We Spent RM33.5k to Have Our First Child [Baby Cost Breakdown]

Yes, that’s right. We – as in my husband and I – spent approximatedly RM33.5k, combined, to have our first child. In this article, I’ll show the full baby cost breakdown.

Now, before you say anything about the amount, I need to first say 2 things:

Baby Cost Breakdown Obligatory Disclaimer

One – Obviously,
the amount you spend on your first child will vary depending on your budget and choices
. You can absolutely keep the costs much lower – having a child for under RM10k is possible. You can even do it under RM5k if you really want (or have) to.

Second – I’m not mad at the amount, considering we only
spent RM5,247.09 for our wedding
. The way I see it, we already saved so much there, and it’s not like we spent on IVF or anything, so
why not spend a lil’ more for our child
.

So yeah. This article basically lists everything we paid for to have baby Mika, divided in 8 categories: Prenatal Checkups, Delivery & Labour Cost, Supplements, Baby Stuff, Learning Materials, Confinement Care, Religious Obligations and Misc.

Let’s get into it!

#1 – Prenatal Checkups

Cost: RM8,226.50 (private; for approx ~15 prenatal checkups throughout my pregnancy)

Three big reasons why our cost for prenatal checkups was on the higher side:

No way around it –
private healthcare
 is WAY more expensive than public healthcare. I actually offered to go the public route, but husband insisted on private for the convenience and service

We opted to do the
NICC or non-invasive chromosomes check
 to check for Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. This optional test was around RM1500

I don’t really know how the system works, but we were somehow
assigned a visiting doctor instead of a resident doctor.
 Granted our doctor was excellent but the latter’s fee would have been cheaper

We are lucky that we can afford this expense, but if budget is an issue for you, then deciding on public healthcare would be the first decision to make. You can avoid /significantly reduce this cost and do your prenatal checkups at Klinik Kesihatan – it’s FREE*

*or RM5 if need to refer your case to a specialist, I heard. Still, VERY cheap compared to private

#2 – Delivery & Labour Cost

Cost: RM9,449.20 in total – RM5,657.50 for Delivery and RM3,791.70 for Baby

(Some of you joked that baby Mika saved me money thanks to my
unusual birth circumstances
, but that was not the case. They may not charge me for the typical delivery costs but they sure did charge me for everything else. Like the casino, the private hospital always wins 🙂

Similar to #1, this expense is cheap if you go through the public health route. It’ll cost as low as under RM50 to as high as a few hundred only, depending on type of care received.

However, if you opt for private like we did, expect the bill to come up to a few thousand ringgit. The ‘cheapest’ delivery and labour cost I’ve heard for private hospital is around RM4-5k, and that’s for normal vaginal birth, no epidural, no complications.

If you decide to go private, it’s not a bad idea to prepare RM15k or so just to be safe, in case of emergency C-section or other complications.

#3 – Supplements

Cost: RM1161.55 for 9 months

Throughout my pregnancy, I had to take supplements for omega-3, calcium, iron, folic acid and more. I also had to drink the milk supplement thing.

I heard (but can’t confirm) that public healthcare would give you free supplements. If someone can verify this info, I’d be very grateful. [Update: verified info! Thanks y’all ❤]

Obligatory disclaimer: Follow your doctor’s recommendation, don’t simply follow me here.

#4 –  Baby Stuff

Note: ‘Baby Stuff’ is a HUGE list so I categorised the items further into: Nursery, Feeding, Gear, Bathing, Clothing, Diapeering. Playtime, For Mom and Travel.

Cost: RM4,621.68
so far
 – we haven’t bought everything in this list. All-in-all, I estimate the cost for baby-related stuff will hit RM5k+, possibly more.

Most of the items in this list were from baby expos, Shopee finds or thrifted from Carousell, aka reasonable, even cheap in cost. However, I will highlight a couple of items that were pricier because they are higher in quality and more importantly, multi-functional*.

*We live in a 6xx square feet apartment – we don’t have a lot of space

Category: Nursery

Items in this list:

Crib/cot

Changing pad

Diaper bin

Organiser

Baby nest

Changing table

I bought the
PreMaman/Hugobaby 2-in-1 standing bath tub with changing table
 for RM379 (include delivery). It’s pretty good, I like it.

Category: Feeding

Items in this list:

Bottle drying rack

Bibs

Burp cloth

Formula container

Steam steriliser

Bottles

High chair

Nursing pillow

For nursing pillow, I opted for the multifunctional
Doomoo Buddy
, which is a 3-in-1 pregnancy, baby and nursing pillow. I also got the
Relax cover
, which gives the pillow one more function – a toddler pouf as well.

At around RM450 for both pillow and cover, it’s a
bit
 lot pricey BUT it is a good-quality product and I can get years of use out of it. Worth it for me.

Category: Gear

Items in this list:

Car seat

Stroller

Baby carrier

White noise machine

Baby monitor

Note: We bought the
Evenflo Pivot Modular Travel System
, a 3-in-1 car seat/stroller/baby carrier combo for RM999.

Category: Bathing

Items in this list:

Baby bathtub

Hooded towel

Body wash/shampoo

Baby lotion

Washcloths

Alcohol wipes

Category: Baby clothing

Items in this list:

0-3 months clothes

3-6 months clothes

Swaddles

Barut/Binder

Baby detergent

Mittens

Booties

Hats

Bibs

Category: Diapering

Items in this list:

Newborn diapers

Small-size diapers

Baby wipes

Rash cream/ Nappy cream

Telon oil

Diaper mat

Category: Playtime

Items in this list:

Playgym

Flash cards

Rattle toys

Playpen

Category: For Mom

Items in this list:

Nursing bras

Non-slip indoor slippers

Pantang socks

Manual breast pump

Electric breast pump

Milk collector

Milk storage bottles

Menstrual pads

Breast pads

Maternity underwear

Nipple balm

Category: Travel

Items in this list:

Baby carrier

Cooler bag

Ice packs

Diaper bag

Travel changing mat

When I first did my research on what a newborn needs, I was so surprised that such a little thing needs this many stuff 🙂

#5 – Learning Materials

Cost: ~RM1500

As first-time parents, we were understandably nervous about caring for a newborn. To prepare for parenthood, we bought:

An online parenting course

An offline parenting seminar

Hypnobirthing sessions

Lots of books

#6 – Confinement care

Cost: RM6000 for 28 days confinement service (stay-in package)

This is an optional but highly recommended service, especially for first time parents or for people who need extra help with baby and mom care. Personally, this is the best money spent in this whole list!

My cost here is a bit on the high side – 28 days is actually quite long and you can reduce the number of days. According to my confinement lady, 2 weeks or 14 days is the most popular duration and should be enough (cost around RM3000).

Ps – I went with
Suraya Mothercare
 and think the service is great. My CL vouched for
Pudina Confinement
 so that’s another option.

#7 – Religious obligation

Cost: Around RM1500~2500

I’m not sure if people from other religions have a similar obligation (if at all), but Muslims are encouraged to:

Donate the newborn’s hair weight in gold (shaved on 7/14/21st day; typically between 1-3 grams), and

Give aqiqah (2 x goats if boy, 1 x if girl)

Of course, you can also organise a majlis aqiqah at additional cost.

#8 – Misc

Cost: RM500 or so

And finally were things that don’t quite fit anywhere else but still included under the overall baby costs. Here are some things we bought:

Pregnancy test kits

Maternity-friendly clothes (aka lots of dresses)

Pregnancy photoshoot

I also bought therapy sessions to talk through the ambivalent feelings I experienced, and went on two international trips to say goodbye to child slash responsibility-free life, but that’s tracked seperately 🙂

Takeaways from this baby cost breakdown

Like I said in the beginning of this article, this baby cost breakdown reflects *our* budget and choices. We spent RM33.5k but it is possible to significantly reduce the cost. One can do that by:

Choosing public healthcare rather than private

Sourcing for second-hand and hand-me-down baby stuffs

Having your spouse/parents help you with confinement care

Utilising the internet to learn about pregnancy and baby care

That said, after having gone through all this, I personally wouldn’t be comfortable having (another?) child if I don’t have at least RM10k in savings. Not only some random expenses will still crop up, but there is also a ‘safe’ feeling that the amount would provide, and reduces stress/anxiety for the parents.

Anyway, writing this baby cost breakdown article has been fun. Anyone else keep track of their baby costs, from pregnancy until birth? Any finance-related baby tips and tricks you want to share? If yes, share in the comments!


[Nepotism] Shop My Sisters’ Baju Raya 2021 Collection (Regular & Plus Size)

Let’s get straight to the point – both my sisters are boutique owners at
Marquise.my
 (regular size) and
Malaysia Plus Size
, and OUT OF THE GOODNESS OF MY HEART I’m dedicating this post to promo their baju raya 2021 collection.

If you’re trying to save money, please skip this post. If you were looking for Raya clothes anyway, or sengaja nak cuci mata, scroll on 🙂

All of these baju raya sets can be styled multiple ways, including using the tops/bottoms separately for office and casual wear (practical and value for money!). If you like what you see, please contact them directly to make purchases, the stocks are not with me.

Shop #1 – Marquise.my (Regular size Baju Raya 2021)

Buy at >>
Marquise.my
 website |
Marquise.my Instagram
<<

*PROTIP: Check the SALE section. Also: Use code ‘SURAYA10’ for extra 10% off! Just apply during checkout 🙂

Ayana Kurung set – RM149 (S/M and L/XL size)

Description: Neat back-pleated, ribbon cuff sleeves detailing paired with a flowy flared skirt.

Available colours: Midnight blue, Olive green, Purple grape, Maroon red, Nude blush

Petunia Kaftan set – RM129 (S-XL)

Description: A free size Kaftan design, suitable from Small up to XL. Hidden tieback feature, can be styled 2-ways.

Available colours: Black, Dusty blue, Champagne

Fleur Kaftan set – RM129 (S-XL)

Description: A free size Kaftan design, suitable from Small up to XL. Hidden tieback feature, can be styled 2-ways.

Available colours: Black, Dark blue, Teal green, Copper brown

Salma set – RM99 (S-XL)

Description: Relax Raya Collection. A comfy iron-less set of long top and pants with pockets

Available colours: Black, Sky blue, Olive green, Golden brown, Maroon red, Dusty rose

Buy at >>
Marquise.my
 website |
Marquise.my Instagram
<<

*PROTIP: Check the SALE section. Also: Use code ‘SURAYA10’ for extra 10% off! Just apply during checkout 🙂

Shop #2 – Malaysia Plus Size (Plus Size Baju Raya 2021)

Buy at >>
Malaysia Plus Size Instagram page
<< *PROTIP: Check the CLEARANCE page

Muliya Batwing Modern Kurung set – RM149 inc postage

Available colours: Brown, Olive, Black

Fleur Pleated Modern Kurung set – RM179 inc postage

Available colours: Sky Blue, Coral, Lilac

Se-ri Flared Kurung set – RM129 inc postage

Available colours: Off White, Mustard, Rose, Dusty Blue, Dusty Green

Buy at >>
Malaysia Plus Size Instagram page
<< *PROTIP: Check the CLEARANCE page

That’s it. That’s today’s blogpost. Just promoting my sisters’ shops. Damn I feel like a good big sister.


