Budget Update: October 2017

Budget Update: October 2017

Expenses-wise, I thought RM6.2k was a bit steep, even if business expenses (RM1.5k~) were factored in. Sometimes I wonder how the hell did I survive with
RM3500 salary
 last time.

Right now I pay particular attention to ‘lifestyle upgrades’-type personal finance posts. A lot of people warn about new expenses that creep up without you noticing. This is exactly what’s happening to me – I keep justifying lifestyle upgrades even though I was equally happy before. Within the last few years, I have upgraded:

My apartment – from sharing with up to 3 housemates to no housemates

My laptop – splurged on Surface Pro 4 plus the warranties

My mobile phone plan – switched from Umobile to Maxis for the internet speed

My food – I stick to some (more expensive) products and willing to pay a bit extra for convenience

My entertainment – Spotify Premium

My social activities – I don’t mind paying extra to eat nice food with good company (last time, I would politely decline these invitations)

The lifestyle upgrade posts said that it’s hard to lower expenses if you’re used to spending that amount, and oh my goodness that is
so true
. I can’t really cut down much from my top three expenses – Business, Utilities & Rent and Misc Need – they’re all important.

However, as an effort to reduce my spending, I decided to not continue gym membership (RM127.20 per month) for next month onward. I’m also going to try cut down my public transport expenses and take more trains instead of Uber/Grab.

At the same time, I’m also contemplating to go back to Umobile’s affordable plan and get a WiFi dongle instead for my data needs. I don’t know about this though. Part of me wants to keep it simple and refuse responsibility for yet another gadget when my phone works fine as a hotspot. Still thinking about it.

What expenses do you find hard to cut? Why is it hard?

Yay of the month:

Had an insanely fun time doing the
Bajet 2018 Lepak Session
 livestream on Facebook with
Aaron from Mr Stingy
 and
Julian from The Very Long Run
! Last I checked, the video racked up 1.7k views – way more than expected. Thanks everyone who joined and gave comments, glad you enjoyed it! We got requests to do livestreams again, too 🙂 You can see the video
here
.

My date took me to
Auntie Aini
‘
s for some Negeri Sembilan cuisine. It was seriously delicious, highly recommend a makan trip there just for their asam pedas. I first found out about her from the
Gordon Ramsay Meets His Match in Malaysia
 video, and still laugh my ass off at the ‘clitoria bush’ part.

I’m a member of the
Malaysian Writers Society
 and this year was invited to conduct a session during the MyWriterFest 2017! My topic was ‘Step by Step: Earning a Living Through Freelance Writing’. Received positive feedback afterwards, super happy about that. Slowly, I’m improving my public presentation skills. It’s not something that comes naturally but I’m glad all those preparation hours paid off.

Holy crap on fire Ringgit Oh Ringgit recorded the
highest amount of traffic
 yet! Thanks to you guys, I broke my daily views record
three freaking times
 in October 2017! Damn son.

Enjoying my
Spotify Premium
 account, after months deliberating on this splurge. Read up
3 Ways to Get Cheaper Spotify Premium
 in Malaysia article for tips.

Read two books:
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
 by Philip K. Dick and
Mistakes I Made at Work: 25 Influential Women Reflect on What They Got Out of Getting It Wrong
 edited by Jessica Bacal. The former is the book which inspired the original Bladerunner movie, while the latter compiled how various women grew from their mistakes. Both were enjoyable reads.

Keep seeing posts about micellar water and decided to get it as a makeup remover. Awesome stuff. Apparently I haven’t been cleaning my face properly for years. Hoping for clearer skin, but let’s see.

Nay of the month:

My gym membership and personal training sessions finally ended. Other people join gym, lose weight. I join gym, gained weight wtf. On the plus side my weightlifting form is so much better now.

Wanted a houseplant for ages. Got one from a friend, was happy… for like 10 minutes. After bringing it in the house, I found out that my cats apparently have been craving salad wtf. They keep biting the leaves so now I have no choice but to leave it outside the house. Poor Phil 🙁
How do you keep your cats away from your plants??

Went through more hassle than I care for to get my passport renewal done. ProTip: don’t go on Fridays between 11am-2.45pm (closed; Friday prayers) and try to go early even on weekdays. I don’t know if its peak passport renewal season or what, but I visited three Immigration offices and all of them were packed by 11am.

Things to Look Forward to:

Attend Singapore Fintech Festival and various blockchain events in Singapore.

Conduct interviews with interesting people as part of my report-writing work.

Organically grow my writing business while helping other freelance writers earn money (that’s the plan).

Attend
Wordcamp KL
 – a community-organised event about everything Wordpress. I hope to find out how to optimise this website further.

I heard BNM is going into insurtech and coming up with some affordable insurance products, pretty exciting stuff. I’d love to review my current insurance and get the same products for cheaper if possible.

Wishing you an awesome November, lots to be grateful about now that Budget 2018 is sorted out.

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
review
).


Budget Update: October 2018

Budget Update: October 2018

I spent RM21,407 in October 2018. It sounds like a lot (it is), but almost three-quarters of that was a gift to my parents. I’m sponsoring their umrah trip.

When I was growing up, I heard how my parents – then newlyweds and financially struggling – saved a portion of their salaries every month. They told me the bottom of their car had a hole in it, and they didn’t even buy a bed until much later and simply slept on a thin mattress on the floor. They saved aggressively so my dad could afford to send his mom, my late grandmother, to hajj.

My parents have already completed the hajj, but they constantly talk about going back to Mecca so sponsoring their trip has always been in my bucket list. In October 2018, I transferred over RM15,580 so both of them could go for their umrah next year, in January 2019, under Tabung Haji. My mom was so touched, she cried. I feel happy knowing that my money can give them this kind of happiness.

What do you save up for your parents? Is there something you know for sure they’ll appreciate?

Yay of the Month:

Excluding the umrah package gift to my parents, I spent RM5827 in October 2018. That includes RM1251 I spent for professional book coaching and editing, RM1200 for rent, RM190 to renew my business registration, RM600 for braces instalment and other odds and ends.

My
investment portfolio
 is highly risky – maybe around 80% of my investment money is in crypto. I know I should have re-allocated them sooner, but been dragging my ass. In October 2018, I finally got around to it.

Allocated some money for
P2P lending.
I use Funding Society for the auto-invest feature. If none of the borrowers default on their loan, I should get about 12.4% ROI. If you want to try it, use
this link
 so both of us can get RM50.

I also put in some more money in
gold,
via HelloGold –
click here
 to download the app or insert the promo code ‘SURA024F’ to get RM5 discount if you buy RM50 worth of gold. ProTip: use
Boost
 to avoid RM1.20 transaction fee – Enter my invite code sur8oko and get RM5 cashback after first payment or RM10 purchase. Find Boost App in
Playstore
 (Android) or
Appstore
 (iOS)).

Not only that, I’m also in the process to take a bigger
ASB loan
 (I took RM50k loan last time. Now I’m planning to take another RM150k to max it out). Aside from these, I also checked out a property for investment, but don’t think I’ll put money there kot.

Read
2 books
:
Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant
 and
Comedy Hotel by Guy Bellamy.
The former inspired me to increase my productivity and output, while the latter is a fun black comedy fiction, a book I picked up for RM2.50 at a charity drive.

I love my
Spotify
 ‘family’. To save money, I got five other people to join my ‘family’ plan. Each of us pays only RM44.80 annually, or just RM3.73 per month! Related:
3 Ways to Get Cheaper Spotify Premium in Malaysia

My
 BigPay contactless card
 arrived! I like promoting this card, it gave me awesome exchange rates when I took it to my Japan trip last month (
what I bought
). Get extra RM10 credit if you use my referral code INLALP7ZLE (I get RM10 too!). To download the app, find BigPay in
PlayStore
 (Android) or
Appstore
 (iOS)

Went to
Aquaria KLCC
 and got cheaper tix via 11thStreet 🙂

Attended
InvestSmart event
 and got a free 1-hour financial planning session with a licensed financial advisor. I thought it was funny when the financial planner assigned to me shared how her family pooled some money to mine some cryptocurrencies lol. I know, anecdotally, that there is a lot of crypto miners in Malaysia. Wonder how many of them do it small-scale, within family units or among friends.

Applied for a job that I really, really want. I hope I get it!

Nay of the Month:

My
bed broke,
I had to buy a new one. Found a sturdy one at IKEA for RM449. That’ll be the last time I buy RM99 double beds from Lazada – it lasted me just 3 months! Yea yea I know I should have spent more for quality in the first place.

Didn’t realise my business expired. When I renewed it, I had to pay a
RM30 fine
 🙁

I
lost my wallet seed for WAVES and ZCoin
, so I can’t access those wallets 🙁 That’s around $500 lost, at current rates 🙁 🙁

Kinda pissed at the cancellation of
Island Music Festival
 – I really wanted to go! Oh well, at least I’m not contributing tourism money to Terengganu #alwayslookatthebrightside

Bought
2 pairs of shoes
. Not particularly in love with both of them. The search for the perfect, comfortable, high-quality pair continues. Thanks everyone who gave me suggestions for good brands! I’ll be checking out their sales!

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#financialconfession – I’m super stingy with footwear. The last 4 pairs of black flats/slip-ons I bought were all low-quality ones ranging RM15-RM30 . Predictably, they were uncomfortable to wear. Even if they were comfortable, they didn’t last very long.. . Finally bit the bullet and bought a higher-quality pair. This one was RM85. Please please please last me at least a year 🙏🙏 . Do you have shoes that lasts for years? What brands are they? I want to keep an eye on their sales! . #helpneeded #blackshoes #comfortableshoes

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Things to Look Forward to:

I’ll be one of the speakers at
WordCamp KL
! It’s the annual conference organised by Wordpress volunteers for the Wordpress community. The Ringgit Oh Ringgit blog runs on Wordpress and I absolutely love the learning process – the skills I learned along the way made me so much employable. My talk is about using SEO for online content creation, so bloggers reading this, do come! The event is on 17 November 2018, and you can get your tickets
here
 🙂

Giving away an Apple Watch Series 3 to the best-quality answer for VISA x AKPK’s
Treat Your Money Right Campaign
! Have you joined? All you have to do is give me your best money-saving tip. More info in
this link
.

