Originally posted by ^tamago^:
[b]How one family copes
Mother of five scrimps and saves on food, household necessities and
even electricity to stretch family dollar
Sunday Times, The
(Singapore)
News, Pg 11
December 2, 2007
Author: Nur Dianah Suhaimi
AFTER 15 years as a housewife, Madam Maryanti Chaman, 35, went back
to work in May.
The rising price of food and the goods and services tax (GST) hike
over the past year have made the family's finances very
tight.
To make matters worse, her 42-year-old husband, a shipyard
supervisor, saw his take-home pay reduced from $2,200 to $1,600
after his company stopped overtime work.
Madam Maryanti now works five days a week as a part-time stall
assistant to supplement the family income. She earns about $600 a
month. Her mother or father-in-law cares for her five children when
she is at work. The family lives in a five-room flat in
Marsiling.
Madam Maryanti always shops around for the cheapest groceries and
household goods. She has also cut down on tidbits for her
children.
The family now uses cheaper detergent, which costs about $4 for a
5kg box, compared to her previous brand, which cost $6 for a 3kg
box.
Her three-year-old toddler Khalaf Hubaish drinks Dugrow milk, which
costs $8.50 for a 1kg tin, instead of Friso milk, which costs $20
for an equivalent tin. He wears the cheapest diapers that Madam
Maryanti can find: $12 for 35 pieces compared to $17 for other
brands.
She buys fish only on Sundays, around noon, when fishmongers are
clearing their stocks because the market is closed on
Mondays.
'I can get 2kg of ikan selar kuning (gold-banded scad) or mackerel
for just $7, instead of $6 a kilogram.' That is enough to last the
family a week.
She tries to buy more chicken than fish because chicken is cheaper.
The family has stopped eating out.
When she shops for groceries in Johor Baru, she takes along a
calculator to make sure that she buys only things which are cheaper
after the currency conversion.
When money dries up towards the end of the month, the children
receive less pocket money and take a packed lunch to school.
To save on electricity charges, the family has cut down on
television viewing. Electrical appliances are no longer placed on
stand-by mode but switched off when not in use.
Madam Maryanti said she also makes sure that her children turn off
the light when they leave a room. 'We have no choice but to do
this. Everything is more expensive now.'
[email protected]
-------------------------------------------------------
Where does the money go?
THE Hazalis' combined household income: $2,200
Their monthly expenses:
Groceries: $150
Wet market items: $200
Utilities: $220
Insurance: $380
Children's pocket money and transport: $300
Mr Hazali's lunch money, transport and cigarettes: $500
Madam Maryanti's monthly savings: $100
Miscellaneous items (mobile phone bills, snacks, clothes and so
on): $350
Total: $2,200
Copyright, 2007, Singapore Press Holdings Limited[/b]
In the 1st place why have up to 5 children when u knw yur living
in a place like SG?? The children's expenses alone wld kill the
family...i mean they shld knw that the cost of living here is
already high rite?
