🧠 Is There a “dy/dx” Point in Life Where More Money Stops Adding Value?

[televisione]

A) It really depends on how you're earning your money, are you putting in extra time, or have your capabilities significantly improved? Usually, It is the latter.
B) Usually, this applies to people who have over-invested instead of upgrading their lifestyle.

Sinkie should learn to view lifestyle through a global lens. No one worked and studied hard their whole life just to end up living in a small apartment, relying on public transport, and eating cai png every day.

There are countless ways to meaningfully improve your quality of life, such as hiring a personal chef, chauffeur, nutritionist, bigger house or fitness coach. In the world of luxury, there are no limits. These are often life-changing for the entire family, significantly improving their mental well-being and overall lifestyle.

 

[thretiredDad]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

When you've become accustomed to earning a certain amount each year and then suddenly decide to retire to enjoy life, it can be unsettling when that income no longer comes in. This shift can make you feel insecure, and as a result, you might end up saving more money and protecting whatever you have again.

 

[parchiao]

TS is asking the wrong question.

If TS dy/dx logic is true, PAP would be the first to say enough, don't need more money from Sinkies.

But instead, PAP money no enough and import millions of FT to take money from them too.

TS should be thinking of how to maths money no enough.

I think TS should study recursive functions / difference equations instead to understand there is never such thing as enough.

 

[Shutterbox]

Tell that to the cancer patient who can't afford treatment and the rich man who can afford the latest experimental treatment

You need to understand the difference.
Money can buy treatment, but can't buy health.
Of course u can go argue again to say got money treat liao then become healthy

 

[NeonX]

You need to understand the difference.
Money can buy treatment, but can't buy health.
Of course u can go argue again to say got money treat liao then become healthy

chances are you'll be healthier given the ability so get better food etc

 

[crandfs]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

After your debts, necessary major expenditure are met, and hobbies are satisfied. Then people generally either retire early or pick up more expensive hobbies.
For the latter, examples are keeping mistresses or believing in paying for experts to control your diet/workout/transport etc, which justify the desire to earn more. The outsourcing approach lets you use your time to earn more instead of using your time to do it yourself. You become a dedicated money earning machine, rather than living life doing normal things. Ie, instead of focusing your mind on driving, you focus on biz calls and checking price charts while sitting in the car driven by your chauffeur.

 

[oncall-engineer]

chances are you'll be healthier given the ability so get better food etc

Money is highly co-related to more time and better health. Not a causation.

 

[maumu]

up to a certain point, more money doesn't add value to life. that's what the TS is trying to find out I guess.

while more money can buy more entertainment, more quality of life, more services, there probably comes a point where more actually mean 'less' in terms of happiness, contentment, reciprocation, etc.

 

[Purplestars]

Not sure why people measure happiness with income.

Isn't net worth a better measure? I rather have zero income and a really high net worth. My income can come from passive income or even have no income at all.

I'd say money starts losing value really quickly once you reach a net worth of $2 million. That is the point where you can afford a nice flat and a nice car fairly comfortably and still have some passive income to supplement your salary. Everything else is not that big of a deal.

$3 million net worth is probably a good enough FU money. With that you can get a house and a car and a good amount of passive income to live. This is probably the point you will seriously consider not wanting to work any more.

$5 million net worth is where money starts to feel like water to you. Yeah it's still nice to have more money but do you really need more at this point? House, car, passive income all settled and you will be more concerned about finding time to enjoy your passive income living in luxury.

Of course this is for singles or DINK lifestyle lah. With kids things are different.

 

[PikaManiac]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

There is, but depends.

I say single probably $100 pa. After that makes not much difference in life other than you pay back your house faster.

But if you suddenly windfall earn $500 pa, then yeah, the difference come back again but it depends u wanna upgrade or not.

U see I young time think want condo, want big house, want big car etc. But when it came to buying house. Taking into consideration cost, maintenance, and quality of life. Maybe a shoebox condo really enough le. Like house so big who clean for you? So many things for what?

So again, there is, but it depends. As you upgrade your life, you will spend more de, but nothing stopping u from earning more and stick with cai png and mrt. At least ur bank fat fat no scare.

But job wise, definitely there is a limit where you see diminishing returns. I feel that is usually 2 levels below director. Never go general manager level, not worth it de... if u still want to enjoy your life.

 

[y2c_whtdouwant]

Well money can buy time. Drive instead of MRT. Hire a domestic helper instead of doing the chores yourself.

Well, company bosses also "buy" their employees' time to manage company matters

 

[volarth]

Conventional theory was there was diminishing return on the "happiness of money".

Past few years seems different.. with $$$ you see the richest pandering to their ego and buying power (read Elon)

 

[oncall-engineer]

up to a certain point, more money doesn't add value to life. that's what the TS is trying to find out I guess.

while more money can buy more entertainment, more quality of life, more services, there probably comes a point where more actually mean 'less' in terms of happiness, contentment, reciprocation, etc.

Yes, that’s exactly what I meant. Thank you

 

[volarth]

TS is asking the wrong question.

If TS dy/dx logic is true, PAP would be the first to say enough, don't need more money from Sinkies.

But instead, PAP money no enough and import millions of FT to take money from them too.

TS should be thinking of how to maths money no enough.

I think TS should study recursive functions / difference equations instead to understand there is never such thing as enough.

 

[articland05]

You need to understand the difference.
Money can buy treatment, but can't buy health.
Of course u can go argue again to say got money treat liao then become healthy

if Steve Job go for treatment earlier with his wealth probably can recover and survive...who knows

 

[laksa2003]

its call Utility of money

 

[tokong]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

In SG, it is the age.

The age defines the dy/dx.

 

[OneUpsize]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

at chiur dydx moment chiu can choose not to install obu?

 

[aarontansp]

For those who’ve been working for a while and experienced career progression and income growth:

Have you ever reached a point where earning more money either

a) brought diminishing returns to your quality of life, or
b) ceased to have any real or tangible utility?

In secondary school, we learnt dy/dx in Additional Mathematics — a way of measuring how fast something is changing. Think of it like this:

When you throw a ball into the air:

• It rises quickly at first (dy/dx > 0)
• Slows down
• Stalls at the peak (dy/dx = 0) — that’s the turning point
• Then starts falling (dy/dx < 0)

Now apply that analogy to money and life:

When you start earning more, everything improves — food, travel, lifestyle. But eventually, you might hit a plateau — a point where more income stops improving your life meaningfully.

That’s your dy/dx = 0 moment.

Examples:

• You hit six figures, but still eat cai png and take MRT.
• You save more, but don’t feel freer.
• You make more, but your time feels more “owned” than before.

Would love to hear from others:

• When did you feel this inflection point?
• What changed after? Did your mindset or priorities shift?
• How do you now think about wealth, time, and purpose?

Once you have body pain, all enjoyment goes away.

 

[maumu]

Once you have body pain, all enjoyment goes away.

very true!

after a certain age, our body starts taking damn long to recover... whether it's an ache, or even just from lethargy.

so always put our health first. no point working hard to earn the money but end up using them on chronic medical conditions or illnesses.