Instant noodles and cheap sausages are part and parcel of a student’s life, especially for those living on a shoestring budget. But not all of us are forced to cope with just RM 5 a day.
A story which recently surfaced on twitter by the name of @hemadrym told the world the trials and tribulations of her friend Nur Liyana Sukhaimi and her penny-pinching ways.
Tahun ni aku ditemukan dengan seorang kawan, dia jenis susah. Dengan life universiti, dia belanja rm5 je sehari. Contoh kalau bas tiba2 buat hal. Then terpaksa balik naik grab (hostel kami jauh dari U, 12km) grab kompem mahal sebab jauh, jadi kalau dia dah habiskn rm5 untuk grab, https://t.co/5E6lLY48m5
— Z (@hemadrym) November 19, 2018
Featured in mStar online, Nur Liyana Sukhaimi shares her story of spending only RM5 per day for meals, of which according to her was one of her many initiatives to curb expenditure since her secondary school days.
“I don’t mind being called stingy because, in reality, I’m not. This is how I control my spending.”
“I set a target of spending less than RM5 per day, and if it exceeds the set limit I will take it out of my future budget.”
“Different people adopt different strategies. I know my situation as I am from a low-income family and plan according to what suits me best.”
“To me, food is not a necessity, as long as it fills me up. But if I do want to indulge, I’ll put it off for another day.”
When breakfast alone can exceed RM5, it can be assumed that spending RM5 for a whole day is impossible!
Source: Trip Advisor
For the 20-year-old, RM5 is indeed enough.
“There is a way.”
Even on her tight budget, breakfast is a must to fuel her productivity.
“Early in the morning I would wake up early and have breakfast at the faculty’s cafeteria.”
“I always eat fried rice, as no matter how much you have the cost is still RM1.50.”
“I split the meal into two, half for breakfast and half for lunch.”
Bila balik tu, mesti dia dah tak makan. Sebab duit belanja dia dah sampai limit Rm5.
Dia punya susah tu, bila sarapan pagi, dia ambik nasi goreng banyak2, (nasib pakcik cafe pemurah, rm1.50 je dia kira walaupun banyak). Dia akan bahagi dua nasi goreng tu, untuk makan tengahari.
— M I R (@hemadrym) November 19, 2018
“Sometimes classes extend until late afternoon, so I won’t feel like eating by then. That is how I save up.”
Liyana said that on days when she feels really hungry, her go-to-meal will always be rice with sambal tempeh and potatoes at only RM3.50!
N untuk petang pulak dia akan beli nasi dekat cafe and lauk kentang goreng sambal campur tempe. Tu je lauk yang dia akan beli.
Dia tak beli ayam, ikan. Sebab yang lain tu, kalau beli, dah capai rm 4/5 atau lebih.
Ataupun, dia tak makan petang. Just makan roti yg ada kat loker
— M I R (@hemadrym) November 19, 2018
According to the USIM undergraduate, her initiative to save up began out of necessity witnessing her mother’s hardship raising five siblings following her father’s death.
“When my late father was around, I would ask him to wash my clothes every time I got back from boarding school. I was spoilt then.”
“I couldn’t care less about money and spent as I pleased.”
Source: mStar
Following her father’s death when she was in Form 1, Liyana became a different, more mature and responsible person.
“At the time, I learnt the meaning of being independent, frugal, controlling expenditure and working during school holidays.”
With her mother’s salary of RM1,300, Liyana said that not much was left, resulting in her refusal to ask her mother for pocket money.
Pernah sekali dia makan maggi, tu pun dia bahagi 2 maggi tu ?. Dia kata, lagi separuh boleh makan lain kali pulak. Aku kalau makan bukan takat bahagi 2, 2 bungkus terus aku lahap.
— M I R (@hemadrym) November 19, 2018
“I try not to ask from my mother, as I know that she does not have much on her.”
“I help where I can, as I sometimes do printing work at my hostel.”
When asked of her PTPTN loan, Liyana said “I do have money from my PTPTN loan, but it is no use of the money if I do not manage it well. “
“I only use it to buy things that I really need, such as paying my tuition fees”
Liyana stressed that her story was by no means to garner sympathy, but more of her sharing how she controls her daily spending as an undergraduate.
Her friend @hermadrym has posted her banking details if anyone wishes to contribute to her: Nur Liyana Binti Sukhaimi, Bank Islam 05030020278776.
Do you have any spending tips? Share it with us in the comments section below.
Also read: University Gives Teen Free Dorm So She Can Study and Take Care of Sick Father
