Journalism officially passed away on March 12, 2015.

This was after The Straits Times, Singapore's only English broadsheet with more than 150 years of history, published a listicle titled, "30 ways to live 'cheaply' in Singapore, the world's 'most expensive city'" by Jalelah Abu Baker.

Click on picture to go to article:

The list is a response to the recent news that Singapore was ranked the world's most expensive city for the second year running by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) on March 2, 2015.

Sounding rather defensive, the ST listicle wrote:

While the cost of living in Singapore has gone up over the years, there are still cheap bargains - and even things that are free - to be had.

Far from being practical advice that might help you change the way you live, many of the points are inane. Here's a sampling of a few:

4. Park free at selected times at some buildings

5. Plain prata for $0.80

6. Fishball noodles for $2.50

10. IKEA ice cream cone and hot dog bun

17. Treat yourself to free art

25. Walk around Singapore

It is one thing to cherry-pick examples, it is another to sound defensive.

Because barely two hours after the article came out, it was skewered online on HardwareZone forum (Click on picture to go to link):

Some choice rebuttals from the forum comments:

"everymeal jiak prata and fishball noddle i will die.lol"

Confirm is take those outliers, not the average prices.

We have really not much more criticism to offer, except psychoanalyse what the reporter must have been thinking when coming up with the points for the article:

Travel

1. Take public transport

"Haha I might as well just write "Don't go out and you won't need to spend money on transport" but I'll be kind and write take public transport because #SG50."

2. Hop on free shuttle buses

"LOL it's okay for Singaporeans to sit around and wait for the next free shuttle."

3. Take taxi during off-peak hours

"Haha I'd just imagine there are taxis to be hailed all the time, for taxi-drivers prefer to work during off-peak hours."

4. Park free at selected times at some buildings

"I'd just put this point in without considering what happens if you really need to find parking any other time of the day and pretend people who drive are really free and want to look for free parking because they want free parking. So winning at this list!"

Eat

5. Plain prata for $0.80

"Trololololo Man shall not live by bread alone but he can eat prata everyday. I shall ignore the fact that plain pratas used to cost 50 cents. And I will swallow my own saliva if I am thirsty. And I can ask uncle for ten plates of curry!"

6. Fishball noodles for $2.50

"Let's encourage Singaporeans to eat sodium-rich nutritionally dubious food to save money."

7. Mixed rice for $2.50

"I'd be kind and include the exact place you can eat cheap mixed rice: Maxwell Food Centre in Kadayanallur Street. If you stay in Ang Mo Kio, you can always take cheap public transport down to eat mixed rice there. LOL. Or maybe you are MP Baey Yam Keng - he gets his Nasi Padang for $2.50 too."

8. $1 for 6 pieces of hum chim peng

"I shall mention Maxwell Food Centre again. Maxwell Food Centre is Singaporean's cheap best friend. If you stay in Toa Payoh, you can just walk there to save on transport. It will only take you 3 hours at most HAHA."

9. Soya bean drink for $0.30

"Yay! I'm so going to mention Kovan Hougang Market and Food Centre and their 30 cents soya bean drink. This is what PAP gave us with their leadership! Cheap and white soya milk! LOL!"

10. IKEA ice cream cone and hot dog bun

"OMG I'm a genius! $1 hotdog buns and 50 cents ice cream cones! At two places in Alexandra Rd and Tampines. No IKEA at Aljunied. Praise be to PAP!"

Live

11. Visit polyclinics and enjoy medical subsidies

"OMG I could have said don't ever fall sick so you won't spend money but that would be stupid. Go to polyclinics and "enjoy" medical subsidies. "Enjoy" falling sick my fellow Singaporeans! That should sound reasonable LOL."

12. Free or low-cost clinics

"This is such an amazing example. Not sure if they can treat cancer or give you a bypass, but yeah. I'm putting this in."

13. Low-cost health insurance

"LOL I could have said just die and you won't spend money on health insurance, but that would be so irresponsible and not #SG50."

Play

14. Catch a free movie

"LOL I'll mention going to drive-in outdoor movies but conveniently not mention S$80,000 COEs. LOL I'm a genius!"

15. Go for a free SSO concert

"Yes! Cultural performances at Botanic Gardens and Gardens By The Bay! These are such accessible places you can get to for free! Brilliant brain! Good job!"

16. Enjoy a free performance

"If all else fails, Singaporeans can go to Esplanade to entertain themselves! Best part? For free! Who cares about what your interests are? It's free! LOL."

17. Treat yourself to free art

"Yes, I've never considered museums are free and movies are expensive because museums are boring and have no demand! But it's free! LOL serves the purpose of my listicle."

18. Read for free

"OMG this is so practical I cannot believe no one else ever thought of this point and making it part of a list. OMG DYING HERE."

19. Free gateway to the planets

"Oh yes Singaporeans now you can go all the way to the Science Centre Singapore on a Friday evening to look at the stars. Hey, it's free."

20. Free play for kids

"Oh my goodness I could so mention playgrounds at HDB estates are free places to access but I'm so going to name drop Gardens By The Bay and Changi Airport. Please advertise in Straits Times more. Thanks!"

Outdoors

21. Visit Supertree Grove at Gardens By The Bay

"OMG I can mention Gardens By The Bay again! I'm such a genius! Basically this list can be 25 things when I stop mentioning Gardens By The Bay but I'm going to mention Gardens By The Bay again. LOL."

22. Take a walk in the park

"OH MY GOD I mentioned "park" in place of Gardens By The Bay."

23. Enjoy the Singapore skyline

"Everybody loves a good view and the best free view is at the top of the 56th level of ION Orchard, 218m above ground. OMG this is research!"

24. Have a "wild" day out at Sisters' Islands Marine Park

"OMG I said park again."

25. Walk around Singapore

"I can say walk around planet Earth but that wouldn't be realistic! LOL!"

26. Visit Haw Par Villa

"OMG I could have said "park" again but I said "Par"."

27. Discover lesser-known Bukit Timah Nature Reserve trails

"I'm on a roll! I said "Nature Reserve" instead of "park".

28. Heartland steals

"Now I mention shopping at Bugis Village or Far East Plaza because they are like, you know, so cheap!"

Exercise

29. Public exercise facilities

"Instead of saying "walking" as exercise, I shall recommend playing basketball for free at basketball courts!"

30. Free tickets to SEA Games

"OMG SEA Games is coming up, better plug that too. LOL."

Related article:

30 ways to really live ‘cheaply’ in Singapore, the world’s ‘most expensive city’

Top photo Ikea hot dog bun

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