[Nepotism] Shop My Sisters’ Baju Raya 2022 Collection (Regular & Plus Size)

If you’re trying to save money, please skip this post. If you were looking for Raya clothes anyway, or sengaja nak cuci mata, scroll on 🙂

All of these baju raya sets can be styled multiple ways, including using the tops/bottoms separately for office and casual wear (practical and value for money!). If you like what you see, please contact them directly to make purchases, the stocks are not with me.

From Marquise.my (Regular size Baju Raya 2022)

#1 – MIRAE Two-Piece Kaftan Set – RM229 (S-XL)

Available colours: Black, Tiffany Blue, Nude Beige, White
Can be styled 3 ways: Loose style, Side tuck, Tuck-in
More pics, videos and details

#2 – Fleur Two-Piece Kaftan Set – RM169 (S-XL)

Available colours: Dark Grey, Sage Green, Soft Yellow, Pink Blush, Powder Pink
Can be styled 3 ways: Loose style, Side tuck, Tuck-in
More pics, videos and details
Also available in 2XL, 3XL and 4XL

#3 – Petunia Kaftan set – RM109 (S-XL)

Available colours: Black, Dusty Blue, Champagne
Can be styled 2-ways.
More pics, video and details

#4 – Fleur Kaftan set – RM129 (S-XL)

Available colours: Teal green and Copper Brown
Can be styled 2-ways.
More pics, video and details

#5 – NOURA Relax Raya Set

Description: Relax Raya Collection. A comfy iron-less set of long top and pants with pockets

Available colours: Black, Dark blue, Olive green, Burgundy Purple, Gold brown, Cream
More pic, video and details

From Malaysia Plus Size (Plus Size Baju Raya 2022)

#1 – Naara Two-Piece Kaftan Set – RM239 (2XL, 3XL)

Available colours: Midnight Blue, Deep Maroon, Brick Red, Lavender, Dusty Plum, Dusty Rose, Sage Green, Oatmeal (pictured)
More pics, videos and details

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ✨Plus Size Raya 2023 Collection ✨ Plus Size Ent SA0436508-D (@malaysiaplussize)

#2 – Fleur pleated modern kurung – RM189 (2XL, 3XL, 4XL)

Available in 5 prints: Dark Grey (pictured), Sage Green, Soft Yellow, Pink Blush, Powder Pink
Can be styled 3 ways: Loose style, Side tuck, Tuck-in
More pics, videos and details

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by ✨Plus Size Raya 2023 Collection ✨ Plus Size Ent SA0436508-D (@malaysiaplussize)

#3 – Muliya Batwing Modern Kurung set – RM159

Available colours: Brown, Olive, Black
More pics, video and details

#4 – Se-ri Flared Kurung set – RM85-95

Available colours: Off White, Mustard, Rose, Dusty Blue, Dusty Green
More pics, videos and details

That’s it. That’s today’s blogpost. Just promoting my sisters’ shops. Damn I feel like a good big sister.


Y’All, ‘Bergaji & Pokai’ Book is Out! (Share & Win RM250!)[ENDED]

I have a new book! I have a new book! It’s called
Bergaji & Pokai: Membina Kehidupan Bebas Tekanan Melalui Pengurusan Kewangan Yang Realistik
 and published by Iman Publication!

You can
purchase the book here
 for RM30 or read a FREE chapter here:
https://bit.ly/BabPercumaPokai

Bergaji & Pokai is for everyone who has always requested to read my content in Malay. I heard you 🙂

The book is written for people who have tried to learn personal finance yourself and read all sorts of books, but still find yourself confused and unsure what to do. It’s a beginner-friendly, step-by-step guide to managing your finances.

If the below is you, get yourself
a copy
🙂 You won’t regret it.

Share Bergaji & Pokai in social media, win RM250!

In conjunction with the new book release, I thought it would be fun to do a lucky draw!
All you have to do is share Bergaji & Pokai on your social media, and you could win RM250 in cash (or bitcoin!)
. No book purchase necessary to enter 🙂

I figured, rather than spend the money on FB ads to promote the book, might as well give it to one of you 😛

(I mean, it would mean the world to me if you support and
buy a copy of Bergaji & Pokai
. But I understand if money is tight and you don’t :’) Prioritise building your emergency savings boo)

How to enter and win the lucky draw

Step 1:
 Enter the raffles you want and collect as many entries as possible until the end date,
11 November 2022 (until 11.59pm)
.

Step 2:
 Winners will be randomly selected from the pool of entries via lucky draw method and contacted by email. The more entries you have, the more chances you have to win. If the winner does not reply back by a set time (three days after the lucky draw ends) or do not satisfy T&Cs, a new winner will be selected.

Step 3:
 Winners will be connected to sponsors to claim the prize. I’ll also announce on the
Ringgit Oh Ringgit FB page
 for everyone’s closure.

What are the Terms and Conditions

Here are the T&C of this lucky draw

You must be living in Malaysia so I can transfer the money to you easily

I have the right to amend their prizes and terms, and disqualify winners who do not satisfy any of the conditions in the lucky draw. If this happens, a new winner will be picked.

Spambots/fake emails/ fake accounts = automatically disqualified from the lucky draw WITHOUT NOTICE

PROTIP
: Some entries can be collected DAILY.

Alright got it! How do I enter the lucky draw?

🙂 Do any or all of the actions below! All the best!

Note:

Login with email. If you win, this is how I’ll contact you. Database will be deleted post-lucky draw

Agree with T&C is mandatory. Click on that and sharing/other options will show up

You can EDIT the captions in tweets and FB posts, no problem. In fact I encourage it 🙂

In case the thing got problem, try log out email then log back in and see if that works

BONUS: Make money by promoting Bergaji & Pokai

If you picked up Bergaji & Pokai for yourself and would happily recommend it to others, why not make money at the same time? Join
ImanShoppe’s Affiliate or Dropship programme
 and earn between 5-25% from every book sold 🙂

Note: dropship biz got small fee but higher profit margin. joining affiliate programme is free

(You can also promote & sell any of the books in Iman Shoppe, too. Not just mine 🙂 View all books
here
)


Best Credit Cards in Malaysia: 6 Maybank Cards to Earn Cashback & Points

I’ll just right away say it:
 the best credit cards in Malaysia are cashback credit cards
, aka cards that give you back money, or points that can be used as money.

Unless for specific situations,
lifestyle cards, travel cards, Airmiles cards and the rest are all useless to me
. I will not entertain any questions about this 🙂

In this article, we will focus on Maybank credit cards specifically because of these simple reasons:

It’s the biggest bank in Malaysia, and many people have bank accounts there

They have pretty good options for people earning median income (RM24,000-RM60,000 per year)

They have great card choices with no min spend and no lifetime fee (you still have to pay the annual RM25 service tax per credit card though – this one standard for all cards)

Best Maybank Credit Cards: My verdict (with your input)

Not all Maybank credit cards are created equal – some are better than others. Ranked by cashback %, the Maybank credit cards I can recommend are:

Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i –
 best Islamic credit card for online shopping (8% cashback)

Maybank 2 Cards Gold
/
Platinum
 – best credit card for weekend spending (5% cashback)

Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Gold/
Platinum
 Card-i
 – best Islamic credit card for petrol and groceries (5% cashback)

Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card
 – best for shopping on Shopee platform (up to 5% cashback)

Maybank GRAB MasterCard Platinum
 – best for frequent Grab users (effectively 3.125% cashback)

Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature
 – Only get it if you’re a Barcelona fan. I totally get it (1% cashback)

All of them are cashback credit cards or rewards credit cards. The requirements for each credit card, and the advantages and disadvantages of owning them are covered in each section below.

Even if you don’t want to use them, you must know about these cards –
it gives you a great benchmark to compare with credit cards from other banks.

#1 – Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i

The first card on this list is the
Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i
:

Min income: RM3,333 per month / RM40,000 per year

Best feature: Islamic credit card; 8% cashback for online shopping

Capped at RM50 per month, increased to RM100 in Ramadan and Syawal months

Apply for
Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i
 at ->
Direct from Maybank
 (as of writing time, only from Maybank) (see how to apply credit cards section below)

Maybank Islamic American Express Platinum Card-i Review: Advantages

#1 – No annual fee

Credit cards with no annual fee are always good.

#2 – GREAT cashback and benefits

As someone who always compare credit cards, I can recognise great cashback and benefits when I see one! With the
Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i
, you get:

8% cashback for online spending, up to RM100 a month in Ramadhan and Syawal months*

8% cashback for online spending, up to RM50 a month in other months

Welcome gift and Treatpoints

Basically, you only have to make RM625 per month in online spending to maximise the RM50 cashback per month. In Ramadhan and Syawal months, you can maximise RM100 cashback by making RM1250 in online spending (great for Raya shopping!)

*As of writing time, Ramadhan and Syawal is fast approaching so better apply for this card ASAP if you want to maximise the cashback!

#3 – Can collect Maybank Treatpoints

You get 1-3 Treatpoints for every RM1 spent on the Amex card.

#4 – Branded as an eco-friendly card

It’s probably greenwashing, but like they say, every effort counts.

Maybank Islamic American Express Platinum Card-i Review: Disadvantages

#1 – AMEX is not accepted everywhere

AMEX may not be accepted as a payment method at some online stores, so check first before you spend.

Apply for
Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i
 at ->
Direct from Maybank
 (as of writing time, only from Maybank) (see how to apply credit cards section below)

#2 – Maybank 2 Cards Platinum/Gold

I’m biased because I personally use this card, but I think the
Maybank 2 Cards
 as a set is one of the best Maybank credit card for beginners.

The Maybank 2 Cards come in 2 variants:

Maybank 2 Gold Cards
(min income: RM2,500 per month / RM30,000 per year)

Maybank 2 Platinum Cards
 (min income: RM5,000 per month / RM60,000 per year)

Best feature: 5% cashback for weekend spending

Max cashback per month: RM50

Apply for
Maybank 2 Cards
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

Note: Do not mistake this card with the Maybank 2 Premier Cards (min income: RM8,333.33 per month / RM100,000 per year). That’s more of a lifestyle/travel credit card rather than a cashback credit card, don’t accidentally take it (unless you want to)

Maybank 2 Gold Cards Review: Advantages

#1 – No annual fee

Credit cards with no annual fee are always good.

#2 – Get 2 cards

IMHO having all three VISA, Mastercard and AMEX will give you the widest range of discounts and savings opportunities. With Maybank 2 Cards, you get two out of those three.

