Budget Update: July 2023 – Easing back into normal life

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 July? Was it good, bad or meh? For me, July 2023 was all about easing back into normal life, except now we have a 2-month old baby to plan around. Some changes include: Packing diaper bag (and making sure to bring thermos with…

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Budget Update: June 2023 - Confinement Month

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 June? Was it good, bad or meh? For me, June 2023 contained multiple big expected and unexpected expenses. The big ones were budgeted for, but the unexpected ones threw me off. I try so hard to be thrifty and frugal in my daily…

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Explaining Every ETF You Can Invest and Trade on Bursa Malaysia 

Let’s start this article with this fact: I *love* ETFs. Short for exchange-traded funds, I think it is one of the better ways to invest than stock-picking (for most people) and have been promoting it for a while.   I dunno who needs to hear this but if you don't have time to read financial statements n no industry knowledge, tak payah buat stock picking, tak payah pilih2 sahamGet mutual fund,…

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We Spent RM33.5k to Have Our First Child [Baby Cost Breakdown]

NEW ARTICLE! Parents, how much did y'all spend to have your child? Tips welcomed!

Yes, that’s right. We – as in my husband and I – spent approximatedly RM33.5k, combined, to have our first child. In this article, I’ll show the full baby cost breakdown. Now, before you say anything about the amount, I need to first say 2 things: Baby Cost Breakdown Obligatory Disclaimer One – Obviously, the amount you spend on your first child will vary depending on your budget and choices.…

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Budget Update: May 2023 – Birth and Taxes

NEW BUDGET UPDATE! Almost half of my expenses in May went to taxes, ugh. What was your highest expense last month?

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 May? Was it good, bad or meh? For me, May 2023 was an eventful one: we welcomed our first child. Baby Mika was actually due in early June but decided to come earlier. In fact, he couldn’t wait to come – I had a relatively short…

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I gave birth in a car park (true story)

Here's the birth story of my first child :) It was unreal then, but now that it's over and everything is well, I thought it was funny

First of all, I want to say 100% of this story is true. Nothing is fabricated or exaggerated. I’m still blown away this experience happened to me. The short version is: I gave birth in a car park at 5am in the morning, unassisted. Here’s the long version: 19 May 2023, 2.30am On 19 May 2023, 2.30am, I woke up in the middle of the night with what I thought was a regular toilet run, with added…

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The Beginner’s Guide to FCPO Trading in Malaysia [SPONSORED]

NEW ARTICLE! Here's how to start your FCPO trading journey :) In this article, I've included (FREE) trading courses you can take, how much to get started and more! P/s - Join the Derivatives Trading Challenge https://www.bursamarketplace.com/dvtc/?tid=su

Fact: Forex trading is haram.  Okay, *some* types of forex trading are allowed in a macroeconomic, business operations way. But the one you have in mind? The one where you, a solo trader, make a lot of money by ‘working’ a few hours a day – yeah that one is clear-cut haram.  But! If you still want to trade for a living, there is a way to do it in a Syariah-compliant way. You can do FCPO…

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How Materialistic Are You? Take This Quiz to Find Out

NEW ARTICLE! What's your materialism score? Comment with your score results, if you dare :)

Have you ever wondered how materialistic are you? Not in a Yes/No kinda way, but on a scale. Well, I was reading the book 59 Seconds: Think A Little, Change a Lot by Richard Wiseman and randomly stumbled on a quiz to measure materialism. (I loved the book and would recommend it. Click the link above to purchase – its on Big Bad Wolf so until stocks last!) Am I Materialistic? A…

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How We Paid RM1.9k Instead of RM2.5k for Our Car Insurance [SPONSORED]

NEW ARTICLE! Don't just renew your car insurance - check first from other providers and you could save HUNDREDS. Tips in article!

