Thrifty tips to trim living costs

WHAT are some ways Malaysian youths are managing their finances in the face of the rising cost of living?

Diksha Suri, who is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team, got her peers to share their cost-saving practices.

To keep my spending to a minimum, I set a daily budget of RM20 for meals and any other items I need to purchase. As for transport, I make the most out of the My50 unlimited monthly travel pass offered by RapidKL. This is the most cost-effective option for me, other than carpooling with friends. – Cyril Joachim, 21

I save money by choosing the cheapest option available. For example, I take advantage of any online vouchers I can find, as well as buy things only when they are on sale. For my meals, I typically have a heavy lunch and keep my dinner light, which I find to be ideal when it comes to cost-cutting. – Misha Madinah, 20

I try my best to cut down on unnecessary expenses. If I go shopping, I set a budget for myself to avoid overspending. I opted for shared accommodation, and prepare my meals at home as often as I can. For travelling, I almost always use public transportation. – Jennifer Anne, 22

Recently, I’ve only been spending my money on my needs and not my wants. It’s not very difficult once you get into the groove of it. Besides this, I set money-saving goals for myself and shop only during sale seasons. So far, these methods have helped me decrease my expenditure. – Kaushal Raj, 19

It’s essential for me to be mindful of my spending, especially since I’m still job hunting. I make a budget for myself whenever I go out, and at the end of the month, I go over all my expenses using an app. I then decide where I can cut down on my expenses. – Nikita Prasad, 23