Let’s face it, living cost nowadays isn’t cheap. Most of us struggle with having any savings from month to month. Idk about you but my bank account looks the same for 3 months now.
The price of a meal in Klang Valley is about RM5-10, but a student from TARC shared how he managed to survive on RM350 for food a month!
And he shared it through TARC Confessions. Here’s what he wrote:
“My friend couldn’t believe me when I told her that I spend only RM350 on food per month. She said that my life is not fit for a ‘human’.”
“Honestly, it all comes down to how you manage your money.”
“And for a student like me staying in Wangsa Maju, spending RM350 on food per month isn’t a problem at all. First of all, one meal out of three meals a day should consist of bread.”
Here’s how he spend the first RM50. He even laid out the calculations for us!
“One loaf of bread costs about RM2.40 with 12 to 13 slices inside. I eat 4 slices for breakfast or lunch, which means I spend RM15 on bread alone every month.
“Then I buy a can of peanut butter or fruit jam with another RM15. The remaining money would be used to stock up biscuits.”
Here’s how he spend the remaining RM300.
“RM10 is allocated for food per day. RM5 for breakfast or lunch, and RM5 for dinner.
But is it possible to have a proper meal with only RM5? If you look hard enough, you will find some!
“No, I’m not eating ‘grass’. The chicken rice at the school cafeteria cost RM3.80. Every night after 9pm, the number 10 stall selling ‘chap fun’ charges me RM4 for 2 portion of vegetables and 1 portion of meat. Heck, I still have RM2.20 remain at the end of the day.”
“At the Malay stall in cafeteria, you can eat noodles until you ‘vomit’ with just over RM2. There are many food that cost around RM5 that you can find in Wangsa Maju.”
To further save up on the money, he never order drinks when he’s out. He makes sure to carry his water tumbler every where he goes.
“Do I starve myself with just RM10? No.”
“Is my diet unhealthy? Don’t worry, I ate my vegetables.”
That’s a good boy right there!
“Everyday, I would exercise at least 1 hour, drink 3 litres of water and buy some fruits to eat.”
“To entertain myself, I would enjoy the scenery outside my place, read some novels, download some movies to watch, play with the cat downstairs and do some DIY stuff. And I’m very contented and happy with my lifestyle.”
This finance guru also shared a few tips on how to save money.
“To save money, we should only buy the necessities and choose the cheapest one. I’m still using my 3-year-old Xiao Mi smartphone.
“I have 4 T-shirts which I wear when attending classes, hanging out and during special occasion. And I’ve been wearing them for 5 years.
“I don’t have a car because I make full use of the public transport.
“I eat normal food and lead an ordinary life, but I’m happier and more contented than anyone else.”
I suppose when it comes down to it, it’s ultimately up to yourself on how much you want to spend from day to day. I know I won’t last a week with his lifestyle!
Also read: UTAR Student Shares How He Was ‘Exploited’ by His Friends for Having a Car
