How Much Ang Bao to Give?
My long-time friend is getting married soon and this question keeps haunting me, I read up quite a lot of related forum posts and articles, seems like the consensus is to give enough to cover the cost of one person e.g. if the table costs S$1000, you give S$100 minimum. If close friend, give more, some people suggest 50% more.
So in my case, my friend's table costs S$1500 and I'm going with my wife and my parents. My parents can only afford S$75 each, that means I have to prepare S$150 for my wife and S$150 for my parents. As for myself, I have to prepare S$150 + 50% = S$225, so S$300 + S$225 is S$525. WAH... That's going to burn a big hole in my pocket.
Sigh, my wife is not working, my mom is not working too, my father is low-income earner, sigh... what to do... Or maybe I'll take one big red packet, put my parents' S$150 + my S$358 to make it S$508, at least it looks nicer, even though it doesn't cover the costs... But he is my long-time friend, I should at least make sure the ang bao cover the costs... even if I don't give more... Hmmm...
Oh wait, I think he said one table is around S$1400 to S$1500, or maybe I'll make sure the total amount is at least S$140 * 4 = 560, that means I have to top up S$410. He told me the amount is up to me, no worry, anyway I was the one who asked him how much one table is, I was expecting the S$1000 to S$1200 kind of range, so it was quite a shocker, I really wonder what food we'll be having, must be some expensive stuff.
I think I should do a budget check before I decide, seeing the blood doctor in a week's time as part of my wife's pregnancy checks, and that's before the wedding dinner, I'm not sure how much I'll be spending at the doctor's place, hope it's not some crazy amount.
Sigh, headache.
So in my case, my friend's table costs S$1500 and I'm going with my wife and my parents. My parents can only afford S$75 each, that means I have to prepare S$150 for my wife and S$150 for my parents. As for myself, I have to prepare S$150 + 50% = S$225, so S$300 + S$225 is S$525. WAH... That's going to burn a big hole in my pocket.
Sigh, my wife is not working, my mom is not working too, my father is low-income earner, sigh... what to do... Or maybe I'll take one big red packet, put my parents' S$150 + my S$358 to make it S$508, at least it looks nicer, even though it doesn't cover the costs... But he is my long-time friend, I should at least make sure the ang bao cover the costs... even if I don't give more... Hmmm...
Oh wait, I think he said one table is around S$1400 to S$1500, or maybe I'll make sure the total amount is at least S$140 * 4 = 560, that means I have to top up S$410. He told me the amount is up to me, no worry, anyway I was the one who asked him how much one table is, I was expecting the S$1000 to S$1200 kind of range, so it was quite a shocker, I really wonder what food we'll be having, must be some expensive stuff.
I think I should do a budget check before I decide, seeing the blood doctor in a week's time as part of my wife's pregnancy checks, and that's before the wedding dinner, I'm not sure how much I'll be spending at the doctor's place, hope it's not some crazy amount.
Sigh, headache.
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