(Don’t knock this perk. Imagine you buy books in MPH and suddenly got 15% discount if pay by Mastercard or something? You don’t want?)

#3

– Easy to get cashback

Some cashback credit cards make it really hard for you to satisfy T&C – they want you to spend a minimum of XXX amount in XXX category for a minimum of X times a month/year. The T&Cs for the Maybank 2 cards is simple –
5% cashback on weekend spending, capped at RM50 per month.

Any category except government services and utilities is eligible for cashback
. This is great because you can time your grocery shopping and petrol filling on the weekends.

These spending categories alone can easily reach RM1000 per month, thus maxing out RM50 cashback per month, translating to RM600 savings per year!

Protip: If your favourite grocery store allows Touch n Go card top up, you can effectively get 5% cashback on your parking/toll as well (or whatever you use your TnG card for).

#4 – Can collect Maybank Treatpoints

You get 5 Treatpoints for every RM1 spent on the Amex card during weekdays.

Maybank 2 Gold Cards Review: Disadvantages

#1 – 2 cards = double the credit card service tax

2 cards are great and all, but you’ll be subjected to the mandatory credit card service tax, which is RM25 per year PER card. Therefore, two cards = RM50 credit card service tax per year.

#2 – AMEX is not accepted everywhere

AMEX is not accepted as a payment method at many locations. Hypermarkets stores, petrol stations and bigger stores usually fine but personally I do mentally bookmark smaller shops that accept AMEX because it’s not as common.

#3 – The Mastercard can be kinda useless

The Maybank 2 Card Mastercard doesn’t offer many perks, only points. Many people* say that they took the Maybank 2 Cards and almost never use the Mastercard, just keep in drawer. To each their own I guess.

*Many people who already have other Mastercard/Visa card with better benefits to use

Apply for
Maybank 2 Cards
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

#3 – Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Gold/Platinum Card-i

The third Maybank credit card on the list,
Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Card-i
 also comes in two variants:

Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Platinum Card-i
(min income: RM5,000 per month / RM60,000 per year)

Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Gold Card-i
(min income: RM2,500 per month / RM30,000 per year)

Best feature: 5% cashback on petrol and groceries spending on Friday and Saturday; Islamic credit cards

All cashbacks are capped at RM50 per month

Apply for
Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Card-i
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

Note:
Maybank Islamic Petronas Ikhwan Visa Card-i

is also worth considering. With 8% cashback for weekend petrol spend at Petronas, it’s probably the best Maybank Petronas credit card.

Maybank Ikhwan Credit Cards Review: Advantages

#1 – No annual fee

Credit cards with no annual fee are always good.

#2 – Syariah-compliant credit cards

Great if you’re looking for an Islamic credit card.

Maybank Ikhwan Credit Cards Review: Disadvantages

#1 – Limited to Petrol and Groceries categories

The best options, Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Platinum Card-i
 and
Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Gold Card-i  only give cashback on Petrol and Groceries categories.

That said it’s not hard to max out RM1000 per month on both expenses, especially if you have a family.

#2 – Limited to Friday/Saturday spending

If your lifestyle doesn’t allow you to pump petrol/ go grocery shopping on Friday or Saturday, then you can’t really use these cards.

Apply for
Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Card-i
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

#4 – Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card

The next Maybank credit card in this list is the
Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card
:

Min income: RM2,000 per month / RM24,000 per year

Best feature: Up to 5% cashback for spending on Shopee

Apply for
Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

This Maybank Shopee credit card is a rewards credit card where points collected can be redeemed on Shopee platform. You get:

5 points on every RM1 – on Shopee spends on Special Days*

4 points on every RM1 – on Dining, payWave and Entertainment spend on Special Days*

2 points on every RM1 – on Shopee spends on Normal Days

2 points on every RM1 – on Dining, payWave and Entertainment spend on Normal days

1 points on every RM1 – on utilities, education, EzyPay and insurance

1 points on every RM1 – on other spend

Note: Max 5000 points or RM50 worth per month. Excess points are converted to Maybank Treatpoints

*Special Days =
every 28th of each month, 9.9, 11.11, 12.12, CNY and Raya Campaigns

Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card Review: Advantages

#1 – No annual fee

Credit cards with no annual fee are always good.

#2 – Effectively 5% Cashback

if used on Special Days

1 point = 1 sen, therefore 5 points on every RM1 spend on Shopee on Special Days* is effectively 5% cashback.

*Special Days = every 28th of each month, 9.9, 11.11, 12.12, CNY and Raya Campaigns

#3 – A Platinum card with low minimum income

requirement

You get to brag about having/using a Platinum credit card with just RM2,000 minimum income per month haha.  Yes I know it’s just a vanity thing but hey it’s nice to own a Maybank Platinum credit card okayy.

Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card Review: Disadvantages

#1 – Only 1-3 days Special Days a month

Unlike the Maybank 2 Cards, where you get 5% cashback on weekend spending (8 days a month), you only get a few days at most per month to get 5 points per RM1 spend on Special Days. Again, Special Days are only on
every 28th of each month, 9.9, 11.11, 12.12, CNY and Raya Campaigns
.

However on the flip side.. Having the Special Day requirement is also a good way to practice delayed gratification and reduce impulse purchases. If you want something, tell yourself to wait until the 28th (or other Special Days). Sometimes the desire goes away by then.

#2 – Possible increased price during Special Days

Not all vendors do it, but some certainly do. You can
download a Chrome extension
 to check the price movement before purchasing. After all, what’s the point of getting 5% cashback if you’re buying at 10% more.

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Apply for
Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

#5 – Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum

Next is the
Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum
:

Min income: RM2,000 per month / RM24,000 per year)

Best feature: Great for Grab power user

No cap on points/cashback you can earn

Apply for
Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

This Maybank Grab credit card is a rewards credit card where points collected can be converted to vouchers and redeemed on Grab platform. You get:

5 points on every RM1 – for all purchases made in Grab app, including Grab e-wallet reloads

2 points on every RM1 – for transaction made overseas, cross-border and e-commerce

1 points on every RM3 – for other local purchases made

Extra GrabRides and GrabFood vouchers

The points-to-voucher conversion varies according to the type of voucher you get, but generally 160 points get you RM1 worth of voucher. Therefore, if you optimise your Maybank Grab credit card properly and get the max points, you can get RM1 back for every RM32, or effectively 3.125% cashback.

(Someone check my maths here pls)

Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum Review: Advantages

#1 – No annual fee

Credit cards with no annual fee are always good.

#2 – No cap on points
,
which can be converted to vouchers

Unlike other credit cards on this list, there is no limit to how many points you can earn. And if my maths check out, 3.125% cashback is not bad if unlimited cashback.

(Seriously pls check my maths)

#3 – A Platinum credit card with low minimum income

requirement

Like the Maybank Shopee credit card, the minimum income required for the Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum is only RM2,000 per month.
 Feel
 like a T20!

Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum Review: Disadvantages

#1 – Grab may revise their points-to-vouchers conversion from time to time.

The last time
Grab revised the points-to-voucher conversion in June 2020, the vouchers cost 33% more points
.

They may do it again – may I remind you that despite everything, Grab is still not making money. Eventually they will need to give their investors the promised returns and cut back on customer perks even more.

#2 – Not useful if you’re not a heavy Grab user

Skip this credit card if you don’t use Grab often. Go, before you get used to the convenience and interface. It’s too late for me but not too late for you.

Apply for
Maybank GRAB Mastercard Platinum
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

#6 – Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature

Lastly is the
Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature
 card:

Min income: RM4,000 per month / RM48,000 per year

Best feature:
 1% cashback on all purchases except for government bodies, utilities and e-wallet reloads

Capped at RM50 cashback per month

Apply for
Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature
 at ->
RinggitPlus website
 |
Direct from Maybank
 (see how to apply credit cards section below)

Ok, this card USED to be an excellent cashback credit card by Maybank – they gave
10% cashback
 on spending made in May and August, capped at RM100 per month. However, Maybank has since revised the T&C and now
it’s no longer a good option
, compared to others on the list.

To conclude again,

Best Maybank Credit Cards: My Verdict

Maybank Islamic Ikhwan American Express Platinum Card-i –
 best Islamic credit card for online shopping (8% cashback)

Maybank 2 Cards Gold
/
Platinum
 – best credit card for weekend spending (5% cashback)

Maybank Islamic MasterCard Ikhwan Gold/
Platinum
 Card-i
 – best Islamic credit card for petrol and groceries (5% cashback)

Maybank Shopee Visa Platinum Card
 – best for shopping on Shopee platform (up to 5% cashback)

Maybank GRAB MasterCard Platinum
 – best for frequent Grab users (effectively 3.125% cashback)

Maybank FC Barcelona Visa Signature
 – Only get it if you’re a Barcelona fan. I totally get it (1% cashback)

How to apply for Maybank credit cards

P/s – Shoutout to everyone who use my affiliate link if you plan to get Maybank credit card (any card, not just the ones above). It’s a small way to support me, at no cost to you 🙂

Go back to the Maybank credit cards that are most suitable for you, factoring in your income, lifestyle and possible credit card use. You can apply via RinggitPlus and/or direct from Maybank.

Applying from RinggitPlus
 is fairly straightforward: Simply click on the links above and submit your application.

Applying from Maybank
 website requires these steps:

1) First, click on this link, which brings you
direct to Maybank online-only offer page
. Click on ‘Apply Now’ (green button)

2) Click on the Change Features button (top left)

3) Then, set your income, select cashback + your interest and pick the credit card you want from the selection

4) Submit your application

The necessary disclaimer about responsible usage of credit cards…

Because I wouldn’t be a responsible personal finance content creator if I didn’t write this out.

I know credit cards have a bad reputation. And for good reason, too: a whopping 3 out of 5 people do not pay (cannot afford to pay?) their credit card balances in full (Source:
NST, 2017
)

Yet… as horrible as those statistics are, you can’t deny that they are immensely useful as a financial tool. I had this realisation when someone asked me which option would I pick: paying a large amount via cash or via credit card. I picked credit card without hesitation.

Why? They’re amazing for building up my credit score. For getting additional benefits and discounts when buying stuff I wanted to get anyway. For convenience in payments. And perhaps most importantly, for emergencies.

Related:
Malaysians Share the Biggest Credit Card Expenses They Ever Made

So here goes: I’m able to maximise the utility value of my credit cards because and ONLY because:

I’m a natural saver
; my default is to NOT spend
that often
. Although admittedly the banks do try to tempt me to spend more than I should, judging by ‘the aspirational lifestyle’ promotions they keep sending me. Happy to say that’s less of a problem now since I muted all notifications from them.

I already have the money to pay back the amount in my bank account
, which I’ll use to pay in full as soon as possible (I’m not the only one who do this apparently)

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I’ll conclude this article on the best credit card in Malaysia: Maybank credit card edition here. Do you own any of the credit cards on this list? How’s your experience with it so far – good, meh or bleh? Which do YOU think is the best Maybank credit card?