When the time came to renew our car insurance, we got a quotation from our existing provider: RM2.5k.  For funsies, we (as in, my husband and I) did our research and cost comparison from most of the car insurance comparison portals out there, and managed to purchase the exact same coverage for just RM1.9k.  We basically got the protection we wanted for RM600 or 24% less!  To be exact, we paid…

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[HYPOTHETICAL] How I Would Spend My 1 Million Ringgit Windfall

NEW ARTICLE! Let's say you won RM1 million. What would you do with it?

What would you do if you get a 1 million ringgit windfall? Perhaps from lottery, perhaps from an insurance/takaful payout, perhaps from winning a court case, whatever. How would you manage the 1 million ringgit? This is a fun thought experiment and frequently asked around in social media so I thought I’d take a stab at it. Here’s how I would spend 1 million ringgit: First: TELL NO ONE I would…

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How I Use Faraid Calculator to Decide Who Gets My Money After I'm Gone

NEW ARTICLE! Have you used a faraid calculator before and know who have claims to your wealth after your death? This is how I start my estate-planning process

Do you know who gets your money after you’re gone? Have you used a faraid calculator and know for sure which of your family members are your faraid heirs, aka people who have claims to your assets after your death, according to Islamic inheritance laws? No, push through the ‘this is uncomfortable to think about’ thoughts, this is important. As the popular Malay saying goes, mati itu…

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Budget Update: March 2023 – Supporting Family Members

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 March? Was it good, bad or meh? For me, March 2023 was… disorienting. I’m going through something major at the moment and its driving me nuts. The advice given was simply – Rest. Rest is hard for me, I’m so used to working.…

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[UP TO 60% OFF on 11 March] How to Buy Your Own Damn Insurance & Takaful Course by Suraya ringgitohringgit.com

LAUNCHING - HOW TO BUY YOUR OWN DAMN INSURANCE COURSE! Get it for up to 60% off this Saturday, 11 March, 12pm. First buy first sell, details inside :)

  [PLEASE READ THIS LEGAL DISCLAIMER BEFORE PURCHASING THIS PRODUCT] On 21 January 2023, I Suraya from RinggitOhRinggit.com conducted the How to Buy Your Own Damn Insurance/Takaful workshop. Since then, many people contacted me asking 1) when I would conduct the next one, and 2) if they could buy the recording. Thanks to popular demand, my How to Buy Your Own Damn Insurance/Takaful course is…

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Budget Update: February 2023 - Supporting family members

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 February? Was it good, bad or meh? For me, February was the realisation that I have accepted my role as financial contributor for my parents. I mean, I’ve done it for years, but only recently accepted that ah, this is a forever…

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My Money Routine: How I Organise My Personal Finance Life

NEW ARTICLE! Do you have a money routine? Ie how often you check your accounts, pay bills and do other financial tasks. How does yours look like?

In its essense, personal finance is boring: Earn more than you spend, spend less than you earn, invest the difference. The fun part is in the details – how one saves, invests, spends, and generally optimises their money routine and finances in a way that works for them. That last part is important, because there are many, many paths to financial freedom, not just ‘one’ way. You can tweak it, and…

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Only RM10 a month! How to Apply for Housewives’ Social Security Scheme or SKSSR under SOCSO/PERKESO

NEW ARTICLE! If you can't afford insurance/takaful for your wife/mother aged under 55 years old, do consider taking SKSSR for them - good variety of health and medical benefits.

Housewives’ Social Security Scheme or Skim Keselamatan Sosial Suri Rumah – from hereon will be referred to as SKSSR – is a new scheme under PERKESO designed especially for housewives women. I modified it to women because upon checking the page, the definition used is quite wide – A housewife is defined as ‘a woman whether married or unmarried, who manages the household on a full-time or…

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Budget Update: January 2023

NEW BUDGET UPDATE! How was your January, financially speaking?

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 January? Was it good, bad or meh? For me, January was a very hazy, slow month. I hit my income target and just chilled for the rest of the month, working on personal chores and Project M. A part of me feels guilty of this…

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