{"id":18541,"date":"2019-08-22T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-22T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comparehero.my\/blog\/uncategorized\/30daysbudgetherochallenge-completing-ramadhan-rm1000.html"},"modified":"2026-03-27T11:17:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T03:17:02","slug":"30daysbudgetherochallenge-completing-ramadhan-rm1000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comparehero.my\/blog\/money-tips\/30daysbudgetherochallenge-completing-ramadhan-rm1000.html","title":{"rendered":"The #30DaysBudgetHero Challenge: Completing Ramadhan on RM1,000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Updated: 30 June 2017 <\/em><\/p> \n

Inspired by my colleague and senior writer, Shen, who successfully completed his 30 Days Budget Hero Challenge on RM700<\/a>, I\u2019m now embarking on a challenge of my own.<\/p> \n

The challenge? To complete the month of Ramadhan on RM1,000 and this includes preparations for Hari Raya this year.<\/p> \n

The Inspiration Behind the Challenge <\/strong><\/h2> \n

Why Ramadhan? Many have already suggested that this would be an easy task and there isn\u2019t much of a challenge because I\u2019m automatically spending less anyway. I don\u2019t have to pay as much for food, right? While this is true, I felt this was the exact reason to do the challenge during the month of Ramadhan.<\/p> \n

During Ramadhan in past years, I found myself spending more in other areas of my life because I was spending less on my daily food expenses. For example, because I don\u2019t spend on breakfast, lunch, and tea, then it justified splurging on my iftar<\/em> meal as I\u2019m breaking fast. Or how by mid-month I noticed I had more in my bank account than I normally would, therefore I felt I could afford that designer baju kebaya<\/em> for Raya, but did I really need it?<\/p> \n

While technically it is true that I am \u201cspending less\u201d throughout Ramadhan, I have experienced first-hand how this does not automatically translate to saving money.<\/p> \n

Saving money, in my opinion, is a mindful task that has a lot to do with the mindset you\u2019re in, your attitude towards money, and conscious spending habits. And I hope to demonstrate this through my challenge. And besides, the last thing I want is to usher in Hari Raya with an empty bank account, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the next payday. And let\u2019s face it, this is a reality we\u2019re all too familiar with.<\/p> \n

Parameters of the Budget Challenge <\/strong><\/h2> \n

The RM1,000 budget excludes necessities and monthly commitments such as my loan repayments, bills, and all other expenses that I cannot avoid. The budget is therefore, RM1,000 of my disposable income and will include petrol, parking fees, food and drinks, entertainment, my Hari Raya outfit, kuih, and anything else that may come my way.<\/p> \n

How will I do it? <\/strong><\/h3> \n

To help me through the challenge, I\u2019m taking CompareHero.my\u2019s advice on how to avoid overspending<\/a>, though I won\u2019t be applying all of them, the ones I will be using includes:<\/p> \n

    \n
  1. I\u2019ll keep track of my expenses and ensure I\u2019m on budget<\/li> \n
  2. I\u2019ll be clear about my needs vs. my wants<\/li> \n
  3. I\u2019ll have to invest time to window shop and hunt for great bargains<\/li> \n
  4. Be creative with my shopping and potentially mix and match cheaper alternatives<\/li> \n<\/ol> \n

    Let the challenge begin!<\/strong><\/h2> \n

    Today marks my first day of the challenge. Wish me luck and stay tuned for my weekly updates on how I\u2019m faring, bargains and great deals I\u2019ve found, and for my tips\/key lessons as I budget my way through Ramadhan.<\/p> \n

    I would also like to invite you to take part in this challenge with me, and if you do, drop me a comment and let me know how you\u2019re doing or if you have any money-saving tips!<\/p> \n

    Week 1: 1 June \u2013 7 June 2017 <\/strong><\/h2> \n

    \"6f1d0c51-29ba-4488-bafd-33abea3db8f5\"<\/p> \n

    Spend breakdown <\/u><\/strong><\/p> \n

    Food\/Drinks: RM104.60
    Groceries: RM50
    Toll: RM25
    Kanching Waterfall Entrance & Parking Fee: RM3.50<\/p> \n

    Total spend:<\/strong>                  RM183.10 (18.30% of total budget)<\/p> \n

    Balance for 23 days:    RM816.90<\/strong><\/p> \n

    Challenges and Lessons of the Week <\/strong><\/h2> \n

    I\u2019m just going to get straight into the most difficult parts of the week.<\/p> \n

    1. To track every single expense.<\/strong><\/h3> \n

    I used to track the bigger expenses \u2013 loans, bills, credit card repayments \u2013 and very rarely would I make an effort to track daily expenses on food, drinks, parking fees, toll, etc. I was mostly unaware of my daily expenses and I think I secretly preferred it that way.<\/p> \n

    Ignorance is bliss. <\/em><\/p> \n

    I downloaded an app on my phone called Saved from the AppStore to help me keep track and so far it has been very handy. You can create your own categories, set a budget for the month, view graphs and pie charts, and basically keep track.<\/p> \n

    See also:<\/strong> 6 Smartphone Budgeting Apps You Should Try Now<\/a><\/p> \n

    This was one of the hardest things to do because I had to either 1) remember the amount I spent and key it in later which was often a hassle, but receipts save the day! Or 2) whip out my phone at every single expense even if it was just to pay for parking.<\/p> \n

    Over the course of the week, this became a challenge and I would sometimes forget entries entirely. It can get a little frustrating and you start to feel like \u201cwhy is this such hard work?\u201d but that\u2019s exactly the lesson I needed to learn.<\/p> \n

