Hands up if you have ever typed anything along these lines in Google Search:

• ‘How to cope with cost of living’
• ‘How to make a budget’
• ‘How to reduce spending’
• ‘Ways to increase income’
• ‘What is the best credit card’
• ‘Where can I get a loan’
• Or some other variation of these

May I just say that the first page of Google results were designed to be there in the first place – someone lovingly crafted an SEO-optimised article, especially for the incoming Malaysian traffic. Oh, Malaysians, especially our generation, will be flocking these articles, desperate for help to counter the rising cost of living.

The articles are likely short and filled with bite-sized information. The advice given are, for better or for worse, generic, and usually ends in ‘yes you too can save money/make extra income with these methods, try it now!’. Then perhaps they will plug in a product or a service.

How do you know if you are receiving good advice or not?