‘Ringgit and Sense’ kicks off today with accounts on the Khamsan and Lim families’ grocery shopping. The two families started off by spending their RM800 sponsored by the ‘New Straits Times’ at Carrefour in Batu Pahat and Giant in Kelana Jaya respectively. SYED UMAR ARIFF and JENNIFER GOMEZ find out how they shopped

Khamsan family's grocery basket. (pdf)

BATU PAHAT: Salmah Abdullah adheres strictly to her monthly budget of RM300 for groceries and toiletries.

The 48-year-old housewife, however, does not compromise quality for price. How she does it is to spend only on "essential" items of known quality brands.

Salmah also pampers her husband Khamsan Omar, 48, who prefers Lingham's chilli sauce to other brands.

He said although its price was a tad higher than other brands, he still wanted to enjoy the finer things in life.

"The Lingham sauce is priced at RM3.40 to RM3.50, compared with less than RM2 for some brands.

"There will always be something you can't compromise on," he said while shopping at the Carrefour hypermarket here.

However, Khamsan is always on the lookout for the best price when shopping to ensure the family's budget is not shot to pieces.

"It would be good if we could buy things at a cheaper price. But, of course, the prices of grocery items are more or less the same at most hypermarkets or supermarkets."

Nevertheless, Salmah dutifully checks the price tags of items she needs, even the common ones like sugar and flour to ensure she does not overpay for something which could be five or 10 sen cheaper elsewhere.

As his family's sole breadwinner, the schoolteacher has to use his salary carefully to pay for his monthly car instalments and utilities.

His two children, Nur Ezaan, 21, and Muhd Emmer Ashraf, 16, are still studying.

Although Nur Ezaan is a university student sponsored by the Public Service Department, Khamsan still has to provide RM300 monthly for her living expenses, as the scholarship only pays for her hostel and tuition fees.

To cope with the recent fuel hike, Khamsan has had to spend less on travelling.

Download Planning Family Expenditure Guide Here  (PDF - 172kb)