Finishing my book project, a compilation of personal finance stories 10 authors, including myself. My story is a fictional story about how Malaysia looks like if we implement universal basic income. More information coming soon!

Well, that was my October 2018 update. How was your expenses in October? What’s good or not so good about it?

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
how expense tracking works
)


Budget Update: October 2019

Budget Update: October 2019

Oh my, my expenses in October 2019 was in the RM6k, almost RM7k range again. Urk. Business, Utilities & Rent and Insurance & Medical expenses took the bulk of it though. Even after all this time, even knowing how I shouldn’t skimp on these expenses, I still wishfully dream for under-RM3k monthly expenses.

Is that kind of monthly expense realistic, though?
To thrive (not merely survive), at least RM4k+ per month is needed no? I know that many companies advertise jobs with starting pay of RM2.2, RM2.5k. And they expect people to be able to ration that out all thoughout the month?

And I guess other people got sick of that unrealistic expectations too, because boy did this tweet go viral:

So sick and tired of all the personal finance advice that accuses Malaysians of not saving enough money when the biggest reason is actually freaking low wages

— Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)
October 29, 2019

Yes, YES, we *could* live on that amount. If we *only* spend on what we need to spend on to just live, we could.

BUT that would mean a living a life devoid of any entertainment, any leisure, any trips home to see the family, any activities with friends, any personal fulfilment, any
meaning
. How DARE they judge every single bubble tea, every nice meal we have, when that could be the only thing that makes life tolerable for us.

I’m going to share this article again:
3 Ways to Get A High Salary in Malaysia

Yay of the Month:

Spoke, panel-ed, emceed, moderated some big events
, including Principal Retail Investment Seminar organised by Principal Asset Management; SCxSC Fintech Conference 2019 organised by Securities Commission; 2 workshops for MYWritersFest; and How Much Should I Charge My Client event at MYWritersFest Finale.

The SCxSC Fintech Conference event deserves a shoutout:

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Thank you to Securities Commission for having me as moderator and speaker during #SCxSC19! It was my absolute honour to moderate the digital investment session and speak in the digital marketing session . The topics this year are the most progressive one yet. I’m so grateful to the people behind Securities Commission Malaysia who curate sessions related to Islamic finance, digital assets (crypto!), serving the undeserved and ethical finance, cybersecurity, new fintech platforms (roboadvisory, p2p lending, equity crowdfunding) in a way that is transparent, inclusive and diverse (they took steps to have more women speakers!) Never been more hopeful of the future of finance in Malaysia tbh . As Tarah Wheeley, AI and cybersecurity expert said during her session – at the end of the day, humans are the ones who build these fintech tools. Let’s support those who serve, rather than harm, humanity . #fintechmalaysia #securitiescommissionmalaysia #securitiescommission

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Big payment from client came in, decided to treat myself to two things: One – booked myself sessions with a
voice/speech coach
. Generally, I’m an okay speaker but I can always be better. Better be overprepared than under correct not? This expense went under Business category, as it should.

Two – bought myself a new toy,
 a vacuum cleaner
! Finally allowed myself this purchase after my previous RM79 vacuum cleaner fell apart. At RM750, it’s a BIG upgrade but omg did I mention it’s CORDLESS?? This expense, after much internal debate, went under Misc Needs category

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You know you’re an adult when buying a new vacuum cleaner made you ridiculously happy 😂Cordless, baby! . Bought on lazada for RM750ish. Ordered on Sunday, arrived Monday morning (!!) Amazing . #xiaomi #vacuumcleaner #adulting #cordlessvacuum #lazada #dreamev9 . Edit: Update: Tried it. I’ve been living in a dusty shithole apparently . For those who want a review, here it goes: I love it! . Fav parts: – sucks a lot, which is a good thing to say about a vacuum cleaner – very quiet! – nice white colour (not gaudy purple/red combo like dyson – what’s up w that?) – 3 diff additional attachments including for sofa/bed Cons: -can never go back to the cord life – you can’t charge and use the vacuum at the same time – charging to full capacity takes a few hours but you can only vacuum for less than 60 mins

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Money Stories from Malaysians: Volume 2
 is slowly yet surely coming together. Even though I completed vol 1 earlier this year, I’ve completely forgotten how long and mafan the process is it seems. But anyway! You’ll find a short story from me in Vol 2 too!

Sometimes I feel like wow Suraya syok sendiri much senang senang include your own story in the book everyone else had to go through the writing competition BUT I got my short story draft reviewed from fellow writers and THEY REALLY LIKE IT okay. So there.

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Managed to churn out 2000 words during #MYWritersFest2019 writers retreat!! It’s nice to have progress after being creatively stuck for so long 😊 . I’m so excited for you to read my short story, which will be included in #MYMoneyStories volume 2. Playing around with themes like big data, AI and personal finance in a storyline is really fun 😝 . Feedback from other attendees/fellow writers were encouraging – they liked the first draft a lot. That made me happy 😊😊 . #malaysianwriters #writersofinstagram #writersretreat #ipoh #shortstory #personalfinanceblogger #personalfinance #bigdata

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Redeemed my
Maybank TreatPoints
! Last year I got Lazada cash vouchers but this year opted for the AEON cash vouchers because the card center offered a better conversion rate for it :p

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I like redeeming my Maybank Treatpoints at the Card Centres, it’s much faster than online. It so happens that there’s a promo going on and I can get more bang for my ~120k points! Exchanged 10xRM20 AEON vouchers and 4xRM10 McDonald’s vouchers today yay ✌ . Edit: the points mainly come from my Maybank Amex card, the one with 5x treatpoints bonus . #guiltfreeshoppingspree #maybank #treatpoints #aeon #aeonvoucher #mcdonalds

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Bought a lot of books. It’s fine in itself – I’ve accepted how I value selecting, reading and adding physical books into my collection – but have to make sure to not go overboard and find time to read them all. Kenanga Investment Group gave me a book as well, the newly-released Tengku Noor Zakiah: Malaysia’s Pioneering Stockbroker. Quite excited to read that one. You can find it at bookstores – try MPH.

Read two books
:
The Happiness Project: or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
 (she wasn’t
unhappy
, but set herself the goal of improving where she could, and I like that mindset); and
Tweetonomics: Everything You Need to Know about Economics in 140 Characters or Less by Nic Compton, Adam Fishwick and Katie Huston
(see below)

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I recommend this book! Got it at @bookxcess at Tamarind Square, Cyberjaya branch for RM12.90, completely worth it! Simplest way to learn a bunch of economic jargon and ideologies, fast 💯👍 . #tweetonomics #bookxcess #personalfinancemalaysia #bookloversmalaysia #tamarindsquare #cyberjaya #tamarindsquarecyberjaya #economics

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Happy 11th birthday,
Bitcoin
 white paper 🙂 Sometimes I feel like, wow bitcoin/crypto has really desensitised me to big price movements. Rationally, I know that bitcoin’s
42% gain in one day
 at end of Oct was a HUGE EVENT but I still went about my day as normal. (The price corrected itself after that huge gain).

My
groceries bill
 is low again. Second month in a row, which is unusual, yet I didn’t starve myself or anything (in fact, may have overindulged *cries in fat*). Is this because I’ve been consciously trying to eat less meat in general? I saw that Netflix documentary about vegetarianism/veganism The Game Changers, and while I still like meat, I’ve reduced my intake. That reflected in the bill :/

Nay of the Month:

My application for Acumen Fellowship – that’s the leadership development programme towards tackling poverty – was
rejected
 🙁 I was so happy after getting through the first round, but oh well. One door close, others will open. God is the best planner.

Since taking off my braces in January 2019, I’ve been diligent about wearing my
 teeth retainers
 to keep those teeth in place. Diligent, but not careful, it seems. I broke it, and had to spend RM400 to get a new one 🙁

I’m not happy with my
chiropractor
. But I’ve already paid him a bit and he owes me maybe 5 or so treatments. Hmmm what should I do should I absorb this loss? I know the concept of sunk-cost fallacy, I know it’s better to cut my losses and go, but… he still owe me :/

I thought public transportation expenses were a little bit high but I guess that’s reflective of all the events I had to go to in October 2019

Things to Look Forward to:

Continue working on Money Stories from Malaysians: Volume 2

Attending WordCamp KL (which will be over by the time this post is published lol)

Speaking at Peatix’s Backstage Pass event: The Price is Right on the 13th Nov (get your tickets
here
!)

Waiting for my video collab with MyPersonal Finances to come out 😀

In November 2019, I’m just going to concentrate on juggling the many things I have on my plate. I have so many projects I want to do, and kind of feel overwhelmed. Maybe I should cut them down? Hmm let’s see. This is an opportunity to push my limits. There is no growth in the comfort zone.

How about you, how’s your Nov going to look like? I know many are probably rushing to get things done so you get to be lazy in December 😛 All the best!

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
how expense tracking works
)


Budget Update: October 2020

Budget Update: October 2020

In October 2020, I spent RM7,087.30. The top 3 categories were: Donations, Rent & Utilities and Wedding. All in all, it was a comparatively lean month.

Professionally, October was such a great month! I moderated a session at
#SCxSC20,

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‘Suraya — you were a great and personable moderator!’ ‘Great Q&A!’ ‘excellent moderating 👏’ Of course in my head there are 10000001 ways where I could’ve been a better moderator during my session at #SCxSC20, I’m my own worst critic. Thankful of the kind feedback which suggests otherwise ❤ Streams available until 9 Oct, then will be on Securities Commission YouTube #fintechmalaysia #securitiescommissionmalaysia #seccommy #sheworkshardforthemoney

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Appeared on BNM/FEN’s
 FinLit webinar

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And appeared on BFM89.9 (again!)

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Let’s talk about freelancing tips and tricks 😁 22 Oct 9.30am at BFM89.9 — Posted @withregram • @roshankanesan Tomorrow (Thursday) I ask @surayaror for tips, tricks, and advice for freelancers, side hustlers, & self-employed people. Ringgit & Sense, Thursdays at 9:30am on @bfmradio. Catch it online at bfm.my, on the BFM app, or on the radio waves at 89.9! Suraya Zainudin is a writer, speaker and digital marketer. She is also the founder of the personal finance website RinggitOhRinggit.com and curator of the Money Stories from Malaysians book series.

