By The TOKL team

We’ve scoured high and low, far and wide for the best tips, tricks and deals to help you roll through the recession. Over 30 free things to do, more than 50 ways to save and ten top money-making ideas. Now get out there and beat the crunch

32 Ladies liquor
Too skint to get sloshed? Lucky ladies can always check out the mid-week specials for the fairer sex. The Loft KL (www.asianheritagerow.com) offers pampering pleasure for women every last Wednesday of the month; Centro has free ladies’ night drinks all night long on Thursdays and Zouk offers not one, but two ladies’ nights on Tuesday and Sunday, where ladies get five free drinks each.

33 Read newspapers online
Online newspapers carry the gist of the information you need. Who needs quotations?

34 Crash a wedding
Indian and Malay weddings are huge but very casual. Guests come and go whenever they like. So this means you can just walk in and help yourself to the buffet – no one will bat an eye. The bride will think that you’re the groom’s extended relative and vice versa. Definitely works in your favour. Just don’t mention that you got the idea from us.

35 Dial-a-spa
Want to be your office hero? Visit any Origins counter (www.originsmalaysia.com) and invite them to your office. You’ll need at least 30 people and each will receive the Peace-of-Mind mini spa treat of head, shoulder and hand massages. There’s no purchase required but you need to let them sell some products at your office while they’re there. It’s the perfect win-win situation.

36 Easy PC
Make your PC last longer and run faster with a simple anti-virus program and spyware scanner. Try running AVG’s free Anti-Virus software (free.avg.com).

37 Sepang dreaming
You don’t need to wait until next year’s F1, or travel to Sepang, to get your motorsports fix. KL’s kart circuits showcase the best young driving talent and races are usually free to watch. Check www.kartingasia.com for the latest events.


38 A winner for women
Ladies get half-price off on food and drinks at Gloria Jean’s Coffee (03 2162 0634/www.gloriajeans.com) on Ladies’ Tuesdays. Sorry guys – but if it’s any consolation, you can enjoy the free WiFi.

39 House swap holidays
Swap your home for a week, fortnight or even longer via home swap websites such as 1st Home Exchange (www.1sthomeexchange.com). Enter your preferred destination, find a house that suits and enjoy free accommodation abroad.

40 Four-wheeled discounts
Both Proton (www.proton.com) and Perodua (www.perodua.com.my) are now offering exchange schemes that let consumers with a car ten years old or more trade in their vehicle for RM5,000 off a new model.

41 Play hard to get
Joining a gym requires more bartering than the average Chinatown shop. Never settle for upfront offers. Instead, shop around, don’t look or sound too eager to join and always name drop nearby competitors.

42 Skill swap
Make use of your skills, not money, to get what you need. A particularly good carpenter? Trade your woodwork hours for printing services, marketing, or new tools. There’s no money involved and websites (www.barterxchange.com) can help you connect with the people that you need and the people that need you.

43 Tighten the belt
Make the most of the recession and lose some weight at the same time. Less weight equals less food, and less food equals less money spent in the supermarket. Combined with our top gym-beating tips, you’ll be ripped in no time.

44 Eat in
Save on lunch by taking something cheap, healthy and homemade into the office. It’ll also get you up earlier in the morning to make your meal masterpiece, boosting productivity in early office hours. Try www.lunchinabox.net for some great recipes.

45 Park and walk
Can you save money by parking just a five minute walk away from the office, restaurant or bar? If so, then do. Car parks slightly further away are also normally quieter.

46 Doughnuts come free
Get a cup of coffee at Big Apple Donuts and Coffee (www.bigappledonuts.com) from only RM4.50, and you’ll get a free doughnut.

47 Skip the reload fee
We don’t understand why we have to be charged RM0.50 every time we reload our Touch ‘n Go card. Do without this nonsense by reloading at any Putra or Star LRT station.

48 Get a new credit card
Seriously. Get a new credit card, transfer your outstanding balance from your existing ones and save. HSBC’s (www.hsbc.com.my) credit transfer scheme lets you save up to RM400. AmBank (www.ambg.com.my) does one better – you get a free LCD TV or mobile phone on top of the low 8.99 per cent interest rate.

49 Avoid the malls
Every month there are bound to be warehouse sales some where – designer labels, cameras, furniture and even household products – offering discounts of up to 90 per cent. To keep track of where and when, check out pasim.wordpress.com.

