This is originally posted by my good friend Uncle Tim Ho in 2007. When petrol price and our essentials i.e. rice, bread, butter, etc. etc. haven't gone up yet. :p Now, slightly adjusted by myself...

Very interesting... read on. Somebody should get this to 'people on top'…
Let's do some simple calculations here.

In Malaysia, the average family income is RM3,000 /month (where father works, mother doesn't).

I understand there are many families whose monthly income does not reach RM3,000, but, to make things simple, let's take RM3,000 as the figure. Ok lah, right?

Okay, let's start rolling with a family which has Papa, Mama, 1 daughter and 1 son.

Calculation starts...

Electricity and water bill: RM100
(No air-con, No home theatre, No water heater)

Phone bill (Telekom): RM100

Meals for a happy family: RM775
(3 meals on RM25/day, RM25 for 4 persons…?)

Papa makan during working hrs: RM155
(RM5/day, RM5 … can eat what?)

Car repayment: RM400
(A proton saga aeroback, 7 yrs repayment)

Petrol (living in city, traffic-jam): RM300
(go to work, bring son to school, only can afford one car running. By the way, is RM300 still enough nowadays??)

Insurance: RM650
(kids, wife and father)

House repayment: RM750
(low cost housing repayment for 30 yrs, retired still have to work to pay!)

Tuition: RM80
(got that cheap meh? i don't think so)

Older children pocket money @ school: RM20
(RM1/day, eat bread?)

School fees: RM30
(enough ah?)

School books and etc: RM100
(always got extra to pay in school)

Younger children milk powder: RM50
(cannot have the DHA, BHA, PHA one, expensive)

Miscellaneous: RM100
(shampoo, rice, sauce, toilet paper)

Oh wait!!! I have to stop here, so... No Astro, no movie @ cinema, no DVD, no CD, no online, cannot KFC, cannot McDonald, cannot go Park walk during weekend (petrol expensive), no chit chat on phone with grandparents, and etc...

Let's use a calculator to total up... WALAO EH! RM3,610 already…

Already reached RM3,610... even without deduction of EPF, Socso & Income Tax...

If like this, how to survive...?

Our Prime Minister asked us to change lifestyle? How to change? Don't eat? Don't work? Don't send children to school and study?

Besides that, I believe in Malaysia population, there are millions of rakyat Malaysia which still don't earn RM3,000/month!!!

What is this? This is "Malaysia Boleh..." Sorry... it should be "Malaysians Boleh", because we're still alive and kicking!!

P/S Anyone got better suggestions on where to cut and where should add on (due to "under-calculatedness' hehe) or want to share their budget/actual expenses, you are highly welcome to! We all need some suggestion now on how to cut cost now...