Stretching Ringgit Without Hurting

World become so expensive, and our buy lists are keep expanding compared to years before.

Bill getting expensive and the "kind-of-bill" is getting way too many.

I remember when I was kid we only pay two bills: Electricity and Phone.

We have jet-pump water to bring spring water out from earth as supply, we have garden to supply daily veggie, etc.

Now the "need-to-pay" list are getting longer year to year start from phone, gas, electric, water, maintenance, astro, internet, car, house, land, plantation, farm, bigger house, travel, etc etc etc... errgghhhhh...  seems like any single kind of salary won't be enough to pay.

I read many blogs about how to stretch the money to fill ALMOST all they need, and still manage to put some change aside.

1. BRING MY OWN COFFEE

Each morning, I commute from home to work. I took three different public transport start from Bus, 

continue to train, then take another bus. In between of waiting my bus I like drink coffee or munch something. Before, it cost me from RM 1.80, Rm 4.00 or even RM 12.00 depend on what I bought. Brought my own coffee only costs me about RM (I don't know) I made at home from my own good 

coffee, proper milk, and a jar..!! By the end of the month, my coin jar filled extra RM 50.00 just because I stop bought coffee from the store. 

2. SAVE THE CONDIMENT I GOT FROM FASTFOOD

At home only me who like to eat with chili sauce, the rest relies on ketchup. It seems to be wasting when I bought a big bottle chili sauce, and left them old which by the end I will throw before even finish it. With keeping condiment from Junk Food I bought, I can have my fresh chili sauce each time I want it.

Nando is also becoming all life time favorite, but call them for delivery when we want to eat 1-2 slices chicken sounds unfair for both the delivery man and for me paying too much delivery charges. One night I tried to imitate the roast chicken using Nando's peri sauces and it came not far away different *wink

I put aside RM 20 / month and say goodbye to both regular bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce and Nando Peri Chicken.

3. BRING MY OWN LUNCH

I need a proper carb and meat in my daily food. To cook them each morning would be a hassle. 

The easiest way to bring lunch is by investing on a nice Tupperware / durable plastic container, cook an extra amount for dinner, chill them, and reheat them on the next day. How much you pay averagely everytime you had a lunch around the office? The cost of lunch variety from RM 5.00 in economic mix rice up to RM 50 in Austin. My average lunch cost me RM 10.00 each day from the local stall. 

By bringing my own lunch, I put aside about RM 100 - RM 200 in one month. Nice, NO...?? 

4. ENJOY THE TROPICAL COUNTRY AND THEIR FREE ENERGY

Malaysia is a crazy hot country, still I wonder why I keep using the electric dryer for many years when nature provide me unlimited heat to dry anything. Start with buying the mobile rack, couple of plastic hanger and find the hottest spot at home, I manage to dry the laundry without electric dryer.

The best spot I found in the house is the spare bedroom window near the air-conditioning exhaust fan. The fan is never ending blow free hot air to the room too, make the drying activity twice faster.

I save RM 40 - RM 50  a month from paying the electric bill.

Not bad eh... 

5. SET AN ONLINE STORE

How much money I spent to purchase junk from online store. Start from craft supply, rubber stamp, cookies, waxing supplies, home-spa supplies, clothes, etc. After that, another question came: we always spent lots of money on online shopping, how about we make money from online shop?

I start setting up my online shop (Instagram) on Feb this year inspired by my officemates, plenty of them having a side business beside of regular job just to keep them RICH and easier to pay all the travelling money. 

Well, my online business doesn't really make me rich nor give me queue customers like iPhone stores in KLCC. But it makes my shopping activities cheaper. Most of them will give me reseller price (30-40% off from the market price) and I can earn a bit to add in money to pay travel expenses, extra food, extra munchies, etc. 

6. START SELLING OR JOIN A BAZAAR

Join a bazaar is kind of a way to make instant money on the weekend. We might be nervous about the cost of becoming a vendor sounds quite expensive (RM 150-RM 350/day) and scared if the sale can't even cover the expenses. 

Please don't be scared... when people gather around and creates a good crowd, they tend to buy without thinking. Especially if you sell food, drink and snacks. You make plenty amount on weekend without you even realize.

Try to run the life smarter next time....