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.

avatarSpiders
09-17

What I’ve Learned from Investing and Trading and How It Mirrors Life

Investing and trading has always been more than just a way to grow my money—it’s a hobby, a challenge, and, in many ways, a mirror reflecting how I handle life. Sure, wins feel amazing. But it’s the lessons I’ve learned along the way—the missteps, the surprises, and the moments of clarity that have stayed with me the most. Lesson 1: Don’t Be Overconfident I remember the first time I really believed I had it all figured out: TLT. I was convinced the price was too low to ignore. “If the Fed lowers interest rates, this will skyrocket,” I told myself. I bought in, thinking patience was all I needed. TLT is still my largest holding today, and I’m confident in its potential but I’ve learned patience has limits. The price didn’t move as fast as I expected, and many days I’d watch it linger below
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What I’ve Learned from Investing and Trading and How It Mirrors Life
avatarTiger_SG
09-10

A Big Paycheck ≠ High Income: 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 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 a
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A Big Paycheck ≠ High Income: In Investing, Would You Rather Build Skills or Take the Easy Route?
avatarSpiders
09-12

In Investing, Would You Rather Build Skills or Take the Easy Route?

Recently, a programmer in Singapore shared an interesting story online. He called an electrician for a repair that took just 40 minutes—and the bill came to S$300. Do the math, and that’s an eye-watering S$450 per hour! At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer: “Wow, high hourly pay = high income!” But if you dig a little deeper, you realize that high pay doesn’t always translate to high overall income or long-term wealth. This got me thinking about investing. In a way, it’s not too different. You can go the high-volatility route—spending time and effort sharpening your stock-picking skills to chase those exciting, potentially huge returns. Or you can stick to the “stable income” route—investing in high-dividend stocks and reinvesting dividends to grow your wealth steadily over time. Of
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In Investing, Would You Rather Build Skills or Take the Easy Route?
avatarnomadic_m
09-13
does my $CONL 20260116 24.0 PUT$ (sold on 4 Apr 2025) provides better return than term deposit of 5% per annum? To calculate the rate of return (ROR) and annualized rate of return for my put option, i'll need to consider the premium received and the potential profit or loss. *Given Values:* - *Put Premium Received*: $420 - *Strike Price*: $24 - *Expiration Date*: January 16, 2026 *Rate of Return (ROR) Calculation:* The ROR formula is: ROR = (Profit / Investment) x 100% Since i sold the put option, my profit is the premium received ($420). The investment is the margin required, which is the strike price multiplied by 100 minus the premium received. *Margin Required*: ($24 x 100 shares) - $420 = $2,400 - $420 = $1,
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avatarkoolgal
09-13
🌟🌟🌟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
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avatarLazyCat Invests
10-06

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avatarShyon
09-10
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 consta
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avatarLazyCat Invests
10-04

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avatarMHh
09-11
I would like to be greedy and have the best of both worlds— Afterall, why settle for one when you can have both. Sticking with my main job and getting a stable income is what gives me stability to continue to have the appetite to tap on high volatile but high return opportunities. By having a steady income, i know I will always have cash flows in that will help with my retirement planning. However, the high volatility and high return opportunities are the ones that will be the catalysts that propel my portfolio. In investing, risk appetite and risk management would be key. As I do consider myself young now with sufficient runway, I can afford to have a greater risk appetite and allocate a significant portion of my money into riskier assets with the aim of getting greater returns. Howev
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avatarLazyCat Invests
09-13
Whether to choose A or B depends on when the investment journey begins. When I was young,  I held a day job and had side income from royalties and some odd one-off jobs. This left me with little time and motivation to explore the world of investment. When older, with retirement looming, there are no energy for side gigs and I began to be aggressive on the investment front. However, time is not on my side and I cannot take risks at this age. This led to choosing B by default but still doing A (stock picking and investment in growth stocks) as a minor satellite portfolio.  Cash Boost Lucky Draw Hey friend! Tap to help me out and get a mystery gift for yourself—check it out now! https://tigr.link/s/30CCk4I
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avatarSN19
09-11
I will upskill myself in what is important and focus on what matters in my main job. The gig and main job aren’t the core — the what is important. Right now, the what is AI. If your skills and job are connected to AI, they complement A (gig) and B (main), while C becomes your transferable skill. In stocks, that means choosing companies with strong AI tech. From a trader’s perspective, it’s the same principle: the what is looking at fundamentals for long-term investing, the value is building skills (like AI) that keep paying off, and the time is knowing when to act — because investing in the right thing at the right time compounds both in career and portfolio. Tech and AI can now be applied in almost everything — the key is reapplying it in a way that’s meaningful to you. Try using AI l
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avatarSubramanyan
09-10
Personally I think a lot depends on the stage you are in your career and life before you can decide one way or the other. When you are young & single, the first option could be something you can perhaps choose. Even if you fail, you are still young and without liability- so a course correction is still feasible in the worst case scenario. For others in the middle of the career & with family responsibilities, the second option is the best. Again in you silver or golden years when you have retired  & without too much responsibilities, the first option could still work. May be the best is to have a mix of both options in the mid-career.
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avatarZarkness
09-13
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 🙏❤️🌹
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avatarKienBoon
09-13
Hi. Option B should be more crucial in comparison. High div stocks like banks and reits are cornerstone for long term investment. That will ensure stable and regular dividend even when you are retired from work. Nevertheless keep a small portion like 10-20% of your investment portfolio for option A to leverage on the volatility of certain reputable counters. Cheers. [Smile] [Smile]
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avatar太复杂的我不懂
09-10
Actually there's another way to look at this: why not have both? I can be at my stable salaried job from 9-5. The after hours or weekends is free for earning extra with the more volatile/adhoc side hustles. In investing, one might prefer the stable boring div stocks, but he could also have some fun and excitement with trendy hot stocks with some limited exposure? So this pretty risk averse person can probably  allocate some 90% to the  dividend stocks and limit the risk with 10% allocation to fun trading.
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avatarchandon99
09-16

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avatarchandon99
09-16

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avatarchandon99
09-16

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avatarLucasOng
09-10
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.
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avatardragonfyre
09-10
In real life, I am definitely on the side of A. as a self employed contractor, good returns but high volatility. In trading I utilize both A and B strategies, having some of my portfolio in longer term, high dividend stocks, but also do some swing trading whenever opportunities present (with moderate success). I think I would rather trade stocks and accumulate assets, than work a real job.
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