Travel 2019: Indonesia (Post 1/5)

Setiap tahun sejak 2014, saya join JJF di JIExpo Kemayoran, Jakarta Indonesia pada hujung minggu pertama bulan Mac. Selalunya, saya beli 3 malam tiket konsert. Tapi, tahun ini saya cuma mampu beli tiket malam sabtu pada harga Rp750,000. Tiket makin mahal.

Tahun ini, saya pergi bersama kawan satu kursus di UiTM, Emi. Sempena tema kewangan saya tahun ini "No Spend Year", saya berusaha supaya perbelanjaan travel kali ini supaya patuh budget yang ditetapkan. Budget saya? RM2500 unutuk keseluruhan travel Kuching-KL-Jakarta-Bogor-Jakarta-Bandung-KL-Kuching selama 9 hari 8 malam. 

Ada 5 post untuk cover keseluruhan Travel 2019: Indonesia ini. 

1. Tiket Penerbangan dan budget keseluruhan

2. Pengangkutan Darat

3. Makanan

4. Penginapan

5. Shopping dan tempat wisata

Let's start with tiket penerbangan dan budget keseluruhan. Budget asal saya adalah RM2500 untuk keseluruhan travel (RM2000 perbelanjaan, RM500 emergency). Kami dapat tukaran matawang asing yang agak baik: RM1=Rp3400. If you live in Kuching and dont know where to go for exhange, here is an extensive list of money changers in the city.

Harga tiket penerbangan berjumlah RM505.63. Lebih dari budget asal (RM500) sebab tambahan harga luggage pada penerbangan AirAsia KL-KCH sebanyak RM30.74 (15kg). 

KCH - KL RM49.00

KL - CGK RM99.00

CGK - KL RM277.89 (Malindo)

KL - KCH RM79.74

Macamana nak dapat harga gempak macam ni? Sila beli tiket awal masa AA buat promosi dan gunalah BigPay. BP card sangat berbaloi untuk mereka yang perlu selalu menggunakan khidmat penerbangan AA. Tidak ada caj perkhidmatan dikenakan untuk tempahan menggunakan kad ini. Kad ini juga sangat berguna di luar negara sebab fungsi kad debit dengan nilai tukaran matawang asing paling kompetitif diberikan tanpa caj terselindung. Kad ini berfungsi bersama apps yang boleh di download pada telefon pintar. Ini memudahkan proses verifikasi baki akaun atau transaksi yang dilakukan. Pengeluaran tunai melalui ATM MEPS juga boleh dilakukan di luar negara dengan caj RM6 per transaksi berbanding RM10 caj bagi kad ATM bank lain. 

Download apps BigPay pada telefon pintar anda dan gunakan rujukan WPQTQWQN7I untuk mendapat kredit percuma RM10. Kalau tidak beli tiket penerbangan atau ke luar negara pun, kalau mahu kawal pembelian online, boleh guna kad debit BigPay ini. Lebih selamat berbanding guna kad debit akaun bank. 

Saya jimat banyak untuk pembelian tiket penerbangan menggunakan BigPay yang digandingkan dengan AirAsia Big Loyalty promotion seats. 

CNY Holiday in Ranau

I secured the flight ticket to KK last year, made a double booking for Christmas and needed to pay extra for the rescheduling. This kind of unwise money spending really is not necessary. This year, i'm making a commitment to really tract my spending according to my budget. I'm tracking all my scheduled flight online via AirAsia loyalty programme BIG membership on my phone.

My CNY holiday was on the 1st to 7th February 2019, my overall budget is RM250.

First purchase defying my No Spend Year is Ninso's plastic Slippers. Its only RM2.50, but i think its a justified buy: because i dont have a house slippers in Ranau. Overall spending is about RM288.50, bursting the budget by RM38.50. I am still working around this budget thing, I'll allow myself three months trial for monthly budget to work. 

I got extra RM100 from picking rambutan for sale during the holiday. I will put that money to my Indo trip next month. 