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Oct 20, 2020 at 9:28pm PDT

I also received other opportunities, both financially and personally, and also heartfelt notes from readers. This feeling of abundance… God has been kind to me. Alhamdulillah.

All of this was good, but October 2020 was also the month where I felt very high levels of Imposter Syndrome. I am fairly confident in my financial knowledge, but I also know there are so many books I haven’t read and specialisations that I haven’t mastered. More than once I went to the FPAM website and looked at the CFP page, wondering if I should get myself certified as a financial planner.

So yeah, that’s the question mark in my head right now. On one hand, I love that I sort of represent the people who don’t have financial background but love personal finance regardless. On the other, maybe that CFP certification is what I need to overcome that Imposter Syndrome. I don’t know…

My Spending Breakdown in October 2020

In this section, I’m sharing what I spent on in the whole month, in their respective categories. From highest to lowest, my expenses were:

Yay of the Month:

YAY
BITCOIN
! I’m ecstatic about this, been a while since it mooned!

[Category: Business] Had this unexpected windfall! Alhamdulillah

Me: I’ll charge RM1k for the work

Client: we discussed internally. We’re paying you RM3k 😊

!!😭 rezeki kalau nak datang, senang sangat!!

— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com (@surayaror)
October 20, 2020

[Category: Groceries] My
groceries expenses
 were RM207.87 which was super duper low – Operation ‘eat out fridge and pantry’ really worked! I’ll probably buy more in November to replenish my food supply but it was nice to just clear out the random foodstuff lying around.

(Note: Groceries expense is tracked separately from Donation, Food and Social, three other areas where food is consumed)

[Category: Wedding] Pre-paid some wedding-related items, which now is in limbo since we don’t know if our reception is happening. Oh well. At least the wedding venue allows postponement without penalty

[Category: Donation] I went out of my way to be generous in October. I tipped every food rider, paid a little bit extra and/or bought a little bit more from small businesses, donated to a few individuals and organisations, paid for my mom’s health check, paid my parents’ electric bill and more

[Category: Pets] Topped up cat food and cat litter supply, and bought a
pet feeder
, which is honestly one of the best purchases I’ve made recently. Holy shit the time I’ve saved since I got it!! I got it
here
.

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The latest time-saving item I bought: automatic cat feeder. Feeds them small portions 3x a day. Saves a bit of money too since reduce throw out stale cat food which they refuse to eat. Kucing bandar ni kan, sometimes 🤦🏻♀ Nasib korang comel Edit: I bought from this shop in shopee. Cheaper than other places, I’ve checked – https://invol.co/cl1h9bb

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[Category: Misc Wants] Wanted
 a new dress
 for a while. After abandoning my cart in Zalora a few times, I finally bought one… on Carousell. This satisfied my shopping mood, and I’m glad I opted for preloved item! Bonus: I got RM5 off from a limited-time promo. I LOVED the dress and got compliments on it, so it was such a satisfying purchase overall 🙂 🙂

Took advantage of InvestSmart’s #FinPlan4U and had a nice (and free!) session with a
financial planner
! Asked her to review my insurance – it’s about time I get myself a Critical Illness plan.

Had fun playing around with points systems. Used up my
BigPay

points to redeem some groceries
 in the AirAsia app (and just before the points expired too! Good timing!), and
paid electric bill via Pos Malaysia App
, which gave me some GrabPoints

[Category: Misc Wants] Had an awesome
haircut
! Trying not to think too much of the money I could have saved if I pre-purchased it from Fave!

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Thinking of all the time I wasted in researching and comparing the best haircut deals on fave when in the end I walked into a random but convenient saloon and paid RM68 without any discounts, vouchers or even credit card cashback #badfinancialblogger #conveniencewon #atleastsupportedsmallbusiness

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Added in Syok app 🙂

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Thank you @syok.my for adding RoR in your content aggregation ☺🙌 Sambil layan radio, sambil membaca hee — Klang Valley-based Malaysian Millennial, @surayaror, writes about her expenses, investments, savings and everything related to money management! You can now access Ringgit Oh Ringgit through SYOK! Download it here: onelink.to/syok

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Nov 1, 2020 at 4:19pm PST

Read
one book
:
Secrets of a Stewardess: Flying the World in the 1980 by Gretchen Ryan
. It wasn’t the most well-written book (could have used a few rounds of editing), but it was really fun to read (1) how aviation was like during the ‘golden age of flying’, and (2) a real-life account of a former stewardess, who got to travel the world as part of her job.

Nay of the Month:

The CMCO extension was expected, yet I’m still mad at it. Politics and men’s egos and quest for power I tell you. I WANT A WOMAN TO LEAD US ALREADY

So I found out that I am only 55% healthy which is, um, RUDE but a good awakening. Find out your health score too, via the
Pulse by Prudential app

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CHECK YOUR HEALTH: BODY + ACTIVITIES + NUTRITION + MENTAL 🏃🧠🥦🧍🤸 When was the last time you assessed your health and fitness levels? Not in a ‘ugh I know I need to move more’ way 😩 , more like a ‘here are specific organs that are at risk and I need to pay close attention to’ way 🧐 There is a free health & fitness app that helps you to do that. The healthcheck feature in Pulse by Prudential app uses an AI-powered chatbot system and took 30 mins to complete (it felt faster, no joke). THEY ALSO INCLUDE MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT Y’ALL By the end of the assessment, I spent a good 15 minutes entranced by my Digital Twin and reading my health report. Red means that the organ is at risk I must admit I got a bit freaked out; I am only 55% healthy?? Straightway restarted my 100-squats-a-day challenge 😅 What’s your Health Check score? Download Pulse by Prudential app and find out -> https://onepulse.page.link/274Y #ad #pulsebyprudential #healthiswealth #prudentialmalaysia

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 Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Oct 30, 2020 at 2:53am PDT

[Category: Misc Wants]
Impulse-bought
 Stories of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town on Steam. I should have checked that the controller function is limited – can’t use my PS4 controller with it, and in the end I abandoned it because I hate gaming using keyboard.

Feeling sad that I haven’t reached my personal goal of RM100,000 in income by now. But I also know I shouldn’t be too hard on myself, especially this year

Checked my 2020 income so far. It’s not as much as I hoped. A part of me is sad, but also a part of me is proud to even able to work at all during a pandemic. I should be kind to myself

— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com (@surayaror)
October 30, 2020

Things to Look Forward to:

Getting married, finally <3 I’m glad we didn’t rush into it. We had a long engagement, with more than enough time to talk about and make future plans, including the financial aspects of it. He’s such a positive force in my life, we both feel lucky that we found each other. Please wish the best for us <3

What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section!

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
find out your budgeting style
)


Budget Update: October 2021 – Revenge Spending?

Welcome to another edition of my monthly budget updates, where I break down my expenses by category and share the highlights and lowlights of the month!

So how was your October? Are you spending more?

I am. Can’t even be in denial about it. Just look at the data from my expense-tracking app – it doesn’t lie. I am revenge-spending for SURE.

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And now that borders are also open, I’m also planning trips. So far, I have two trips lined up in December – one with family, one romantic getaway. Would have taken one more in October, if not for us being scaredy cats hahahhahah

Patutnya kan, this weekend I jalan Frasers Hill. Apartment pun dah book. Tapi family tak boleh join so terpaksa cancel
Kenapa tak boleh pergi je? Sebab..sebab.. Kitaorg laki bini dua2 takut nak stay 2 orang je, takut hantu 😭
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
October 12, 2021

But yeah. Revenge spending to release ‘pent-up demand’ is real, at least in my case. Now that I’m aware of my own tendencies to spend, I’ll have to be really careful with spending and budgeting, especially considering I have a few big expenses coming up that I need to save up for.

How about you? Have you been revenge-spending as well? What did you get?

Let’s get on to the budget part.

Budget Update: October 2021

In October 2021, I spent RM13,475.62. The top 3 top expenses were:

Business (RM3,611.79)
– Freelance writer, work penalty, book editing fee
Dates/Travel

(RM3,544.49)
 – Flight tickets x 2, movie tickets
Donations & Gifts
 (RM1,992.65)
 – Sister’s birthday dinner, #WeListenPack, Parents’ electric bill

Cumulatively, the top 3 expenses make up 69% of my total October 2021 expenses.

My Spending Breakdown in October 2021

Here’s what I spent on in the whole month of October 2021, in their respective categories and from highest to lowest amount:

Yay of the Month:

#1 – Financially fruitful and fulfilling month

Grateful to be working in my chosen sector (financial education), with so many amazing clients in the financial space. Alhamdulillah.

#2 –  Reached 10k followers on Instagram!

But almost as soon as I got it, new IG link stickers rolled out hahaha hampeh (swipe up feature is only available for 10k followers and above; link sticker is for everyone)

I worked so hard to finally get to 10k followers on IG to get the swipe up feature but on the very same day they activated link stickers for me 😩
pic.twitter.com/qvN8pTVCsj
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
October 7, 2021

#3 – Learning about IPOs

(IPO = Initial Public Offering. The first time a company offers shares/ownership to the public)

Somewhat interested in the upcoming FarmFresh IPO, so I attended a webinar on IPOs and have since opened a CDS account with CGS CIMB. Let’s see if this will work out!

#4 – Gave 4 talks

I did:

Kaedah menjana Pendapatan Pasif daripada Harta Fizikal dan Harta Intelek with MyAgeing™ Financial Literacy and Educational Hub (MyFiLE), UPM
RinggitOhRinggit and Personal Finance with NextUp Asia
Personal Finance Chit Chat with Hann Liew and Suraya in Financial Education Network’s Financial Literacy Month 2021 Finale
Seeking More Fulfilment in Retirement with Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia’s first virtual FIMM Annual Convention 2021

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#5 – Consulted workshop design and even participated as one of the judges for Financial Innovation Competition Finale!

Was honoured to contribute to Arus Academy’s team in the Fun(d) for Life Financial Innovation Competition. Not only that, also had the extreme honour to be one of the judges for the final round.

Congratulations, team Gold Diggers, Sepintar and Rich Woman. All of you did so well <3

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#6 – Received new BigPay card

And I have to say, she pretty!