Share with us in the comments 🙂


Three years ago
, I listed
everything
I bought from Lazada and rated each purchase as worth it, not worth it and SUPER WORTH IT. The summary of the results then: “Statistically, I’m happy with 23 out of 36 items, or
64% of them
. That’s one in three chance of not being happy with a product bought online, for whatever reason.”

I’m going to repeat this process all over again, with the items I have since bought from the two major online shopping platforms beloved by Malaysians, Lazada and Shopee. Similar to the last methodology, I’ll list each item bought, rate them and conclude at the end.

How happy am I with my purchases this time around, within Oct 2017-May 2020 timeframe? Let’s find out.

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Please consider using them if you want to purchase any of the products recommended, thank you! #helpacontentcreatormakemoneywithoutdependingonsponsors

Everything I Bought from Lazada and Shopee (2017 – 2020)

GTE Iscale SE Weighing Machine Body Weight Measuring Electronic Digital Scale.
Not worth it.
 Literally forgot that I bought this until dug it back out. Broke soon after bought, not dependable at all.

Original Import XiaoMi 2A Fast Charge Data Cable.
W
orth it.
 Works until it didn’t, which is fair – heavy usage every single day. But was it even original? We’ll never know. I bought a few of these cables across different shops and platforms. Not even sure which is which anymore.
Get from the Xiaomi Global Store
.

LULULUN Facial Skin Care Mask (Blue for Intense hydration and skin repair) 32pcs.
SUPER WORTH IT
.
Probably my favourite brand of face masks. Great value-for-money product, which suits my skin AND  the better option than 32 single-pack masks.
Go to the LULULUN Flagship store
.

Etude House Tint My Brows Gel 5g.
Worth it.
 A fun little beauty product, back when tinted eyebrows were trendy. I got around 10 applications or so out of this single tube.

Philips Hair Dryer.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 Still using it till today. A cheap yet dependable product.

Carbon Fibre Brushed TPU Case for Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.
Worth it.
 Protected my then-phone and looked hella sleek.

GP Batteries Ultra Alkaline 15AU 4PCS
.
Worth it.
 Needed batteries for my water flosser (included in my
13 Money-Saving Products You Rich People Can Buy
 article), does the job. Gave free AAA batteries too.

150 PCS Garbage Bag Kitchen Trash Bag Toilet Size 50 X 60 cm.
Not worth it.
 WAY TOO FLIMSY TO BE USEFUL. I don’t understand why it got 5-star ratings. Suspect seller used unethical means to generate good reviews.

WD Western Digital My Passport 1TB Black
.
Not worth it.
 I wanted this product to be good so bad. Unfortunately, it died on me only after about a year of (not even heavy) use, taking with it all the data I kept in it.

Pineng PN-333 Extension Socket.
Worth it.
 They still work.

Midea 16″ Stand Fan MF-16FS10N.
Worth it.
 It lasted two years before dying on me, which is I guess alright for a below-RM100 stand fan.

[Not pictured] JBL C100SI In-Ear Headphones with Mic.
Not worth it.
 The Xiaomi headphones were better-sounding. But then again what do I know, I’m not an audiophile or anything.

Xiaomi Mi In-Ear Headphones Basic Piston.

SUPER WORTH IT
. The sound quality is so good, given the price point. Will pick this over (one of the cheaper) JBL earphones any day. Again, not an audiophile or nothin’.
Get from the Xiaomi Global Store
.

3V Powder Coat Metal Bed Frame BY9021 – Queen Size (Grey).
Not worth it.
 Broke within one year. Like, one of the hinges just… snapped. While I was sleeping on it. Now it’s funny, but at the time? I was livid.

3-In-1 Premium Solid Plain Bed Sheet Queen Size.

Worth it.
 I think the ‘premium’ claim is a bit of a stretch but yeah it works well.

Easy Spray Mop with 2 Microfiber refill Pads Green.

Worth it
. A more convenient way to mop than the old-school version.

30pcs Premium Velvet Clothes Hanger.

Worth it
. I actually really love the look of these hangers, and it did make my wardrobe look less cluttered. But it is also kinda brittle. I think I’ve broken almost 10 of them so far.

100PCS Magic Sponge Eraser Cleaning Melamine Multi-use Foam Cleaner.
Worth it.
 NOT the best quality. Good for a couple mins of scrubs each. BUT it works and cleans well and there’s like a hundred of them, so I just kinda treat them like disposables.

Feifan Non-slip Yoga Mat.
Worth it.
 Works well. To be fair I don’t use it very often so I can’t comment about durability, but that’s not its fault.

Tefal Induction Non Stick Pure Chef Frypan 24cm.
Not worth it.
 This frying pan barely lasted a bit more than a year before the nonstick coating peeled off. I expected better from a Tefal brand!

Levi’s Revel Shaping Skinny Jeans.
Worth it.
 Tried the pants in-store, loved them, and got them for cheaper in Lazada. But having said that, I like my Uniqlo jeans better, and that’s saying a lot considering this is a Levi’s-brand jeans.

ORITA Baking Soda Laundry Detergent 1500G.
Worth it.
 Not particularly memorable, but I didn’t remember my clothes being smelly after using this.

BOYA BY-M1 3.5 mm Lavalier Microphone.

Worth it.
 A nice, cheap microphone that works, except from my smartphone dammit.

Kerastase Bain Prevention Shampoo 1000ml.
Worth it.
 Works well for my hair, but the price is too steep for me to continue using.

BIORE UV Perfect Milk 40ml.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 THIS IS MY FAVOURITE BRAND OF SUNSCREEN. I bought like 5 in this order, taking advantage of sales and coupons and any other deal-stacking I could.
Get it from Official Watson Store
.

LUCIDO-L Argan Oil Hair Treatment Oil 60ml.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 THIS IS MY FAVOURITE BRAND OF HAIR OIL. Granted, I haven’t tried a lot. But this one smells amazing.
Get it from Official Watson Store
.

100% Natural Erythritol 250g
.
Worth it.
 I use it as a substitute for sugar when cooking ‘healthier’ baked goods.

Super Fine Natural Almond Flour.
Not worth it.
 Made some pretty amazing keto bread and cookies with this ingredient. The product does what it’s supposed to do, but I overpaid for it because I didn’t check other stores. That’s on me but I’m still bitter about it. Lesson learned: always compare prices!

Carote Essential Woody Frying Pan.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 Works as intended, but also its such a pretty pan?! It’s a joy to use it for cooking honestly.
Get from the Carote Official Store
.

Crest 3D White Strips 20 Pouch.
Worth it.
 It’ll whiten your teeth alright, but not without making it more sensitive, so use with caution.
Get it here.

Myprotein Impact Whey 2.5kg in Smooth Chocolate.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 The 2.5kg bag makes 100 servings of protein shakes. That’s just RM1.42 per shake! And the Smooth Chocolate flavour is DELICIOUS.
Get it from Eji Nutrition store, they sell it at most affordable price.
Kayman’s Beauty Coal Cleanser.
Worth it.
 Found out about this brand on Twitter, bought it on a whim. It’s okay. Not really sure if its good for my skin, but it doesn’t make it bad.

Xiaomi MiA2 Screen Protector
.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 Any screen protector that does its job is worth it.

Blackwood Dry Cat Food – Original Formula Chicken Meal and Brown Rice 6kg.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 I must have bought like 10 x 6kg bags by now, this is what I fed my cats on a daily basis. They are healthy and fur is shiny too.
Get it here
.

Carote 28cm Deep Fry Pan and 18cm Saucepan Combo Set.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 I loved the frying pan so much, I got a  deep fry pan and a saucepan from the same brand, too.
Get from the Carote Official Store
.

Xiaomi ZhuiMi Dreame Dream V9 Handheld Vacuum.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 This is one of the best purchases I’ve EVER made in my adult life.
Get from the Xiaomi Global Store
.

Xiaomi Mi TV BOX S.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 It took a while to arrive, but costs way cheaper than what’s listed in the local tech stores. I went to at least 5 stores to compare prices and none of them even came close to this price.
Get from the Xiaomi Global Store
.

Flushable Tofu Cat Litter.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 Must have bought 20 or so bags of this stuff. My cats adjusted to them in no time and they do flush easily. Very eco-friendly way of disposing cat litter!

SwanPillow Latex Charcoal Pillow.

Worth it.
 Good pillow. Not my preferred density, but I imagine it’d be perfect for someone who likes their pillows firm. Keeps its shape well.

Philips Air Purifier AC1215.
Worth it.
 It works and the design looks better than other options. Most importantly it’s a good size for my apartment (I learned that when purchasing air purifiers, apparently you have to pick one that’s powerful enough for your room size. If not, no point.)

Kiss Me Heroine Make Long & Curl Mascara.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 My favourite mascara brand. It’s the only one that I’ve ever used which doesn’t smudge. Do you know how hard that is to find?? This is now my go-to mascara, no more experimenting.
Get from this Lazmall store
.

Mister Coffee brand Ground Coffee in multiple varieties.
Worth it.
 After testing a few varieties of Mister Coffee-brand ground coffee, from Arabica to Brazil, I can conclusively say that I like the Costa Rica blend the most 🙂
Buy Mister Coffee here
.

[Not pictured] Desktop Table Metal Mini Tripod Microphone Stand.
Not sure if wor
th it.
 I don’t know, never used this item. I bought a microphone but the seller cancelled *that* order because it went out of stock so I’m stuck with a microphone stand I can’t use.

[Not pictured] Sony Black DualShock®4 Wireless Controller for PlayStation 4.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN HOOK THIS UP TO YOUR LAPTOP AND USE IT TO PLAY STEAM GAMES? Loved playing Harvest Moon with these controllers – I can’t get used to keyboard system.
Get from the Sony Flagship Store
.

[Not pictured] The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%.
Worth it.
 I think there’s a difference in my skin? I’m not the most consistent with using it, but this product was recommended by countless people so chances are, it worked for me too.

Khind Electric Jug Kettle EK5817 (1.7L).
Not worth it.
 When will I stop buying the plastic electric kettles haih. They never last long. This one only lasted for a couple of months before dying on me.

i-Blason Cosmo Case for Surface Pro.
SUPER WORTH
 IT.
 I threw away my previous laptop casing which – believe it or not – started shedding everywhere. So happy with this design. It’s so pretty omg. So pretty.

LULULUN Daily Facial Mask Whitening 32s.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 A repeat purchase, this time trying the whitening version. The whitening variant just happened to be cheaper than the other versions.
Go to the LULULUN Flagship store
.

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL 500 ML.
Worth it.

When MCO just started, I couldn’t find antibacterial wipes anywhere, but have a ton of normal wet wipes in stock in my cabinet. So I decided to DIY it. Poured rubbing alcohol into wet wipe packs = ta-da, antibacterial wipes.
Get the product here
.

