Hypermarkets are a convenient choice for many as they house all household needs under one roof.
“So before I decide to go somewhere, I take into account the cost of travel there, parking charges and toll charges.
“I am considered a senior citizen this year and I get half price when I take the LRT, bringing extra savings for me,” said Ho.
Ho’s tips to spend money prudently are:
• Live within your means and only buy what you need
• Try to car pool or use public transport to save on travel costs. Work out the cost of driving to a place
• If you see something you like, keep an eye on it and see if it’s available on sale down the line
Associate Vice President of Sabah Economics Development Authority (SEDIA) Iwan Hermawan, 40, and his teacher wife works and lives in Putatan, Kota Kinabalu, and they take home a monthly joint income of about RM4,000.
They have three children between the ages of nine and 11 and they say Kota Kinabalu has a fairly affordable cost of living in terms of food items.
“It is the prices of cars and houses which residents here find rather expensive, with prices of about RM250,000 for an apartment and between RM500,000 and RM700,000 for a three bedroom terraced house.
“Each month, we spend about RM500 on household products including fresh food and non-perishable goods.
“We don’t really go out of our way to look for the cheapest place to buy things, as convenience is a big factor for us since my wife and I both work,” he said.
“So we go to either Giant or Survay hypermarkets as it’s easy to get parking and we can get all our household needs under one roof in one outing.
“My wife and I also feel it’s a safer environment for us to bring our children along.
“We save on our monthly spending by making lifestyle choices which means we spend less money as a family,” he said.
So for example, he said they don’t spend much time around in shopping malls, preferring instead to have picnics on the beach or go to the parks as a family.
As for clothes, he said they buy them in the shopping malls when the sales are on.
“We have bought clothes from the pasar malam before, but I found that the quality is bad and it doesn’t last as long, although it’s much cheaper.
“For me, I think it’s better to spend slightly more money for something which lasts longer,” he said.
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