M’sian mum has only RM20 until payday. Netizens share creative frugal meal ideas to help families stretch their budget.
A Malaysian mother has turned to social media with a pressing question: how can she feed her family of four with only RM20 left in her husband’s wallet and a week to go until their next paycheck?
According to Sin Chew Daily, the woman shared her financial struggle on Facebook, explaining that she needed to carefully plan meals for her husband and two children to survive the upcoming week.
“Payday is still one week away, and my husband’s salary is down to RM20. Please recommend affordable meal ideas suitable for a family of four,” she wrote.
Her post quickly attracted hundreds of responses, with netizens offering practical advice and budget-friendly meal suggestions.
Simple dishes such as rice with fried eggs, vegetable soup with sambal belacan, basic fried noodles, plain porridge, sardines cooked with onions, soy sauce eggs and stir-fried cabbage were among the top recommendations.
One netizen commented, “As long as one knows how to plan a menu, RM20 can still last. Start with chicken eggs and vegetables as the main ingredients — that’s definitely enough to eat.”
Others advised buying essentials from smaller grocery stores rather than supermarkets, noting that prices are often cheaper.
Many suggested cooking larger portions that could last for two days to cut down daily expenses.
Another netizen suggested: “You can buy 10 sardines, 10 eggs and some vegetables and cook them all at once a week.
“I used to do that and it’s more economical because we can control the amount of food we eat everyday.”
Beyond meal tips, some netizens also offered direct support, inviting the mother to message them privately if she needed assistance.
