budget – My Minimalist Lifestyle

Minimize Your Debt

Hi Everyone! Hope you are doing good.

When talking about minimalism, it’s not only about your space. It’s about lifestyle, including your space, your financial goals, your relationship. It’s about how you let go of those unnecessary and keep the mandatory that always be your goal. It’s about setting up your life goals. Minimalist have various definitions towards each of people, but for me it’s lifestyle and life goals.

I’ve started being a minimalist since 2018, to be honest the most hardly to do is to minimalist my wardrobe and cables. I’ve decluttered my space, decluttered my relationship, decluttered my circle friendship, minimizing my expenses and maximizing investment and saving. I really enjoyed the journey.

Today, I’m about to minimize my “bad debt” and transferring it to a good debt. The only “bad debt” I have now is my credit card which I’m fighting for quite so long. Today, I’m about to refinance my 1st home, and clearing all my credit card and have some cash in hand for me to build my positive cashflow – Debit Card.

There is a lot of impact and consequences I’ve checked and put into consideration, like how much difference I need to bare, and what about insurance, how many years the new insurance will cover, is it enough until I’m at least by the age of 60/70? I’m not dare to take fewer years of insurance, so the original insurance was to cover 35 years, I’m checking for 30 years for the new insurance. Oh, by the way, the most important thing is the property has tenants and the cost can cover my whole bank now plus some little extra. By calculating everything, I saved monthly RM 1.2k!! Wee!!! Plus, my credit card settled and I have some cash in hand. So, I’m now need to think carefully what I shall do with the little money I have in hand.

Next, my target is to manage a debit card for replacing a credit card. Yay!! I was so happy as I’ve found the solution to declutter bad debt. After I’m done building positive cashf. Next, xt I’m gonna think a way on how to set goal for my retirement day!! Hey!! It’s not too earl to think about when you are nearly , okay? Nay or Yay!! 😃

Till then see u in next post..

Love, Sofia

A lil bit left….for the house…🥰🥰🥰

Hey hey heyy, hey everyone!! How are ya? Hope you are all good.

Just wanna share some idea on what I’d done to my 1st home. Just a lil bit touch up before its ready to view for the next tenant.

So basically, what only left is:

1. To receive another curtain as current curtain is actually shorts after the folding. LOL. So I bought another 2 blackout curtain for my living room.

2. To receive my TV, I bought a smart TV for the house.

3. To hang the kitchen curtain. I already have it, just that I forgot to bring plier and scissor for cutting and adjusting the wire.

4. To hang bathroom mirror and bathroom rack. I need to bring along the strong double sided tape, I guess I just use double sided tape for the rack. 😃

5. To dismantle and install the water heater. I already bought 2units, just need plumber to install. I already book plumber to do such things 😀

So, check these out the differences before I took over and after I took over the house 😃🥰😃

This was before, when im viewing the house before my tenant move out.

This was after I clean the house and make lil changes.

This will be the final, only the Smart TV left to put on the TV cabinet.

Check out the kitchen…

This was before when I viewing the house when my tenant still living in.

After my tenant move out and I clean up the kitchen.

This was after I do a total cleanup and buy some carpet for kitchen.

Now, let’s see the dining area…🥰

This was before the tenant move out, when the tenant still living in the house.

This was after the clean up,, I rearranged n buy some stuff for the dining area.

Let’s check out rooms, the house has 3rooms and 2bathrooms.

The master bedroom after clean up, painted furniture and bought mattress cover & curtains .

This was the middle room, where the tenant make it as store. A lot of clean up done for this room.

This was the current view. Perhaps it need some rearrange, but not sure yet. I just bought the mattress cover and curtain for this room.

This was the smallest room. Originally I made it as my wardrobe and clothes organization room. So, my tenant just continue it, kinda a lot of stuff.

So I do a clean up and bought curtain. nothing much I did for this room. Just a cleaning.

