriftiness, view spending on non-essential items as wasteful or indulgent. Some Singaporeans feel their parents still see them as children, questioning every expense even when they are financially independent.
For many, it’s simply easier to adjust the numbers than to deal with the inevitable lecture. Whether it’s food, travel, gadgets, or even daily necessities, it seems most Singaporeans have, at some point, shaved off a few dollars when reporting their spending to their parents.
At the end of the day, as one Redditor wisely put it:
"Your money, your rules." – Ilsunnysideup5
But when it comes to parents, sometimes a ‘discounted’ version of the truth makes life just a little bit easier.
