Wow, it’s been 10 months since I updated my blog due to workload and stress. Finally, I’m freedom from Corporate World! haha, temporarily 😃
I was thinking, due to economy not stable etc, our daily expensive increase significantly lately. I know I need to do some side income, because daily life these days becoming soo expensive. I’m still survive, because of my minimalist living. But I want more than enough so that I can help those who need it, especially my families.
I’ve seen in front of my eyes how people who used to have millions in their account on surviving mode now. In my country, Malaysia, most people are working in Corporate Company, having EPF (Employees Provident Fund) saved monthly with free contributions from employer, monthly. But, I saw when they reached 55 years old and finished their saving money even before they reached 60. It’s stipulated in my mind that I still need to work even though I reached a mature age of 55 years old to take out my money.
Here is the thing on what usually happened, when someone reached 55 years old, most scammer can “smell” the new money. So, mostly people will fall for scammers. Well, I don’t wanna be such. I wanna build my own business right now, so by 55 years old, it can run itself with minimal supervision.
If you wanna get into business in Malaysia, you need to register SSM (Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia) and choose an appropriate type of business. Well, it was not a smooth process for me, but eventually I managed to get my SSM certificate. Yay!!
So, here we go, bismillah to start my business.
pssstt, well, I had eventually finished renovating my new home. Will share in the next blog on my new renovated home and share some tips on how to manage new house renovation from the beginning. 🥰
I think it’s not too late yet to wish ALL of you, A Happy New Year!!!!
This year is a huge year for me as I’d accomplished most of the things that I want in my life. Wee!! 🥳
It’s been 7 years since I was becoming a minimalist. Below are things I had achieved throughout my journey 🥰
Things I’ve achieved by being a minimalist for 7 years:
More space for my home: I have sold and donated a lot of my things such as dresses, aquariums, exercise tools, etc. I just recently shifted to my a new home which already has a gym downstairs. So I won’t need boxing glove, boxing wraps, boxing knee pads, barbell etc.
More savings for mental happiness: When I stop buying clutters, I have some enough money to go to spas, hotels, and resorts. Recently there are a lot of websites which you ca have a cheaper price for entrance, hotel rooms, theme parks. Mental health is as important as physical health too. By being a minimalist, I’m morefocusedg on balancing both my physical and mental health.
Career goal achieved: This is not easy things to have, but I combined with my faith that to achieve a good environment, good colleagues and bosses and achieving my desire salary. I’m successfully balancing both desire salary with good environment by end of 2024. Alhamdulillah, praise to God. 🤲
More savings for other property: Well, I have 2 properties now. One of it I rent it out, and another one I’m staying with right now. initially, I didn’t plan to have 2 properties. Luckily, support by our government before, in the year 2021, I managed to get another one property. I was thinking this as backup retirement plan when the retirement money finished, so I have property to rent it out. It’s not easy if you need to repair on structure such leaking pipe, leaking bathroom etc. I’m trying to get rid of one property, but unfortunately, I’m still not success. So, I just rent it and be my backup plan. It’s not urgent to sell too, so I just keep the 1st property as a backup plan.
More savings for additional retirement plan : Yes, I’m buying another insurance just cover the remaining years, coz for the 1st propert, my loan was for 35 years, however the insurance only cover for 30 years. The second property loan was 35 years, and insurance just cover for 20 years. There is a huge gap and I just buy 1 insurance to cover the missed gap 😃. Other than this, I’m having another insurance which is the maturity age of 70 years old. I still thinking the best way for retirement plan other than the KWSP funds. I don’t think KWSP is enough for a retirement plan due to high raise inflation.
Focusing on retirement plan: Other than mandatory fund KWSP, I wanna diverse more funds for retirement savings. I have seen, most retirees will go broke after 10 years of retirement. The savings need to beat the high inflation to these days’ economy.
In term of financial, currently, I’m still recovering from renovation my house and insya Allah in the next 1 or 1.5 years,I will recover my finances fully and have a positive cashflow with cash in my hands.
I will share in the next post regarding how I manage my home renovation without being broke. hahaha!! It might be helpful for those in the mid of renovation your houses. Took me several months to plan out my renovation and being a main contractor to my own house.
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.
Waiting in a line, my turn!! 😃
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!! 😃
Alhamdulillah, we had passed throughout all the rough years.
In 2023, none of my goals had achieved, my wish for 2024 is to achieve at least 5 of my previous goals 😃😃
I still remember the day when I went through this, and Alhamdulillah, all my prayers were answered. 🤲
My New Resolutions:
Since my previous year had “successfully” failed to fulfill the goals, this year I listed fewer goals and hope can achieve it. insya Allah.