So, most of the thing I did was, a massive clean up, throwing unnecessary stuff and do a lot of painting. I did paint the furniture such as TV cabinet, coffee table, make up table, mirror frame, TV rack, the dryer outside as well 😃

Some other things I snap photo before I went back home last Saturday 😃🥰😃

The shoe rack, I don’t buy expensive shoe rack. I just re-paint the original brown wooden color with black and light grey color. I just buy the spray paint, make my life easier..LOL

Okay, I will snap the rest pending things and post in later…

see yaa!! To be continued..

Love, Sofia

A lil bit left….for the house…🥰🥰🥰

Hey hey heyy, hey everyone!! How are ya? Hope you are all doing good.

Just wanna share some ideas on what I’d completed to my 1st home. A lil bit touch up before ready to open for viewing.

So basically, what only left are:

1. To receive another curtain as current curtain is actually shorts after the folding. LOL. So I bought another 2 blackout curtain for my living room.

2. To receive my TV, I bought a smart TV for the house.

3. To hang the kitchen’s curtain. I already have it, just that I forgot to bring plier and scissor for cutting and adjusting the wire.

4. To hang bathroom mirror and bathroom rack. I need to bring along the strong double sided tape, I guess I just use double sided tape for the rack. 😃

5. To dismantle and install the water heater. I already bought 2units, just need plumber to install. I already book plumber to do such things 😀

So, check these out the differences before I took over and after I took over the house 😃🥰😃

When I’m viewing the house before my tenant move out.

This was after I cleaning up the house and make a lil changes.

Check out the kitchen…

This was before when I viewing the house and my tenant still living in.

This was the final after I do a total cleanup in n out the kitchen cabinet and buy some carpets for kitchen.

Now, let’s see the dining area…🥰

This was after the cleaning up,, I rearranged n buy some stuff for the dining area.

Let’s check out rooms, the house has 3rooms and 2bathrooms.

The master bedroom after cleaning up, painted furnitures and bought mattress cover & some matched curtains .

This was the middle room, where the tenant make it as a store room. A lot of clean up done for this room.

This was the smallest room. Originally I made it as my wardrobe room and clothes organization room. So, my tenant just continue it, kinda have a lot of stuff during my visit that day.

Some other things I snap photo before I went back home, last Saturday 😃🥰😃

Okay, I will snap some photos later, after the rest pending things complete.

see yaa!! To be continued..

Love, Sofia

Labeling Travel Toiletries and Pantry Items 😘

HeLLoOooooOoo Everyone!!! It’s been awhile since my last post..How are you? Hope everyone is happy, sound and safe 🥰

I recently trying to manage organizing my things in a proper manner, as I tried to customize my organizer according to my needs.

After decluttering so much, now I left myself with lot of organizer which organizer turn itself into clutters. Weee!!! 😀

some empty organizer that I’m still thinking what to do with it 😃

I starts labelling my things, and to well organize my current things, such as my travel toiletries, and my pantry items like flour etc.

So, I bought empty black sticker and white permanent marker pen. I also have black tape as alternative way for labeling 😃

Check this out…

I bought the sticker for RM 1 each sheet. I bought 2 sheets and the marker pen about RM 0.70 😃

I have black tape, so for my travel toiletries I’m using black tape and write it down with White Permanent marker pen. Well, IdK if the writing will fade or not, but its okay, lemme just try to use this as for now. Maybe I will need to find the one with waterproof for my toiletries 😃

Okay, that’s all for now, till then..see u soon..

Love, Sofia

Things to Sort before Entering Year 2023

Hi Everyone..

For the past few months, I’ve been through a turbulent changes in my life. I’m started losing control of myself, my life and my surrounding. It’s a perfect time to slowing down all of the issues and take one by one step to solve it. To get back incharge of my ownself. So, here my longterm goal to achieve before entering Year 2023. Risk to be taken on each of stages, and consequences of each steps taken.

1. Financial base

To list down all monthly budget and to open relevant accounts for a long term savings goal. To track payment on each items such as Insurance, House payment, Credit Card payment etc.

