Budget Update: June 2021 – #KerajaanGagal
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!
#KerajaanGagal. Enough said. I am angry and sad and channeling all this negative energy towards bullying BNPL service providers and shading tone-deaf people who are lucky enough to be unaffected by financial hardship at this time and congratulating themselves for being able to save and invest more. Read the room.
Okay, let’s get on to the budget part.
Budget Update: June 2021
In June 2021, I spent RM11,985.76. The top 3 top expenses were:
- Business (RM4,515.39) – Paid CFP Module 3 course, bought SEO technical audit package, got a new microphone for work
- Donations & Gifts (RM3,011.21) – Parents’ electric bill, food gifts/care packs for family, donations to Refuge for Refugees and WeListen Packs
- Utilities & Rent (RM1,287.26) – Gotta keep a roof over our heads
Cumulatively, the top 3 expenses make up 75% of my total June 2021 expenses.
My Spending Breakdown in June 2021
Here’s what I spent on in the whole month of June 2021, in their respective categories and from highest to lowest amount:
Yay of the Month:
#1 – Completed CFP Module 2
2 down, 2 more to go 🙂
Wanna know what they teach in Certified Financial Planning course? Read here: My CFP Journey, Part 2: What I Learned in CFP Module 1 & Module 2
#2 – Used grocery shopping / meal planning/ ordering food as outlet for sanity
I’m generally an optimistic person, but I’m not unaffected by this overall feeling of despair. Aside from helping out via donations, I tried hard to distract myself by finding joy from ‘mundane’ activities. It’s amazing how grocery shopping, meal planning and ordering food has helped me maintain my sanity.
The downside is, unfortunately, weight gain. But you know what? I’m not going to let it get to me. If I escape this whole thing with *only* weight gain, God I’m lucky.
The other downside is high groceries cost for the month at RM1,175.96, and technically avoidable food ordering totalling ~RM375 – so RM1500 in makan cost for a household of 2.
But it was a stock-up month for groceries, which will average out to RM750-850 or so, plus ordering in supports small businesses (this is what I tell myself to feel better haha).
#3 – Increased my steps rate
I was checking my phone’s Health app and FREAKED OUT over my lack of daily steps – some days it’s as low as a few hundred steps only!
So I made some effort to walk around a bit more, even if just in the house. It kinda worked – my average step count in June 2021 was 4,793 steps per day. Other months were just in the 1xxx range.
And I managed to 2-in-1 it, too.
#4 – Re-continued Youtube channel
As a solo personal finance content creator, I find myself constantly overwhelmed juggling content creation + marketing + community management. There is so much to do, so many skills to master! I’m not complaining – most of it is good stress, I’m enjoying the challenges and learning processes, so it’s all good.
Working on my Youtube channel and learning video editing skills is one of them. Honestly my skills are still amateur at best, I’m still working on it, but you know I give good info, so go watch my latest video ya? 🙂 At least with this one my voice is clear. Microphone baru la katakan.
Watch it at: [VIDEO] 3 Google Chrome Extensions Malaysian Should Know to Save Money! (You MUST Install #1! WAJIB!)
#5 – Gave 3 talks
I did:
- Tempat Terbaik Untuk Menyimpan Wang with MyAgeing™️ Financial Literacy and Educational Hub (MyFiLE), UPM
- 3 “Money Tips” Orang Muda Perlu Tahu with Athirah Nayan, Islamic Financial Planner
- Is Buy Now, Pay Later A Force for Good or Evil? with Fintech Fireside Asia (spoiler alert: I argue its evil)
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported <3
#6 – Making progress in short term goal – grow IG to 10k followers
Started at 7.6k, as of writing time it’s at 8.4k, thank you so much! If you haven’t, please follow me on my Instagram – IG/surayaror. I really really want the swipe up feature.
#7 – Misc
Read five books (good job Suraya!!):
- How to DeFi: Beginner by CoinGecko
- How to DeFi: Advanced by CoinGecko
- The Suitcase Entrepreneur: Create Freedom in Business and Adventure in Life by Natalie Sisson
- Overheard: The Art of Eavesdropping by Oslo Davis – Note: this is a collection of cartoons by a newpaper cartoonist, not a manual. Must clarify that!!
- We Are All Weird: The Rise of Tribes and the End of Normal by Seth Godin
Noteworthy shows:
- Rorouni Kenshin: The Final on Netflix
- The Parisian Agency: Exclusive Properties on Netflix
- The whole Great Art Explained Youtube channel
- Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Bought for myself:
- 12 x books from Big Bad Wolf book sale
- Face masks (replenish supply)
- Hair mask (replenish supply)
- Gym pants (threw out old pair; using the one in one out rule)
- Pre-ordered Anna Tan’s latest book Amok. Look at that cover! Go get yourself a copy, e-book version also available
Nay of the Month:
#1 – Replaced retainer – cost: RM800
My bruxism (teeth grinding) at night is so bad, I literally go through one retainer a year, when they’re supposed to last you for five…
I was going to wait until I was fully vaccinated to go to the dentist, but my retainer wasn’t giving me protection and all the teeth grinding was causing me to wake up with sore jaw. So I finally dragged myself there after getting one jab and got a replacement pair + mouth guard for RM800.
Ouch at the price, but necessary.
#2 – Hot weather
It *was* hot, wasn’t it?? My aircon bill, which is usually RM13 or so, ballooned up to RM135.
#3 – I miss my family..
I understand why lockdown is necessary but also cases aren’t going down, so what the heck, PN govt? :’)
Things to Look Forward to:
- We got our second dose vaccine date! Should be fully vaccinated by mid-August 🙂
- Paying my taxes. As I’m writing this, LHDN updated the submission date from July 15 to August 31. Shall I just get it done or shall I wait to do it next month? Hmm…
Well, that was my June 2021. How was yours? What’s your yay of the month, nay of the month, and something you’re looking forward to? Tell me in the comments section 🙂
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To read about my past monthly budget update, click here. Graphs are taken from my expense-tracking app Money Lover (find out your budgeting style)