I started my 2024 goals by aiming max 5 points for this year 😃:
1. Having A Healthy Lifestyle
It’s been very busy years back in 2022 and 2023. This year, I wanna be healthier in terms of physical and mental health. I’m trying to prioritize my own health, the most crucial and important thing is to do. I’d signed up for a gym membership and about to start on 15 January.
My wish is to be committed to going to the gym and control on food intake. Let’s hope this to be happened and keep it consistent throughout this year.
2. Pick Up My Golds from Bank
Last year, I’ve spending some money to buy gold jewelry and put it in the bank. This year, I’m gonna stop buying and just take my jewelry from the bank. Our gov had raised tax % by 2% and gonna implement taxes on gold jewelry. Thus, I bought most in last year, and this year, I will be more focused on taking back all the jewelries. I wanna thank this for my fiancé, as he is the only person who supports me to buy and collect gold after my trauma from my previous relationship. 🥰
3. Take BA Foundation cert
This cert has been pending quite a long period. I wanna pursue this for this year and take the exam. I always feel nervous about taking an exam. I hope I will find strength to take the exam and pass with flying colors. insya Allah ❤️
4. Cut Off more Debt
This year, I wanna cut off credit card debt. It’s been years paying for credit cards, and I hope I can zerorise the credit card.
5. Declutters Wardrobe
I already started this yesterday and am feeling kinda happy with the outcomes. I think I might need another 1 round of cleanup, and then I will be good about it. I love empty spaces, and it makes me feel relaxed 😃
Wollaa…what’s up, Everybody? It’s been ages I didn’t update my blog. Sorry guys, been really busy these days, weeks, months and about a year. haha!! 😃
Well Well Well, it’s just around the corner, we are about to enter year of 2024!! Hoho!! Time flies so fast…and now the world is ending…hurmmmm.
Well everyone, I’ve successfully managed to live a minimalist lifestyle for about at least 5 years, to be honest, I really love the lifestyle and bring a lot of positive vibes. especially when I stopped buying junk stuff, and selling my junk stuff. Keep my environment clean n tidy.
As for now, I have a new things to unlock, where I’m looking forward a place to settle down and built my own sustainability and zero waste house. Yes!!! U heard it correctly and clearly. I wanna built a family with sustainability and zero waste home. Then, I wanna have my own farm and a run a restaurant. But before hand, it required a loooooooOoooot of research, the risk and impact to each item I wanna unlock moving forward 2024 and onward. WeehoooOooo!!
Babe, to be honest..the minimalist lifestyle makes me having some extras, where I can proceed my future goal on the next level..which is..sustainability and zero waste. Hihihi!!!
So guys, stay tuned! Looking forward for sustainability and zero waste residential and restaurant for the new achievements. Insya Allah 🥰❤️🥰
Just wanna share my experience on how am I from negative cashflow to positive cashflow and can save some for investment.
First thing first, I think from my previous post, I did mentioned the rules of 50:30:20. So, to spend on monthly expenses of 50% of your salary, 30% is for self reward and 20% for future investment. Yes, this is just a fundamental for you to force yourself to save some money.
What I did was, I played the percentage by lowering my daily expenses, and putting more percentage on my investment. From 50:30:20, I goes to 40:30:30.
I strive to get rid of my monthly commitment, lowering my self indulgence rewards and chip in more to investment. Now, I found something that I can combined my self indulgence rewards and my future investment together making it 60% out of total monthly salary. Wee!! find your self reward which can make investment too for future. ❤
Helloww you all!! How are u doing? Well, I’m busy counting and balancing my needs and my wants. Hahaha. You wanna know how? Let’s check it out..
Okay, I got some golds jewelry where I kept in the bank. So, from the total amout of the gold, bank will give me 80% cash. To be honest with you, if you don’t have any necessity, don’t put your gold jewelry in the bank, coz you need to pay some “upah” to keep the jewelry. The definition of “upah” is similar like interest, but very low in amount. Well, I don’t see any difference between upah and interest. 🤷♀️
So, it happens again, my credit card piled up reach to its limit. So now, I’m struggling to settle of any interest related to bank. For houses, can’t do anything about it as OPR has increased tremendously for past years. I was thinking to let go one of my house, but when I saw the view is spectacular, I think I will just rent it out first. 😃
I fell in love with the view of this house, so I bought it when im 27 years old. People are busy marrying at my age that time, but I’m busy buying property 😗
Okay, back to my story. So, I was thinking, for the next salary I’m gonna take all my jewelry in the banks, and I’m gonna buy my target bangle. The rest, I’m gonna sell it and pay off the debt. Coz, I need to spend some money for the house, to make over and rent it out again. As I told you from previous post, the tenant has move out from my house and went back to their hometown in Kedah.
