Wednesday, January 6, 2010

It Doesn't Look Good!

By now most of you know that I'm a person who bitches quite a bit :D Yes, anything that pisses me off will earn due recognition here. But this year, I'm trying not to be such a grouch. I'm trying not to let things piss me off. I'm trying to find happier things to post about but ... yes with me there is always a but :D

Judging from the first six days of the year, it sure doesn't seem like I'm going to stop bitching this year. As my good buddy Adrian mentioned to me in one of his comments,

'Hi Bud!! Doing my rounds for the New Year! Just got back to work today and the early signs are not good for this year too! Thought the new year would bring a new beginning but alas it doesn't look like it'll be happening soon!! Well I hope your year is much better! Cheers bud and lets meet up soon ok! :)'

And he's absolutely right! The year ahead doesn't look very promising. I don't even know where to start with my complains for the year ... LOL! The month of January alone is going to be a strain on me financially. The boys started their new school year and buying their stuff alone is going to burn a hole in my pocket. Actually it already has burnt a huge hole in my pockets.

Last week, both wifey and me bought the school books for one of the boys and it cost us a whopping RM250.00 and even then there are still one or two more books to buy. That doesn't include the older boy and all their school fees, etc, etc.

This year we recycled quite a bit of last years stuff like their bags and uniforms and it's still costing a bomb. Just sending two boys to school is so stressful that I wonder how those people with 5 or 6 kids manage it. Either they're millionaires or they know some secrets I don't!

I haven't even included the cost of their co-curriculum activities after school. Last year, the younger boy joined a uniformed organization in his school and has been pestering us since then to get his uniform for his after school activities and this year, we just have to get it for him. This doesn't include all the extra pocket money we have to give them. The older boy has already 'demanded' an increase in allowance cos his school's canteen has increased all their food prices!

Then there is their Sunday school which starts again next week. There's a whole bunch of fees to be paid over there too and it's not cheap mind you. What happened to the days when you didn't have to pay anything for Sunday school? In my time I don't remember having to pay anything.

Now, going to Sunday school means having to buy books and stuff. Would you believe there is even a parents-teacher report card collecting session every school term? It's like sending them to a second school altogether. I won't be surprise one day they start to insist on uniforms for Sunday school!

Couple this with the increase in the price of sugar that is bound (and has already) caused a domino effect of price increases for all things with sugar in it. This is definitely going to increase our weekly grocery shopping bill by quite a bit.

I'm not really complaining about the increase in the price of sugar per se. I think it's a good thing cos people take too much sugar these days. I for one take very little sugar in my diet but what I'm pissed off about is the amount of increase in sugar related products is the same or higher than the increase of the sugar price.

Take Gardenia bread for instance. The price of sugar increased by 20 sen a kilo and Gardenia, which my family consumes faster than you can spell Gardenia, has increased their price by 30 sen! I mean, just how much sugar do they use in one loaf of bread to justify a 30 sen increase? 10 sen, I can understand, maybe even 15 sen, but 30 sen? There goes my days of supporting Gardenia. I'm going to look for other bread alternatives and I'm sure there are quite a few out there.

Come on la you people at Gardenia, I'm sure you weren't losing out much at the old price of bread and if you wanted to increase, by all means do it but not by that much. We eat a loaf or two everyday and you can imagine how much more it's going to cost us now.

And the worst part is, the moment they were off the price controlled list, their prices went up immediately and I mean like instantly. I'm sure they knew about the increase for quite a while and was just waiting for the green light. Crooks, that's what you people are! Maybe I should start baking my own bread.

I'm really bracing myself for a lot more products to start increasing their prices. I'm sure Gardenia isn't the only one that's going to make everyone pay a lot more for their necessities. I'll bet everything including the price of modern sofas will sky rocket that one fine day real soon I'm going to need a bank loan just to buy a loaf of bread. You mark my words! The only thing I am absolutely sure that will not increase is my salary!

With that said and done, does this mean that the government would now start to reduce the price of sugar free products? Hahahahahahahahahahahaha ... yeah, I'm dreaming, I know. It's probably easier brokering for world peace than getting these unscrupulous traders to reduce prices!

Ok, so I've got my first bitching session of the year done, I feel so much better now ... LOL! Some things really don't change much :D
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38 comments:

  1. There goes my plan of having a 11 children to take on the Malaysian national team!

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  2. tats a looooooooooooooooong post.. hahhahahaha...

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  3. I just got engaged. Soon I'll be getting married. Next, I'll have kids. OMG, that means MONEY!!!!!!!!

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  4. I always wonder how my parents cope with 7 children. I only have one, and man... that one boy also needs so much money one! LOL

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  5. Start a Malaysia wide boycott on Gardenia bread?? We'll post it on our blogs, etc, spread the word. One week of no bread won't hurt anyone, aight?

