Friday, January 18, 2008

Something To Chew On

The article by Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK)* read, “Too many of us are spending money we haven’t earned to buy things that we don’t need to impress people we don’t like….”

hmmmmm…..something to chew on.....

* This agency is set up by Bank Negara Malaysia to provide free financial education, credit counseling and debt restructuring services to individuals. To help individuals who wittingly or unwittingly fell into the deepest end of the debt pool.


Easy-payment schemes, zero-interest plans, 24-hours approval soft-loans and flexi-financing, wallet-full of credit cards and the most creative of what-have-you plans for anything and everything tempt us and it is just not too difficult to go overboard and spend beyond our means. Oooohhhh….that pair of the most lustrous pearl earrings…. that elegant pair of stilettos that sure made us walk taller …..that sexy number that accentuate our curves at the right places….. that classy handbag that complement so well….that watch that we must have on the wrist……gifts/angpows for that big gang of relatives and friends…..that new set of wheels to replace the old-banger….a vacation to places far and wide that we have only dreamed of visiting…..new pad at a nice address, if not, to re-style our current nest….a new this and a new that. Wahhhh…..all also want…..


It is so easy to spend and spend and spend more. Every item, edible or not seems to be calling out to us to buy, buy and buy. At the malls, you see people walking with arms laden with shopping bags….at the food outlets, you see tables fully taken and it is so common to have queues waiting for seats, snaking out onto the walkways….at the hypermarkets you see people pushing overflowing trolleys and waiting patiently in line to ring up their purchases. We are being enticed left, right and centre and it sure takes great effort to reign ourselves in….and a steely resolve to only spend the money available in the pocket.

For starters, I think will I need to learn to go out with not more than RM30 in my purse.

 
posted by nyonyapenang at 12:06 AM, |

34 Comments:

« back home | Post a Comment
  At 2:02 AM Blogger KopiSoh said:
It's veri true, even housing loan, when market boom time they offer interest oni payment, can buy $800,000 house with minimal monthly payment, now interest up oredi, many have to foreclose :(
  At 2:26 AM Blogger rainbow angeles said:
That elegant pair of stilettos? Hmm... reminds me of the time when you bought yours kekekeke...

RM 30 ah? Prease teach me also...
  At 3:51 AM Anonymous Anonymous said:
I think I need to reduce to having RM 20 in my wallet a day
The more I have the more I eat!!!
  At 6:24 AM Anonymous Anonymous said:
I think it does not refer to most of us...we spend, spend, spend all the money that we save, save, save, and every month pokai! But there are people who have NO money and yet they spend. Before a festival, they order all brand new furniture, TV and what have you from Courts, put deposit for kilos of gold jewellery at the goldsmith's shops etc...and after the festival, the truck from Courts would come and take everything away and they would return everything to the goldsmith's shop, forfeiting the deposit.
  At 12:12 PM Blogger Aiyah Nonya said:
You are right. Temptation is every where. From the media to the public. On the Tv there are programes that goes Ooooh... and Ah.... over certain restaurant and we will go looking for it.
Magazines will feature the latest things in town from cosmetic to electronics.

With how prices are increasing now a days going out with the whole family needs more than $30.

So tell me how to survivie on $30 a day ?

Unless you are real tighfist and have a real strong will power. Or you are bloody rich, then $30 is loose change to you.

Unfortunately we are not in that filthy rich type of class. :(
  At 1:27 PM Blogger mistipurple said:
i am iron fisted nowadays. especially after running a biz. no choice lah. rental is always due too soon. :(
  At 4:26 PM Blogger _butt said:
Hi there NyonyaPenang, long time no visit here :)

RM30? I've tried it once and end up borrowing money from my sis. Lol. Ever since I started working, I've been fighting the urge to own things that I don't really need. Please teach me how :(
  At 7:54 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Kopisoh,

Over-gearing liao...can die wan!
  At 7:56 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Angeles,

That pair of shoes...gua pakai a few times only. :)

So far, yet to try out the RM30 per day budget. Scared wor.
  At 10:42 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Zeroimpact,

Seriously, prices of food have shot through the roof and RM20 is barely enough to fill a young man's tummy.
  At 10:49 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Suituapui,

You are very good at balancing the books hor? The Debits must balance the Credits.

Aiyah...gua very simple nia lar....put some mengkuang mats on the floor and sit oni. So no nid to worry about gantung diri over unpaid bayaran ansuran.
  At 10:59 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Aiyah Nonya,

It sure is a challenge balancing the household budget...prices gone up manifold. A normal meal for our small family at the non-aircon Chinese restaurant ('Tai chow') easily costs about RM60 to RM70.

The RM30 budget I give myself is for my breakfast, lunch and tea only. May not be enough if I have coffee at Starbucks.
  At 11:02 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Mistipurple,

You are a business person and you definitely have to keep a tight reign on the finances.