2. Personal relationship

To put on hold for any toxic relationship or anything might leads for fights. I have tired of relationship, as you need to give some extra effort for them. For now, I will just put it on hold, and will check again if it’s really required to have any relationship or not. The risk assessment for a longterm goal will need to resume after the rest of item completed.

3. Work focus on longterm goal achievement

I guess, I had found a good environment workplace, yes it was. Unfortunately, it doesn’t gimme some sort of flexibility in a long run. So, I will need to find a good workplace environment with good colleague, and at the same time gimme some flexibility hours to sort my schedule. I’m loooking for work from home kind of company, so I balance out my life.

4. Family matters

Something that I’m trying to sort now. To make more time with family, to hangout and incharge on family matters. I’m kinda slighly off for pass few months, now it’s time to get incharge with them and spending more time with them.

5. Innerpeace Activities

Recently, I just figure out the company I work now having Zumba classes twice a week, I will start with that first. Later on, I think I will try to resume either my muaythai training or belly dance. Let’s see how.

So, okay. Those 5 things i need to sort before entering year 2023. I hope I can sort it, insya Allah 🙂

Till then, to be continue…

Love, Sofia

Revising My Monthly Budget for year 2023…🥳

Hello everyone!!! It’s been awhile I’m away from blog! Haha..so, here we go. Let’s start with financial planning for year 2023..hahaahaha..yes…for 2023!! Let’s plan for future! LOL

Okay, I’d checked on whatever resource I have, google, youtube…etc. So, I found the rules 50:30:20. It’s kinda interesting to check on. So, I made some calculation and hey yaa!!! I managed to get more savings! Yay!!! Way to go…minimalist lifestyle 🥳🥳

Monthly Budget follow rules 50:30:20 …

For rules 50:30:20, this is the percentage that you need to allocate your monthly income. There are 3 categories, the 50% should be the Fixed Expenses that you will need to pay such as bills, rental, car, internet, tuition fee etc (compulsory to pay). For the 30% of your salary should go to Variable Expenses that you have options not to spend such as eating outside, movie, theme park, present, etc. The remaining 20% should go to your Future Plans such as emergency savings or any possible investment. Well, after the calculation, I had found out that my Fixed Expenses is 54% (slightly higher because I included insurance with investment under this category 😄), my Variable Expenses is 18% (I dont have much things to buy, just lil bit entertainment like movie/eating outside) and for Future plans I have 28% 😃. I think this is good enough. As a minimalist, I always conscious on what to buy so that I don’t waste my money for clutters 😃

Okay, how do I calculate all of these? Haha..im using a simple ratio calculation 😜

Let’s take example, income salary RM2000 and to follow rules 50:30:20 (%).

In this example, when you calculate all your bills (plus other compulsory to pay) and it total up for example RM 900. So, a simple ratio (900/2000) x 100 = 45%. So for those who has salary RM2000, how to calculate is to manage the Fixed Expenses below RM 1000, RM 600 for Variable Expenses and RM 400 for Future plans. 😃

Where to store your monthly receipts for Tax Relief ?

Okay, I usually save in cloud, so easier to trace it. So, Im using Google Drive most of the times. Perhaps, you can have some other storage as well like One Drive. It is not really advisable to store in phone, as Phone can easily spoil then you will need to factory reset and all will be gone.

Okay, next I’m gonna explore how to diversify the savings and investments..till then..to be continue…

Love, Sofia

Easy Dumplings..nyummeh 😋

Hey guys!!!! How are you doing?? Hope you are all good and sounds. So, today I’m gonna share how I make my easy dumplings. Its been few days back Im craving for dumplings. You know, nowadays when you buy food from restaurant, you will get a tasteless, expensive and vegie dumpling (eventhough you are actually bought beef/lamb dumpling), its all vegie you gonna taste (less meat, lots of vegie) 😂