Top: old BigPay card. Bottom: new version that just arrived. I like the design upgrade! 😍
Will continue using – great card for purchases in USD. Lowest exchange rate in MY 👍
Obligatory referral code: INLALP7ZLE (or click direct link in
https://t.co/QEPFaKkiUf
)
pic.twitter.com/PZGuVl87Fm
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
October 19, 2021

#7 – Misc

Read 0 books.

Noteworthy shows:

Istanbul Aku Datang on Disney Hotstar
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Black Widow on Disney Hotstar
Pride & Prejudice on Netflix
Squid Game on Netflix
What Did You Eat Yesterday on Netflix

Bought for myself:

4 jeans from my sister’s shop
Hair mask
A maxi dress
A pair of new slippers
2 paint by numbers kit
A pretty mug

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Nay of the Month:

#1 – Extremely high groceries bill

Our groceries bill for October 2021 came up to RM1530! That’s probably the highest it’s been, it’s usually half of that!

But I can understand. I stocked up a lot of groceries for the diet I’m doing now.

#2 – Penalty

Paid RM500 in penalty, but worth it.

Yesterday I paid a RM500 penalty fee to withdraw from a campaign.  They refused to let me disclose the product is *only* for bumiputera & I didn't want people to inquire just to be disappointed
Today I woke up to RM4k in commission income
What's meant for me will come to me
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
October 21, 2021

Things to Look Forward to:

Continuing my extremely intense CFP Module 4 classes (I have classes on EVERY weekend)
Planning our travels at the end of the year
Receiving keys to our new place

Well, that was my October 2021. How was yours? What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section 🙂

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
find out your budgeting style
)


Budget Update: October 2022 – Bergaji & Pokai Book is Out!

Welcome to another edition of my monthly budget updates, where I break down my expenses by category and share the highlights and lowlights of the month.

So how was your October? Was it good, bad or meh?

October 2022 was quite whirlwind, definitely an eventful one. Professionally, I am busier than ever with work (including
releasing Bergaji & Pokai book
!). Personally, I am planning some trips as self-reward.

But just in terms of current events, remember when Tengku Zafrul announced Budget 2023 and got us all excited, but then they announced GE15, rendering the budget in ‘who knows what’s gonna happen to it now’ zone? That was kinda wild.

But right. Regardless who wins in the election, all I know I can’t depend on the govt 100% for my wellbeing. Demand better policies yes because making citizens’ life better is literally their job, but also I can’t stop my own effort to improve myself.

I feel a lot of apathy this election. Just not that interested in it. I'm going to vote, but can't depend on whoever won to significantly improve my life, at least not in a fast way. I still have to depend on my own effort to create a better life for myself
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
November 2, 2022

Happy voting, everyone. Let’s get on to the budget part.

Budget Update: October 2022

In October 2022, I spent RM10,702.32. The top 3 top expenses were:

Donations & Gifts (RM2,565.80)
 – Parents’ electric bill, Dad’s dusun, care package
Dates/Travel (RM1,318.59)
 – Flight tickets, makan dates and outings
Home Reno + Deco (RM1,662.63)
–
Monthly EPP for renovation

Cumulatively, the top 3 expenses make up 62% of my total October 2022 expenses. (My belief is, if you want to save money, trim first from the top 3 expenses rather than cut out a few ringgits from other already-low expenses)

My Spending Breakdown in October 2022

Here’s what I spent on in the whole month of October 2022, in their respective categories and from highest to lowest amount:

Spending notes:

I am only 1 (ONE) payment away from finishing a RM1,013.13 monthly instalment (for
home reno
). Almost there!
Irregular payments of the month – Angpow for friend’s wedding, TnG card reload, domain ID renewal

Yay of the Month:

#1 – Bergaji & Pokai Book is out!

You can add Bergaji & Pokai book to cart directly at:
https://bit.ly/3h3GVyl
.

Find out how you can win or earn money by promoting the book in the
Y’All, ‘Bergaji & Pokai’ Book is Out! (Share & Win RM250!)
 article!

BIG NEWS! My book, Bergaji & Pokai: Membina Kehidupan Bebas Tekanan Melalui Pengurusan Kewangan Yang Realistik is finally out!
Here's how to get it, who should get it, and how you can win RM250 just by sharing to your friends 🙂
https://t.co/uF6lbCFvkK
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
October 31, 2022

#2 – Booked a trip to Vietnam

After months of surveying flight tickets all over the world and dismayed by the prices (they really jack it up for December!!), I finally decided on Vietnam for year-end holiday.

Tix cost for 2 pax: RM1940. High for ASEAN country, but way cheaper than going to Europe. Plus hotels, food etc there is CHEAP.

#3 – Ate a lot but didn’t really gain weight

I ate so many different things in October 2022, but weight is manageable?? It didn’t decrease, but it didn’t increase, either.

Not going to complain, will record this as a yay of the month.

#4 – Found a cheap haircut place!

Nowadays, RM35 for a haircut (for women in Klang Valley) is CHEAP! Who cares if its no-frills, I think I still look good whoo!

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#5 – Appeared on..

#1 –  Gamification Application in Raising Capital Market Products and Services organised by SIDC

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#2 – Cara Buat Duit Sebagai Seorang Freelancer Yang Anda Patut Tahu organised by Cakna Kewangan

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#3 – How Should I Spend My Salary or Allowance organised by Iman Publication

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#4 – Session 4 – AAA: Alternative Assets Already? for the Annual FIMMAC Convention 2022 organised by Federation of Investment Managers Malaysia

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#5 – Hutang Baik vs Hutang Jahat for Financial Literacy Week 2022 organised by EPF Learning Center

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Whew, October 2022 was definitely a busy month for me.

#6 – Misc

Read:

Cribsheet: A Data-Driven Guide to Better, More Relaxed Parenting, from Birth to Preschool by Emily Oster

Bought for myself:

Powerbank
3 books
2 dresses
Paint by number set

Nay of the Month:

#1 – My parents caught Covid-19

After dodging it for 2.5 years, my parents caught Covid-19. Their symptoms were relatively mild and didn’t need hospitalisation, so that’s good. But even after testing negative again, their health has declined a bit. I suspect they might have long Covid 🙁

Just need to monitor from now on..

#2 – In worse physical shape than I thought

In the end, I was so embarrassed I quit. It’s ok, I’ll still do my swims and walks and yoga for exercise..

Things to Look Forward to:

My trip to Hatyai and later, trip to Vietnam!

Well, that was my October 2022. How was yours? What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section 🙂

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
find out your budgeting style
)


Budget Update: September 2015

September was… waiting. A lot of waiting. A lot of pre-planned activities that needed doing – actually packing, actually selling off stuff, actually re-organising life. It wasn’t fun, it was lonely and melancholic. On the upside, I didn’t spend that much, but the biggest self reminder is that I should ease up on buying ‘wants’, because I am officially a freelancer now. Without fixed income. Eeep.

Yay of the month:

I’ve been telling everyone about my move, and subsequent plans to freelance/ work on Kotak Koffee. As of end of September, I have one well-paying temporary job lined up in October (from friend’s contact), one offer for free booth to sell Kotak Koffee (from friend), and one offer to recommend me to a job if I wanted it (from friend). That doesn’t include the other kind words to help me out, in various forms. Oh goodness, I feel very undeserved of all these kindness. Thank you guys so, so much.

kdsksI got my health checked. Except for a cyst in my left breast, and multiple cysts in my ovaries, I’m in good health. The cysts in my ovaries, in particular, got me freaked out a little bit – but the worse thing it can do is hormone imbalance and perhaps makes it harder for me to get pregnant. I’m good with those symptoms, it can be a lot worse and I’m not complaining.

DIY dip-dyed my hair. Light brown at the bottom. I wish I’m one of those girls who don’t give a shit and can just giye their hair in rainbow colours, but I like being practical too much (I mean, what if I have a job interview a few weeks down the line??)

Ordered Kotak Koffee namecards and more stickers!

A big yay: I can call myself a published writer 😀
My article got published
.

Nay of the month
:

I have officially ended my work at IWRAW Asia Pacific. It’s so bittersweet. And actually a bit surreal. It’s still sinking in. I’m actually having a hard time digesting this fact – going to miss working with them. I gave my colleagues semi-DIY thank you cards. I can’t get over how cute they are. Look:

I don’t know why more people are not freaked out with the fact that
EPF is now loaning money to 1MDB
. We give 11% of our income every month to be managed by people who think 1MDB is a good investment strategy, apparently. RM1.5 billion. That’s a hell lot of money. That’s a hell lot individual retirement funds – our retirement funds – being used to bail out 1MDB if it defaults. That’s literally our future on the line. If your only retirement fund is EPF, you better get a Plan B, C and D soon. Plan other sources of income. Being old AND poor is a horrible thought. Shit. How can the government get away with this?

Things to look forward to:

Settling in Ipoh. In October I will still be going back and forth between KL and Ipoh. I am slowly moving my shit.  I am slowly buying new shit. I am slowly disposing shit.

The freelance lifestyle. Oh man, this will be quite the change. As I’m writing this, it’s only been Day 4. It felt like it’s been
weeks
. After working for 10 years now, working for myself and having no set schedule is weird. I don’t know what to do half the time. I write at really random hours. I think I might do a proper post on this.

All in all, please do a (halal) toast for my well being. Especially for my mental well being.  The day feels so much longer now.

*clinks glass*


Budget Update: September 2016

September Budget Update Summary

I earned
RM8743.22
. Less than my target of RM10k, but it’s been a good month. Minus expenses for the month (RM3525.17), that’s still RM5k nett income. All of the income came from
my writing services
.

After earning between RM3-4k for the majority of my adult life so far, this amount boggles my head. Once I hit RM10k/month, what next? RM15k? RM25k? I don’t know, but I’ll cross that bridge when it comes. It’s not a bad problem to have.

Some people asked me how I did it. I think I’ll write this in a comprehensive post. It involves a lot of planning and actual
doing
. I know that sounds vague, but this month I crossed off a lot of ‘I should work on that’ (finally), and the results showed. So I guess it’s as simple as ‘do that thing you’ve put off’.

