An Altered State of Mind

Sometimes I really wonder what my mind holds.

How much of it am I using?

Am I using it correctly?

What if I don't have enough brain juice to get me through life?

As I was talking to my dad last night, we pondered upon life and how to maneuver though it in between the deadpan silence that is starting to become a trademark of our conversations. My father's a silent man. He's always thinking, probably, but yet, he has been known to be a man of little words. I wonder how he functions as a member of so many a church's committee. He's been active in church all his life. He is always in this committee as a treasurer, a committee member, a secretary, well, he's been a lot of things. I just wonder how he gets through the meetings.

Well, we were talking about the harsh economy that lies in wait for us in the near future, and it seems that we are indeed on a death row. The clients are always and forever cutting their budget to save a few quid, but yet, prices of consumer goods continue to rise. Just a few days back, a bowl of mee cost me RM4.20!! Now that is clever marketing... the sellers are now being bold and have taken this opportune time to increase their prices as the Government Officials have now focused their bloated stomachs elsewhere. The dust on the petrol price increase has just settled and the road ahead looks foul. And because of the settling down of consumers attitude, sellers are now slowly increasing their fare.

I seriously don't blame them. They're earning their keep the hard way. It's not like they're driving a Merz or a BMW to their stall...

But the economy is in such a sorry state that in the near future, credit card companies will have a time of their lives trying to pressure people into paying up their bills.

Things are getting more expensive by the month, but our salary adjustments only happen once a year. And that too, is normally way below the average inflation rate. Felt inflation within these 6 months of 2006 has been great! Before Chinese New Year, a bowl of 'Mee Soup' would have set you back RM3.50-RM3.80 depending on where you eat. A cup of our Malaysian Teh Tarik was RM1.30. So on average, you'd have to have RM5.00 for a hearty meal. Now, price of a bowl of Mee is RM4.20, and Teh Tarik is RM1.50. That's RM5.70 for a meal. And if my calculations are correct, that's a 14% increase. And we consider ourselves lucky if our salaries increase by a measly 5%??? How to counter inflation??

We will inevitably find ourselves job hopping for a bigger salary and we will max out our credit cards before our 1 month probabtion period ends. Employers will tell you that to give you an RM3,000 salary as compared to what you used to earn previously is unjustifiable. Everyone in this market is underpaid. And as an employee, I do feel that a RM3,000 salary per month isn't a great deal considering the fact that you won't be able to save anything more than a couple of hundred bucks per month.

Car Installment is already RM500
Petrol usage per month would amount to around RM350
Rent/Housing Loan is a good RM1,000 if you're staying in an apartment worth RM150K, which is considered a medium low cost place.
Apartment Maintenance Fees RM150 (rough figure)
Parking fees would be a good RM100 per month
Car maintenance is a good RM100 every month
Household items like toothpaste and general kitchen foodstuffs would amount to RM200 per month if you're staying alone
Food would be RM6.00 per meal times 3 meals a day times 30 days equalling to RM540

And that leaves me with... RM60 for savings. And that is on a RM3,000 per month salary!!!

Tell me.. how to work for an RM2,000 per month? Go live in Kepong or somewhere in Ulu Klang issit? Save on Rent and Food and spend the amount saved on travelling? Or move to a vicinity next to your office???

We are truly and surely doomed...