So, here we go..a simple dumpling from Sofia 😃

1. Firstly, you gotta buy meat. It depends on you what kind of meat you wanna use. I’m using beef meat here 😋

Marinated Sauce…

Okay, you got a loooooot of options for marinated sauce. Some love to add salt and black pepper only, some love to add soy sauce, some love to add chilli sauce. Choose whatever you love, in the end it’s yourself who gonna eat it. So, Im using teriyaki sauce, lil japanese sweet sauce and lil bit of sesame oil. I’m creating my own designated dumplings okeyh!! Hahahaha 😂❤ There is no right or wrong about it 😉

3. When you chopped everything and pour in lil of your fav marinated sauce, keep it in chiller for overnight. I don’t put in freezer, coz the taste might lil bit different. Keep in a cool chiller, in between the normal chiller and freezer. Next day, you can stir fry the meat, or can put straight to the dumpling skin. Im just being lazy, I just put it on the dumpling skin and steam it 😃

4. For dumpling skin, you can make from scratch, but Im too lazy to do that. So I bought the ready made dumpling skin. You can find it in pastry section in market. So, you pick one piece, then place the meat at the centre like this.

5. The art of dumplings is how to fold it 🥲 This part is not easy, Im just doing the most simplest ways. You can find a lot of youtube videos on how to fold dumplings and find your fav one ☺

6. Okay to steam the dumpling, if you have white thin cloth, you can put it to the bottom of dumplings. This is to avoid torn dumplings. I don’t have that, so I just put in the steamer. If you got better idea, do let me know 😀

7. My cute steamer…I can steam, can boil, can cook rice..Its small and cute 🥰

8. Tadaaa!!!!! Here my dumplings!!!! Yummy 😋. You can put it in container storage and keep it in chiller.

My fav style to eat dumplings with noodles and seaweed soups 🥰

Okay guys, that’s all for now..to be continue…

Love, Sofia

First step to build a healthy lifestyle ☺

Good morning, everyone!!! 😃

To build a healthy lifestyle needs courage, mental strength, and continuous discipline. It’s not easy, but when u starts, u can go with the flow. Each person has different kind of courage, try to understand yourself what u need the most. For me, all I need is a healthy food intake. It works for me to have beautiful and quality tableware to be used in daily routine 🥰

My fav color for tableware. I just buy 1 complete set for myself. U don’t need much. Buy a beautiful and good quality one for urself, to gain ur interest in preparing ur dish. Make it a hobby to prepare ur dish, so that u will aware what kind of food to put onto the plate.

Well, for me sometimes, I don’t eat the prepared food straight coz of busy schedule. So, I do have separated container for my food 🥰

Its stainless steel container with lid. U can used any kind that suit yourself, as long as its separated container. This because, we need to take into consideration of category food we took. Its recommended to have half fiber (quarter fruit, quarter vegie), quarter protein (chicken/beef/fish/lamb), and quarter carbs (rice/noodle/pasta/bread).

Okay, after I prepared my tableware, I need to get incharge and plan out my meals. Try to find some recipes that suit ur calorie intake. Im gonna try calorie counter apps, coz I dont need excess calories. Let’s starts!!!

I’m using LifeSum apps, to calculate necessary calories and gonna start on next Monday. So, there are 2 additional routine I’m gonna add-on, first is to trace my calorie intake, secondly is to add-in 30min exercise on my daily routine. If I can’t make it, I will reduce exercise time to 15min, as long as I can add-in exercise habits on my routine. ☺

I start with apps to count my calorie in and out. My body works this way. 🥰

U can use any free apps. I just use the free apps and didn’t subscribe any apps. I wanna keep my commitment low, so I don’t waste any cents 😃

Okay, till then…I will plan out my short term goal shortly to achieve by end of this year. Not much, but to ensure all achieve by end of this year 😘

Till then, to be continue…

Love, Sofia

Do it myself….Mahendi 😄

Hehe…hellooOooOooooOoooo…how are you?