Shifting between being a hardcore ‘saver’ to ‘Eh I’ll just pay this amount, it saves my time’ is a new feeling. I’m not used to it yet.

Yay of the Month:

Worked during
Pangkor Dialogue
.
This was, hands down, the highlight of my month. Sustainable development is an amazing topic that I wish I’m more clever about. I didn’t manage to catch all sessions, but I was overjoyed to sit in during the speeches of keynote speakers Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus and creativity expert Fredrik Haren. I was also goddamn happy about Perak pledging to be a Social Business city.

Attended MaGIC Academy Symposium.
 Here’s
my writeup
 on it. You can also check #MA2016 on twitter for a gist of what happened. All in all, it was a good trip. I wish I networked more, but I did make a few friends (and a potential client, fingers crossed!). MaGIC to me is like the cool kids’ table. I feel intimidated by the brilliant minds there. I want to be them.  I want to be so convinced of my  business model that my passion shows whenever I talk about it. The drive that many people showed during MA2016… was super attractive to me. I felt small. It was humbling.

Went to
Inapdesa Bonda Saebah
. Ok, this is not a widely-known place. My dad’s friend since college has a small
kampung-stay place in Ganchong, Pahang
. It can only sleep like max 8 people or so. The appeal is (1) kampung life (2) fruit orchard next to the chalet (I picked rambutans right from the trees!) (3) homemade Malay-style lunch buffet with kampung chicken, river fishes, and local vegetables (4) visit to fish farm. I found out that kerai fish is damn expensive (RM100/kilo, minimum). It was a lot of fun and my dad’s friends were friendly and chill to talk to. If your parents like this kind of experience, take them there!

I got some sorely-needed clothes. I took advantage of
#MyCyberSale
 and got 3 new jeans. The last time I bought jeans, it lasted me 2-3 years. I hope this will last at least 5.

Ordered
business cards
 😀 Via Photobook. 200 cards for RM34.45 inclusive delivery.

Rented a car
 to travel to kampung for Raya. I could have saved more by taking a bus, but I wanted to save time. It turned out to be a good choice – smooth traffic all the way and good ride from a well-maintained car. If you’re looking for car rentals in Ipoh, I can recommend
this one
. The service was good.

There’s a subtle – be definite – change in my cat’s behaviour since he was spayed. He’s much more… agreeable now. Less aggressive. He knows how to tug my heartstrings and on occasions, demands to be lifted like a baby. I’m a happy mama.

Nay of the Month:

I spent crazy a lot on groceries this month. RM520. Wtf did I buy.

Is this why my friend said I gained weight? Dammit! Sadface sadface sadface.

I spent some time being unnecessarily annoyed at some things beyond my control. Like how some people decide to spend money even though they admit to being ‘broke’. It’s certainly not my problem, and jeez, I don’t know the full extend of their life and whatever, I’m just a stranger. Do lah what you want with your money. BUT it still annoyed me.

Spent a lot of time in monotony. I wake up, make coffee, have breakfast, work. Eat lunch, work. Eat dinner, work. I finish work by 9pm usually. Then I dick around online or on Reddit and I sleep. Some days I go to the gym. This routine makes me productive, but boring.

Hmm, that’s not it. I’m ok with being boring. I just want to be more diverse and have more life experiences. What would you suggest? What activities do you do to avoid monotony?

Things to Look Forward to:

To finish watching Mr Robot season 2.

Balance work and life a bit more. That’s why I’m getting a virtual assistant 🙂 You’ll probably see him/her online soon to help me manage RoR and make it better!

Being there for my family. It’s a tough time now, for reasons I won’t get into.

Be kind, October.

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
.


Budget Update: September 2017

Budget Update: September 2017

Money was good in September. I earned about
double
 my usual income, making it my best-earning month so far. It came from two big writing projects, a couple of sponsored posts/advertisement on this website, my usual business development work with Wirex and additional income from affiliate marketing and Adsense.

But God, the amount of work I had to do for that kinda money… I am so burned out. Mentally, I am not at my best. I’ve neglected my health and my family. I skipped the gym for weeks and had a horrible relationship with food all month. There were moments of genuine happiness, but I never truly relaxed unless I was sleeping. When attending events, people legit told me to my face that I look tired.

…Acknowledging that I am burned out and writing this down was hard. I try to not be a complainer. I try to practice gratitude. But at this point, I feel like I’m just sugarcoating the real situation – that I am chasing money, but I don’t know
why
 I do it. I mean, I already live comfortably enough as it is – it’s not like I need more money to fulfill a basic need.

How do you balance between (a) working as hard as you can for the benefit of future you and (b) limit earning potential so you can enjoy the money you have now? I *thought* I was doing a combination of the two, but the scale has definitely tipped over to (a) without me realising.

Sigh. Not enough work is a problem, too much work pun a problem. Then I feel guilty of complaining, and that made me feel worse. This reminded me of the time when I reflected my relationship with money (read:
[Personal] How it feels like to constantly obsess over money)
.

Any of you going through a similar experience? Do you feel like you’re working too hard, and not sure anymore if the money is worth it? Please comment how you’re taking care of yourself while going through it.

Yay of the month:

Bought myself
a new laptop
, the Surface Pro 4. It was a fun process because Twitter was involved – I asked for recommendations based on my requirements (i5, 4GB RAM, 128GB hard disk and above, RM5k and below) and got so many helpful replies, so seriously thanks for that. Compiled the best tips in the article
4 Best Tips I Got From You Guys When I Wanted to Buy New Laptop.
 I’m now paying RM568.08 x 12 months for the laptop + Microsoft software package + additional 4 years coverage (total 5 years). It’ll now be included in my monthly ‘Business’ cost.

One of my best purchases of the month was definitely a RM78
vacuum cleaner
 from Lazada. I got
this one
. After manually sweeping the floor for years, I’d consider this a lifestyle upgrade.

I also splurged on
new pillows and a duvet cover
 for my bed. Honestly, it was long overdue – the old pillows frequently gave me neck pains. I just put up with it because it was free (stolen from my parents’ house lol).

Traveled to Ipoh and Singapore for work. Had fun working and networking.

Attended

the Duality show by the VSC Project
 three times. It was so visually and emotionally beautiful. One of my highlights of the year.

As stated above, my income for the month was great. Especially love seeing my Google Adsense income grow – Ringgit Oh Ringgit’s traffic is at its highest and earned me $79 in September alone! A couple of months before it was less than $50 per month, so you can see how fast this passive income is growing. Here’s a writeup if you also want to start your own website and earn money from it:
The Exact Steps I Use to Earn Money from Blogging.

Here’s a gift for you guys, courtesy of HelloGold. Go to the AppStore/PlayStore, download HelloGold app and apply code ‘SGOLD10’ to
claim RM5 in gold
. No catch, just a generous user acquisition strategy. My writeup on them (plus links):
[SPONSORED] How to Buy Gold in Malaysia, as an Investment.

I also enjoyed learning about
Malaysian stocks
 in September 2017, via Asukabu. Highly recommend it if you ever consider stocks as an investment.

A couple
 new Malaysian personal finance blogs
 came out! Check out
MoneyTalksCafe
 and
GreyNautic
. For a full list of recommended personal finance websites, see
here
.

Nay of the month:

Unhealthy lifestyle. All-in-all, I gained 5kg since May. Ugh. Tired of complaining, must do something about it. Aiming to lose this amount by the end of the year. 3 months, 5kg – doable? Should be. You can do this, Suraya.

Spent an unhealthy amount of time online and on gadgets. Need to go on one of those digital detox things. Even the thought scares me. I love being online, but not all you love is good for you.

Didn’t even finish one whole book. At least I managed to read half of Game of Thrones Book 1.

I don’t like Maxis. In fact at this point I straight up loathe it. They hit me with a RM38 roaming charge in Singapore without me asking, the whole process was apparently ‘automated’ and felt unethical af. I really miss Umobile and its free roaming in some countries, including Singapore.

Things to Look Forward to:

Taking it easy. Perhaps go on a mini-holiday. I’m contemplating attending a personal finance conference in Dallas, Texas. It’s quite the financial commitment to go there – at least RM10k – but
FinCon
 has been on my bucket list for years because it’s THE event for personal finance bloggers and content creators like myself. MY PEOPLE IS THERE. As of now I still haven’t made any concrete plans, but let’s see.

Reminder that 100-days-until-2018 countdown has started.

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
review
).


Budget Update: September 2018

Budget Update: September 2018

Confession: My bank account was dangerously low all throughout September 2018, and I almost had to dip into my savings, if not for payments from clients that arrived at the end of the month. If I ration it out properly, it should support me until the end of the year.

Now, what I really want to do with the money is invest it. I want to add more gold to my investment portfolio – the price seems great now. I saw a property in the RM500k range that looks promising as rental unit. I want to take another ASB loan to max it out.

But no action was taken yet. My excuse is that I don’t know when is my next big paycheck, so I should just leave all the money in my bank account ‘just in case’.

Isn’t that a stupid excuse for not investing? Rationally, I know I can just set aside a small amount of money every month – small but regular contributions are better than no contributions – so why do I still have this ‘go big or go home’ mentality? Why do I stop myself from investing when I can’t commit large amounts like RM3k and above in one go?

Does anyone else do this? How do you overcome the mental barrier and force yourself to invest anyway? Got advice for me?

Yay of the Month:

All spending categories look okay. They’re not particularly high or low, just within usual range. The biggest expense was predictably travel expenses because I went to Japan.

Not including flight tickets, I spent RM2568 for 9 days
Tokyo and Nagoya
trip, including accommodation, travel, food and shopping. Did a lot there. Some of them: Attended one day of Ultra Japan festival and danced my ass off. Went to a famous public onsen in Tokyo (
Shimizu-yu
) and managed to relax despite being butt-naked in public. Visited my Japanese host family (I was an exchange student and was under their care for 1 year when I was 17). Joined a Pokemon Go gathering and caught a Mewtwo. Visited my old school and somehow joined their English class, where the teacher included some questions about Malaysia in a quiz (see pic). All in all, a very memorable trip.

Made the final payment for my
Surface Pro 4 laptop
 – it’s all fully paid now! I have been paying RM568.12 per month as past of 12-month instalment. So glad to free up this amount from now on!

