For youths, financial literacy begins with small receipts

LAST week, I sat at my study table surrounded by a small pile of crumpled paper receipts and bank transactions, carefully logging each expense into a spreadsheet.

It was an eye-opening exercise. For the first time, I could clearly see where my money was going, from the daily ayam gepuk runs to impulse purchases on shopping apps late at night.

Those small but multiple purchases made me realise something important: our generation does not just face an income challenge, we are also confronted with an awareness challenge.

We frequently talk about low starting salaries and the rising cost of living. While these issues are real, we rarely talk about how mindfully we manage the money we already have in our wallets.

This gap in awareness is reflected in everyday financial habits. Reports by Bank Negara have repeatedly shown that many young working adults struggle to set aside even a small emergency fund for rainy days.

In school, we are taught Mathematics and complex formulas. Yet, many of us enter the workforce without knowing basic financial habits like tracking daily cash flow or understanding how tiny impulse purchases can add up over time.

Seeing my expenses laid out on paper completely changed how I looked at my daily spending. It made me pause before clicking checkout on items I did not need and helped me appreciate the value of small savings.

Living in a digital world makes it even easier to spend with just a single tap. Social media trends often push us to keep up with appearances rather than focus on long-term stability.

Tracking my own receipts taught me that financial discipline is not about depriving myself of the joys of life; it is simply about having clarity over my choices.

Financial maturity does not automatically start when we reach a certain age or earn a high salary. It begins with the small decisions we make today.

As more young people join the workforce, they must ask themselves a simple question: Are we building daily habits that secure our future, or are we just spending to keep up with the moment?

MUHAMMAD FAUZAN AZMAN

Public Relations student

Faculty of Communication and Media Studies

Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam