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Due to the rising cost of living, many people have considered moving out of the city to towns to reduce costs. However, a man named Firdaus Hamzah who lives in Kelantan, cited as one of the states with cheaper living, said that things aren’t the same anymore.
Speaking to Sinar Harian, Firdaus who works as a sales promoter earns RM1,700 monthly and his wife earns the same, bringing a total household income of RM3,400.
Despite this, he had to take up extra jobs and work overtime to earn extra income because the total household income is still not enough to live comfortably in Kelantan.
Firdaus works on Fridays, his off day, to earn RM50 by helping set up tents at the Wakaf Bharu weekend market.
He said most of his spending goes to food with daily expenses reaching RM50. At the end of the month, they pack rice and drinks from home and buy side dishes from shops.
He also has to buy baby formula and disposable diapers for his two-month-old baby child. He added that they’ll soon need to budget RM500 a month for a babysitter.
Additionally, he and his wife give around RM300 or more to their parents when they can.
In an attempt to save more, the family carpools to work. The monthly car instalment is around RM680 for a Persona and the rest of the budget goes to fuel.
Firdaus said they’re fortunate to be still living with their family, which includes his father-in-law and three brothers-in-law in Kampung Padang Mandol, Tumpat.
People say living in Kelantan is cheap but that was in the past. Now it’s the same as other states.
Firdaus Hamzah
Due to the current state of the economy and rising prices, they have to live frugally and forgo things they want to buy.
Meanwhile, Faizah Mustafa, 37, who’s a civil servant, in Pendang, Kedah said her income together with her husband, also a civil servant, isn’t enough to support her family either.
The mother of five children aged three to 14 years old said the expenses outside the city is the same as in the city because both sides require high commitment each month.
She said the babysitter fee, house and car instalments is nearly RM3,000, excluding school fees, tuition, studies, milk, and disposable diapers.
To supplement her income, she started selling clothes once a week on her days off. She shared it’s tiring because she has no true off days, but when she thought about her kids and taking them on holiday, she has to find extra money and help her husband a little.
READ MORE: Can You Budget With RM1,700? It’s Tough But Doable
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