Greetings from my work station. 

I decided to fill-up my time with a part-time job to earn some extra money. Everyday I'd found myself either sleeping or wasting my time in my room watching videos/ kdramas. I don't even study guys. I still am struggling with the whole study part of life even as a 3rd Year student in uni fml. 

This decision comes in pretty sudden to me. Well, I've been considering and mentally-telling myself I should get a part-time somewhere. But tbh, I didn't wanna do it in campus cos I'm scared I'll be meeting many of the people I know. I contemplated all this while thinking I could be free and do more things like take up more competitions to earn better money/prizes. Or upload contents on YouTube or work on my class more. In the end, I never did any of those things ever since the sem started. I've been much more productive while I was an intern to compare things with.

For one and a half semester now, my uni opened up this new business area which is currently only occupied by a few tenants. And one of them posted a job opening on FB. I decided to go for it. They pay me RM3/hour. Based on the other jobs in-campus, that is actually pretty decent. I mean I still have time typing this right now. That's how calm it can be.

Note: After this part, I had a few things to settle regarding the 'Talk Talk Korea 2018' prize shipped from Korea! (Will update about it soon.) Therefore, I ended up continue writing this post during the weekend instead.

Working in-campus does actually have its benefits. Everything is walking distance (only if your campus aren't that big). It probably takes me about 5 mins to reach the shop by feet. The only struggle is walking up and down the hill between my residential college and my workplace.

If you're asking me why am I working for such a small wage and when I don't really have to pay rent for staying in-campus, I'd say because I have big desires. I am always saving money but I always feel too scared to be spending them. It's such a huge guilt when I have a long list of the things I want to have and all of them cost me a bomb. 

It's not like I'm broke, I do take up loan and I do still have them. But it's barely enough. Let me just tell you a bit of what I am trying to achieve within the next couple of months.

1) Exchange programme

As a diploma student, this wasn't an offer I could even consider. Exchange programme are only meant for degree students and they can cost a lot. However, after this sem I am planning to continue my degree in the same university. Therefore, I will be eligible for this programme but my only and biggest concern right now is obviously the money. I am still not financially ready. RM10k? RM15k? RM100k? I don't even know how to budget exactly.

2) Camera

For now, my phone is actually more than enough to capture videos and pictures. But I always wanted a dedicated camera that can easily point and shoot. I did bought myself one when I was Form 1, I think. I spent RM400 on it and I thought it was what I wanted. But it wasn't. After finish collecting the money, I had the budget ready but I didn't know what are the specs I'm supposed to look at, and so I randomly picked up a camera that the salesperson recommended. It wasn't the best brand nor was it the best model. It was a big mistake.

The camera couldn't even shoot 1080p videos (phone cameras do it better). By now, the lens is already broken so the quality became worse. It is already time to find another one. Listing down the specs I'm now looking at;

i. Not a DSLR (portability reasons)

ii. Flip-screen

iii. Near-field Communication (NFC) for device sharing (kinda like using bluetooth but you transfer it by tapping your phone that has NFC with a camera that has it too)

Actually I already have the exact model in mind hehe. The camera budget is already as big as the budget for the phone I recently bought. You see the onion in my wallet now?

3) Emergency Fund savings

So I've been advised by many of the financial gurus I binge on YouTube, who made it seems like everybody NEEDS to have an Emergency Fund. It's for times you are forced to live without any financial support.

Basically, it's a step towards financial freedom too. When you want to leave a certain situation but the only thing that is stopping you is your finance, then this fund lets you have that escape option because you could basically survive without an income for a few months. That's why it is recommended that your Emergency Fund sums up to at least 6-months worth of living cost so you don't have to worry about it while you try to reorganize your life.

My aim for now is RM1k. I'm already half way there. Hopefully will reach my short-term goal soon, so I can set a new one lol.

4) Gold for mum

Hahaha this is so cringy to say... but it's one of my ultimate dream. Something I promised my mum too.

One day I wanted to buy her something gold with the thought that if one day she needed some extra money, she could just gadai it. I mean it can be an asset and it would increase in value (hopefully). However, it's not as easy as I thought. Because gold stuff actually involves zakat and all of this might burden her instead. I am still figuring out and considering what could be the ultimate gift for my mum if gold was not gonna be it. What else could increase in value? House? Hahaha lagi berzaman kot if this were to be it.

But I am dedicating my coins collection on this. I still don't know how much I have now, but both of my 50-cents coin box are more than half already and I hope it can at least be RM100 soon.

5) Masters

To just put it out there, I have the dream to continue my graduate studies oversea. So if for degree I could do exchange programme, I would have like a sneak peek before I fully include this in my consideration. However, degree would be the last stage of education where my parents are willing to support me for. So I have to start saving up for real if I want to continue Masters, especially if I want to do it somewhere oversea. Maybe start considering all the available scholarships too?

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That's about it for my wishes. Actually those are the ones that seemed "impossible" to me and more dream-like. Something that would come out of a bucket-list instead of a to-do list. But since I have a good amount of faith on myself, I will try my luck and pray for everything I wished for to come true. InsyaAllah. 

Dropping by,

Melynn.