He is the sole breadwinner for a family of seven.

And while Mr Jep Osman earns $2,500 a month as a crane operator, it does not go far with all those mouths to feed.

But he is not frowning. He downgraded from a five-room Housing Board flat to a three-room one, a move which made him about $100,000 to keep aside for emergencies.

That rainy-day fund is a comfort amid the daily grind to bring in an income to take care of his family: wife Sarina Kassim, 37, their three sons aged nine, 15 and 17, and his parents-in-law, both 79.

Mr Jep works 5 days a week, and sometimes even the whole week if he does overtime on Sundays.

He wakes up at 5am at his home in Circuit Road in the Paya Lebar area, then rides his motorcycle to Pasir Panjang jetty, where he hops onto a ferry to Pulau Ular for work.

Amid the pressure of having to pay school fees and household bills, coupled with the recession, he sold their three-year-old five-room flat in Choa Chu Kang and downgraded to a three-room unit in October.

However, the family is content with their smaller flat. 'It's a simple house. My bills and instalments are much less,' he says. The monthly mortgage has dropped from $1,000 to $300, and monthly power bills are about $100 now, compared with $300 at their previous flat.

He adds: 'The location is good. There's an MRT and wet market nearby. My mother, who is sick, lives nearby in Beach Road, so I can look after her. Taking the bus anywhere is convenient.'

The flat is spartan but in good condition. Basic furniture such as a dining table and sofas line the living room. He spent $6,000 on minor renovations including cabinets and a make-shift room extended from the kitchen for his in-laws.

A fresh coat of white paint covers the walls. His wife Sarina says, chuckling: 'To save, we did the painting ourselves. We're not finished yet.'

And what about extra furnishings? 'Slowly lah,' she says, adding: 'Wait till we have more money. Slowly, never mind.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on December 7, 2008.