How to be a Big Girl: Finances

Let's face it: I suck at managing my finances. Handling large amount of money has always been a fear of mine. And it's an actual legit phobia: Chrometophobia. Fear of money. Because to me, the more money you have, the faster you'll lose it.

I don't earn that much every month. Whatever I earn just barely covers everything I need to pay. Sometimes I am broke even before mid month. Especially if it's November and every 3 or so months - car insurance and car service.

Every month since I was 22 I've been paying my own rent, car loan, phone bill. And that time I was only earning around RM900 - RM1000. If i was 17, I would be all SHIT SON THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY but now. No. Not enough.

And in comes my student loan. Technically I have 5 years from the day I finished my loan term (November 2006) so I should finish paying it off November 2011. But I only graduated from university at 2010, of which I have informed the loan institution beforehand.

Then I was blacklisted a year earlier than I technically should.

This subject on PTPTN is the hot topic nowadays. And I absolutely hate it when people assume that I only know how to borrow but have no intention on paying back. Now this is what I wanna sound off on:

Look. It's not that I don't want to pay back but in my defense I was unfairly treated. It's not entirely my fault. Yes I should have just paid even RM10. But I would have to sacrificed so much more. I'm not rich. My parents aren't rich. I still don't earn as much as a regular 25 year old should. I'm only a diploma graduate. I don't take money from my parents at all. I fucking sacrificed degree so that I wouldn't continue taking money from my parents.

So before you label every damn blacklisted person as irresponsible know that some of us actually want to pay it off and am trying very hard to do so.

I'm done sounding off.

Now I try hard to plan my finances a month in advance. And it's that - hard. But it's a learning process. Lose some to win some right?

Having an iPad makes it easier to keep track of my finances and I find Money Smart the best money tracker and budgeting app so far.




It can generate reports of your spending. And you can set your own budget and track your expenses according to budget. It might look intimidating at first but it's pretty damn easy to use once you get the hang of it. They have one for the iPhone too. Get the iPhone version and the iPad version from the appstore. there's a lite version you can try for 25 transactions. $4.99 for the paid one.

When you get older, and especially when you get older and older, your career will progress and you will have more money. And you will have more responsibility and more shit to pay off. Just know that just because you're a big kid now, doesn't mean you can:




But instead you would more often than not:

Location:Jalan 17/54,Petaling Jaya,Malaysia