A Malaysian financing consultant recently shared a case on Threads that caught many people’s attention.
It involved a couple earning over RM10,000 a month combined, a figure many would consider “comfortable”.
On paper, they looked financially stable, but in reality, they were drowning in nearly RM95,000 worth of debt.
‘Logically, they shouldn’t be stressed’
According to the consultant, the husband works as an HR manager earning RM7,800, while the wife earns RM3,000 in an admin role, thus bringing their combined household income to over RM10,000.
She added that logically speaking, the couple shouldn’t be stressed over their finances, but when she broke down their commitments, the picture changed.
Here’s the list of their fixed monthly commitments, which amounted to more than RM8,000:
- House loan: RM2,600
- Husband’s car loan: RM1,400
- Wife’s car loan: RM900
- Family insurance: RM650
- Child’s childcare: RM800
- Husband’s credit card (minimum): RM900
- Wife’s credit card (minimum): RM400
- Personal loan: RM1,100
After deductions, their net household income sits at around RM9,000, leaving them with just slightly more than RM1,000.
According to the consultant, whenever something broke or unexpected expenses came up, they would use their credit cards and paid only the minimum, which caused their debt to balloon.
When the consultant calculated all their outstanding credit card balances and personal loans, the figure came up to almost RM95,000.
‘It wasn’t about salary’
After seeing the breakdown, the husband reportedly gave a bitter smile and admitted that most of their arguments revolved around the same issue.
The consultant ended her post with this reflection: Sometimes, what makes people feel like it’s never enough isn’t their salary. It’s debt that was never properly resolved.
A netizen who identified as being from the B40 income group shared that they used to wonder why people with higher salaries still felt that their income was not enough.
After reading about the couple’s financial situation, they said they now understand how debt and heavy commitments can make even a RM10,000 household income feel insufficient.
