







Morning

0900am - Morning Commute and Top-Up of EZ-Link card ($10)

Before I began my challenge I first had to top-up my EZ-Link card with $10. Topping up of a EZ-Link card follows a denomination of $10, $20, $30 and so on.





0930 - Breakfast at Heap Seng Leong and Bottle of Water ($3.40/$0.60)

To start of the day I decided to head to " Heap Seng Leong " for kaya toast and coffee set. I recently wrote an article on this breakfast meal that you can check it out here " Kopi & Toast: A Singapore Breakfast ". The place is located near Lavender MRT and it's roughly 3mins walk from the station. The coffeeshop located among HDB flats and is run by father and son.





It is also the only place in Singapore that sells "Kopi Gu You" which is coffee with a thin slice of butter. I had it when I first visited this coffeeshop back in 2017 and it's not something I would recommend you drink everyday. But for this article I had normal kopi.

After my breakfast I passed by a convenience shop and bought a bottle of water to keep myself hydrated as the weather was really warm.

1000 - Explore Haji Lane and Muscat Street (Free)

Now that I've had my breakfast I walked over to Haji Lane . There are plenty of shops to check out that are selling clothing and accessories and most seem to be independent businesses. There are also bars and street art in this area.

When you're heading to Haji Lane area from Lavender you might come across this popular street art that you can find facing Masjid Malabar.

As you explore the area you'll also come across Masjid Sultan located in Muscat Street within the Kampong Glam precinct. Here you can eat really good Muslim food and buy souvenirs.









1045 - Explore Bugis Street (Free)

After walking around Haji Lane I took a short walk over to Bugis area specifically " Bugis Street ". Bugis Street is a building with 3 floors of shopping. The shops on the 1st floor are mostly souvenir and food shops.

The 2nd and 3rd floor is where you'll want to go if you're looking to buy clothing or accessories but most if not all are for female. There are plenty of shops but when I was there most shops have yet to open.





Afternoon

1130 - National Library (Free)

This is one of my favourite library in Singapore. I used to come here to read or relax when I studied in the area. As photography wasn't allowed I couldn't take any photos inside but I did take a photo of the book I read.

(Image credit to Google)

provided by National Library. When you're here you'll definitely want to head to the 10th floor of National Library as there will be exhibits that's free to enter. The one I went to is " On Paper: Singapore Before 1867 ". You can also head to their website to find out more! The exhibition was interesting as there were old artifacts and maps of Singapore during that time. Photography wasn't allowed but you can see some of these images

(Image credit to National Library)

(Image credit to National Library)

(Image credit to National Library)

(Image credit to National Library)





Do note that you'll also have to place your bag(s) in a locker but handphones are allowed as long as you don't take photos or videos with it when you're inside.

On the 5th floor there's also a outdoor garden where you can get a good view of Bugis area!





1300 - Head to People's Park Centre (Chiantown) for Lunch and Ya Kun Coffee ($3.80/$1.80)

basement level there's a really popular vegetarian stall located at the back of the food court. Now that it's afternoon I decided to take the MRT Downtown Line from Bugis to Chinatown Station for lunch. Once I arrived at Chiantown I made my way to People's Park Centre . At thethere's a really popular vegetarian stall located at the back of the food court.

1400 - Explore Chinatown (Free)

Now that I've had my lunch and coffee I decided to explore Chinatown. Once you're in Chinatown Station take Exit A and you'll be led to the main area of Chinatown.

There are plenty of souvenir shops and staffs enticing you to enter their eateries as you come put of the station via the escalators. Also, do make sure to explore the alleys as some of them has interesting street art on the walls.

If you walk over to the other side of Chinatown at South Bridge Road there's also a very well known Hindu temple " Sri Mariamman Temple ".

1430 - Buddha Tooth Relic Temple (Free)

5 floors and serves as one of the most well known Buddhist temples in Singapore. If you walk towards the left side on where I took the photo above you'll come across " Buddha Tooth Relic Temple ". Built in 2007, this temple consist ofand serves as one of the most well known Buddhist temples in Singapore.

Besides being a temple, there's also a museum on each of it's 4 floors that you can check out for free!

