Earning RM14,000 a month may sound comfortable to many, but one Malaysian man recently shared how financial commitments and work have left him feeling increasingly exhausted.
In a post, the man said he works as a full stack engineer and takes home around RM10,000 after deductions. However, once his monthly commitments are paid, he claimed there is not much left.
His wife works as a factory manager, while the couple have two children.
Burnout started after moving further from work
According to the man, his burnout became worse after the family moved into a house located far from his workplace. The house costs around RM3,500 a month.
Initially, they did not move in because of the distance, but after about two years, they felt it was a waste to continue paying for a property they were not staying in.
After moving, however, the long commute began taking a toll on him.
On top of the mortgage, he said he also pays for electricity, water, internet and other household expenses.
‘Every month, my money goes out like water’
Another source of frustration came after his wife’s younger sibling moved in with the family while looking for work in the city.
He said he was initially fine with the arrangement, but after about two years, he started feeling tired of carrying most of the household commitments while watching the younger family member work and build up savings.
Sometimes I think, ‘Isn’t this unfair?’ You can save a lot because you have zero commitments. Meanwhile, every month my money goes out like water.”
Despite feeling frustrated, the man said he has avoided confronting his wife because he does not want the issue to turn into an argument.
Instead, he often keeps his feelings to himself while continuing to manage his work, commute and monthly expenses.
Towards the end of his post, he summed up his situation as such: “I’m tired. Just tired.”
One commenter said many men could be quietly going through something similar, where their salary comes in every month only to quickly disappear after paying for commitments.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress, Befrienders KL can be reached at 03 7627 2929, 24 hours a day.
