Lowyat.NET: Latest topics by MaggiItik

Renting by room: utilities included in the rent?

MaggiItik — Fri, 30 Oct 2026 14:05:35 +0800

For landlords who rent out rooms, and tenants in shared units: how do you handle the bills?

1. Do you include utilities in the room rent (with a cap?), or split the actual bill every month?
2. If you split, is it equal per room, or does anyone do it by usage, e.g. a separate meter or a fixed top-up for rooms with aircond?
3. Who has the TNB and internet accounts in their name, and what happens when that person moves out?

I wanted to hear some experiences on what are some solutions available and what caused arguments.

How did you start investing?

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 07:30:00 +0800

Household Bill Splitting

MaggiItik — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 23:11:38 +0800

Hi all,

When I was renting in Shah Alam a while back, I was the one handling the house bills. Every month I'd post the breakdown in our WhatsApp group, and every month a few housemates would say they hadn't got their salary yet, even though the bill was due the next day.

So I paid upfront with my own money to avoid late charges, then spent the following weeks chasing them for it. It honestly felt like begging for my own money, and it made things awkward in the house.

For those who manage bills in a shared house in Malaysia:
1. Do you pay upfront when someone is short, or let the bill go late?
2. How do you make sure they actually pay you back? A fixed pay date, a house float, setting the due date after payday?
3. Has any system stopped the chasing for good?

Would love to hear what's worked for you.

How did you start investing?

MaggiItik — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:57:06 +0800

Hello all,

I just graduated from my college, and I want to start investing once I have a steady income. I've been reading around, but the options are a bit overwhelming, so I'd like to hear how people here actually started.

My situation (roughly):
- Planning to start with about RM500 a month
- Goal: I am planning to invest for my long term wealth
- Emergency fund: around RM300

What I've looked at so far:
- EPF voluntary contributions
- ASNB funds
- Robo-advisors
- Buying stocks directly through a Bursa broker

Questions:
1. What did you start with, and why?
2. Did you build an emergency fund first, or start investing from day one?
3. Any beginner mistakes you'd warn me about?
4. Any books, websites or older threads here that actually helped you?

I know there are older threads on this, so links to the good ones are welcome too. Thanks!