On the 5th floor there's a garden that you can access through the stairs on the 4th floor.

I also made a video of this temple back in 2017 for my YouTube channel that you can check out below!



Just in front of Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is Chinatown Complex where you can get nice and cheap food or watch people play Chinese Chess located between both premises.

(Image credit to Google)

After walking around MBS I made my way to Gardens by the Bay (GBTB) that's located just behind MBS. The place is big so do make sure to take your time to explore the many attractions that GBTB has to offer!

At 1945 and 2045 there will be free daily shows known as " Garden Rhapsody ". They normally have different themes and music in different months. You can head to their website to find out more! I also uploaded a video of the show on my YouTube channel!





Night

2000 - Spectra Light & Water Show (Free)

Held daily in front of MBS is " Spectra Light & Water Show ". The show is 15mins long and the start time of the show varies from the day. You can find out more on their website for show timings. Be dazzled as the show consist of colourful water fountain, laser projections and orchestral soundtrack! I went on a Friday and the show started at 2000 but I went at 1900 to make sure I got a good spot.

2030 - Head Back to Chinatown for Dinner and a Bottle of 100Plus ($4.90/$1)

Before I head to Chinatown for my dinner I needed to go to a 7-11 at Bayfront MRT to get myself a bottle of 100Plus. As it was on promotion I got it at $1 but the original price is around $2.30. There are two 7-11 stores here in Bayfront MRT. One is at the entrance of Marina Bay Sands and another one is at the other side of the MRT station. I went to the latter as it's usually less crowded and more spacious.





Once I arrived at Chinatown MRT via the Downtown Line I made my way to People's Park Food Centre to have my dinner. Once you exit the station you just have to walk straight. A lot of the shops were already closed when I went there but I decided to get myself a bowl of "Yong Tau Fu". At this shop you can choose between $4.90 or $5.90 for your bowl of Yong Tau Fu, but I went with the $4.90. After my dinner I decided to call it a day and made my way home.









Conclusion

Time to see if I was able to explore Singapore within by budget of $30 for a day!





Schedule Summarize:

- Morning Commute and Top-Up of EZ-Link card: $10

- Breakfast at Heap Seng Leong and Bottle of Water: $3.40/$0.60

- Explore Haji Lane and Muscat Street: Free

- Explore Bugis Street: Free

- National Library: Free

- Head to People's Park Centre (Chiantown) for Lunch and Ya Kun Coffee: $3.80/$1.80

- Explore Chinatown: Free

- Buddha Tooth Relic Temple: Free

- Merlion Park: Free

- Marina Bay Sands: Free

- Gardens by the Bay: Free

- Spectra Light & Water Show: Free

- Head Back to Chinatown for Dinner and a Bottle of 100Plus: $4.90/$1





Overall Total Spending: $25.50





Final Thoughts

It's definitely possible to explore Singapore with a budget of $30 for a day only if you know where to visit and eat. However, you can't really do much especially if you want to visit attractions where you have to pay to enter. I would say it's also possible to explore Singapore with $20 if you stretch your dollar. Singapore is known to be "a expensive country" to live in and explore but you can give this $30 budget a day challenge a shot and see where it takes you around our Little Red Dot!

Whether it's your first time in Singapore or not I'm sure you've heard or read somewhere that Singapore is "a expensive country" to live in and explore. But have you ever wondered if it's possible to explore Singapore on a budget? In this article I'll explore the tourist sites of Singapore with only $30 for a day and show you that you can still have a enjoyable time! So if you're travelling solo or with your friends and family this article is for you!Here you can choose the various food to create your own dish and the price is also affordable! For my dish I went with: Brown rice, long beans, char siew and fried bean curd skin. I also like their cabbage soup which comes with the dish!After my lunch I went up one level to have a nice cup of coffee at Ya Kun. This is one of my favourite Ya Kun outlet as it's in the heart of Chinatown. I'm not a fan of crowded areas but I don't mind having my coffee here as I browse social media or play a game on my phone.There's also a video on these street art in Chinatown on YouTube that you can check out here! " Sharing Singapore's history through street art | Turning Point | The Straits Times As you reached the 4th floor via the elevator make aand you'll see the stairs.