I admit that after I resigned, our finance had become a bit tight. We had to depend only on one fixed income, Mr H's. I am blessed that Mr H is such a responsible husband and he was the one who told me to manage our household income. Alhamdulillah, rezeki still coming in, in so many ways that sometimes we can't even imagine. Praise to Allah. 

So since I don't have a fixed income, I have to be careful with my spending. Do not worry if I suffer from eating disorder, because food is still the top on my list, everyday, hahaha. I read few blogs that advised about savings. I followed some of the tips and I find that it really helps in managing the household finance. Maybe you can't save much, but at least you are doing something to put aside these money for the future. You can follow these tips too if you are planning to save some money. 2016 is going to be a tough challenge for everyone of us, so we really have to start saving.

1. Whenever I get 50 cents, I put them in the coin box.

I like the 50 cent coins because it is the biggest. And you rarely received it in transactions. That's why every time I get this type of coins I will put it in the coin box. I'll make a mental note not to use it even if it is still there in my purse. When I reach home, I will transfer all the 50 cent coins into the coin box. I do this everyday.


I keep both the old 50 cents and the new 50 cents. You will be surprised of the amount after just few weeks.

2. I keep all RM 5 and RM 20 notes too.

I learned this from few financial experts. They said maybe putting aside an amount of money every month seems a lot to us, why don't you try saving it this way. It really feels like playing a game. Now I will be alert of all the RM 5 and RM 20 notes that I get. I even spot check Mr H's purse every night to see if he has these notes, hahaha. Once, I had saved almost RM 500 just after 1 month. Not bad isn't it? Usually I will transfer the notes to ASB. This annoys the clerk very much because she has to count heaps of RM 5 and RM 20, hahaha. Well, at least I saved, didn't I? We seldom get RM 5 and RM 20 so that's why these 2 notes are perfect for the game. Try it out! Take the challenge for a week, you will be surprised!


For every RM 100, I will tie them with rubber bands together so that it is easier to count later. Can you see how much I had saved there :P Just count the rubber bands!

3. I will keep all the receipts with me.

It is important to keep all the receipts so that you know where your money goes. It is a good way to keep track of your money. Just keep the receipts in your wallet for a while. Transfer it to a file in your computer later so that you won't have to keep all the receipts forever and be labelled as a 'hoardess' hahaha. Mr H's favourite word to describe me.


Just put all the receipts in the wallet. Worry about them when you get home.

4. If you don't get the receipts, make sure you take down the price that you pay in your handphone.

You can use the notes apps and just take down everything that you paid but did not get any receipts. Just a simple note will do. Don't worry too much about this because you will transfer it later.


See, simple notes.

5. Prepare an excel sheet for all the receipts.

Open a new excel sheet to write down all your spending, based on the receipts (now you can throw away all the receipts) and the notes that you had taken down. Categorized your spending according to days and months. I usually save different excel sheet for different months. At the end of the month I will add up all the sums and have a mini heart attack, hahaha. This is where you know which spending to cut from your budget next month.


Errr, I can already see unnecessary spending here, hahaha.

6. Grow your own food, hahaha.

This is what Mr H does. He loves gardening and I have to admit that he has green hands. We now have tumeric, ginger and lemon grass in front of our apartment. Sometimes Mr H will pluck a few shoots for us to eat with rice, fresh from the farm.


Tumeric shoots. Good for the blood circulation.

7. Get a second job - Follow the Minister's advice :)

There are actually a lot of part time jobs out there for you. In fact, there are also part time jobs which do not require you to leave the house. You just need to have a computer. One job that does not require any fee at all is to be a dropship agent. I know that many of university students are doing this kind of job. You just have to be creative and bold.

So guys, like I had mentioned before, 2016 is going to be different. More economic challenges to come. Start saving up from now. It looks like it's going to rain everyday soon...♡