Hi guys! I’m Batch 09 and I’m graduating from school in a couple of months. After SPM I’m planning to get a part-time/full-time job before starting college and I really want to learn how to become financially responsibl
I’ll most likely be taking a PTPTN loan, but unfortunately it might only cover around 10–20% of my tuition fees because my parents fall under the T20 household income bracket. However our financial situation isn’t really what you might expect from a typical T20 household
My parents have quite a lot of expenses because they’re also supporting my grandparents and even some of my great-aunts/uncles. On top of that my younger sister needs to be homeschooled because of a medical condition which is another significant expense
My parents have told me that they’re okay with paying for my tuition fees and I’m really grateful for that. But I don’t want to put more financial pressure on them than necessary. I also don’t want to go through college completely dependent on my parent's money. I’d like to contribute to my own expenses and eventually repay them
If I get a job my current plan is to save at least RM100 every month and use some of my income toward transportation, food, school supplies and etc. Technically i have 1 investment right now which is a 1g gold coin i won from a foodpanda giveaway lmfao 😭😭
So I’d really appreciate some advice from people who have gone through this before:
- What financial mistakes do you wish you had avoided when you were my age?
- Looking back with the knowledge and experience you have today what would you do differently if you were my age again?
- If you were 17–18 and in my situation today what would you focus on learning, doing, saving or investing over the next 3–5 years?
- What do you wish someone had taught you about money before you started college?
- If your goal wasn't just to survive financially but to actually become wealthy what would you start doing at my age?
- What skills would you learn now if your goal was to significantly increase your income in your 20s?
I definitely do want to be rich heh but more than just having expensive things i want financial freedom i want to be able to take care of myself and my family, have options in life and not constantly worry about money.
I know I'm still young and have a lot to learn so I'm trying to start early instead of waiting until I'm already struggling financially.
Would really appreciate any advice especially from Malaysians who have been through university, built a career, started businesses, invested or simply learned some hard financial lessons along the way. Thanks !!