Black jeans
 is a wardrobe staple of mine – as part of my
minimalist wardrobe
, I pair it with everything. Both of my 2-year old Uniqlo jeans are looking a bit shabby now, despite my best efforts to re-dye them. Searched for months and decided on Levi’s jeans for the quality and fit. It was RM310 each at the store. Managed to get
two pairs
 for RM300.76 during Lazada’s Shopathon sale. #win

I bought RM112.80 worth of products from
Signature Market
, but was away when the parcel arrived, so it was returned to sender. Contacted their team, and they kindly offered to
refund the full amount with no hassle at all
 (they also offered to re-deliver for additional RM10). Even though they didn’t make any business this time around, this made such a positive impression on me. Thanks so much, Signature Market. What an awesome, customer-first policy. I’ll buy from you next time.

I got a
free phone
. 1.5 months after I wrote the
honest review for Xiaomi MiA2 phone
, they contacted and offered the review set. OMG the offer honestly couldn’t have come at a better time – I was going to buy a new phone anyway after recently (and stupidly) dropped my Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 and cracked half the screen. Thank you Xiaomi <3

Went to
KL Bird Park
 for the first time. Hey not bad you know! The peacocks and I walked next to each other casually, like it was no big deal, like I do it every day, like I’m a Disney princess like that. It was pretty magical.

Went to the
Humans of KL
 Photostory Exhibition and had fun reading the stories and checking out Carcosa Sri Negara, one of the set locations for Crazy Rich Asians movie!

Read
three books
.
Concept of a Hero in Malay Society by Shaharuddin Maaruf
 (explains how and why blind loyalty to the Malay elite is a valued trait among Malay people, even if they the elites don’t care about you and mainly act for their own material and political self-interest),
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
 (just for the escapism factor) and
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
 (especially loved the chapter on capitalism). I got the last two books from Bookcurve at a good price, too!

Rhymba Hills Tea gave me a free box of tea with my order <3 Love the newer packaging!

View this post on Instagram

Thanks for the free box of tea, @rhymbahills! 🍵 Your stuff is delicious! #rhymbahills #tealover #malaysianproduct

A post shared by
 Suraya
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 14, 2018 at 1:37am PDT

And finally, my H&M giftcards arrived in the mail <3

Nay of the Month:

Find out I was paid less, or at least could have been paid more for some projects.

Super
procrastinated on the personal finance ebook project
. Every day I tell myself to edit the draft. Every day I postpone. Sigh. How to motivate myself. Maybe I’ll just outsource it out… But I also want to learn by doing… Ugh I hate making excuses, this isn’t me 🙁

Ringgit Oh Ringgit
website traffic dropped
 two months in a row.. I have to address this, it shows that I’m not meeting audience’s demands and needs. When businesses fail to keep up, others will take their place. I have no excuses, just renewed motivation to do better in personal finance blogging.

Caught a weird souvenir from Japan – a cold. I’ve been coughing for a week already.

Received
weird emails
 saying I booked a hotel and bought some psoriasis and eczema cream?? Received these emails within a couple of weeks in my inbox. I DID NOT book the room or order the cream!

 The hotel booking. Tbh whoever the scammer was, they were frugal. That’s a cheap room, as far as KL hotels go.

 the order from wikipedeals. I’ve never had an account with them

There are so many odd things about these purchases. 1) They’re not phishing emails, I checked. 2) That’s my name, sure, but not my address. 3) I don’t own the card used for payments here, the Visa card ending with 6590.

So what’s going on here? Who made these purchases? Why was the confirmation orders sent to my email instead of the scammer’s? The person who stays at Lot 6371, Lorong Seruling 6, Taman Hipni, Petra Jaya, 93050 Kuching, Sarawak, how long have you suffered skin problems? Sorry, I had to cancel the psoriasis and eczema cream order, the email spooked me out too much. But I hope your skin condition is improving. Also, please don’t steal from me?

(Also, what were you doing in KL? Short trip ke?)

Things to Look Forward to:

I’ll be one of the speakers at
WordCamp KL
! It’s the annual conference organised by Wordpress volunteers for the Wordpress community. The Ringgit Oh Ringgit blog runs on Wordpress and I absolutely love the learning process – the skills I learned along the way made me so much employable. My talk is entitled ‘
Blogging with
WordPress
: What I Learned Along the Way, As a Beginner’
(note: working title!) and is suitable for those without IT skills who finds Wordpress overwhelming. The event is on 17 November 2018, and you can get your tickets
here
 🙂

Going to
Island Music Festiva
l! They kindly gave me a discount code, too!

Appearing in some (or at least one) video. Look out for those! I’ll share in the
Ringgit Oh Ringgit FB page
 as always 🙂

Hey! There’s only 3 months left until 2019! Forget new year’s resolution, set some goals NOW to start the year right!

For me, my goals are:

Earn at least RM20k in 3 months in combined income

Put some money in at least one investment

No new clothes until end of 2018

Make at least 1 video of my own

Finish that ebook project by end of October

Limit calorie intake to 1200-1500 per day, depending on movement activity on the day, to hit my goal weight

What’s YOUR goals?

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
how expense tracking works
).


Budget Update: September 2019

Budget Update: September 2019

I spent a little under RM6k in September 2019, with half of that going to Medical and Rent & Utilities categories. I’ll expand a bit more about them in the Yay and Nay sections below.

Now, let’s talk about how dope personal finance is, as a topic. I can’t get enough of it, I’m still obsessed with it. There’s always something that challenges my thinking.

For example, I have been a ‘buy experiences, not things’ practitioner. Been so for years. But the tweet below made me seriously evaluate my approach.

Be careful to not take ’Buy experiences, not things’ too literally.

Prized experiences, like travel, can be just as empty as buying a material item.

For me, clothes ARE experiences. I value the way I feel in them. And I get to relive the same experience over & over for years.

— The Luxe Strategist (@luxe_strategist)
September 20, 2019

Sometimes I forget how different people value different things. Who am I to decide or judge how you interpret happiness?

I think it’s time to retire ‘buy experiences, not things’ from my personal finance approach. Instead, I will use the phrase ‘intentional spending’ instead, the opposite of ‘mindless spending’. I want to be more mindful of what I spend on, regardless whether they are experiences or things.

(Although, it’s fair to note here that
research did say that spending on experiences, not things usually makes people happier
. So don’t use this as an excuse to splurge or anything.)

And thus, I find myself buying
non-thrifted
 art for the first time. I’ve never allowed this purchase for myself. I’ve never bought something beautiful for the sake of it being beautiful. Whatever pretty knick-knacks I have, must
also
 be practical: think boxes, containers, pillows, candles.

View this post on Instagram

Fell HARD for @lynartelier ‘s beach-inspired pieces 🏖 Look at the details!! So happy I took this baby home #thisonesparksjoy #beachart #oceanart #oceanwaves #malaysianartist

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 30, 2019 at 3:16am PDT

And you know what? This art piece does make me happy. I don’t regret the purchase.

Any of you hold back against collecting art – however you define it – because of the ‘buy experiences, not things’ approach?

Yay of the Month:

For years, I mainly earn a living from my writing work – both corporate jobs and blogging-related. Nowadays, I get more
speaking engagements
, which I thought I’d hate but surprisingly okay with doing. Go further down to the Looking Forward sections to see my speaking engagements in October 2019 🙂

Made more requests from the Ringgit Oh Ringgit audience to purchase Money Stories from Malaysians: Volume 1 at bookstores, because having a best-seller book would be awesome, and omg it worked??? Melisa sent me this image showing
the book is now in the Top 10 list at Borders Bookstore –
 I am ecstatic!!! Those of you who haven’t bought it, please consider purchasing a copy (or a few).  The book is available at Borders, MPH, Popular, Kinokuniya and Times Bookstores. Thank you so much in advance!

View this post on Instagram

Money Stories from Malaysians: Volume 1 is now listed in @borders_my ‘s Top 10 non-fiction list!!! 🤯🤯🤯 . Thank you so much Melisa for snapping and sharing this pic. I’m so blessed and grateful for you and everyone’s support. You folks are so sweet I kenot uuuu 😭 . I have a favour to ask. If you have extra pocket money (only if you do okay), can you buy a copy of the book at bookstores near you? That’s literally the only way to remain (and get a higher spot) on the BESTSELLERS LIST . In exchange, let me know what topics you’d like me to cover more in ringgitohringgit.com. I don’t like asking for something without offering something back in return! . Thanks in advance, Suraya . #malaysianauthors #malaysianwriters #malaysiabloggers #bloggermalaysia #bordersbookstore #kualalumpur #personalfinancemalaysia

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 18, 2019 at 12:51am PDT

Read
 two books
:
 China Rich Girlfriend by Kewin Kwan
(hella entertaining!) and
Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
 (!!!! Life-changing !!!)

A little bit more about Marie Forleo. She’s my latest motivational obsession. I loved the book and the
‘everything is figureoutable’
 quote – essentially the importance of implementing a ‘can do’ attitude. No matter how tough things seem, always look for solutions, always look for learning opportunities, always
grow
. I especially loved the chapter about reframing fear. Instead of seeing fear as a negative emotion, embrace the feeling, it’s actually telling you what you need to work on for your own personal growth. It’s a friend, not an enemy.

Had a wonderful haul at
Jalan Jalan Japan
, my favourite thrift store!

View this post on Instagram

Showing off 3 of the 7 clothing items I got from my fav thrift shop @jalanjalanjapanmy recently 🥰 . In total I spent RM61 for 4 dresses and 3 tops. The long, blue-white gradient halter top maxi dress is Forever 21! . #thriftshop #jalanjalanjapan #thriftshopMalaysia #subang #subangJaya #fashionmalaysia #fashiononabudget #thriftshopping

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 17, 2019 at 10:53pm PDT

Did some
volunteering work
: mentored at Startup Weekend: Women edition and held a financial management workshop for a WOMEN:girls programme.

Downgraded my shampoo
 – from RM200 bottle of Kerastase shampoo to Sunsilk, which I only picked up because it was on sale. I have been treating myself to a series of back-to-back lifestyle upgrades and I just need to do something to break that chain.