    \n Lesson: <\/strong>To budget and keep track of your expenses does not come easy and I think that\u2019s a lesson we should all be reminded of. \n You need to put in the hard work to stay on track and to identify where your money is going to every month.<\/strong> There is no other way around this. \n<\/div> \n

     <\/p> \n

    Did you know? A plastic surgeon back in the 1950s, Maxwell Maltz, once conducted research on his patients to identify a pattern of time until his patients started recognising the changes he had made to them. The magic number was 21 days which then sparked many self-help gurus to establish this new rule that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Many people assumed this to be a fact and it was a relatively small number, 3 weeks of consistent behaviour and the new habit should stick. However, this has been recently dispelled by newer forms of research<\/a>, particularly by a health psychology researcher at University College London, who through a more diverse and comprehensive sample size, showed that it takes more than two months before a new behaviour becomes a habit \u2013 66 days to be exact<\/strong>. Although this varies widely depending on the individual so it isn\u2019t an exact science.<\/p> \n

    No matter how long it takes for a new habit to form, the point is, you have to keep doing it consistently over time. Don\u2019t fall off the wagon and don\u2019t slack off.<\/p> \n

    You can duit!<\/em><\/p> \n

    2. Adjusting to a budget is not fun (at first).<\/strong><\/h3> \n

    I\u2019m not going to paint a pretty picture and tell you that adjusting to a budget is easy and fun because it isn\u2019t. The hard truth? It sucks. But, this is temporary and with all new adjustments\/habits, you feel the pain most as you\u2019re just starting out.<\/p> \n

    For instance, I went grocery shopping on a Friday night to buy fruits and a few other necessities. Along the way, I was obviously tempted to indulge in a little more, but I had to shift my frame of mind.<\/p> \n

    \n Lesson: <\/strong>The grocer was no longer a little playground for me to go crazy at, I had to cautiously walk down the aisles and keep my eye on the things I need. Grocery shopping became a different experience but \n I exercised control by asking myself: Do I need this?<\/strong> \n<\/div> \n

     <\/p> \n

    See also: <\/strong>Budget 101: How to Make a Personal Income Statement<\/a><\/p> \n

    3. I love food but this challenge is forcing me to be more disciplined with my eating habits<\/strong><\/h3> \n

    Another challenge I faced throughout the week was to exercise self-control when it came to food. Ironic, I know. We\u2019re in the month of Ramadhan so this should naturally be one of my goals, and it is, but it\u2019s different when you start to throw money into the mix.<\/p> \n

    I love to eat, I love food and I don\u2019t think there\u2019s anything better than indulging in great food. But, I realised through tracking my expenses that my biggest expenditure is on food\/drinks. It was definitely a challenge to dine out and have to be budget conscious when ordering your meal. I prefer ordering anything and everything to my fancy, but that has to change if I plan on keeping this up.<\/p> \n

    \n Lesson: This is one of the best takeaways when you track your expenses, you identify where you need to cut back spending. <\/strong>I knew I had to cut back on dining out, or perhaps order less expensive meals but equally fulfilling ones. I now know I have to be more selective about the restaurants I dine in. Perhaps, save the more expensive meals for occasions or as a reward for myself. Do I need to dine out every single day of the week? No. \n<\/div> \n
    \n Did you know during Ramadhan our stomachs actually shrink in size?<\/strong> If you find yourself with leftovers, don\u2019t let it go to waste. Pack it home and reheat it for \n sahur<\/em>. You can also be creative and reuse the leftovers to create a new meal, for example, if you have leftover chicken, turn it into a chicken sandwich or put it in a salad. \n<\/div> \n

     <\/p> \n

    I\u2019m also fortunate that I still live at home so most times, there\u2019s home-cooked food or shared groceries for me to make my own meals. Take advantage of opportunities you have in your life to make your budget work for <\/strong>you.<\/p> \n

    See also:<\/strong> 5 Ways to Save on Your Ramadhan Feast<\/a><\/p> \n

    4. The weekends were not as bad as I thought it would be<\/strong><\/h3> \n

    \"fullsizerender\" Taken at Kanching Waterfalls<\/p> \n

    The first thing most people would exclaim is: \u201cOh but your weekends are going to be so boring now! What will you do?\u201d. Plenty, in fact. I now have more time to focus on more fulfilling activities, things that money can\u2019t buy. For instance, I\u2019m catching up on House of Cards so I can finally start to watch Season 5. I make it a point to read every day and more so on the weekends. And I\u2019m finding cheaper alternatives for a good time including weekend hikes or weekday runs.<\/p> \n

    \n Lesson: <\/strong>An active social (and night) life is great, but you don\u2019t really need it to have a good weekend. Cheap weekend thrills is definitely a great tip as earlier shared by Shen, I recommend it too and you gain new experiences! I headed up to the Kanching Waterfalls on Saturday and it was an amazing and cost-effective weekend activity amidst plenty of greenery, cold fresh water, and of course monkeys. \n<\/div> \n

    I personally love the outdoors and adventure, so this wasn\u2019t a difficult choice for me. Of course, the heat and intense climb can be a challenge when you\u2019re fasting, but if you know your body and stay within its limits, you\u2019ll be fine.<\/p> \n

    Activities aside, I also found more time to run my errands. I used to send my laundry to the local dobi, which would obviously cost me. Instead, I did laundry at home and will continue doing so to save money.<\/p> \n

    Key Takeaways of the Week <\/strong><\/h2> \n
    \n