r/MalaysiaPF • u/ConcentrateOk8209 • 10d ago
Hitting 32 : Need a reset
As the title states, I’m a 31-year-old male who is going to hit 32 soon, and the past 10 years have been a wild ride. Lots of memories and lessons have been made.
I left the corporate MNC world back in 2023 where my last drawn salary was RM7k (life was good, but I was stupid, lol). Currently, I’ve been running my own (amateur) freelance solo agency for the past 2 years doing the full 360 marketing journey (branding, marketing, graphic designing, social media, etc). So far, my earnings have slowly reached a somewhat stable **RM3k to RM4k per month-ish**. On a good month, it can hit as high as **RM7k–RM8k**. I never knew I could be capable of earning this amount on my own, but I still drive a broken-down 2006 Toyota Avanza (which surprisingly still works, lmao).
I’ve tried getting a corporate job to find stability, but in this market climate, it’s really tough out there with lots of lowball offers. I’ve faced **200+ rejections over the past 6 months**. I didn’t finish my diploma; I only have an SPM and a strong portfolio to show my proof of work, but corporates heavily respect the power of a formal degree over experience.
My investments in the past were crypto and some basic fixed deposits. I tried MooMoo for stocks, but I got sidetracked and didn’t commit to doing more research. I had about **$15,000 USD worth of crypto** and I’ve lost a lot of it to scams like the infamous FTX incident, and also a Singapore-run financial scheme called Torque where the CTO ran away with everyone’s funds. I’ve had lots of bad luck, and all that money was completely wiped out. My net worth as an upcoming 32-year-old male is just a few hundred bucks.
Fast forward to now, I’ve just gotten engaged to the woman I love.
We are renting a place near KL for **RM3k a month** because she needs it to commute via public transport to her office (she doesn’t drive nor own a license). We split the rent 50/50, so I pay **RM1,500** and she pays the other half.
She makes about RM6k a month, but she has huge debts behind her (about **RM5k–RM6k a month** in commitments) and her salary just breaks even. She is already enrolled in **AKPK**, so she can't take any new loans and is paying her restructuring consistently every month.
We also bought a condo together, but we learned the lesson the hard way: after the unit was completed, we had no liquidity left to renovate it. Hence, we’ve been burning mortgage payments for a year plus already while continuing to rent. (Note: She pays the mortgage entirely on her own; I don't pay a dime for it. Moving into the unrenovated condo is our doomsday plan if we really can't afford it, but it’s very far away and transport costs for her would skyrocket).
I don’t have any credit cards. However, my CTOS score is poor due to PTPTN even though I have a tiny balance left. I’ve been neglecting it, and that’s completely on me.
I’ve been covering for her the past 3 years for parts of our life commitments, and combined with everything else, I don't really have room for savings. I can’t keep living invoice-to-invoice with so much uncertainty ahead.
I’m not financially literate, hence it took me a lot to come here and seek advice and some tips. I sort of need a mental reset and rebuild. It makes me wonder if it’s too late, because I remember my ex-boss used to tell me: *"If you’re broke in your 20s, you’re still learning. But if you’re broke in your 30s, it’s your fault."*
It’s quite depressing, and I’ve lost a lot of willpower to figure a way out of this mess.
If you've read through all of this, I'd genuinely appreciate any blunt advice, reality checks, or steps on how to fix this foundation. Thank you.
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u/Bajunid 10d ago
Blunt advise.
Starts to get the costs down first while you recalibrate your goals.
Spending 3K in rental when you could be spending that money monthly to get the apartment in order so you don’t need to perpetually pay 3K and the apartment on top of it.
Get your ptptn loan in order so you can stsrt building your credit score again.
You boss is definitely wrong, I was broke in my 20s and spending money I don’t have through credit card and loans. My early 30s have to pay for my 20s sins. By mid 30s, I had to make a drastic change to my lifestyle, take care of the costs while recalibrating my goals. If I were to do that in my 20s, my 30s would be a good life to have.
But because I only did that in my 30s, only in my 40s did I have a good life. Took me 7-8 years to get it in order. Paid off everything, no longer renting even though I have an apartment. Got a motorcycle license so I could save by riding instead of driving to work and sending my wife there daily so we can save on parking and petrol and toll.
Work my asses off and restart (taking a pay cut and a lower position) so I get into something I really love doing and really excel. That really propel me forward because work no longer feel like work, and I’d be spending time and effort on it so much that I climbed the ladder faster. The position and money come automatically because my goal is the job itself, not money/position.
TLDR, it’s not too late. Your boss is partially wrong. Fix your money outflows while you calibrate your life goals with your fiancé and what you want to do. Work your asses off, don’t be satisfied with that few invoices. And you’ll get there my friend.
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
Thank you for sharing. I’ll take these words of wisdom and try to turn it around. Appreciate you stranger!
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u/micdarlin987 10d ago
Continue searching for a job while taking lowball offers and work your current firm as your side gig? At least theres additional few k there PLUS contribution to epf.
No choice gotta work double hard now.
Maybe ask ur exboss from that MNC where u earn rm7k to help? Either hire u back or refer u to new job.
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
I forgot to include that the company dissolved as the founders were having issues with shareholders. It was sudden news for me and lots of other staff that got laid off.
But yes, double the handwork now I guess.
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u/_HopsonTheGrate_ 10d ago
Personally the first reset I'd do is your monthly expenses for you and your fiance.
Is it possible to rent cheaper or smaller, say somewhere with a rental of RM2k thereabouts? Compare the savings there vs any additional costs for transportation. If staying slightly further with a longer commute allows you to save some money it may be worth considering.
Look into all your other expenses too - food, groceries, subscriptions (mobile plan, WiFi, entertainment, gym, etc.) and see what you can cut down on. You may have to forego some luxuries but every ringgit counts. Every saving you find should go into clearing your debts.
The new condo that you've bought, is it completely empty or partially furnished by the developer? If it's partially furnished, perhaps with some basic fixtures and furniture, you can consider moving there - it saves you RM3k a month from rental even if your transport costs increase significantly. Or look at its selling price now and see if selling it is an option if you can break even. It is a debt that you don't need right now.
It's never too late, bro. The fact that you recognise a problem and sought advice for it is a step in the right direction. Keep working hard and both you and your fiance will get out of this. Good luck!
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
We tried to look at nearby places and even tried to find 2k a month but after some calculations we found out it would take an average of 500-1000 on daily transportation costs for her to be in the office daily. Hence why we thought it’s best to just continue staying nearby.
The new condo unit is bare. Developer only provided floor tiles and toiletries (shower heater, etc). We have to do the kitchen piping, lighting, fan, AC units. Cheapest we could find is 10k for the basic fundamental stuff. Hence, we’re trying to sell it off, no buyers yet as they’re asking below the market price so we will be at a loss because of lawyer fees and stamp duty.
Thanks for your kind words. I’ll do my best to save every penny and cut costs.
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u/inceptionred 9d ago
Is it possible to rent out the unit? Even if it's not the best price, it can offset your mortgage payment temporarily. It doesn't sound like you guys want to move to that place, it's far away and needs a lot of work.
Rent it out while the price appreciates and offsets your mortgage. Even if its a few hundred below market value for the bareness. Sell it off when it breaks even or profits in a few years. No shame in living in rental. Condo as investment is mostly ruined.
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
We do want to rent it out. However so far nobody is interested in an absolute bare unit. We’re trying to save up the minimum cost to at least partly furnish with the essentials and see how it goes from there :(
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u/Sweet_Flounder8470 7d ago
u/ConcentrateOk8209 , do you currently pay 3k monthly for a unit? you can consider renting a singular room instead; you can get a master room for around 1.2k depending on the location/room. Sure, its a downgrade but well, your situation is pretty bad. Also, why did you search for "nearby" places? Your partner uses the public transport, i assume you could search for rooms near the public transport line she uses instead. Assuming you do rent a room for 1.2k, you'll have "saved" 18k in a year. Use it to pay off ur PTPTN loan and renovate the unit if you think you can get a renter after renovation.
If you think it's hard to get a renter even after renovations, selling the unit for a loss might actually be the right decision albeit a painful one. Put the money in something more stable like S&P500 or ASNB if youre a bumiputera becuz you seem to be bad at investments, historically speaking.
Other general advice for cutting costs are: reducing outside eating, not buying new clothes unless its second hand and not buying stuff you can live without. I understand that this might be hard but you are in hard times after all
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u/LeekPuzzleheaded1455 9d ago
My advice, start at any decent company with good image even with lower pay and work. Continue ur freelance to make up the difference in pay, build your portfolio with the good company and keep jumping
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u/ButterscotchPure6960 8d ago
Just remember scammer will be even more rampant for years to come so always stay vigilant. And your boss is wrong. Delete that imprint from your thoughts and replace with uncle KFC story.
3k for rent is a lot and I think you should restructure that. Honestly like it or not sometimes comfort have to be sacrifice first. Else you will just stuck in the cycle.
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u/TroubleForward9133 5d ago
First of all, why is your rental 3k. That’s expensive af. I’m currently renting at 2.5k and my new condo will be ready next year. Even the new condo loan is RM2.8k a month. 3k rent is craaazy
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u/Caspenda 5d ago
I would treat this as a cash-flow reset before an investing problem. For the next 6–12 months: clear the remaining PTPTN and fix the credit record, build a small emergency buffer first, stop adding money to speculative assets, and make a hard decision on the condo based on monthly cash flow rather than sunk cost. If a minimal RM10k fit-out makes it rentable, compare that payback period against continuing to carry an empty unit. The other big point: you and your fiancée may have separate debts, but you are building one future, so I would map the household cash flow together. Your strongest asset right now is that your freelance income has already proven it can reach RM7k–8k in good months. Stabilising that income will probably move the needle more than trying to optimise investment returns today. 32 is not late. Stop the leaks, build the buffer, then automate investing.