Made my first presentation in
Melaka
. The Pecha Kucha Petaling Jaya team asked if I’d do it for the second time. As soon as they said, ‘we also want you because we want diversified speakers at the event’, I’m sold, I’m weak against those arguments. My presentation is about you 🙂 I hope to get the video to upload and share with you later 🙂

View this post on Instagram

Topic: The community engagement and support during the creation and publishing Money Stories from Malaysians:Volume 1 book. I hyped up the RoR audience like crazy 😜❤ . #pechakucha #pechakuchapetalingjaya #biquefest #melaka #MYmoneystories

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 29, 2019 at 2:23am PDT

There was a tear in my bag. I contemplated buying a new bag, but decided to
 sew it up
 and now its as good as new. This might seem like a minor thing to mention(and it is) and I just want to say the primary reason for that is I refuse to throw the bag away BEFORE its cost-per-use goes down to 10 sen per day or something.

Joined someone’s
Netflix
 plan for RM11 per month and omg! Netflix has amazing content!

Nay of the Month:

As you can see from my expense breakdown, 29% of all expenses in September was categorised under
Medical
. A large chunk of that was the chiropractor payment, the first of 6 that I have to make to fix my spine (months 2-6 will cost RM500 per month).

View this post on Instagram

Sit up straight. I mean it. Or you may end up having to pay ~RM4k in diagnosis and chiro treatments to fix your spine. . Sigh. It’s a huge amount of money. But a necessary expense. I’ll give my medical card provider a call in case they can cover it but chances are low . #scoliosis #posture #chiropractor #medicalexpenses

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 6, 2019 at 1:53am PDT

Ate out a LOT
. Also indulged in a few food deliveries to take advantage of various Malaysia month promos. They were delicious… but definitely not good for my waistline. Need to make more effort to cook/eat at home. Oh well, at least the silver lining is lower-than-usual groceries bill.

I know I spend an absurd amount of time online, so I bought a
time-tracking app
. It basically told me what I already knew – that I am dependent to my phone. Did the app help me reduce my screen time? Yes, for the first two days. It’s a process, but at least I took the first step to quantify it.

View this post on Instagram

Tired of wondering where my time went, I downloaded YourHour, a time-tracking app. The freemium version was so useful that I went ahead and bought the full version for RM6.99 . Apparently, I am ‘dependent’ on my phone. The top distractions are Twitter and Facebook . Need to do better with time-management. My settings now include a timer when I open these app. It makes you aware of the time you waste, so it works, I guess 😖 . #timemanagement #productivity #paidapp #yourhour #socialmediaaddiction #phoneaddiction

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 22, 2019 at 7:30pm PDT

Things to Look Forward to:

Being one of the panelist at the Principal Investing Seminar, happening on 5 October! Get your ticket
here
!

View this post on Instagram

Come join the Principle Retail Investment Seminar, happening next weekend on 5 Oct! I’ll be part of the financial literacy panel along with Julian Ng of verylongrun.com and reps from Financial Education Network and AKPK 😁✌ . Tickets cost RM25 and inclusive of breakfast and bubble tea. Get it at https://peatix.com/event/1327605/view?k=bc9fe23e999b2f5ca7c452e0bdb802df4a6f5a6a (or click the link from my bio!) . Buy your tix because seats are limited! Early bird tix ran out already. See you there 🤗 . #personalfinancemalaysia #financialliteracymalaysia #pelaburan

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 29, 2019 at 11:36pm PDT

Moderating TWO sessions at Securities Commission’s upcoming SCxSC Fintech event! See the full schedule and buy tickets at
https://scxsc.my/

View this post on Instagram

Extremely excited to announce that I’m going to be moderating two sessions at this year’s SCxSC Fintech Conference, organised by Securities Commission Malaysia 😁🙌 . Day 1 (22 Oct) – Investing Made Easy: Digital Investment Management Day 2 (23 Oct) – Digital Marketing Practices in Fintech Startups . See the full schedule and buy tix at https://scxsc.my/ . #fintechmalaysia #fintech #startupmalaysia #investmentmalaysia #pelaburan #securitiescommission #scxsc #scxsc2019 #digitalmarketingMalaysia #stashaway #mytheo #roboadvisory #suruhanjayasekuriti

A post shared by
Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 19, 2019 at 10:23pm PDT

Appearing on a video and livestream session – see updates at the
Ringgit Oh Ringgit FB page

Doing a couple of workshops during Writers Workshop – see updates at the
Ringgit Oh Ringgit FB page

Continue working on Money Stories from Malaysians: Volume 2

Attending a Writer’s Retreat, organised by the Malaysian Writers Society

October 2019 sounds tough… but everything is figureoutable. Bring it on. FINAL QUARTER OF 2019, LET’S GO.

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
how expense tracking works
)


Budget Update: September 2020

Budget Update: September 2020

Oh damn, I beat August’s record. RM20.8k is officially the most money I’ve ever spent in a month, ever. Two categories made up 80% of the total spending in September 2020: Business (44%) and Donations & Gifts. (36%). In fact, just
two
 transactions make up approximately 59% of the total September expense.

Shall I tell you what those are? Oh why not:

One is for a new business venture, paid RM6000 under [Business] category. I’ll share the details in due time; the paperwork is still ongoing and I don’t want to get ahead of myself

RM6230 is for renovation cost for one of the rooms at my parents’ house, which we’ll use as bridal room. I wasn’t sure whether this expense should be categorised under [Wedding] or [Donations], but I thought it would mess up my Wedding budget calculations, so Donations it is.

At the time of writing, Covid-19 cases are rising again. A part of me worries that the wedding might be cancelled if MCO 2.0 happens. That makes me sad but you know what, in all seriousness, whatever happens, happens. Just go with the flow. That’s the takeaway I get from this year.

Do you have plans that might be ruined if we implement another MCO? Tell me in the comments section, misery loves company.

My Spending Breakdown in September 2020

In this section, I’m sharing what I spent on in the whole month, in their respective categories. From highest to lowest, my expenses were:

Yay of the Month:

[Category: Business] Found out that
Geran Khas Prihatin
 money was disbursed back in June, and spent it all. Here’s an article about it –
How I Applied for and Spent the RM3000 Geran Khas Prihatin Money for Small Biz
 – if you’re eligible, make sure to apply and claim that money BEFORE 31 October 2020! Go take, is free money!

Also made a lot of business-related software purchases, including email marketing (
join RoR newsletter!
), accounting software and website hosting. Won’t bore you about that here, but you can read about it – click the GKP article link above.

[Category: Groceries] I discovered a frozen seafood merchant from Shopee, and got a big shipment. This is wonderful, because I have recently re-discovered the simple joy of cooking as an activity, and tried a lot of new recipes. I rarely buy seafood and can’t wait to experiment with these ingredients.

View this post on Instagram

I think Yoshi approved of my frozen seafood shipment :3 RM158 for an assortment of: 1.3kg salmon, 3 pcs saba, 1 pcs unagi, 500g seaweed salad, 250g squid, 500g clams, 8 pcs dory, 1kg cencaru plus 1kg Japanese rice. I rarely buy seafood, can’t wait to experiment with these ingredients and meal prep with them 😋 Bought on shopee. Amazing what you can find there nowadays #groceryhaul #shopeefinds

A post shared by
 Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 22, 2020 at 12:03am PDT

[Category: Wedding] Made more wedding-related purchases: makeup/hairdo service, hantaran, inai. Happily, the Spa I’ve always wanted to try is on Fave, and I got 20% PENJANA discount *on top* of platform discounts and credit card points. Nice, purchased, this treatment will count as mandi bunga (even though its not sksksksk)

We also booked honeymoon trip. In hindsight, it was a good idea to get refundable flights and accommodation. Just in case we need to cancel or postpone it.

[Category: Social] Spent almost RM500 treating family and future family to food. Money well spent, I’d say.

Being one of the speakers at TalentCorp’s Semester Break Programme

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)
 on
Sep 4, 2020 at 1:59am PDT

[Category: Misc Wants] My experience shopping with
Zalora
 in August 2020 was so good that I purchased 3 more items from there, but ended up returning two of them. The one I kept, a pair of jeans from Dorothy Perkins, is really good value for money at just RM55 or so after all discounts.

[Category: Misc Wants] Paid six more months of
Netflix
 (I’m under someone else’s plan). RM66 for 6 months is not a bad deal

Read
one book
:
The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better, Too) by Gretchen Rubin
(
The Four Tendencies Quiz
 is one of my favourite personality quizzes. I am a Questioner with bits of Rebel, what are you?)

Nay of the Month:

[Category: Wedding] Nikahsatu.com looks really cool but the service is really slow. They’ve delayed our card printing by at least 2 weeks. Not happy.

[Category: Food] Fell to
Grab’s HOTDEALS
 more time than I’d like, again. Please don’t continue the deals, I am but a weak human, please no more

[Category: Misc Wants]
Impulse-bought
 a few things: a plant, a brow gel, an eyeliner, a RM5 top from the bundle shop (this one is okay, so cheap and satisfies my shopping mood) and two games on Steam (House Flipper and Stranded Sails)

Things to Look Forward to:

Checking out all the activities planned in October, aka
Financial Literacy Month
, especially the ones organised by Financial Education Network!

Being part of SCxSC20 – related:
5 Sessions You’ll Want to Attend at SCxSC20

Being part of InvestSmart event

Maybe enter FPAMFLY’s Personal Finance video competition?? I mean, RM5000 cash prize is tempting!!

View this post on Instagram

CONTEST ALERT! FPAM, aka the Financial Planning Association of Malaysia is organising a personal finance video competition. RM5000 cash prize, 3 winners 😍😍 #personalfinancemalaysia #malaysiayoutuber #youtubermalaysia #fpam #financialplanningmalaysia #malaysiacontest #contestmalaysia #financialliteracyyear

A post shared by
 Suraya Zainudin
 (@surayaror) on
Sep 16, 2020 at 11:44pm PDT

What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section!

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
how expense tracking works
)


Budget Update: September 2021 – Transitioning to Endemic

Welcome to another edition of my monthly budget updates, where I break down my expenses by category and share the highlights and lowlights of the month!

How was your September? Did life change – and for better or for worse?

