The Rush to be Financially Stable

In case you missed Part 4, read here.

For preface, these aren’t career advice articles…

It’s an article series about what it feels like to be at the starting line. 

Not to provide answers, but to help make sense of the experience - the learning curve. 

Everyone wants to succeed in their career. The faster the better.

But the truth is, it’s okay to not have everything figured out.

Recognise that you aren’t alone, and that your experiences are valid. 

This isn’t a game of speed or comparison, it's a game of endurance and patience.

You start your career thinking a job will solve everything. That once you’re earning, things will stabilize and you’ll finally have control. But very quickly, reality sets in.

There are responsibilities waiting. Debts to think about, parents to give back to, student loans, car payments, unexpected expenses. 

And suddenly, your income doesn’t feel like progress anymore. It feels like survival.

——— ✦ ———

A lot of people don’t talk about this.

As fresh graduates or those early in our careers, we’re expected to be grateful just to have a job. On paper, we’re earning, building experience, starting out. But in reality, many are barely making enough to support themselves.

Some are fortunate to have families to rely on. Others don’t have that option and are figuring it out alone, trying to make ends meet every single month.

——— ✦ ———

In 2026, the minimum wage in Malaysia sits around RM1,700 per month. But when you factor in rent, transport, food, commitments, and unexpected costs, it doesn’t stretch very far.

So the question becomes: What are we actually working towards?

——— ✦ ———

Because it doesn’t feel like there’s time.

There’s this unspoken pressure to become financially stable as soon as possible. To earn more, save more, build faster. Almost like there’s a clock ticking in the background. So we work. We take on extra hours. We pick up second jobs. We stretch ourselves further than we planned to.

And slowly, it becomes a cycle. Not because we want to overwork, but because it feels like we don’t have a choice. 

At some point, the monthly paycheck stops feeling like a reward. It becomes a necessity.

——— ✦ ———

I won’t pretend my situation is the same as everyone else’s. I’ve been fortunate.

My parents had been saving for a long time, which meant I didn’t have to carry certain financial burdens. I didn’t take on student loans. I had support at home. Food was provided, bills were handled, and I was given time to find my footing.

And I’m grateful for that.

——— ✦ ———

But that didn’t mean there wasn’t pressure.

Looking back, I didn’t always make the best decisions. I chose an expensive university and an expensive degree that I’m not even using today. At the time, my parents told me not to worry about the financial side, but I knew. And that stayed with me.

That became my motivation. To earn faster. To do more. To make up for it. Even now, with a stable corporate role, I take on a second job to increase my income and build my savings. It’s tiring, but it feels necessary.

Because I want to be ready—for myself, for my family, for anything unexpected.

——— ✦ ———

My parents worked hard so that my sister and I wouldn’t have to struggle the same way they did, so that we could focus on building something for ourselves. And I don’t take that lightly. But not everyone starts from the same place. 

And when you recognise that, it changes how you see everything.

——— ✦ ———

In Malaysia, we even categorise ourselves by income: B40, M40, T20. We don’t just earn money. We’re defined by it.

So when you see people job hopping, chasing higher salaries, or jumping into entrepreneurship, it’s easy to judge their decisions. But we don’t always know the full story.

Sometimes, they’re not chasing success. They’re chasing stability.

——— ✦ ———

And with the cost of living rising, the pressure only grows. It makes you wonder:

How long do we have before we’re “supposed” to figure it out?

There’s a reason this feels so urgent. It’s not just about money. It’s about security.

At the most basic level, we all need to feel safe—to know that we can support ourselves, and that we won’t fall apart if something goes wrong. Before we can think about growth, passion, or purpose, we’re trying to build that foundation first.

——— ✦ ———

This is what Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains.

Before we can reach higher levels like achievement or self-fulfilment, we need our basic and safety needs met first. And for many of us, financial stability sits right there at the base. So maybe the rush isn’t about getting rich. Maybe it’s about trying to feel secure.

To feel like we’re not one setback away from everything falling apart.

——— ✦ ———

Because right now, for many of us, we’re not just building careers. We’re trying to build stability in a system that doesn’t always make it easy.