A tiny buffer, a calmer brain, and fewer 2 a.m. panic spirals.
Most of my worst money anxiety doesn’t happen in the daytime.
It shows up at night.
The room is quiet, my phone is charging, and suddenly my brain is like:
“What if your phone breaks?”
“What if you lose your job?”
“What if someone in the family needs help right now?”
When I had almost no savings, these thoughts felt very loud.
One surprise bill, one medical issue, one broken device—and I was done.
I still don’t have a huge amount of money. I’m not rich.
But one thing has changed my sleep more than any candle, playlist, or journaling session:
👉 a small emergency fund.
Just a quiet buffer sitting there, waiting for “the bad day.”
It’s not perfect, but it’s enough to tell my brain:
“If something breaks, we have a plan.”
What I Actually Mean by “Emergency Fund”
When people hear “emergency fund,” they imagine some big number like 6–12 months of salary.
That’s great if you can reach it one day.
But I started with something much more realistic:
Goal: one week of essential living costs.
Rent/room, basic food, transport, and important bills.
I call it my Reset Fund (same one from the 7-Day Money Reset Challenge
It’s separate from:
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Normal savings (future dreams, travel, gadgets).
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Fun money (ice tea, roti canai, Shopee treats).
This fund is only for real emergencies, like:
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Phone dies and I need a basic replacement for work.
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Sudden trip home for family reasons.
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Unexpected medical cost.
Not “I’m bored, let’s order GrabFood again.” 😅
Before the Fund: How My Nights Used to Feel
Before I had any buffer, my nights looked like this:
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Checking my bank app way too often.
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Doing mental math: “If I pay this bill, I’ll have RMXX left… is that enough?”
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Saying no to plans even when I actually had money—because I felt unsafe.
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Feeling guilty every time I bought something nice, even a cheap drink.
It wasn’t just about numbers. It was about:
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Shame (“Why am I still like this?”)
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Fear (“What if something happens?”)
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Dependence (“If things go wrong, I have no backup except other people.”)
Even when I fell asleep, the stress waited for me the next morning.
The Moment I Decided to Build One
In my “Growing at My Own Pace” reflection, I wrote about how money used to feel like a wall—something that could decide whether I stayed stuck or moved freely.
At some point I realized:
I can’t control every emergency.
But I can control whether I have RM0 or RM a bit when it happens.
Around that time, I was also re-writing my relationship with money in “How to Save More Money Without Sacrificing Your Happiness”
I didn’t want savings to feel like punishment.
I wanted it to feel like protection.
So I made a small decision:
“Start with just one week of survival money. No drama. Just one week.”
That’s it. That was the seed.
How I Built the Fund (Tiny Step by Tiny Step)
I didn’t suddenly throw a big amount into the account.
I built it slowly, using the same ideas I shared in the Money Reset Challenge.
1. I chose a simple target
I calculated:
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Rent/room (divided by 4 for one week)
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Basic groceries (the cheap, filling meals I actually eat)
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Transport
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Any fixed bill I must pay that week
Let’s pretend the total is RM250.
That became my first emergency-fund goal.
Not RM10,000. Not 6 months.
Just RM250.
2. I gave the money a “home”
I opened a separate place for it:
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A second e-wallet / bank account, or
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An envelope with “Reset Fund” written in big letters.
Rule: don’t mix it with daily spending.
If my main account feels “empty” but the Reset Fund is full, that’s still a win.
3. I fed it with small, regular amounts
I didn’t wait for “extra” money (because let’s be honest—extra money rarely appears).
Instead I did things like:
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Every time I cut a leak (data plan, snack, delivery) → transfer the exact amount saved.
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On payday → send a tiny % (even 3–5%) straight into the fund.
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When I sold or decluttered something → the whole amount went in.
It was slow. Sometimes only RM10 or RM20 at a time.
But watching the number grow from RM0 → RM50 → RM100 started to feel addictive in a good way.
