RM1 doesn’t stretch very far nowadays. It may just buy you one piece of roti canai for your breakfast or a pack of nasi lemak. However, if you head to Ukhwah Restoran Rakyat 1Malaysia in Lorong Medan Tuanku Satu, RM1 buys you a piece of roti canai AND a mug of hot steaming teh tarik! How’s that for value for money?!

Lunch here is cheap too with merely RM3 for a plate of chicken rice which usually costs RM4 to RM5 elsewhere.

Just as good as Ikea’s famous 99 cents breakfasts and another great money saving tip for people working around the area!

A large number of investors missed out on the previous launch of the Amanah Saham Malaysia fund as it was done within a really short time frame and right after the Sukuk Bonds were launched. It doesn’t help that the non-Bumiputra portion of the fund often gets sold out in less than 2 hours nationwide!

If you were one of those who lost out on the previous Amanah Saham Malaysia subscription, fret not because the government is opening up unsold Bumiputra lots for subscription by non-Bumiputra investors!

Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) will offer the remaining 1.6 billion Amanah Saham Malaysia (ASM) units, including those initially set aside for bumiputras, for subscription by all Malaysians from July 21. (source)

Sales of the units will be launched on July 21st and available on a first come first served basis. Between the offer period of July 21st to July 27th, investments are capped at 20,000 units per person. If there are any remaining units after July 27th (which is unlikely!), no maximum limits will be imposed.

If you are interested, get your funds ready by July 21st so you don’t miss out on this investment! Previous dividend payouts for this fund averaged 7.8 cents to 6.25 cents per unit in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Still an improvement over fixed deposit rates!

With the economic downturn, many people are now choosing “tai chow” or smaller family run food outlets over more expensive cafes or restaurants. However, these places often don’t have set prices in their menu or a proper bill and it is only too easy for them to slip in additional rice, peanuts, tea or towel items even if you did not use them.

So, the next time you eat out, do ensure you check the bill properly before paying. You might find that you have been overcharged!

In an environmental-conscious bid, Malaysian retailers have finally jumped onto the “Say No To Plastic Bags” campaign by charging customers for plastic bags and in some cases, simply eliminating plastic bags altogether.

More than 300 hypermarkets, mini-markets, department stores and other participating shops are charging 20 sen for each plastic bag given out. (source)

Find out how you can be a financially smart and environmentally friendly shopper below!

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