SINGAPORE: It’s not every day you hear stories of people finding happiness without having much, but locals on Reddit are sharing just that. From friends to relatives, the thread has been filled with examples of folks who are content with the little they have.

The discussion was started by a Reddit user who shared that most of the people he knew in Singapore seemed to be stuck in the endless rat race, constantly focused on upgrading their possessions, chasing promotions, aggressively saving for early retirement, or striving to buy a new car, condo, bag, or phone.

Curious if anyone in the country was living outside of this materialistic chase, he posed a question to the community:

“Do you know of anyone poor but happy in Singapore? By ‘poor,’ I don’t only mean those living in poverty and struggling in their day-to-day lives but also those who are probably below average and don’t own much in general. What makes them happy?”

Preschool teacher

One user shared a story about her friend, a preschool teacher earning S$2,400, who is completely content with her job despite it being below the median salary.

“She loves to interact with kids. Love her job more than anything, and she doesn’t even wanna change to a different place for a higher pay,” she said.

“Her husband is earning S$2-3,00 doing freelance. I’m actually jealous that she’s able to do what she likes and can go to work happily every day,” she added.

Stay-at-home mum

Another Redditor talked about her close friend, a stay-at-home mum with three children, who she describes as one of the happiest and most contented people she knows. 

She wrote, “Her husband only works at a gov’t ministry, makes about S$3-4,000 per month. He takes care of her, the kids and her mother.

She’s been married for 10 years, and her husband is so present in their lives. They are way happier than my other SAHM friend, whose husband earns S$12,000 onwards. My friend has no complaints about her life.”

PHV driver

One Reddit user shared about his army buddy, a private-hire vehicle (PHV) driver, who has built a simple yet fulfilling life for himself and his family.

 He said, “He stays in a Tengah BTO with his Vietnamese wife a...