Adjustable Gaming Chair in Grey.

Not worth it.
 I don’t think I have the right table to pair with this chair, so I don’t use it. It’s now the cats’ favourite sleeping spot.

Toshiba Jug Kettle 1.7L.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 That’s a great price for such a well-built kettle. Granted it’s very new, and I might edit this section if the product fails me, but so far, I love it.

Toshiba Stand Fan 16 Inch.
SUPER WORTH IT.
 The price is good, it works well, but most-importantly the
all-white colour fits my apartment’s aesthetics better!

Country Farm Organics Soybean Powder.
Worth it.

It’s not as tasty as the other brand I’ve tried, but it’s alright. Drinkable.

 Diamond Painting Kit.
Worth it.
 Had fun doing this diamond painting kit. Once in a while, I enjoy a good mindless, relaxing activity that is NOT screen-related, you know? This was also a birthday present from myself, to myself.

Reflecting back from past Lazada and Shopee purchases

Here’s the final verdict, based on the 3 years’ worth of data.

‘Worth it’ count: 25 out of 53 items

‘SUPER WORTH IT’ count: 19 out of 53 items

‘Not worth it’ count: 9 out of 53 items

Others (cancelled order, couldn’t use): 2 items

Therefore, percentage-wise, I am happy with 44 out of 53 items I bought from Lazada and Shopee, or
83.02% of the time
.
Awesome, that’s a higher percentage than 3 years ago, when my satisfaction level with items received were just 64% of the time!

What happened? Did I get better with product selection over the years? Did the online shopping platforms themselves took steps to ensure better stuff are sold there? Did user reviews get better over time, which helped me make my product selection better? A combination? Other factors perhaps?

Overall, I can conclude that my online shopping experience was more positive than negative. I will continue making online orders from
Lazada
 and Shopee….not that I have much choice, given pandemic and everything. It kind of sucks that
Shopback
 (note: referral link) stopped offering cashback for Lazada and Shopee purchases though.

What’s your latest SUPER WORTH IT purchase from Lazada and Shopee? Let me know in the comments section!


7 Budget-Friendly Online Bookstores in Malaysia

Books from online bookstores in Malaysia! One of the few socially acceptable items to buy in abundance. A source of personal growth, entertainment and… decoration. It’s okay to admit that last part – I like a nice book wall too.

I’ve been collecting a list of budget-friendly online bookstores in Malaysia, which I’d love to share with you in this listicle.

Where can I buy cheap books online in Malaysia?

You can buy cheap books online in Malaysia from these 7 budget-friendly online bookstores. My criteria are:

They must have
 a healthy selection of books under RM30
Free shipping and/or additional sales/price reduction
 is a bonus
Exclude
MPH Bookstore
,
Popular Bookstore
,
Kinokuniya Bookstore
,
Borders Bookstore
, Times etc from this list because you probably know these bookstores already, and they are not known as budget-friendly bookstores, unless during sales or clearance events.
Exclude BookDepository.com, even though it is a reliable website. The shipping simply takes too long (a few months is common)

Here we go. This list is not in any particular order.

#1 – Bookurve.com

Bookurve have a good selection of popular books at a cheaper price, and the cashback system is worth it, but that’s not why I included them here. For bargains, check out their
Used Book section
, and also their mystery boxes in fiction and non-fiction categories.

>>Buy books from
Bookurve.com
. You can also trade-in your old books for discounts. More info
here
.

#2 – Big Bad Wolf Books

You already know this baddie. As much as I love the experience of picking books from their annual warehouse sales, I also love the fact that I can buy books easily from their Shopee page.

>>Buy books from
Big Bad Wolf Books Shoppe

#3 – BookXcess Online

Bookxcess Online is the sibling of #2, also well-known for stocking random books.

>>Buy books from
BookXcess Online

#4 – BooksnBobs

If you enjoy sifting through random piles of books and discover one-off treasures that you can’t get anywhere else, you’ll like BooksnBobs. It reminds me of the times when I used to go to book warehouse sales organised at YMCA KL.

>>Buy books from
BooksnBobs
. You can also sell your books, more info
here
.

#5 – Buku-Buku Effi

If you like BookXcess, you’ll like Buku-Buku Effi! Lots of really good titles offered over at their Shopee page.

>>Buy books from
Buku-Buku Effi

#6 – Gerak Budaya

Gerak Budaya has a lot of affordable Malaysian books, especially in the Sale section! Sometimes I feel bad because I have more Western (and predominantly white and male authors) on
my bookshelves
, when I am a proud South-East Asian. Need to put more effort into reading locally produced books.

>>Buy books from
Gerak Budaya website
 or
Gerak Budaya Shopee store

#7 – Buku Fixi

And last but not least, I must include Buku Fixi for their contemporary Malay-language books (and a smaller selection of English books). I love that they don’t shy away from ‘sensitive’ topics, like religion and sexuality.

>>Buy books from
Buku Fixi Shopee store

Any other budget-friendly online bookstore in Malaysia to suggest?

Don’t suggest Book Depository – unless the specific book you want is only available there, avoid. Deliveries take too long and time is money. Plus, your local bookstores need the money more than them.

If you know of other Malaysia-based options, share in the comments. Would love to add other places you get your (physical) books from in this list. Happy book-buying 🙂

(speaking of which, have you bought
#MYMoneyStories
 books? You should)


Why Buy Now, Pay Later is Evil Reincarnated

In case you don’t know, Buy Now, Pay Later is a
trend
 that is
really
 picking up in Malaysia and all over South East Asia. The idea is simple: to allow consumers to break up their (large) purchases into smaller payments in the future – much like credit card instalments.

Hate is a strong word,
but I intensely dislike them
 nope hate is accurate; I
hate
Buy Now, Pay Later with a passion, and you should stay far, far away from them. Here’s why.

Buy Now, Pay Later Won’t Make You Happy

Buy Now, Pay Later service providers keep talking about how integrating the payment option will make the consumers happy, by allowing them to get what they want, when they want it. In fact, they’re calling it ‘stress-free’ and ‘the smart way’.

This is false.
 And I have the science to prove it.

According to the book
Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending
 by Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton, the 2nd Core Principle of Happier Spending is
Make it a Treat
 – Turn our favourite everyday things into occasional treats to enjoy them better. Getting whatever you want, whenever you want is counter-productive.

Additionally – and this is important – the 4th Core Principle of Happier Spending is
Buy Now, Consume Later
 –
the very opposite of Buy Now, Pay Later
.
Waiting and delaying consumption
 increases happiness, not the other way around.

(You can read the full article here:
How to Buy Happiness: 5 Science-Backed Principles to Know TODAY
)

Want more? Most Buy Now, Pay Later merchants sell material goods. They don’t make you as happy as you think.

Love the charts! Look at the lines – spending on experiences rates higher than spending on material items on ALL income levels.
pic.twitter.com/i89k8gvlkj
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
January 5, 2021

So let’s not kid ourselves. Whatever happiness you get is temporary (followed by intense regret; I’m speaking of myself). The only people who truly get happy by Buy Now, Pay Later plans aren’t consumers, but merchants – indeed, they can make more money
 at the expense of people who struggle with delayed gratification oop
.

Some of my digital marketer friends confirmed that sales did improve after integrating Buy Now, Pay Later payment plans for their clients. Split bragged about how they have processed
 RM10 million in transactions
 for their >250 merchants.

They target the consumer debt market

This is a screenshot from Hoolah, one of the Buy Now, Pay Later service providers in Malaysia. Look at that testimonial from an actual merchant: “Hoolah allowed us to penetrate into the market of debt holders without doing the heavy lifting”.

The message is very clear. They’re not targeting the affluent. They’re not targeting the financially well-off, the cash-rich, the (actually, not ‘just-look’) wealthy.

They’re targeting those who are used to financing their lifestyle with debt, or want to, if given the opportunity
. I believe the word they use is ‘the aspirational consumer’, as if that’s a good thing.

An actual opening paragraph from a lifestyle magazine, promoting the use of Buy Now, Pay Later to live that ‘aspirational lifestyle’

Don’t get me wrong. Banks have been promoting aspirational lifestyle too, with tools like 0% instalment credit card payments and loans and whatnot.

But the difference is,
one has to apply and get approved for credit cards and loans
. Both applications require proof of recurring income and ability to pay back.

Buy Now, Pay Later plans require no such thing.
 You just need a debit card, and in some cases, just your MyKad. The individual platform may have requirements, but generally speaking it’s not a hard to be approved. There are 4 million credit card holders in Malaysia. There are ~32 million Malaysians. You can connect the dots.

Buy Now, Pay Later have zero fees?

There’s this impression that all Buy Now, Pay Later payment plans impose zero fees to consumers. That’s not the case. I looked into some of the merchants which integrate Buy Now, Pay Later plan. Many of them only offer zero fees
upon timely payments
.

That means, if you bought something on Buy Now, Pay Later plans, and you’re facing cash flow issues next month, tough luck. Here’s the additional fee you have to pay for not having money.

GrabLater
 takes it up a notch and charges RM10 admin fee to re-activate your suspended account, ON TOP of the charge for missing scheduled payments. EDIT: GrabLater have since deleted reference to RM10 fee and instead states this: ‘The only fee that may be incurred is admin fee to reactivate your suspended account’.

I know what some of you are thinking (especially if you’re working with these Buy Now, Pay Later companies or a merchant registered with them): “But Suraya, they don’t get charged if they pay the instalments on time!”

Say hello to the admin fees:

Shopee
 charges 1.25% processing fee on order amount (and 1.5% late payment fee (effectively 15% and 18% interest per annum!)
Switch
 imposes one-time 4% admin fee to use Buy Now, Pay Later payment
 EDIT: They have since changed this. No fee for 4 instalments, but you are charged a RM120 fixed fee for longer tenure, up to 12 months
(There may be more. I lazy to check all merchants)

So yeah. If you ever consider to take up Buy Now, Pay Later plans, check the semi-hidden fees before payment. You might pay more than you think.

(Although let’s not kid ourselves here too.
We all know zero fee really means the cost is already calculated in the price and transferred over to customers
.)

EDIT: Grab’s PayLater review – be careful of the prices there. There are reports of items being more expensive. Some tech items cost 10-25%
more
than other places.

‘Responsible spending’

Tell me – how does one ‘responsibly spend’ for luxury items they couldn’t afford without instalments?

As quoted in
The Vulcan Post
, the CEO of Hoolah said

“With a market of 32 million people and only 4 million with credit cards, there was a great opportunity to bring a responsible solution to more deserving consumers to drive affordability, and personal cash flow”

Kudos to their PR department for that attempt, but I don’t buy whatever this ‘we promote responsible spending’ talk.

We’ve seen this pattern with credit card users – according to this
2017 NST article
, only 43.6% of credit card users pay their balance in full.
Less than half of credit card users are using it responsibly, and they’re supposed to be ‘credit-worthy
‘.