Well, I think this is the best way, to reduce the bank’s interest, to get my aim bangle and as well to pay off some debts. To be honest, I think buying property is really troublesome 😂. I need to take out some money from my own pocket for repair and make over it. I next rental fee, I will need to keep some extra, so I won’t spend from my own pocket anymore.
Hola!!! cómo estás? How are you? Hope you are all in good health, insya Allah 🥰
Today, I wanna share with you, the changes on myself after being a minimalist since 2018, so here we go…
1. Starts love being at home more than outside – busy cooking, clothes laundering, room cleaning, organizing clothes etc
It started from the pandemic, when everyone been lockdown and be at home 24/7. I spend most of my time, cooking a nutritious food, spending time doing my laundry and folding my clothes right after dried, then straight keep it in my wardrobe. I also, found myself at home, busy wiping dust in my room, sweeping the floor and also maintaining my bedsheets, pillow etc. I’d found myself, always decluttering my wardrobe, until I have few empty hanger. Im really excited achieving this and I feel happy and self-content on this changes on me, for over 4 years being a Minimalist ❤🥰❤
Making a simple and nutritious big breakfast. I eat the fruit first, before others. So, stomach will full of fiber first as it’s good for digestion system.I became addicted to Cleaning and Organizing stuffs 😃
2. Earning some extra cash money – selling unused items to buy gold
Okay, another thing I sort of knowing Im align with Minimalist is that, I earn some cash money from decluttering my unused items!! 😃
Yes! You hear it right! Those unused items, I took pictures and sell in online. Hahaha!! Sound funny, but hey!! I got 1 gold ring with the accumulated money I sold!! So, those unused items, you may donate if you want, or just resell it!! Sell it with cheap price, coz in the end, you won’t use it too, and its kinda some sort of charity coz you sell it cheap. But, in return, I got 1 ring gold!!! Hahaha! I’m proud of it, Alhamdulillah 🥰
Some Betta Fish set that I no longer use. Total cost spend about RM 100++, but I sell it for RM 35, the guy asked for RM 30, I just accepted it. So, it’s somehow doing charity + get some money too 😃😃😃
3. Having more extra time, as reducing time in maintaining daily routine – laundry, wiping/cleaning room
Okay next thing is, I’m having more extra time for myself as my things had reduced for clean up. My weekly dirty clothes reducing too, as before being a Minimalist my weekly dirty clothes usually pile up full or more than 1 big basket. But now, I have not reach 1 normal basket for 1 week clothes. Then, washing and drying clothes time reduced as well because I don’t have much clothes to wash. Extra those time I have, I will spend by folding the dried clothes and put it into my wardrobe nicely. It looks nice in the wardrobe too, as less clothes need to be displayed and can put it into a proper hanger.
Im happy to see more hangers than clothes in my wardrobe 🥰
It was easy to maintain my room now, as more of stuffs are gone and only left empty floors. I love it so much, as it was easy for me to sweep and wipe my floor. Haha!! I did wipe my floors by hand, and Im not using mop 😃
I have more time to spend vacuuming my bed. Yes! I vacuum my mattress, quilt and pillow. Haha!! Surprisingly, there are some dust too, eventhough its under the bedsheet, and pillowsheet. So, it is recommended to either vacuum, or hang those under the sunlight 🥰
Vacuuming the mattress, quilt and pillow biweekly basis 😀
4. Having more space and my room looks cleaner most of time – in wardrobe and room
Yes, absolutely. When I let go most of my things, absolutely I will have more spaces. I love and admiring empty spaces more than spaces with lot of unwanted stuffs. I had once, stayed alone in my previous home, and when my parents came over, my mom always complaining that why my home is “Too Empty”? Hahaha. I enjoy less stuff most of the time coz it is easy for maintaining and cleaning job 😃🥰
A clean floor, if I have my own new house I will have a robot to keep it clean most of times. Little helper required 😍
5. I’m now addicted to Organizer – Organizer is More than my Stuff
I’m now addicted to Organizing Videos, Organizing trick and tips and busy organizing everything including my medicine, car, clothes and stocks.
Yes, this is absolutely time reducing to find things in my room. I don’t frequently changing my organization location, and I love to maintain my organization time by time. Meaning to say, I love maintaining my organizing stuff, especially my stocks such as Shampoo, Body Gel, Toothbrush, Toothpaste etc.
My beauty and cleaning stocks, I organized it into 2 boxes, and kept it in my wardrobe, on top shelf 😃Inside the wardrobe and on top of the shelf 🥰Another example, is my First Aid. I keep all medicine in this kit, so I no longer need to find plaster under drawer, oitment in wardrobe etc. Everything will be in this First Aid box. 🥰
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 🙂
My Minimalist Lifestyle 