An RM8,500 gross salary may sound comfortable on paper.
But for one parent living in the Klang Valley, the monthly reality looks very different once loans, childcare, transport and bills come in.
In a Threads post, a user shared that she earn RM8,500 gross while raising a three-year-old toddler, but are still “barely surviving” every month.
According to the post, RM3,000 goes to house and car loans, while RM2,000 is spent on full-day daycare.
Another RM1,500 goes to credit card payments, debts, insurance and other miscellaneous bills, while toll, petrol and parking cost around RM800 monthly.
After all that, the user said she is left with only around RM1,000 to RM1,500 for food, weekend outings and emergencies.
“Don’t talk about giving pocket money to parents and saving,” the user wrote.
After some commenters suggested finding a cheaper daycare, the user explained that she had already looked for more affordable options.
However, most cheaper taska close at around 5pm to 6pm, with penalties imposed for late pick-up.
The user said they work in Mont Kiara and live around Puchong. By the time they reach their child’s taska, it is already around 7:30pm.
According to them, the current daycare is the only one they found that opens until 8pm.
“Those commitments were made before I had a kid”
Some commenters also pointed out that RM3,000 for house and car loans is a big portion of their gross salary.
The user later clarified that the amount includes management fees.
The parent said the house costs around RM300,000, while the car is around RM90,000, and those commitments were made before they had a child.
The user also shared that she plan to pay off the car loan this year and will stick to the same car for now.
Netizens offered advice, but some said comments were harsh
The post drew mixed reactions, with some users giving practical suggestions on how to reduce costs.
One commenter suggested looking for cheaper taska options, saying there are centres charging around RM700 a month, with yearly fees of about RM2,000.
Another suggested moving to the outskirts of KL if the user is renting, or switching to a reliable second-hand car to reduce monthly commitments.
However, some felt the criticism towards the parent was too harsh.
One user said they did not think the poster was necessarily living above their means, but that it reflects the cost of city living.
“We all want quality of life, else what are we working so hard for?” the user wrote.
They suggested looking for jobs with hybrid arrangements or offices nearer to home to save on commuting costs.
Others said they are facing the same thing
Another commenter said she were in a similar situation despite earning almost RM10,000 and having two children.
She said the issue was similar, especially when household and children’s expenses are involved.
The discussion shows how a salary that may look “okay” from the outside can feel very different after fixed commitments are deducted, especially for parents living and working around the Klang Valley.