We can predict what’s going to happen. Look at Australia, where Buy Now, Pay Later is already a popular option:

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission found one in five buy now, pay later users is missing payments, half of users aged between 18 to 29 cut back on essential items to make repayments, and more than 1.1 million transactions in 2019 incurred multiple missed payment fees.
It also warned 15 per cent of users, and half under 29, had taken out an additional loan to pay for the services, while 55 per cent of consumers paying late had used at least two different buy now, pay later providers in the past six months.
One in five buy now, pay later users is missing payments
– Australian Financial Review

My prediction is, unless Malaysians get higher wage – and that doesn’t seem likely, the way things are going now – Buy Now, Pay Later will create higher individual debt levels on a societal level, like it did with Australia.

And its the worse kind of debt, too – consumer debt. Most of the merchants using Buy Now, Pay Later services fall under Fashion, Beauty, Gadgets, Accessories, Electronics, Home & Living and even Travel (!) categories.

So, okay, you’re a RoR reader. You’ll be like, OK OK Suraya I won’t get what I can’t afford, yes agree consumer debt is not good. Guess what..

Buy Now, Pay Later plans will still affect you if you don’t use it

Buy Now, Pay Later plans will affect you in two ways.

#1 – You will spend more

First –
it will increase your spending for non-essentials.

The fact is, you’re on social media, I’m on social media (unhealthily so), and we all see posts from friends, families, and various public figures. All of us post the best versions of ourselves online, our version of aspirational lifestyles. Heck, I do this. I have my personal brand to maintain.

I’ll give you an example. I’ve recently started spending money on fresh flowers. The RM8 ones at grocery stores.

RM8 is not much, and yes they do make me happy, but the only reason why I desire fresh flowers in the first place is because
 I see people I like and admire having them in their homes.

Aspirational lifestyle.

Compound this with every single aspect of your life. Home decoration and organisational tools (I too, like the minimalism aesthetics). Clothes. Gadgets. Hobbies. Even if you get a cheaper version of the item (as I did with the flowers – the bouquets I wanted were like RM99??), these expenses were still
technically unnecessary in the first place.

Excessive consumption is not good in the first place – not for the planet, not for your wallet. I still buy a lot of shit even knowing this fact; I’m not immune to wanting what society wants. So far, I can afford it, so it’s all good.

But what’s sad is when excessive consumption is promoted as a lifestyle to those who can’t afford it – the B40 and yes M40 too.

Malay celebrities and influencers who promote excessive consumption as a lifestyle to their B40 audience is the real Melayu jatuhkan Melayu
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
November 22, 2020

#2 – You might have to pay for them

The second way Buy Now, Pay Later plans will affect you is more worrying. Let’s assume that okay, let people buy what they want to buy, it’s their life, right?

Wrong. Even if you’re financially secure and stable, it’ll be
YOUR tax money and donations that will fund social welfare for the debt-ridden in the future.

That’s not an unreasonable statement to make. Collectively, millions of
Malaysians took out RM19.52 billion
 from their retirement savings via i-Sinar (number likely higher; article dated Jan 6 2021). Again, wages aren’t increasing. The cost of living keep on increasing; the pressure to spend is real;
marketing efforts gets better by the day
.

Now one of the barriers to spend is further eliminated by Buy Now, Pay Later payment plans. How do
you
think this will end up, 10, 20, 30 years from now?

Malaysians are generous people (the
10th most generous globally
, based on one index). I fear it’ll be up to us at the time. What else are we going to do, ignore the homeless?

Your thoughts on Buy Now, Pay Later

Don’t give me that crap on ‘but it’s just an option, take or don’t take up to you la’. Biggest bull I’ve ever heard.

It doesn’t make you happy.

It may not be zero fee.

It’s not encouraging responsible spending. I mean.. they literally tell merchants their order sizes will be bigger.

And it will affect you even if you don’t use it.

Therefore my final judgement: Buy Now, Pay Later is evil. It is so harmful to society. I wish this trend will die, but I know capitalism will win, sigh, so here I am bitching on my own personal platform.

Let me know your thoughts. If you’re a Buy Now, Pay Later provider, I would love to hear (without PR-speak if possible) – anything in the pipeline for merchants offering Essential services, for example Groceries with no fees? THAT would be a saving grace.


50+ E-Wallets in Malaysia: Which Are The Best?

Looking for the best e-wallets in Malaysia for your own use, but not sure which to pick? What are the options out there? What features are available?

Let me help you with that. In this article, I’d like to share the best e-wallets in Malaysia, as compared in their respective categories.

List of E-wallets in Malaysia: 50++

As of July 2023, there are 50
‘non-bank e-money issuer’ listed in Bank Negara Malaysia
.

However,
I wouldn’t consider this as the complete list of e-wallets in Malaysia
. It’s not. Just because an e-wallet is listed above, it doesn’t mean they are operational. The e-wallets may be in early stages, or dormant.

There are also MORE e-wallets than listed. For example, I noticed
AirAsia’s ewallet
 isn’t listed, and maybe that’s because their ewallet component is combined with BigPay? Idk.

Regardless, it’s a start. In this article, I have selected some popular e-wallets in Malaysia and listed them under 9 categories according to what they are best used for. I will then pick a favourite (or two) from each category.

Let’s start with..

#1 – The Big Three e-wallets in Malaysia

You know which Big Three e-wallets I’m talking about. List of ewallets in Malaysia in this category:

TnG ewallet

Grab ewallet

Boost ewallet

Use it for
: discounts/cashback/vouchers,
cash handouts from the govt
, the widest range of features*

(*features as of July 2023: ride-hailing, food delivery, send and receive money, remittance buy movie tickets, pay parking, pay bills, buy mobile top-up, send deliveries, buy insurance, invest in unit trust, hire service providers, book hotels and travel packages, make donations and more)

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 It’s not a bad idea to have all 3 e-wallets – TnG ewallet, Grab ewallet and Boost ewallet – as they truly have impressive range of features, and keep on adding more.

#2 – E-wallets that comes with debit/prepaid cards

Next are the ones that feature Visa or Mastercard debit/prepaid cards. List of ewallets in Malaysia in this category:

BigPay
 (use code ‘INLALP7ZLE’ to get free RM10)

Wise
 (use this link to get fee-free transfer up to RM2500)

KiplePay
 – ‘designed for students’

Merchantrade Money
 – for cross-border money transfer (ie remittance)

GoPayz
 (also provides takaful, investment, zakat payment etc)

Use it for:
travelling, transfering money, better currency exchange rates (good for buying stuff priced in USD etc), budgeting interface and expense tracker

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 From user feedback, Wise and Bigpay both have better
currency exchange rate
than the rest (let me know if otherwise)

#3 – E-wallets for ‘lifestyle’

In addition to The Big Three, other e-wallets which belong in this category are:

airasia pocket
 – AirAsia’s super app

B-Infinite
 ewallet – loyalty programme

Zapp ewallet
 – collab with MYAirlines

JuruPay
 ewallet

MCash
 ewallet

Wanna
 ewallet – ‘chat commerce app powered by AI’

GoPay
 – e-wallet for passive income? Has an MLM-ish structure, a bit sus

And more

Use it for:
 discounts, making payments

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 Unless there are discounts worth getting, I would stick to The Big Three (#1)

#5 – E-wallets by e-commerce platforms

Next are e-wallets by e-commerce platform. Tbh if I’m an e-commerce platform, I’d make an e-wallet too. Getting users to spend all the money in the e-wallet ONLY in my platform is a great strategy!

E-wallets which belong in this category are:

ShopeePay ewallet

Lazada Wallet

Presto
 ewallet (by PrestoMall)

Use it for:
discounts and/or free shipping, additional payment protection, instalment options

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 Depends on which e-commerce store you use the most. Mine is ShopeePay ewallet

#6 – E-wallets for certain locations/services

And now the e-wallets get kookier 🙂 These e-wallets act as wallets and loyalty programme of sorts. Leaders in this category:

SarawakPay
 ewallet

1Pay
 ewallet (1Utama mall’s e-wallet)

AEON ewallet

Setel
 ewallet – Petronas’s e-wallet for petrol payments

CaltexGO ewallet
 – Caltex’s e-wallet for petrol payments

Use it for:
cashback, discounts, loyalty points, state pride

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 Depends on which state you live in/ which mall or petrol station you use. Setel’s UI/UX deserves a shoutout though – so good.

#7 – E-wallets for very specific target audiences/use case

This is my favourite category of e-wallets in Malaysia. Rather than saying ‘we serve everyone’, they have identified a very specific target audience

Leaders in this category:

Instapay
 – for employers to pay salary for (foreigner) employees

Vircle
– for parents to ‘safely introduce children to the world of contactless payments, teaching them responsible spending and consumption habits’

Fasspay
 – e-wallet white label solution, aka for businesses that want to create an e-wallet

Of all the rest, I see this list growing more in the future! #blueoceanstrategy

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 Highly dependent on what feature you’re looking for

#8 – International e-wallets

You know these names – they are established international companies. Some of them have registed in Malaysia, some haven’t.

Leaders in this category:

Paypal – for people who send/receive money internationally

GPay – for Android users

Samsung Pay – for Samsung users

ApplePay – for Apple users

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 Depends which of these services you already use

#9 – E-wallets by Malaysian banks

And last but not least, there are the good ol’ e-wallets by Malaysian banks and digital banks.

Note that these are not e-wallets in the strictest sense (since they are not ‘non-bank money issuer’) yet many of us do use our banks’ mobile apps and treat them as e-wallets.

List of ewallets in Malaysia in this category:

MAE by Maybank

UOB TMRW

CIMB Clicks

RHB

HLB Connect

HSBC

Bank Islam

AmOnline

Allianceonline Mobile

iRakyat Mobile banking

OCBC

AffinSecure

Rize, the digital bank by Alrajhi Bank

and more

Best e-wallet in Malaysia in this category:
 I’ve only used a few, but can say MAE by Maybank app is pretty good. Great UI/UX.

On the flip side, I’ve heard not-so-good things about CIMB Clicks and Bank Islam bank apps

Which ones do you think are the best e-wallets in Malaysia?

So, how many e-wallets do you currently have installed? How many are you using regularly? Which one is your favourite? Which ones do you want to check out? Let me know in the comments!

As someone who is in full support of the digital economy, I do encourage you to check out the above e-wallet players – especially #7 – and see if they can solve any of your existing problems.

Bonus section: Benefits and disadvantages of e-wallets in Malaysia

Just a quick section highlighting the main advantages and disadvantages of e-wallets that you must know.

Benefits of e-wallets – safe and convenient

The obvious benefits of using e-wallets are the safety and convenience factor. *If* fraud or theft happens, it’s mostly because the users need to have better digital security practices. Contactless and cashless transactions also mean you’ll avoid dealing with banknotes, which
may carry germs
.