Happy CNY. May the year of the pig brings us more prosperity and happiness.

The Idea of No Buy Year

Confession time:

I discovered HERMO last year and i over indulged with extra buying from them, that throughout last year i almost get a parcel each week. I live in Kuching, where they only do free delivery for a purchase of RM150+, I bought a lot of mask sheets that i should be covered for the next two years. yes, i checked on the expiry date of my mask sheets. The splurge has been really get out of hands. 

The good side of being overindulgent for skincare last year has helped me to find the best match of skincare for my skin. I started a skincare routine that i actually enjoy doing. the hideous sun pigmentation on my upper cheeks has gradually faded, my large pores are less visible and overall skin tone has getting more even and the oiliness on my T-Zone has greatly reduce. There are a lot of skincare leftover in my stash, that i think i'll be good not buying any skincare products for the next 24 months. 

Recently, i also finally completed an expensive course. Yay! on the completion, but the cost for the course has dented my purse quite heavily. So, i need a game plan to get back to my feet. Thus, the idea of No Buy Year, 2019. 

Congrats dear all!

This year, i commit to a no buy year specifically for:

1. cosmetics and skincare, inclusive of toiletries

2. Homeware. (detergent, tissue, tools etc)

3. clothes (inclusive of shoes, handbags etc)

4. stationery supplies, inclusive of books.

Certain exceptions is expected to make this commitment bearable. 

1. I am allowed to replace things used up

2. I am allowed to buy local books. 

I am learning to do proper budget for monthly spending. I have just done for February, and i realize i actually have very little extra after paying the essentials. The only two financial targets for this year are to pay off my credit card debt and one of the two personal loans i am currently paying. Other than that, i have to finance: 

1. CNY balik kampung in February

2. Java Jazz Festival trip in March

2. Candat Sotong Trip in April

3. Kaamatan balik kampung end of May

4. Graduation trip in October

5. Birthday treat in December

6. Christmas balik kampung in December. 

2019 is sure have a lot of good things to look forward. I am excited to begin my first year of no buy. I'm hoping for a regular post on this topic for documentation and checking on self-discipline. 

2019 Book Read

Here is the list of my book read for year 2019.
My target is 52 books throughout this year. I promise to use the public library as my primary source of books. I am planning to buy Kindle too this year, but i have to put that on hold until mid-year before i seriously consider to buy, because the budget is just too tight for me until then. I will only buy books that i really, really, really want to sit on my shelf this year. I will support local books this year too, i will buy more Malaysian's book.

1.

Welcome 2019

Almost the end of the month of a brand new year and i'm crushing yet another new year's resolution to blog at least once a week. 

I was down with flu last week, still recovering from the nasty virus. 

This semester i teach Chemistry 1 and 2, I am really ok with the allocation. No more weekend classes, almost done with my study. Just need to make a few amendments on my final year project paper and for hard bind. I am attending massage lessons at JWKS. It's super fun. I will blog about our mobile spa when its running.  

I've just read one book this year, i'll put a proper link and maybe a post of summary of the read later on.

Also, i finally bought a sofa set and huge bookshelf. Maybe i'd come to realize that, its time to root and build my own home. My living space has improve, i'm happy with the outcome. No regret yet for the purchase. 

I also decide this year to be my year of not buying any garments (dress, office wear, casual wear, shoes, sandals, handbags etc) (except maybe for compulsory uniform). Its only January, I'm still ok with the buying ban. we'll see along the way. I also will try to live this year as frugal as i can, because i need to settle my personal debt before i turn 40. I will start to pay for my apartment in Kuching in 2021, so i really need to speed up paying my other personal debt. I might write about the progress of my frugal lifestyle here too. 

Hopefully, this year, I will blog often (or at least post once a week). Books, movies and more personal snippets. I'm treating my blog like a diary now. If you happen to stumble upon this blog, you are wasting your time reading 🌝

cheers!