Ever since I started making my own money, all I ever wanted was someone to really tell me if I’m managing my money right. Idk why but I don’t think just looking at the people around me (like friends and family) is the right thing to do since our financial behaviours are so different. Plus, not everyone wants to be transparent about their money and they have a right to their privacy, that’s completely fine. But anyway, I think it’s so hard to maneuver around the topic of finances.
As a 27 year old (unmarried but in a relationship, working corporate, living in KL with 1 housemate), I realized I struggled a lot with financial anxiety. It’s something I have even brought up in therapy, but don’t talk about so much because I really don’t like the way my heart rate goes up when I think about finances. In uni, i worked part time a lot, spent a good chunk of my early 20s with no free weekends. Fast forward a few years later, I make a decent (?) ~RM5,500 salary. My commitments take up a little less than 40% . The rest I spend because… lifestyle creep. I do however have about 9 month’s salary in ASB (thank you past me for saving before I started having expensive interests). This savings amount I achieved yeaars ago and it has been stagnant ever since. Never took out too much from it, and if I did, I always made back the money.
One time I told my therapist how bad I feel when I can’t save. All I want is to save save save. But it’s not realistic for my current lifestyle. I want to enjoy my money, and sometimes I do, but just can’t get over the guilt. A conversation I had with my therapist went like this:
Him: What are you saving for?
Me: Emergencies?
Him: What emergencies?
Me: Idk, if I fall sick, if my car breaks down, something. Anything.
Him: Don’t… you have insurance for all of that?
Me: Yeah.
Him: You don’t think you have enough?
Me: I…. don’t know.
Anyway, it’s been so fun reading about everyone else receiving a bonus and planning how to spend it. Congrats, you guys! I myself just received my bonus (1.6 months) and i’m so torn between spending it all because life is short and i’m young and have savings and don’t wanna die unhappy, or save it all and prepare for god knows what is gonna come (but is anything even gonna come!!). If i were to spend my bonus, i’d spend it on: travelling, fitness classes, maybe a vr set (with fitness games, im overweight rn man it sucks), small appliances around the home that will greatly improve my day to day, and just treating loved ones. I think I want to be convinced to spend it, but dunno if it’s worth not building my savings. Thanks if you’ve read this far!
TL;DR - I have financial anxiety and reeeeally want to be convinced it’s FINE not to save
As a 27 year old (unmarried but in a relationship, working corporate, living in KL with 1 housemate), I realized I struggled a lot with financial anxiety. It’s something I have even brought up in therapy, but don’t talk about so much because I really don’t like the way my heart rate goes up when I think about finances. In uni, i worked part time a lot, spent a good chunk of my early 20s with no free weekends. Fast forward a few years later, I make a decent (?) ~RM5,500 salary. My commitments take up a little less than 40% . The rest I spend because… lifestyle creep. I do however have about 9 month’s salary in ASB (thank you past me for saving before I started having expensive interests). This savings amount I achieved yeaars ago and it has been stagnant ever since. Never took out too much from it, and if I did, I always made back the money.
One time I told my therapist how bad I feel when I can’t save. All I want is to save save save. But it’s not realistic for my current lifestyle. I want to enjoy my money, and sometimes I do, but just can’t get over the guilt. A conversation I had with my therapist went like this:
Him: What are you saving for?
Me: Emergencies?
Him: What emergencies?
Me: Idk, if I fall sick, if my car breaks down, something. Anything.
Him: Don’t… you have insurance for all of that?
Me: Yeah.
Him: You don’t think you have enough?
Me: I…. don’t know.
Anyway, it’s been so fun reading about everyone else receiving a bonus and planning how to spend it. Congrats, you guys! I myself just received my bonus (1.6 months) and i’m so torn between spending it all because life is short and i’m young and have savings and don’t wanna die unhappy, or save it all and prepare for god knows what is gonna come (but is anything even gonna come!!). If i were to spend my bonus, i’d spend it on: travelling, fitness classes, maybe a vr set (with fitness games, im overweight rn man it sucks), small appliances around the home that will greatly improve my day to day, and just treating loved ones. I think I want to be convinced to spend it, but dunno if it’s worth not building my savings. Thanks if you’ve read this far!
TL;DR - I have financial anxiety and reeeeally want to be convinced it’s FINE not to save