Related:
Verify Touch ‘n Go eWallet & 3 More 5-Minute Security Hacks

You also can’t argue with the convenience factor*. It is easy to make e-wallet payments. Topping up is also easy (too easy perhaps).

*except for iPhones users – we all know making e-wallet payments is a bit mafan because Touch ID > Face ID

Disadvantages of e-wallets – too many options; dark patterns

Too many options isn’t a bad thing, except it kinda is, when you consider most e-wallet platforms don’t allow withdrawals. Once you add funds to it, you can only spend/transfer out to friends/family.

I’d also like to point out
Dark patterns
 – the UI/UX tricks that companies do to get you to spend more. Some of them are fairly innocent, like using count-down timers to encourage faster checkouts.

Others are borderline unethical, like GrabPay implementing
Buy Now, Pay Later
 to give a false sense of affordability and encourage unnecessary spending.

Alright that’s all. Stay safe while using e-wallets kids!

Credit: https://uxknowledgebase.com/dark-patterns-3b41ed7a690e


Everything I Bought from Lazada (2014 – 2017)

I like
Lazada
 – been using them since 2014.

I also like analysing what I bought. In this post, I’d like to share 3 years’ worth of personal data, along with commentaries on the products. Specifically, were they worth buying or not?

Let’s dive right into it!

4 Piece Ceramic Knife Set with Holder.

Not worth it
. Chipped upon first use. Complained and managed to return the product and get a refund. Since then, decided to stick to metal knives.

Pineng PN968 Powerbank 10000mAh Grey
.
Not worth it
. Works fine for a few months, then it became unreliable. It would show 99% full charge one minute then 28% the next. I think I threw it away.

Trio 2.0 liter Jug Kettle.

Not worth it
. Electric kettles made of plastic does not feel safe to use at all. Used it for a few weeks before buying an aluminium version.

Pensonic Water Filter.

Worth it
. To save money on clean drinking water for everyday use, I boil water, let it cool, then run it through one of these filters. I replace them maybe once a year – sometimes due to cracks, sometimes due to moss that I can’t seem to kill. Beats paying RM100+ monthly for those Coway water filter things.

Koch Double-Sided Pan.

Worth it
. Aside from the rubber thingy in the middle coming loose, these pans are a joy to use. My parents have one and they make simple but incredible fish dishes with it. It’s literally blend paste + fish + put in pan on low-medium heat for 20 mins. They’re annoying to wash though.

(another) Pineng Powerbank (import version) 15000mAh
.
Not worth it
. Should have learnt my lesson the first time around. I thought the import version would be better, and the reviews were okay. No such luck. I’ve since sworn off Pineng products.

King Size Multi-functional wardrobe
.
Not worth it
. Tears easily. Annoying to assemble. I guess it’s ok for a temporary place, but definitely not suitable for long-term use. Mine barely lasted a year.

Lenovo Flex 2-14.

SUPER WORTH IT
. It was around RM2.1k if I remember correctly. Look at those specs! i5, 8GB ram, 500GB HDD. At 2kg plus, it’s a bit heavy and chunky, but great device for the price. Touchscreen, too.

Foam roller
.
Worth it
, considering Sports Direct was selling it at twice the price. In the end I didn’t really use it and sold it off on Carousell.

Xiaomi Mi-Band
.
Worth it
. I liked using this fitness band, mostly because it tracked my steps and did this gentle buzz when my alarm goes off in the morning. I lost the device while vacationing in Krabi though. I guess I liked it, but not enough to buy it again.

U-mobile RM50 reload
.
SUPER WORTH IT
. If you still use prepaid, take this advice: buy from ecommerce website and combine cashbacks from available vouchers, Shopback and credit card. I’ve gotten up to 10% cashback in total via this method, which is awesome for something I have to buy anyway. Related:
Hack: Get cheaper prepaid in Malaysia

Lenovo K4 Note
.
Worth it
. It’s a great device, recommended from SoyaCincau’s
best smartphone under RM1000
 list in 2016. No longer using it despite only 1+plus old because I stupidly dropped and cracked the screen. The cost of screen replacement was high, so I bought a new phone, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, which was recommended in SoyaCincau’s
best smartphones under RM1200 lis
t in 2017.

Umobile RM100 reload. Skipping this because already explained above.

Remax Safe Charge Speed Data USB Cable
.
Not worth it
. Stick to original cables, scared after those cases of exploding phones.

15 Colours Concealer Palette.

Not worth it.
 Was an impulse purchase simply because it was on sale. Doesn’t blend well.

Xiaomi Mi Powerbank 10000mAh
.
SUPER WORTH IT
. Dependable, sleek, non-bulky. Been using it for a year, the juice still strong.

Mouth guards.

Worth it
. I have bruxism aka I grind my teeth at night, while sleeping. Didn’t want to shell out RM300 or so for custom mouth guards, so I used a hack found on YouTube. Soak it in warm-hot water and while it’s flexible, mold it around your teeth. Works well enough, and stopped the damage.  Bought a couple of versions as backup and options, both works.

Bean Bag.

Not worth it
 for me, but only because I have cats. Cat hair sticks to it like crazy, and super hard to brush it off. Ended up throwing it away. It was fun having a bean bag… until you find out that it gives you back pains.

Fusta Chair.

Worth it
. It’s a basic, sturdy chair made of wood. Fits my home decor and matches the basic white dining table bought from IKEA.

42L Electric oven
.
Worth it
. Much cheaper online than offline. The free frying pan is horrible quality though, I don’t use that at all. I bake roast chickens and cookies with it, very dependable.

Quilt Cover Set with Pillow Cases.

Worth it
. Comfy and available in multiple basic colours. Looking for basic colours for bedding products was surprisingly hard. I don’t want to see vivid patterns before I sleep, you know what I mean?

Induction cooker.

Worth it,
 even if it means I can’t use my non-induction cooker-compatible cookware anymore. I still prefer gas, but my apartment building doesn’t allow that, so. I’m enjoying this product though. Can boil water damn fast.

JBL Portable Bluetooth Speaker.
 Not sure if worth it
, it never came. Asked about it and was refunded. I think the sellers regretted putting it at too low a price during that time (some sale was going on).

Phillips Handheld Garment Steamer
.
Worth it
. My apartment is small and I didn’t want to waste room for an ironing board. Works well, and steams water quite fast.

Solar Power Water Pump
.
Not worth it
. OK, so I got this to do a DIY aquaponic project. The idea is to make a self-sustaining mini-ecosystem where I can raise fish and plant vegetables for consumption. Have since abandoned the idea, but anyway, this product was really flimsy. The solar panel stopped working after a few months. If I had fish then, they would all die.

Premium Clay Pebbles (LECA)
.
Not worth it
. Offered it for donation, and the guy who picked it up told me they are sold for way cheaper at gardening shops rather than at Lazada.

Khind Hand Blender.

SUPER WORTH IT
. I use it to blend my protein shakes, whisk egg whites for fluffy cakes, finely chop onions, make homemade chili paste, blend broccoli cheese soup and more. Love this kitchen gadget.

Foldable Oval Shape Dining Table.
 I cancelled this order, so this doesn’t count. Decided to get a table from IKEA instead.

MilkLab Almond Milk.
SUPER WORTH IT
. Creamiest almond milk I’ve ever had in my life. They’ve since raised the price (and last I checked, no longer available), so that makes me sad. I bought at least 12 boxes from Lazada I think.

Xiaomi Earphones.
Worth it
. Good quality for affordable price. At this point I was already a Xiaomi fangirl, so it was an easy decision.

Fitted Bed Sheet.

Worth it
. Soft, comfortable and in a basic colour. To replace my last bedsheet which suffered, em, an accident. Women will know.

Flew Pillow
.
SUPER WORTH IT
. It was like RM17.90 for two pillows, ridiculously cheap. To replace my previous pillows – old ones that I stole from my parents’ house lol. I guess anything is an improvement after using 10-year-old pillows.

Cotton Fabric Comforter
.
Worth it
. An extra layer of comfort. I sleep better with this.

Mineral Pot Water Dispenser 17L
.
Not worth it
, only because the seller did not include a component (the dome ceramic filter was missing). I think I’ll stick to buying these offline. It’s not like it’s cheaper online, too.

Surface Pro 4 Tempered Glass Screen Protector.

Worth it
. Necessary purchase for the newly-bought laptop.

Surface Pro 4 Flip Case.

Super worth it.
 SP4 cases are kinda hard to find, and the SP3 versions in Harvey Norman was like RM200-plus bucks. This one was RM99, and looks good.

Midea Vacuum Cleaner
.
SUPER WORTH IT
. Can’t believe this product is under RM100. Daily sweeps are a bit more bearable now. I like that the dust container is transparent so I can make fun of the dirt, in a ‘oh you thought you can escape me issittt NO YOU DON’T MISTER’ way.

Reflecting back from past Lazada purchases

‘Worth it’ count: 15

‘SUPER WORTH IT’ count: 8

‘Not worth it’ count: 11

N/A (didn’t arrive, cancelled order): 2

Statistically, I’m happy with 23 out of 36 orders, or 64% of my orders. That’s one in three chance of not being happy with a product bought online, for whatever reason.

Electronics, electronic accessories and home products make the bulk of super worth it purchases. Not only they tend to be cheaper online, but their reviews in
Lazada
 make it easy to find good-quality, value-for-money products.

Although having said that, it’s not a foolproof method. I still regretted some purchases, but eh at least I tell myself that those mistakes could’ve been costlier if I bought them offline.

Most of the things I bought online, I bought out of necessity after hard to find them offline, or if it was more expensive offline. I also bought some of them because it was too bulky to buy them in person, like that oven (I don’t have a car).

Overall, I won’t stop buying from
Lazada
. Good experience overall. Plus with
Shopback
 (note: referral link) cashback credit cards, I get a small amount of money back. Added savings are always awesome.

What’s your best purchases from
Lazada
? Can you share them here?


My Own List of 10 Expensive But Worth It Purchases

I consider myself a fairly frugal person. Sometimes, people think frugal means ‘don’t spend at all’. That’s not true – it simply means
I spend on what I love and cut out the rest.
 I still love getting the most value for my money, but I also love making a purchase that may be expensive but worth it.

The thing about expensive but worth it purchases is it would look very different for everybody. For some, it is higher-quality items like clothes, cars, bags, watches. For others, it’s experiences like travel. Whichever is okay, as long as one is also saving for retirement (or other financial goals), and and not financing the items / experiences with debt.

Here is my own list of 10 expensive purchases that I consider as ‘worth it’, for myself.

#1 – Insurance/ Takaful

Cost: Approximately RM500 per month

Even though I have never been sick or been in an accident to the point of hospitalisation, ever (and I plan to keep it that way), I know I can be absent-minded sometimes, and have narrowly avoided accidents due to dumb luck.