Rental is always due too soon but the fees to be collected somehow seem to take forever, right?
  At 11:08 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi _butt,

So nice to see you here. How have you been keeping? Busy with your work?

Oh..RM30 is not enough? Lidat, I better try with RM50. :)
I have to learn hold on tighter to the money which somehow slips away too easily. :P
  At 12:37 AM Blogger Chen said:
how to go out with just RM 30 woh?
especially in KL
semua barang mahal...
very hard leh..
  At 6:54 AM Anonymous Anonymous said:
So are you ready for Chinese New Year? Done all the spring cleaning, repainting...put up new curtains, stocked up on the drinks, baked all the cakes and cookies, bought all the new clothes, got the ang pows ready, built up enough stamina to entertain the endless tream of guests whose noisy brats will mess up your immaculate house and break everything that's breakable...or are you packing up and running off somewhere to rest and relax and do nothing??? Isn't that a better way to spend new year? And cheaper too (or at least you're spending it all on yourself)!
  At 10:42 AM Blogger Hazel said:
rm 30..? anyway happy weekend!
  At 3:05 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Chev,

I need to loose weight mar....so use RM30 to control loh....not enough money, then eat less loh. hahahahaha
  At 3:14 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Suituapui,

Gua celebrate CNY very simple nia lar...balik kampung and join my older folks...lidis more meriah.

Sekarang Cikgu dah pencen and maybe sudah dapat new portfolio...Minister of Home Affairs...so now must be sibuk cleaning, baking n cooking. ^0^

I guess every year also Cikgu entertain loads of visitors during CNY....all the old students, old cikgus and kawan-kawan. :)
  At 3:14 PM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Hazel,

RM30 for only my breakfast, lunch and tea. Trying to eat less and stay slim. :)
  At 9:19 AM Blogger narrowband said:
Tried that once. Did not work. I somehow bought that item despite having only RM2 in my wallet. I told myself (or rather, some naughty devil sitting atop my left shoulder told me) that it was the sales, 50% off at that, so I must buy there and then. *sweat*
  At 2:10 AM Blogger winniethepooh said:
$30 not easy but good discipline too :) think i hv to keep hitting myself, cannot buy this, cannot buy that hehehe hmm..hv accumulative kind or not? say one day i didnt spend $30, the next day i get $60? :)
  At 8:39 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Narrowband,

hahahha....you succumbed to the 50% draw.
  At 9:24 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Winniethepooh,

I really must learn to discipline myself. Everything is so expensive now....I guess I must try to hold the purse strings tighter.

hahahha....can forward hor....the 'unused' budget...This will motivate us to save for bigger items.
  At 12:59 PM Anonymous Anonymous said:
Sigh.......Di sini, sgt susah leh...

If no money, there's always the debit card.

I try so hard to control my money also...but when it comes to supermarkets... MANYAK SUSAH LEh...so many nice fruits to eat....
  At 3:07 PM Anonymous Anonymous said:
A Penny save is a penny earned :)
  At 6:05 PM Blogger Unknown said:
When I work in Malaysia for so many years, I can't even save money at all, it's not I spent alot but in fact the salary earn in our country is not enough for living unless you are in very high position in a company. Now... I just work for few months in UAE, I manage to settle all my debts which haunted me for so many years.
  At 8:14 PM Blogger Aiyah Nonya said:
Starbucks is definitly out. Even going to something like those Old Town Kopitiam joints often will set us back.
Real hard to balance with CNY around the corner and goodies left right and center.
  At 12:30 AM Blogger savante said:
Less than RM 30? Aiks! How to makan liddat!
  At 12:39 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Mott,

At least debit cards won't leave you in debts.

I am sure you know what it is like here now.....the prices rising faster than we can cope. :(
Prices naik 20%...gaji no naik leh.
So jialat.
  At 12:41 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi JL,

Itu lah dia....I take back all my change from the cashiers'....1 sen coins....5 sen coins...semua kasi sapu....no need give chance.
hahhahaa...
  At 12:43 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Kenny,

err....got vacancy for babysitter or not? I wanna apply, can ar? ^0^
  At 12:55 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Aiyah Nonya,

I go to Starbucks only once in a purple moon....cannot afford to pay RM16 for a kopi.
And itu Oldtown Kopitiam also increased price liao....a cup of hot white kopi is RM3.20+tax.

Lucky thing I am not into kopi now. Dunno lar....drinking kopi gives me headache.

Been browsing around and yeah...the prices of things have shot up. Wait till another round of petrol price increase here...hoh charmmm leh!
  At 12:59 AM Blogger nyonyapenang said:
Hi Savante,

Eat less...avoid Starbucks...stay away from high-class foodcourts....
**sighssss....** ...where got meaning lidat hor?


« back home | Post a Comment