Kiasu

Hokkien for “afraid to lose”. The national habit of not wanting to miss out.

Kiasu (怕输, “afraid to lose”) is the Singaporean instinct to never miss out: queueing an hour for a free tote bag, booking the BTO ballot the minute it opens, or loading the buffet plate “just in case”.

It is usually said with a smile, and it has a useful side. Being a little kiasu about money means checking the numbers before you sign, using the tax reliefs you are entitled to, and not leaving free credits to expire.

That is the whole idea behind this site: the good kind of kiasu, with a calculator.