Therefore, I’m happy to pay for this. Even if all of my insurance/takaful – 1 personal accident, 1 critical illness and 2 medical cards – are non-refundable (aka term insurance, not investment-linked).

Further reading:

Learn Critical Illness Insurance in 5 Minutes
Best Insurance in Malaysia for B40 and M40
9 Things You MUST Know Before Buying Insurance in Malaysia

#2 – Boujie groceries

Cost: Varies, but roughly RM600-1000 per month

I’ve mentioned my love for
grocery shopping
 multiple times on this blog. Love the whole process – going on grocery shopping dates, looking for new ingredients to try, figuring out what to cook with leftover/random ingredients, everything.

And I especially love (my attempts) to make food that usually costs a lot to buy.

Another weekend, another new recipe tested 😋 Made Honey Almond Granola. This 'boujie' food is super easy to make and so crunchy and delicious!
Cost price approx RM10 for a tubful
pic.twitter.com/4DYHCEyZuS
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
September 27, 2020

#3 – Donations and Gifts

Cost: At least RM1k per month

According to my expense-tracking data, I spent the most money in this category. I have the tendency to say, ‘it’s OK, it’s on me’ a lot when I’m out with friends and family.

I don’t know how I feel about this, actually. Paying for other people makes me happy (
backed by science
), but at the same time I know I need to not go overboard with it.

#4 – More mobile data than I need

Cost: RM93 per month (an extra RM20 per month)

The reason I why I get more mobile (read: hotspot) data than necessary and think the extra RM20 is worth it is because… I no longer have to check if I still have enough data left over for a Netflix movie or TV series, by the end of the month. I always do.

Also, Yoodo’s 150GB of data per month instead of 80GB (the amount I usually use) isn’t that pricey, comparatively speaking. I hate that Yoodo’s tier system works to make me pay more lmao

80GB data – RM68
100GB data – RM78
150GB data – RM88

Obligatory Yoodo referral link

#5 – Paper towels

Cost: ~RM10 or so per month

I was big on fabric towels for cost-saving reason, until the convenience factor won out. Yes, it’s ‘just’ RM10 per month, but it was RM10 I didn’t have to spend before, you know?

I do feel bad for environmental reasons though.

#6 – Things I still think about after a few years

Cost: Ranges from RM0 to a few hundred per month at most

I used to feel guilty when I bought anything considered technically unnecessary. Come to think of it, it was quite unhealthy, since generally I’m pretty good at delayed gratification.

Things I tell myself when I play the delayed gratification game:
'oh good, you made it to a week! How about waiting for a month?'
'you'd regret getting this now. A sale is just around the corner'
'the company will release their latest model soon & slash this model's price'
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
October 8, 2019

Now, I allow myself to buy things that I tried to forget, but keep thinking about. For example, I got my iPhone after wanting it for over 10 years.

#7 – Physical books

Cost: A few hundred per year; valuable space in my home

Not an ebook type of person.

#8 – Netflix AND Hotstar

Cost: Approximately RM20 per month

Between these two AND Youtube AND Spotify, I (almost always) have something to watch/ listen to.

Related:
Cheapest Way to Get Netflix Premium

#9 – Staycation dates

Cost: A few hundred each time

My partner and I’s favourite gift for each other for special occasions is staycation dates. We’d book a hotel near a mall and just enjoy eating out and window-shopping for 2-3 days. I hate how much I find it so freaking fun despite hating capitalism.

#10 – Travel

Cost: Up to RM5k per person (maybe even more)

I don’t want to be that person who’s like, yeah I love travelling! like its my whole personality… but ngl I do love it. Since my early 20s, I have progressed from being a budget traveller (I’ve done the whole hostels thing) to a value-for-money traveller.

Related:
All my travel-related articles

There you have it. 10 expensive things that I think are worth it. I *could* cut them out and save more money, but they add joy in my life, so I choose to make space for them in my budget. In return, I don’t buy anything else that tempts me but does not fall under these categories.

How about you? What expensive things do you get for yourself and decide is worth it? Let me know in comments 🙂


9 Things to Buy for a GREAT Financial Life in 2023

I bet many of you want to improve your finances and have a great financial life in 2023. It’s a pretty common goal, for obvious reasons.

In the spirit of new year, new me, let’s do that, but with a slight consumerism twist – here are some things you can buy that can assist you with this goal.

Why do it this way? Because, hopefully you can prioritise these purchases BEFORE you get other stuff. I want you to go, hmm I feel like shopping, what can I buy, hey why not get something from Suraya’s list.

#1 – Insurance/Takaful

Cost: RMxx-RMxxx per month

I’m going to put this one out of the way first. Buy yourself protection products.

There are many types of insurance/takaful you can get. Here are some that are relevant to most people:

Life insurance/takaful

Personal accident (PA)

Critical illness (CI)

Medical insurance
 (medical card)

Home insurance (if you own one)

Car insurance
 (if you own one)

Travel insurance
 (if you travel)

If finances are tight, you can check out the options under
Best Insurance and Takaful in Malaysia for B40 and M40 On A Budget
.

#2 – Financial Planning session(s)

Cost: RMxxx – RMxxxx

If you skimmed past insurance and takaful section a bit too fast and don’t have concrete plans to buy or re-review your current plans (you should review them every few years or so), I highly recommend you
hire a financial planner to get it done, instead of getting through agents or direct platforms.

There’s nothing wrong with agents or direct platforms, but if the idea of researching and comparing protection plans yourself stress you out, then financial planners are your solution. Financial planners are product-agnostic – they can mix and match different plans from different companies based on what you can realistically afford.

Not just that, they will also take a look at your overall financial life: your investments (are you overpaying in sales charges?), your portfolio diversification, your cashflow, your retirement planning and more.

I personally spent over RM10k to complete the Certified Financial Planning course, but that’s a bit of an overkill. You can simply find and hire financial planners for a few hundred to a few thousand.

No, seriously. I was super into DIY financial planning but even I am convinced and I bought sessions for my partner. For more info, read my
4 Places to Find A Financial Planner in Malaysia
.

#3 – Get job coaching services

Cost: Varies

To be honest, it is likely that your financial planner will bring up your debt and/or lack of retirement savings.

And while they may be able to find strategies to reduce/restructure your loan amount and/or give retirement planning tips, the only way to tackle these problems head-on is by earning more income and reducing commitments. And to do that, you need a high-paying job.

If you don’t already have a high-paying job and are convinced they don’t exist, browse through
MalaysianPayGap Instagram
. You will see that high-paying jobs are available in Malaysia (and beyond) in many industries.

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Of course, it is not easy to get these jobs. You’ll face competition. But you can improve your odds by getting:

Resume Writing /Editing Service

Job Interview Coaching Service

Career coaches

and more

Learn more in the
Things to Do to Get the Best Jobs in Malaysia, Regardless of Your Industry
 article

#4 – Estate-Planning consultation

Cost: RMxxx-RMxxxx

You’ve heard of how important it is to prepare a will, yes? Get on with it. Depending on your situation and religion, you may need to do a combination of these documents: will, wasiat, hibah and trust.

Here are some articles I’ve written on the subject:

The Exact Steps to Do Hibah Amanah ASNB – Estate Planning for ASNB Investors

Everything You Need to Know About Hibah Takaful, from a Non-Agent

Wasiat, Hibah, Trust: 3 Tools to Circumvent Faraid / Islamic Inheritance Laws in Malaysia

Otherwise, you can also ask your financial planner to help you with this.

#5 – Buy credit report(s)

Cost: RM1x.xx – RM2x.xx. They’re not expensive

If you plan to buy a house in the near future, then I highly recommend you to find out your credit score.

I’ve tried 2 out of the 3 credit report services in Malaysia. Check out
Comparing Credit Reports in Malaysia: Experian Credit Report vs CTOS Credit Report
 article to see their similarities and differences.

#6 – Buy Dark Web tracking tools

Cost: RM31.80-RM63.60 (check the page – may have promo codes)

You know the financial scams that happen to people? That’s because scammers found and bought their info on the dark web. And chances are… your info is already leaked.

You can sign up to get alerts if/when your info is used for fradulent activities via dark web tracking tools, like the one offered from MyCreditInfo. There are 2 plans,
TrackMyID and JagaMyID
 (includes credit report). Starting from RM31.80 per year, they’re extremely affordable.

Here’s how you can check if your personal email or number has been compromised in the dark web (and from where)

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#7 – Buy books

Cost: Free (borrow) – RMxx (buy)

*Note: I consider courses etc falls under this category too, not just books exclusively

Of course you know you should continue learning, but not just personal finance. You should read different types of books:

Personal finance books
 (obviously – budgeting, investing, mindset, property, etc)

Marketing and advertising books
 (learn what companies do to sell stuff to you)

Psychology books
 (learn how your own mind works)

Cooking books
(how to cook cheaper and healthier in less time)

Home maintenance books
 (learn how to fix and maintain things for longer)

Home organisation books
 (the less you search for stuff missing in your own home, the less you buy)

Spiritual books
 (religion or even things like mindfulness and minimalism – so you know the concept of ‘enough’)

Business and industry books
 (in your line of work or otherwise)

Fiction books
(develop your emotional intelligence – ‘smarts’ alone won’t get you far in life)

And more. Just read whatever you’re curious about

Obviously, I would include my own book,
Bergaji & Pokai.
 You can get it from
ImanShoppe.com or Shopee
, or at major bookstores nationwide. Click
here
 to read Bergaji & Pokai book reviews.

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#8 – Medical and dental checks

Cost: RM1 (KKM) – RMxxxx

Get your yearly medical and dental checkup done -> avoid potentially big medical bills in the future.

For medical checks, you are eligible for tax relief too! This means your tax owed will be (slightly) reduced.

Related: Learn about taxes in the
This Income Tax Calculator Shows What You Owe LHDN
 article

##9 – Financial Behaviour Report

Cost: RM49 (Single); RM99 (Couple)

Instead of self-analysing your own financial behaviour, why not take a professional tool to help with the assessment? This is what I did via the
Financial Behaviour Report
 tool.

You can read my experience and what I gleamed from my own report in the
5 Things I Learned from My Financial Behaviour Report
 article.

Tip: If you’re in a relationship, I HIGHLY SUGGEST you and your partner buy the
Financial Behaviour Report for Couple
. It will reveal so much about you and your partner’s financial mindset!

Personally, the financial behavior comparison report was one of the most helpful things for me to understand my partner and strengthened my marriage! We could really see areas that we’re similar and different.

What else can one buy to have a great financial life?

I’ve compiled these 7 items that someone can buy to help them achieve a great financial life, but I can’t help to wonder if I missed anything else.

Any ideas? What would you add to the list?

I also want to know, how many of the above do you consistently purchase? Leave a comment, would love to hear from you 🙂

P/s – If you want to get someone a practical gift, getting something from this list is not a bad idea. Personally I’d love it.