4. I treated it like glass: break only in case of real emergency
The hardest part?
Not touching it.
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No using it because I’m bored.
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No using it because of a sale.
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Only real, “oh no, I need this to stay stable” moments.
Every month it survived untouched, my brain got a little calmer.
The Quiet Ways My Anxiety Changed
Money didn’t magically fix everything.
But here’s what changed in my nervous system:
1. I stopped catastrophizing every small problem
Before:
“If my phone dies, I’m completely ruined.”
Now:
“If my phone dies, it’s annoying… but I have a backup plan.”
The problem didn’t disappear, but my reaction softened.
2. My sleep got deeper
I still think about the future, but it’s less like panic and more like planning.
Instead of replaying worst-case scenarios on repeat, I can tell myself:
“We already did something about this. We’re not helpless anymore.”
That single thought makes it easier to fall asleep.
3. Paydays became less emotional
Before fund:
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Payday = relief + “I need to spend before it disappears.”
With fund:
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Payday = “Nice, I can feed my Reset Fund a little more.”
I started to feel proud, not just relieved.
4. I became braver with life decisions
Knowing I had a small safety net helped me:
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Say no to things that didn’t feel right (even if they brought money).
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Be more honest about what I want long term.
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Take small risks in learning and work, because I wasn’t operating from absolute zero.
It’s still a tiny fund. But emotionally, it’s huge.
What These Small Financial Wins Did to My Mind
In my happiness-money article, I wrote:
“Every amount I save is a quiet promise to my future self.”
This is exactly what the emergency fund became:
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Proof that I can protect myself, even a little.
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Evidence that I can stick to a plan.
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Reminders that I’m no longer the person who has “nothing” for bad days.
It changed my identity from:
“I’m bad with money”
to:
“I’m learning to take care of myself, slowly but surely.”
And when your identity shifts, your habits follow.
How to Start Your Own Tiny Emergency Fund
If you want to feel this calm too, you don’t need to wait until you’re earning more.
You can start this week:
Step 1: Choose a small, realistic goal
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1 week of essentials is a good starting point.
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If that feels too much, try RM100 just to prove you can protect something.
Write it down:
“My emergency fund target: RM ____”
Step 2: Give it a separate home
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Second bank/e-wallet account, or
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Labeled envelope / tin at home.
Name it something that makes you smile, like “Reset Fund” or “Safety Net”.
Step 3: Decide your “rules”
For example:
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“Only for real emergencies: health, broken tools I need for work, urgent family issues.”
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“Not for cravings, boredom, or sales.”
Having rules makes it easier to say “no” later.
Step 4: Feed it with tiny but consistent amounts
Ideas:
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Every GrabFood you don’t order → send that amount to the fund.
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Each time you follow your weekly meal plan → reward the fund with RM5–RM10.
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Use the 7-Day Money Reset Challenge as a kickstart—especially Day 2 (plug one leak) and Day 3 (build a buffer).
Step 5: Celebrate non-use
Every month you don’t touch it, celebrate.
Not by spending it—but by writing down:
“This month, my emergency fund stayed safe. I’m protecting future-me.”
That’s a win.
Final Thoughts: A Different Kind of Pillow
These days, when I lie down at night, I still don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
Life is still uncertain. Emergencies still exist.
But now, I have:
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A small cushion between me and disaster,
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A simple system that keeps growing quietly,
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And a softer voice in my head that says:
“We’re not completely unprotected anymore. You did something about it.”
It’s not a luxury lifestyle.
It’s just a calmer one.
And for me, that’s worth every ringgit sitting quietly in that little fund.
Want to go deeper?
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Read how I balance saving and joy in
👉 How to Save More Money Without Sacrificing Your Happiness -
Try building your first buffer step by step with
👉 7-Day Money Reset Challenge: 20 Minutes a Day, Real Savings -
And if you ever feel “slow” compared to others, remember this:
👉 Growing at My Own Pace — A Personal Reflection
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