Wanderlust, Behind the Scene

This week, I feel like sharing my life behind the scene — behind the travel photos that I shared. If Instagram has “Instagram vs Reality”, this post will be similar.

The purpose of this behind-the-scene topic is to motivate all salarymen who love travelling, like me 💪

Many people think I come from a rich family background, seeing that I travel often.

The truth is, I’m just an average office employee who pays her bills + rent, has parents to support, and meticulously manages her finances so she can travel, plus still invests some money every month.

Luckily, I have a sister so we can share the expenses!

There’s always a story behind every happy, cool travel photo you see online. Here’s mine.

I have no social life

Most of my university friends are now scattered everywhere, they’re no longer in Malaysia. I have a lot of ex-colleagues who I keep in touch with online (do “liking” and commenting on their posts count?), but I very seldom meet them in person.

I can give you some reasons, but if I have to be honest with myself, I feel like I’m never close with any of them because… I love travelling more than socialising.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually an extrovert by nature. But socialising with friends in nice cafes or restaurants needs money.

And weekends are the best time to do side hustle to print earn extra money (when I have the chance).

So, this salaryman prefers catchups instead of casual outings in order to save and earn money for travelling, which translates to no social life.

Do I look pathetic? Hmm… you can say anything you want. It doesn’t matter to me, hehe!

Sometimes, it stresses me out

As someone who wants to have it all yet still keep her finance in check (pays bills on time, supports retired parents, travels, saves money, invests), sometimes, it stresses me out.

For example, whenever I have an emergency expense, I’ll try to reduce my monthly allowance so I don’t have to withdraw my investment or travel savings. Or reduce the amount of my monthly investment.

As a result, I’m prone to stress because I have to be very careful with my spending.

On very bad days, I usually have instant oat with a fried egg and mixed nuts for dinner. People think I’m on a diet, in fact, that’s because I’m ‘broke’ 😂

There were times when I had so many unexpected and emergency expenses and there was no side hustle opportunity. But there were also times when I was blessed with so many opportunities when I needed extra money.

However, I’ve learned to be more flexible on how I manage my finance, for the sake of my mental health.

And I’m blessed because the company that I work at provides me with annual travel and daily food delivery allowances. More money to save for travelling 🙏✨

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I look basic most of the time

I look basic most of the time as I walk and take public transport (mostly LRT and MRT). When it’s raining, I will carry a shopping bag to store my pocket umbrella and slippers/waterproof shoes.

I only dress up when I go on dates, to nice bars or restaurants, parties, events, and traveling. You won’t find me looking like how I was in Italy (hint: see the cover photo), hehe!

Also read: “This is the City Where You Should Dress to Kill”

Now, for the extremes…

I’m grateful that what I’ve been through taught me to be resilient, persistent and patient. These traits help me to realise my travel goals. Some of the extreme things that I do are:

• Using the envelope budgeting method
  I give myself a monthly allowance and put it in an envelope. All I have to spend for the month is in that envelope. I religiously stick to the budget and rarely cheat with debit cards or cash out my money.
  
• Limiting my milk intake
  When I found out that I’m allergic to lactose and cow’s milk, I switched to almond milk. As you know, almond milk costs at least double of normal milk. In Malaysia, 1L of almond milk costs around RM11-17 (USD 3-4).
  
  So, I limit my milk intake according to my monthly budget. To fully take advantage of the goodness of almond milk, I created a schedule so I only drink it on the day I lift weight (extra protein to build the muscle) ✨💪
  
  *Tip when choosing almond milk: Choose brands that contain 2.5% – 3% almond. My favourite brand is So Good Chocolate Almond Milk as it contains 2.5% almond, tastes good, and is the lowest price among other brands (around RM11 / 1L).
  
• Going for premium things with low cost
  Okay, who doesn’t want it? It may not be extreme but recently I found a super deal when looking for new sport bras. For example, one sport bra for RM10 (less than USD 3) 😱😍 And it’s from Young Hearts, the sister brand of Wacoal, which is a famous lingerie brand that provides good quality. Yes, I won’t spend RM100 on a single sport bra that’s hidden underneath my top!
  
  For desserts, my favourite is premium Japanese ice cream, made from fresh ingredients and imported from Japan, which costs around RM4 (USD 1). You can find them from Châteraisé, a patisserie from Japan that has many branches worldwide 💖
  
• Ate the same food for lunch for 1 year+
  This happened a few years ago. I wrote as many articles as I could and had the same menu for lunch for 1 year+ to save money for a 12-day Italy trip and an 18-day multi-Europe & Russia trip (both happened in the same year). The lunch I had consisted of white rice, fried tempe/fish and vegetables.
  

Who will attend my wedding?

One day, this question crossed my mind. I’m already 30 years old and have only a few close friends (whom I seldom talk to). If one day I get married and they can’t make it, who will attend my wedding? 🤣🤣🤣

Anyway, it doesn’t bother me because getting married isn’t my life goal. Also, I don’t mind if it’s a small lunch or dinner reception attended by only family members. Anything is fine, as long as I can travel 🥰✈

Actually… I love children and would like to have a son. Maybe God wants me to travel for so many years before I meet my future husband, hehe!

It’s ok since I already have a cute son. Thanks to World Vision, I can sponsor a cute boy, don’t have to give birth, and travel anytime I want. Viva la vida~

Alright, that’s me behind the scene. Behind each of my travel photos, there’s sweat and dedication to realise the travel goals.

Believe in yourself. Even if you’re an average salaryman, you can still travel and keep your finances in check.

Whenever you feel like giving up, remember this quote:

Do or do not. There is no try.

Yoda from Star Wars

Gambatte!! You can do it!! Have a good week 😊

Also read: “Tony Robbins’ Investing Rules of Thumb — Simplified”
Also read: “On Finance: Should You Prioritise Your Family or Parents?”
Also read: “To All Travelers Who Starve Themselves, This is for You”