September was a good month for me. As a nation, we are transitioning to post-lockdown, endemic life. Somehow, my closest family and friends have escaped the worse outcomes of the pandemic. There will be some changes, but things are slowly getting ‘back to normal’.

I’m grateful for so many things: to be able to reconnect with loved ones, after not seeing them for months. Grateful that work is still stable. Grateful to have a wonderful life partner, who has been the most amazing companion in lockdown life. Any and all grievances are minor at most. I know I am lucky.

Let’s get on to the budget part.

Budget Update: September 2021

In September 2021, I spent RM10,706.53. The top 3 top expenses were:

Business (RM3,283.18)
– Graphic designer, CFP Module 4 fee (!! final!), extra financial calculation class, course, accounting software annual fee
Donations & Gifts

(RM2,529.50)
 – WAO, Dad’s dusun project, Rider tips, Friend’s bday
Utilities & Rent (RM1,220.14)
 – Gotta keep a roof over our heads

Cumulatively, the top 3 expenses make up 71% of my total September 2021 expenses.

My Spending Breakdown in September 2021

Here’s what I spent on in the whole month of September 2021, in their respective categories and from highest to lowest amount:

Yay of the Month:

#1 – Enjoying the loosened restrictions

So happy to be able to meet family members again, and to be able to take short holidays. As much as I like staying home, I am also someone who craves experiences and novelty so the weekend spent in KL completely rejuvenated me. We had fun eating and shopping and pretending we were in Japan haha

To be safe, we took the COVID test a few days after returning. Happy to say both of us tested negative, yay 🙂 Can do these types of trips again, yay 🙂

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)

#2 –  Passed my CFP Module 3 exam!

Q3 2021 is going to be SO BUSY for me but final module, here we go!

#3 – A great month for affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of my income sources, and usually I earn an extra few hundred/thousand per month from it, depending on the month. However in September 2021, one of my posts did extra well and I earned my highest ever income from affiliate marketing.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)

#4 – Gave 1 talk

I did:

Types of Passive Income with MyAgeing™ Financial Literacy and Educational Hub (MyFiLE), UPM

#5 – Started home renovation/ home decoration journey

We are about to get the keys to our new home soon, which is very exciting! I have added Home Reno + Deco in my expense tracking app to keep track of the whole cost.

My current game plan is (scroll right):

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)

#6 – Crossed 3 million views

HUGE milestone reached! Thank you so much for supporting RinggitOhRinggit.com!!

didn't realise it but
https://t.co/zwZXP7Vdh6
 crossed 3 million views!!! 🥳
pic.twitter.com/2hvLk9JQ4j
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
September 11, 2021

#7 – Misc

Read
three books
:

Write Yourself Happy: The Art of Positive Journalling by Megan C Hayes, PhD
 (see review below)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)

S
urrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behaviour by Thomas Erikson
(not the biggest fan of the Red/Yellow/Green/Blue profiling – Big 5 is better. Still an okay read though)
S
urrounded by Psychopaths: How to Protect Yourself from Being Exploited by Others Thomas Erikson
 (see review below)

https://www.facebook.com/ringgitohringgit/posts/331228842133234

Noteworthy shows:

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 & 2 on Disney Hotstar
Only Murders in the Building on Disney Hotstar
Cruella on Disney Hotstar
Kate on Netflix
Elysium on Netflix

Bought for myself:

New York Times subscription
Hair perm
3 tank tops (RM11.34 including shipping! Proud of myself)
More cosmetics
A few books
A fake plant

Nay of the Month:

#1 – Don’t know if my efforts are working

I’m aware I’m doing many things at the same time and sometimes I worry about spreading myself too thin, and end up not achieving anything at all, despite all the effort I put into it.

I don’t know. All I can do now is to continue the work and trust the process, even though I’m not seeing any immediate improvements at the moment.

#2 – Got grey hair-shamed

I have grey hair and I’m okay with it, but the folks at the hair salon made a big deal out of it and keep mentioning their clients who come for hair colouring and root touch-up sessions.

The hair perm itself was good, I like how my hair turned out. But dowan go there anymore.

I spent RM536 on hair cut and perm and happy with the results but they ruined it by grey hair-shaming me 🥲
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
September 15, 2021

Things to Look Forward to:

Starting my CFP Module 4 classes
Completing work for various clients. Bracing myself to go through my busiest period yet.

Pray for me. 7 ongoing clients currently, on top of my usual content creation work, on top of studies
I can do this
— Suraya ringgitohringgit.com 🏴 (@surayaror)
September 29, 2021

Well, that was my September 2021. How was yours? What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section 🙂

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
find out your budgeting style
)


Budget Update: September 2022 – When You Want to Travel But Have to Be Responsible

Welcome to another edition of my monthly budget updates, where I break down my expenses by category and share the highlights and lowlights of the month.

So how was your September? Was it good, bad or meh?

For me, my wanderlust feeling was definitely strong in September. It was always there, but came especially strong after Japan announced they’re going to lift off visa and travel guide requirements.

Did you hear me? Japan – freaking JAPAN – will open its borders, and I really really really want to take my husband there!!

But… I am expecting a major expense next year and still paying off my home reno instalments so rationally, a big trip is not the most financially-sound option at the moment. It sucks to be responsible 🙁

Yet, the wanderlust feeling must be curbed. So we’re making do with a short Thailand trip in November, costing less than RM1k total for 2 pax. Oh well, as long as I have something to look forward to.

Let’s get on to the budget part.

Budget Update: September 2022

In September 2022, I spent RM8,591.90 The top 3 top expenses were:

Home Reno + Deco (RM1,662.63)
–
Monthly EPP for renovation
Dates/Travel (RM1,318.59)
– Apartment in Melaka, future trip to Thailand, dinner dates
Utilities & Mortgage (RM
1,241
)
– Half mortgage

Cumulatively, the top 3 expenses make up 51% of my total September 2022 expenses. (My belief is, if you want to save money, trim first from the top 3 expenses rather than cut out a few ringgits from other already-low expenses)

My Spending Breakdown in September 2022

Here’s what I spent on in the whole month of September 2022, in their respective categories and from highest to lowest amount:

Spending notes:

I am only 2 payments away from finishing a RM1,013.13 monthly instalment (for
home reno
). Can’t wait!!
Irregular payments of the month – Renewed passport for RM200, dentist visit

Yay of the Month:

#1 – Had a relatively stress-free work month

In September 2022, I delivered a couple of workshops, collaborated with a few brands for their campaigns, and tried my best to think of new ways to earn money while maintaining that elusive life/work balance (same thing as work/life balance, except life comes first).

I’m happy that my new book will (hopefully) be an additional source of income. The title is yet to be determined, but the gist of the book is more or like this original title I had in mind. Expanding RoR to the Malay market is exciting and I can’t wait to promote it once it’s out!

'Macam Mana Nak Simpan Duit Kalau Gaji Sikit (Tapi Kadang2 Boros Pun Betul Juga)'
I'd really like to use this as my book title but it's too long 😅 how la to shorten but contain the same essense
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
September 20, 2022

Aside from that, I’m also contemplating a couple of courses, since I see the demand is there:

How to DIY your financial planning
How to choose and buy your own insurance

What do you think? Something you’d buy? What’s the price point? I’m thinking RM99 or so.

#2 – Short trip to Melaka

It’s been a while, Melaka! I had so much good food there:

Nasi ketum ayam
Asam pedas pari
Cendol
Sotong goreng tepung (10/10 worth another trip there)
Putu piring gula apong
Ondeh-ondeh
Asam pedas chips
And not to mention delicious food from my friend’s wedding reception

My tummy and tastebuds were so happy 🙂

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A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)

#3 – Found a new dentist

I was loyal to my previous dentist for a good 5 years, but she moved. Happily, a new dental office just opened near my place and I found a new dentist to be loyal to, yay 🙂

My dentist: you must use interdental brush. Don't buy the daiso one not the right size for your teeth. Here I give one for free (an expensive Swiss brand). When you need more you buy from shopee, cheaper
I.. I will be forever loyal to her..
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
September 17, 2022

#4 – Saved RM350 on invoicing platform

Decided to stop using my invoicing platform, saved RM350 (after discount). They changed the interface sometime last year and it was such a pain to use.

For now, I’ll use Canva. But will also see if there are better options for bookkeeping. Thankfully my business is fairly easy to keep records.

#5 – Appeared on..

#1 –  Financial Mistakes I Should Avoid Before 30 on Twitter Spaces with Iman Publication

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A post shared by Suraya Zainudin (@surayaror)

#6 – Misc

Read:

Started two books but finished none 🙁

Watched:

Cyberpunk on Netflix
Just Mercy on Netflix
Better with Money on Netflix

Bought for myself:

Some supplements
2 dresses on Carousell
5ml decant of my fav perfume

Nay of the Month:

#1 – Intense feeling of being stagnant

For the most part, I enjoy my work. But it’s also getting less and less fulfilling. Work is just work, and I still get things done, but it just feels monotonous.

It’s important to say here that I am NOT burned out. I’ve been there, this is not it. I would choose this job over anything else a hundred times over, I love my flexible schedule. But at the same time, I crave inspiration and motivation.

That prompted this tweet:

Today's state: Not burned out, just lacking creative juice
Any advice on how to get a refill?
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
September 30, 2022

Thanks everyone who offered suggestions. Y’all are the best.

#2 – In worse physical shape than I thought

In the end, I was so embarrassed I quit. It’s ok, I’ll still do my swims and walks and yoga for exercise..

I know it's the effort that matters, and they were super welcoming, but it was still embarrassing to be the worst-performing person at fitness class 🥲
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
September 17, 2022

Things to Look Forward to:

My editor said my book is almost done, so I guess I’ll have to take part in marketing it. I can feel the anxiety coming.. 🙂

I haven't hardsell to my audience in a while. Will need to brush up the skills so I can sell my own damn book next month.
Idk. Something about hardsell still makes me feel queasy and guilty. I know it's ridiculous to think of it like that tho 😣
— Suraya | suraya.eth (@surayaror)
September 28, 2022

Well, that was my September 2022. How was yours? What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section 🙂

—

To read about my past monthly budget update, click
here
. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (
find out your budgeting style
)