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

Tiger_SG
09-10
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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.

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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.
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Comments

  • koolgal
    09-13
    koolgal
    🌟🌟🌟I would adopt a hybrid strategy which is :  My main job to provide a stable income and add in side gigs like giving tuition to provide an additional income.  Plus   upskilling my knowledge in investing and invest in dividend ETFs to provide a passive income.  That way I have the best of both worlds.

    As Warren Buffett likes to say :  "Never depend on a single income.  Make an  investment to create a second source."

    He also said :

    "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die."

    Therefore my main job is my active income engine while my investments are passive income.

    @Tiger_SG @TigerStars @CaptainTiger @Tiger_comments @TigerClub

  • Shyon
    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
    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
    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
    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
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  • TimothyX
    09-14
    TimothyX
    當機會來臨時，回報可能是巨大的——但它們很少，維持成本也很高。相比之下，一份穩定的全職工作——無論是在IT、金融還是其他行業——類似於固定收益類資產：回報可能並不華麗，但它們是一致且可預測的。

    現在，當高時薪也伴隨着穩定性時，這纔是真正的頭獎：毫不費力的高收入。但說實話，這樣的機會極其罕見。從投資角度來看，這就像找到一隻高貝塔值股票，它不僅會飆升，還會帶來持續、可重複的收益。

    對於大多數投資者來說，現實情況更接近十分之一的勝利，通常以淨虧損告終。

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