ELC121

SCENE: Food Court

(Amira carrying paper bag)

Balqis: Wow! There’s a lot of things, what did you buy?

Amira: you want to see?

Balqis: Yes, im just wondering what are all those stuffs.

Amira: First of all, I bought this handbag. Guess what….it is the limited-edition handbag from Gucci. I
will look so expensive when I wear this. Next I bought this Charles and keith shoe because I have a
dinner on this weekend.

Balqis: but as I know. You already have many shoes at your house. So why did you buy another
shoe?

Amira: It is because I want to look different. I am afraid that people will judge me if I wear the same
shoe.

Balqis: (geleng kepala)

Amira: oh, by the way, before I forgot, this is the last thing that I bought which is scarf from nealofar.
Can you feel the material? It is very high quality and soft!

Balqis: I am curious how much do you spend on this thing?

Amira: I spent around 3 thousand ringgits.

Balqis: it is so wasteful! May I know why you spend so much things?

Amira: I love luxury! I will look cool and vogue if I wear branded stuff. People will look at me as a rich
people.

Balqis: *gasp* Where did you got those money?

Amira: I will eat less and only eat once a day. I spend only RM 5 for a day or I just buy some water.

Balqis: Do you use credit card when you shopping?

Amira: Yes, sometimes I use my credit card and sometimes I also borrow my friend’s money.

Balqis: OMG, you can’t do that. You need to spend your money wisely.

Amira: But…I don’t know how to save money. You know what, my passion for shopping is very high.

Balqis: What things that bring you to spend so much money?

Amira: I really like when there is a discount or sales. Other than that, I also love when it comes to
new limited-edition items. For example, Prada always release new edition of their handbag every
month. So it makes the feeling to shop even more inflated.

Balqis: Amira, that habits is not good for you. You need to save money for your future needs.

Amira: If you don’t mind can you give me some tips on how to save money?
Balqis: Of course! Firstly, you need to arrange your budget. Budget planner also can help you adjust
your spending to stay on budget. Second, don’t spend money unnecessarily. Check the labels; in
most cases, the ingredients are pretty much identical, but you don’t have to spend money on the big
brand names. And last but not least, build your emergency fund. BUT REMEMBER, you only can use
your emergency fund to pay for unpredictable situation.

Amira: aaaaa I see. I understand the tips that you give and I will practice it in my daily life. Hmm…… I
want to ask you what is the effect if we waste money continuously?

Balqis: I have seen on social media that related to financial problems occur in our country. Financial
problems adversely impact our mental health.  

Amira: How can financial problems impact our mental health?

Balqis: For sure, the stress of debt or other financial issues leaves you feeling depressed or anxious.
The decline in your mental health makes it harder to manage money. I bet you won’t be surprised if I
tell you that one of the most common financial problems for university students is not having a
budget. Without the help of a basic budget, students may have a hard time keeping their money in
good order.

Amira: *shocked* Ohhh no……….

Balqis: You still have time to change yourself. You need to start from now before you regret it, just
like a proverb “better be safe than sorry”.

Amira: I agree with you Balqis. Thanks for your tips and advice. So, let’s eat together!

Balqis: After this, we go back to home and start our budget planner together.

Amira: That sounds great, let’s do this!