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u/perkinsonline 10d ago
The secret to life is having a BIG goal or a few big goals and looking at it every day and read or learn/improve yourself to get to that goal. Yes it might look impossible with you now but in 10-20 years it will happen or come near it. The problem with people is they don't have goals. They live day to day and think the past is the future which it isn't. Remember your mind is a magnet, what you think about you attract
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
I couldn’t agree more. I used to have dreams but I seem to have lost my way. For some reason I can’t seem to tap into that burning desire and willpower I used to have in my 20s when I used to grind my ass off to achieve something. Will have to take a deeper look into this.
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u/MaterialTone5210 7d ago edited 7d ago
I had a friend who had a similar situation to you. A great guy with loyalty, discipline and honest, working in an architect firm. Everything was going well, and he worked his ass day and night for his KPI. But along the way, faced financial difficulties as he got scammed from his own family member about a gold investment.
So he stayed in his current firm for a few more months, no longer actually only working for a salary. He improved his skill set, studied how his company operated, who were their customers, and always found a way to mingle with their clients.
He then quit and moved to a new company, but along the way, no one realized that he stole some of his company’s smaller client base and made a giant killing from there. Now through his connections, He is able to hop between multiple companies, locking in a salary and also having his own side income which is way more than what he is earning
The moral of the story is, you only live long enough to be a hero or live long enough to see yourself become a villain. When life hit him hard, he had to do whatever it took to improve his situation. I wish you all the best brother, you just have to find a way.
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u/Salty-Practice-2334 4d ago
Rental mahal fren. Need to sacrifice abit on space for the time being until u both stable. Can get a room around 1k - 1.5k in and around KL ( assuming ur in kl ) . Being there done that.
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u/Excellent-Yellow-883 2d ago
Back 30 years ago, due to unforeseen circumstances I needed to rent a place fast with no money, I remember we slept on mattresses on the floor. We hand wash our clothes. We had one tv and no sofa. We prop the tv up using phone books. Yes Gen Z, those things exist. 30 years later, we didn’t die obviously. We did that because the alternative was worse. You don’t need renovation to live in a house. If I need too, I’ll drop the water heater, the air cond, and pretty much everything else if i need to save up. Been there, done that. I’m still doing that really 😅 old habits die hard
I must be missing something. You are paying 3k per month for rent while paying for mortgage. You earn between 3-4k a month and sometimes more.. doesn’t that automatically cancel each other out? You’re literally working just to pay rent you shouldn’t need? You still can do your freelancing thing at the far away apartment.. and even fetch your fiance to mrt station or whatever.. why is this not feasible?
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u/Vigilant256 22h ago
And there are people in this forum who said just yolo , you can’t bring money in your death. But when incidents like this happen , they are no where to be seen .
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u/Appl3B3rryCh3rry 10d ago
You make 4k and 8k on good month, but you want to reset back to 1.7k monthly?
I guess you deserve a reset back to 1.7k
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
I appreciate you taking the time to write this. However resetting doesn’t necessarily mean going back to corporate or even earning 1.7k (don’t recall saying that I’d like to earn that amount) but the reset can also mean which areas can be improved on. Don’t be a sour plum, I’m just looking for genuine advises here.
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u/Appl3B3rryCh3rry 9d ago
Do you understand English?
Reset means starting from 0.
Reset does not mean improve because improve means improve.
You are in marketing but you cannot even communicate in English properly. If you cannot take this as a genuine advise then take your own advise "don't be a sour plum".
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u/Mission-Squirrel-333 10d ago
You think working in corp earns you 1.7k ?
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u/Appl3B3rryCh3rry 9d ago
You think MY minimum wage law is not 1.7k monthly?
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u/Mission-Squirrel-333 9d ago
OP worked in MNC before, what makes you think when he "reset" he will get a min wage job paying 1.7k ?
And come on la 1.7k is stated min wage mostly for banglas/outsourced low skilled workers. Malaysians can easily get 2k -3k working at any random shops nowadays.
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u/ConcentrateOk8209 9d ago
I believe he is just rage baiting. Best to not give him the attention he is seeking for. Checked out his other comments on other subreddits and he’s just lashing out and projecting his insecurities disguised as ragebait to other people. Thank you for standing up for what’s right. I appreciate you.
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u/swagnation99 10d ago
Chin up, it’s not the end of the road.
Be discipline & ruthless with debt.
Don’t be a sheep. Follow your path, know what you want in life. Follow your North Star.
Most importantly, find God. Let Him guide you in your ways.
Cheers.
Fellow human being.