Still Covid-19 in 2021, Terminated

I got a job at Don Don Donki in April. The contract ends in June. Due to the rise of Covid cases, starting to strike schools, they don't require crowd control in stores anymore then my contract got terminated early in May. The work environment was perfect despite the fact I had to stand for hours, literally. I get to buy some groceries, I get to ask the kids what they want from a store, and I get to finally buy Pokemon Shield. Although the salary I earned was about $300 every 2 weeks, I feel happy. Happy that I don't need to worry so much about what to eat or what to cook. I see some cash in my wallet for the kids and myself, I mean.. where else would I get money from right?

So on my birthday this year, the kids woke up late for school. I was late to work. I brought them along with me to work. They spend the day running around the mall and coming back to the entrance of my store. After work, we walked around the mall and entered many stores. Then I decided to make window shopping physical. We entered stores, pick out clothes, try them on in the fitting rooms, look at the toys and fiddled a little bit, and then return them where it was as we exit the stores. I didn't have the money to spare for 'shopping' that day, so I just observed what the kids really liked.

A few days after, my salary was credited to my bank. On that day, I went to buy the things the kids wanted during the window shopping day, a shirt for my husband and a dress for myself and paid the only bill I can afford. Got home and gave the kids, they were surprised. That moment was great for us. It wasn't an expensive gadget or a restaurant, just something they want.

A few days later, my manager said it is my last day working there. Then I received my last salary ever :( Stayed home with the kids as the school switched to HBL. The following weekend, I brought the kids to Lot 1 allowing them to withdraw $20 each from their banks to buy what they need or want from there.

A funny story, they lost their wallets and so they need new ones. We entered Smiggle, they looked around and see all the cutest and yummy stationaries there. Then they have wallets! We took some time to decide on the design and price. We head to the cashier to make payment and head out of the store.

• Fina's wallet costs: $8 (if I'm not mistaken)
• Qasya's wallet costs: $19.95 (solid) 😆

Qasya was left with 5 cents! Then, we head to the Popular bookstore to use some of the vouchers we'd received before. Qasya went to see his comics section, and Fina went to see her pink fairy series storybooks and pony. I head over to the investment books, as I'm starting to learn and understand more about how to start in investments. Could be in crypto, stocks or forex. After picking the right books, we head to the cashier and our total was about $70, I think it was a great budget. With the balance of money I had, I order 6 packs of cat litter, at least that would last for a while as I look for a new job. I applied for a course; Intelligent Investing in the Era of Disruption? Not sure if that's the right course to start with, but I'll just try!!

Surviving FT Working Stay At Home Mum

Yes, transiting to a full-time stay at home mum. Not that I wasn't a stay at home mum back then, I was. I'd spend money on things like Grab (food or transportation), buying ingredients for my small beverage business and other sort of every day essentials at home. When I juggle being a stay at home mum, spending money and saving money I realized at some point, I became worried.

Since I would be staying home and doing the mother/wife duties. I might as well go for 'drop-ship'. I started to search on online engines about available drop-shipping vacancies and join a team. That particular team was focusing on beauty products, then I decided to join 2-3 other teams. By then, I become a reseller of foods, beauty products, halal supplements and Islamic learning tools.

I may not have 100 sales per day, I may not earn 50% of commission after a sale, I may not profit $1000 a month and that's all okay. I aim to provide these customers an ease, a satisfaction most importantly, leave them a great impression and expression during their sales with me.

Staying home & earn commissions sounds great to you, but also it requires sacrifices. In fact, all work requires any kind of scarification, be it your time, your money, your efforts even your phone battery(in my case). Occasionally, we're required to 'spam' posts and add more 'friends' so that people are aware of what we're selling and from there you need to hook viewers' attention during the time spent scrolling on their phones.

Tip #1: I sacrificed some subscription to automatically posts today, tomorrow and into the future. Which saves me some time in case I may be attending family-related events, who knows right?

Then I take some time to adjusts the comments section, make it more "me" than to just copy-pasting raw material. After I've earned some profit or have extra cash flow with me, I began to buy the products myself. I tried them on personally and give my own thoughts, and from there I get my own ideas to draw people to the product that I'm actually using.