Raya Aidilfitri is just around the corner. I bought these DIY mahendi online and thought wanna give it a try 😃

Do you know how much it will cost for 1 hand mahendi in 2015? RM 15 (3.44 USD) per hand. Yes, that price was in 2015, I believe it will be more now, in 2022. Do you know how much I bought all of these kit? RM 31.50 (7.23USD) and you can use the sticker template over and over again, and wherever you want 😄

I bought 3 varieties of the finger design, 1 overall hand design and of course the henna (chose natural henna). You can choose your own fav design, coz sometimes when I did mahendi outside, they make a different design from what I chose. Myb they simply don’t know how to draw it. Idk😶

So…..here we gOoOoooo…let’s start….😃🥰

How to DIY your own mahendi 😍

First thing first, you gotta choose which template you wanna try and where to put on your body 😅

I prepare some tissue, and cotton bud to apply henna on it. As you can see here, the packet is the original henna, where you need to mix it with water. But I want things easier 😃, so I just bought readymade henna in the small cup. Of course it will be cheaper if you mix it yourself, i think the cup and packet, cup double price then the packet and a lot of quantity 😀

Okay, then you put on the sticker template on your hand like this. Don’t put henna on those..HH290..its the sticker code ya 😁😅

Alright, now we use the cotton bud to apply henna on top of the sticker…🥰

Tadaa…make sure all template is well stick and apply on all sticker holes…

……..something like this….see..i dont put the HH290 henna, if not u gotta see it on your hand too..please ensure you alert on those 😅😅

Okay, after you apply the henna, you gotta wait for few hours…or some people will leave it overnight. But hey, Im not gonna wait that long, I just leave it for 30min 😂. The more longer you wait, the more thick the color will be…☺

Okay, done for the hand part…let’s go to the finger part….

Hahaha…if you go to outside..most of them just lazy to design your hand. But me, I put on different design to my finger. You see, 3 different design on my fingers 😃. Okay, you gotta put it lower like this, so that 1/3 of your finger will cover by the henna..

Apply the henna on top of the sticker template like this…

Tadaaa..you see, the color is not that bright coz I just leave it for 30min 😂 okay, I waited another 30min. I don’t have much time to wait..LOL

Tadaaaaa….overall view..well..not bad…not bad at all

Its orange color. Henna got available in white, dark green, black, red…but I love orange color the most. Suit with my skin 🥰

Jeng jeng….i just love it…different kind of design….🥰🥰🥰

Okay guys, thats all Im sharing on how to make your own mahendi. Your own design, your own satisfaction. Till then guys…to be continue….

Love, Sofia

My ‘me time’ – fast furious diy basket’s lid 😂

Hello!!! HellOoooooOoo…hello!! Everybody! How are you? Today, I got a lil time for myself..so I made some diy items.

My room is super duper dusty lately. I’d bought dust mite vacuum, but unfortunately the parcel was lost during shipping. I bought it again, and hoping it won’t lost again.

Because of my room sooo dusty, so I was thinking to cover up all my baskets. You really can’t see with your eyes the dust on fabric, but its there 🥲

So I do some research on how to diy it by using recycle things I have now – boxes.

Things you need to make this lid are:

1. Scissor or cutter

2. Glue gun

3. Marker pen.

4. Ruler.

5. Big empty box.

6. Wrapper paper.

7. 10mm jute – optional

DIY basket’s lid 😃🥰

1. Make a measurement of the existing box. Well, u can measure using the ruler, but I prefer easier way. Just put the basket like this on the box, then line it 😂

2. Then, u make a straigh line with all points with thicker marker pen.

I make few points on the box, then straight it with ruler and thick marker pen.

3. Cut all the lines!! I cut it with blade first, then cut it with scissor because the box is soo thick 😀

4. After cut all the lines, I glue the lid with glue gun. U need to wait for quite some times before applying the glue, to ensure the glue is smooth, coz we want a smooth surface for the glue. Until, its liquid state, then only u apply it on the box. Or else, it will easily tearoff and not glue properly 🙂