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  6. I seems everyone is feeling the credit crunch..one little suggestion - instead of increasing your son's allowance for canteen can't you maybe prepare him a good wholesome lunch for him to take to school? It will surely cut down a little from this daily expense. And he'll be having healthy food rather than the rubbish that some canteens dish out to people.

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  7. Haha! I'm so not getting married and having children! At least I can use all the money for my travels and holidays instead of spending on children! LOL!

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  8. Sugar price increased 20 sen per kg, I hope kopitiams don't start increasing the price of their drinks by 20sen a glass!

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  9. I thought the bread price increase has nothing to do with sugar? It's cos white bread is no longer a price controlled item. So Gardenia already started to increase their prices! Well, make your own bread now!

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  10. I expect all bread shops and cake shops and any shops that use bread and sugar in their food will start to increase prices soon : (

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  11. Maybe should avoid bread and any sugary food from now on! But it'll be tough, real tough!

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  12. Hi Bud! Wah I feel so honored to have my comment up in lights LOL Yeah soon everything will go up in price again...little by little...the domino effect...

    Boy that's a lot of bread you guys consume in a day...I think its time to change to a different brand and punish those that raise prices...all other brands retained the old prices I believe.

    Cheers bud!

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  13. LOL..I can imagine in a some years from now when I have kids..school fees, books, etc. would be triple the amount now!

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  14. sighhhhh.... I feel like living in the jungle!

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  15. Gallivanter - Hahaha ... urmmm maybe you can try sepak takraw? Don't need so many kids, only three I think ... LOL!

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  16. Cindy - LOL! Don't let me scare you off having kids. It's not as bad as I make it out to look :D

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  17. Lina - Ya, it amazes me how people with more than two kids manage it. Like I said, it must be some secret I don't know la ... LOL!

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  18. Terra - Hey, I'm with you on this one. I've already started buying a different brand of bread :D

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  19. Zen - they used to take packed lunch to school when they were younger, now they want to buy their own lunch and refuse to take packed lunches to school ... LOL!

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  20. Foong - LOL! Don't la let me frighten you off having kids ... It's not as bad as I make it out to be :D

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  21. Foong - Oh, trust me, they will increase the price in those kopitiams sooner or later!

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  22. Foong - Yup, it's off the control item list but I think they'll still use sugar as an excuse.

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  23. Foong - I think they already have increased though I can't be too sure cos I've given up buying cakes and pastries ... LOL!

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  24. Foong - Yup, we should all cut down on sugar. It's kinda unhealthy too. Good thing I don't take much sugar in my stuff :D

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  25. Adrian - Your comment hit it right on the spot :D

    We do consume a lot of bread here that's why I'm complaining ... LOL!

    I've already changed my bread brand, no more Gardenia for me!

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  26. Sriyany - LOL! Thank god my kids would be grown up by then and would at least be working and I can stay home and blog all day ... LOL!

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  27. Nessa - Say, that's not a bad idea you know? Got broadband in the jungle kah? LOL!

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  28. Wow Nick! You sure bitch better than a woman. Anyway, I really look forward to getting a citizenship in your kingdom. I bet no need for such grouses, right?

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  29. Yeah, start with schools, then sugar price increase and now fuel too!! Er, what a year it is going to be.....

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  30. LOL. they say leapord never changes its spots? :p

    but it is true that its getting harder and harder to raise a family these days. now you are already having difficulties, can u imagine when it is my turn? gosh, i think i should just give them home-education!

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  31. Wenny - I sure do :D All citizens in my kingdom will lounge around all day, so no need to bitch too much ... LOL!

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  32. Rose - No, it most definitely doen not look like a good year ahead.

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  33. Xin - Hahaha ... yup, a leopard doesn't change its spots!

    It is, I'm already pulling out what little hair I have left just to make ends meet and now with more increase of prices for a lot of stuff, I probably won't have any hair left!

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  34. Yeah, things are REALLY tight for everyone these days. Its tough out there!

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  35. Meleah - It is Meleah, it is and it's getting tougher by the day!

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  36. Nick- true..even my RCIA class pun like that..i even have to pay rm10 for a simple small journal book. and then on top of that i have to do donation..bukan murah diorang minta.. the recent Myanmar refugee christmas thingy pun they asked me to Donate rm40... macam i also feel like telling them..can derma to me also ka? My upcoming retreat..i need to pay rm150!!!

    Belum masuk lagi the morning canteen we did last year..i think i ended up paying rm20... aiyo!

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  37. Emelda - Lucky yours was RM10, my son had to pay RM15 or something like that for his Sunday School book.

    And speaking about donations and all that, they shouldn't 'force' people to donate. After all, that's why it's called a donation, kan?

    Last year when I paid the Sunday School fees, they didn't have small change to return to me and made me 'donate' my OWN change instead! Bikin Panas!

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