Tip #2: I'd be honest in my posts, and tell my friends and family that I legitimately, bought and tried the product for myself.

At the same time, that leveled up my confidence to a step higher, because I learned and understood the product even more and in time, it felt like I'm selling 'my' own product. Build a bond with what you're selling.

We're all not perfect, I'm not perfect, I have my great days and lazy days, busy days and special days. With all these days, the leaders of the teams will keep pushing you to promote despite you busy days! Posting and promoting about 100 products can consume the time equivalent to a whole 2 days! Once, I didn't sleep during those days, was so engrossed and focused on making the accounts neat and tidy for the visitors to see. But what's done is done.

Tip #3: Make a schedule and reminder. Doesn't need to be a physical one, try to remind yourself. Post a few in the morning, post another in the mid day and another in the night and the rest of the day is a breeze. Set a schedule of what you have to do at home. Let yourself be the boss of you, not the virtual selling.

Make time to cook, attend to the children, do the house chores, most importantly not to forget your meals, don't need to be a big meal, a meal just so you don't starve yourself from being a busy bee. Also, make time to take short naps, to refresh you mind and eyes.

Tip #4: Family matters, the golden rule above all, family matters.

From these hustle, I was able to enroll Basic Food & Hygiene Course, to benefit my sole beverage business. Which from what I remembered, I do have some customers from the opposite side of Singapore from where I am, and I'm planning to expand my area of business, keen to join me? Find me! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖 

e-Raya during the circuit breaker 2020

Here’s a video update on this year’s raya. We are all encouraged to stay home, especially during the Hari Raya. There were no visits to families’ and relatives’ houses. Sadly, it was quite a short and brief raya for the first day. We arranged a video chat first using Zoom, then it was kinda complicated then we switched back to the normal Whatsapp video call just in groups. Haha! It was unsynchronised, first we had the video chat with my husband’s side, and while we were at it, my family decided to call up too! And then our garage friends, and the kids... they just sat down on the sofa, watching the tv, not engaging much with the e-raya. Then, our phone cameras are up, polaroid is out, nikon camera is on and we take our usual family pictures but this time, with our cats and friends who had been staying with us during the circuit breaker and lockdown.

The foods.. let’s not forget to talk about food on Hari Raya. Usually every other year I would stay up in the morning and cook all the rendang, kurma dish, masak merah and lontong. Just not this year. Even our kueh, baked some honey cornflakes as usual and tried baking nutella pods, but it all got wiped out even before raya. 

Here’s an animation of mum dad and a whole lot of monsters. Hahaha 😂

Counting the days..

Tonight's henna party reminds me that she's left with a few days until she'd become a Mrs. A day which we will celebrate to a new family member, a new family branch and to future areas of discussions. When everyone used to live under one roof, we witness their well being, if they'd eaten, went out, up all night with their computers, went to school, not home, had a fight, birthday gatherings, eating on the floor with newspapers altogether. Now, we will start to ask 'how are you?', 'where are you from?', 'what do you do every other day?'.

I still remember how we will always be in the toilet together, walk to the shop together, sleep together, steal together? iron our hair together, literally using an iron, how we used to pretend we were sleeping with our favourite wrestling stars but it was just our bolster, our skip-school days and head to Marsiling CC for karaoke, the times where we sneak out to loiter around the house at night and sssssloooowlyyyy minding every step we make just so our parents or brothers can't hear us, our moments swimming in the small bathroom by covering the drain hole with a towel.

Looking forward to your wedding, beloved sister 💖 Don't worry about anyone else, only think about what makes you happy first.

Qasya's first collage with MS Word

Qasya reached home and showed me a worksheet he'd received in school. He's going to present a 'show and tell' in class next week. Tokpik: Diri Saya.

Since I'm planning to print something tomorrow, I might as well help to complete his homework early. So I decided to use this opportunity and guide him to create a collage for his school work.

ps: Sorry that we didn't think about doing it like this back then Fina (^-^")

Feline Gifs