FOR some, earning a high salary can mean living an easy and comfortable life, while for others, that is not always the case due to certain financial commitments.
A Malaysian man who earns RM10,000 a month recently shared how a “high income does not equal financial security”.
While RM10,000 a month may seem like a dream salary to some, the father of two said otherwise, describing his situation as living “paycheque to paycheque”.
“Wealth is about leverage, not just hard work,” he wrote in a post on Threads.
Responding to several comments, he explained that he is the sole breadwinner and had previously been paying for three cars, one of which came with a monthly loan payment of RM800.
“It’s not exactly a lavish lifestyle, but I noticed that my savings started stagnating,” he added in a reply.
He also mentioned that he is currently working on building additional streams of income, thinking ahead about his family’s future in case something happens to him that could leave him unemployed for an extended period.
He further noted how the impact of earning RM10,000 a month can vary significantly between being single and being married.
“When we are single, one can live like a king on RM10,000, even having extra money to invest here and there.
“After marriage, we realise how important it is to work hard not just to survive but to build a steady stream of income,” he said.
Netizens agreed with his perspective, with one user concluding that it is best “not to spend beyond our means”.
“When your income increases, so do your expenses,” said another commenter.
“I made RM18,000 a month, but with five kids and a stay-at-home wife, I still lived from paycheque to paycheque. It’s true,” one netizen pointed out.
