My life journey from zero to something with zero debts - Part 1

Hi, I am a "kampung" (village) girl who was living in a very decent life. My father was a crane operator at Port Klang, one of the busiest port in Malaysia. He earned around RM2000 per month or maybe more when it plus with his overtime pay. We lived in a very average standard of living where what we have were all the necessity, nothing extraordinary or luxury. We went shopped once a year near to Hari Raya (Aidilfitri) and that was the only time we had a chance to eat or dining out. My father's principle was simple never have a debt, therefore most of the time he only spend on what he has. The only thing that my father bought with loan was his middle cost single storey house which now giving him monthly rental of around RM300 per month. My father bought his cars were all with cash, therefore he only bought used cars. His first car was a mini minor car which was then given for free to a lucky man whom he knew interested so much with he considered as junk. Ermm....even though he was lucky, but my father kept the grant document of that mini minor with him and now it is with me.

This is how the mini minor looks like for those who never saw it before. 

The 2nd car he bought was Toyota KE 20. He bought it for cash and no commitment to pay monthly installment. That car was very nostalgic as that car he used to send me to my college (ITM) in Dungun when I did my Diploma and continued its merit until I finished my BBA (Bachelor Business Administration) in UiTM. I drove that car daily to school and work after graduation. 

The 3rd car he bought also with cash , zero commitment. Our daily expenses were very decent as with that salary he earned, he has to ensure that monthly commitment were fulfilled without failed. My mom was very helpful, as a home manager she understand my father's sacrifice and condition who travelling 30km daily to earn money and feed us. She was selling savory to the school canteen caterer and yearly she sold "rempeyek" and "tumpi (a traditional snacks) for Hari Raya. I myself was selling crackers at school based on order to get some pocket money. So, basically that's decent was our life back then. I was adore my father in his home financial management principal "Never spend more that what you have and avoid loan". At his very average income he managed to open "Tabung Haji" account for all of us and made a monthly deduction into our account. Yes, I used that money to further my study. 

Because of my father was decent, I always keep myself reminded to hold the same principal in managing my self financial. How I grew actually formed my expenditure pattern. Even though, sometimes I have extra, I will always reminding myself and ask myself whether it necessary prior deciding to spend. 

My first job was with a small company supplying audio visual product to language lab. It was owned by a young Singaporean man. My first salary was only RM400 per month, that was after my Diploma before I further my study in UiTM in mid of 1997. After I finished in  my study mid 1999, I was worked at chandelier and ceramic showroom owned by a Datin. I got the job because I did my internship there and was offered to work there. My salary there was only RM800. I remembered , it was hard living with RM800 and living in Kuala Lumpur and sometimes travelling almost 120km daily to work. It was depressing, sometimes I had to get loan from my father to work. I feel ashamed but what can I do for survival back then? Luckily I have father who really understand my situation , and supported me financially even though he had no intellectual advice for me back then. At one point of time I felt so depressed and decided to find job at my hometown. 

I managed to get a job as assistant marketing at a computer shop and part time tutor at the training center owned by the owner of the computer shop, a local Indian entrepreneur. My salary was only RM700 a month but I have no choice since I need to be working and live at my parent's house to cut down my cost of living by avoiding paying monthly rental for room and travelling cost. It was a very depressing life until at one point of time I feel helpless and shameless. I was then resigned due to feeling guilty working with I thought has taken an advantage on others as it was against my principle. I did part time job after that. During the jobless period I prayed hard and seeks Allah's guidance to get a new job and ease my life.

I used to go to the park back then, there I released my depression and it was one day I felt that I really dissapointed with my life and cried deeply in that park. But time taught me about redha and accept whatever given by Allah. All the hardship may have good in returned, that's His promised. 

One day I was asked by my friend  to submit my resume for a ticketing officer position at Sepang International Circuit. I didn't mind about the position, I just grabbed the opportunity. Alhamdulillah I was accepted and started worked with SIC in 2001. 

The first event was F1 2001 and I was asked to in charge for the on-line ticket and the first task was attending a meeting that discussed about the crashed F1 2001 website. It was a very big challenged, as I had zero knowledge about IT. There was when I first met my husband who was an IT consultant for SIC. Nothing was discussed and non of the words came from my husband that I understood. But I tried hard, he he.... . It was the greatest start of my working life. It's my first working experience after my university that has built my confidence as I was exposed to an International world by attending to an international customers from all around the world. I learnt a lot about human behaviour here. How motorsport fan behaved at the track , human passion, people with their attitudes,characters,  people with their ambition, their dreams, their hard work, the struggle, the lost, the success, and all about human. Sepang International Circuit is the first real life university for me, thanks to the management of SIC on that time that practices an open concept management with strong team work spirit.  The knowledge and experience working with SIC that has groomed me to be an independent worker that the my employers after SIC gained that advantage that I had.  After I attended the University of SIC, I can work independently and became multi tasking. That skill I brought along when I attached to the new companies.

If at SIC I carried 2 tasks at one point of time, at MRCB I was given a lot more tasks besides my Marketing job as a Marketing Executive. I was the advisor for the event cum the decorator for the event cum van driver to buy a carpet for the event, A coordinator for marketing promotion activities, the leasing person ( until my peers called me a landlord lady), supportive staff for the subsidiary company until being absorbed to the subsidiary without changing the position at the headquarters HR (voluntarily forced) and last but not least internal ISO auditor cum Chief Internal Auditor. Sounds grand but in reality you work just for "job satisfaction" without rewards. Tired but I was Ok as I like the work and I like myself got busy with work. For me without working life is lifeless, nothing, zero.   And now, I am a full time housewife living abroad pursuing my Master in Management and my passion in art and zero liabilities. How did I get rid of all my liabilities? By working hard before I didn't get the chance. So I worked very hard to own my own apartment, my own car, my eveything that I had with my own money without a single cent I asked from my husband before I quit my job in 2014 when I had to follow my husband moved to Saigon, Vietnam. I then sold my apartment that gave a very good profit to me and I've settled all my loan without my husband or any other family members' help. All by myself. But I always believed that rezeki Allah is everywhere for us to find and always there is rezeki for us. We work, we pray and we "tawakkal" and Insha Allah, Allah will always give what He has wrote for us.