50 Get high for less
Delicious at Dua Residency has a lovely lounge area with cocktails such as RM13 margaritas. Using premium alcohol and not the home-brewed ‘paint thinners’, this is arguably the cheapest in town. Oh, there’s live jazz music too.

51 Ditch the ’Bean
If you can’t live without your ‘world class’ coffee, choose Starbucks over Coffee Bean. Starbucks has not increased its price, plus there’s a redemption scheme of either a free cup of coffee or Starbucks merchandise.

52 Less is just as cool
Want to cool off from the KL heat? Forget the expensive cafes and try the public pools instead: Chin Woo (RM4/03 2070 5025), Kompleks Renang Kuala Lumpur (Weekdays RM2, Weekends RM3/03 9131 6353), the National Aquatic Centre (Weekdays RM4, Weekends RM5/03 8994 1550), and Kompleks Sukan Bangsar (RM3/03 2284 6065).

53 Procrastinate and save
Buy your sushi at Isetan after 7pm. The items are then 50 per cent off. Or try Panadero (Centrepoint, Bandar Utama, PJ/03 7725 5460), a homey bakery in suburban PJ for similar offers.

54 Free flow coffee
Catch up with friends at Ikea. The coffee’s only RM2.90 with all the free refills you can drink. So stay as long as you like. Alternatively, The Pink Sage Diner and Pantry (03 2693 6000/ www.thepinksage.com) offers unlimited cups of coffee for only RM5. Both deals are good every day, all day.

55 Flat pack freebies
Sign up for the Ikea Friends credit card (03 7726 7777/www.ikea.com.my). Not only are fees waived for five years (hopefully in five years’ time the recession will be over), you also get free coffee/tea every time you’re in the store, plus further discounts on the restaurant’s already affordable meals.

56 Cheap reads
Join the National Library (www.pnm.gov.my) to keep up with your love of reading without breaking the bank. Membership fees are minimal.

57 .An eye on your spending
Google ‘budget worksheet’, write out a personal budget so you can see what you’re spending, and then buckle up and cut some luxuries.

58 Fly on a deal
If you are a student, an expat or work in the media or travel industry, sign up for Malaysia Airlines’ (www.malaysiaairlines.com) Grab-a-deal privilege and get last minute flights at a steal. We once discovered a one-way ticket to London for less than RM600. Seriously.

59 Exchange old for new
Collect used cosmetic containers from anyone you know, take them to the Origins store (03 2287 4662/www.originsmalaysia.com) at The Gardens and exchange them for skin or body care product samples for yourself. Save your pocket, save the world.

60 Wednesday movie marathon
Declare Wednesday a movie day. Watch everything on this day and pay just RM7 for each movie (or RM6 at any GSC outside KL city centre, or RM8 at GSC Pavilion KL).

61 Must-buy insurance
In times like these, many of us can’t afford hefty medical bills. Even though you probably need to put aside RM100 or so every month, get medical insurance. It will come in very, very handy at times when your life depends on it. And it’s tax deductible too.

62 Members have perks
As people are spending less, companies are even more eager to hold on to their existing customers. Under the Starwood Preferred Guest (www.starwoodpreferedguests.com) programme, members who stay two times at any of the group’s hotels (which include Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton and W) between now and July 31 can earn one free weekend night’s stay.

63 Go fly a kite
Hey, it’s a local tradition so you get some cultural traction out of finding a cheap wau (Central Market has some nice ones, 03 2031 7399/www.centralmarket.com.my) and taking it to a nice clear area for a breezy run. It’s silly and fun; two good parameters.

64 Careful calculations
Do you take the cheapest route every time you travel? Take time to work it out (www.rapidkl.com) before jumping straight into the car. Perhaps you can avoid a toll, perhaps the LRT is cheaper, or perhaps (if things are really desperate) you should be taking the bus.

65 Cut price hair cuts
Get your hair done and hopefully not massacred by being a hair guinea pig at Kimarie Academy (03 2148 0800/www.kimarie.com.my). They offer student washes and cuts from RM7, and colour from RM33. Thomas & Guy’s Salon & School (03 7874 8888) has the same service – wash and cut from RM8, and colour from RM50. In a hurry? Try a quick cut with Speedy Cut’s (017 392 5198) 15 minute jobs

66 One for now, one for later
Start an emergency fund. Put aside a reasonable chunk of money, add to it each month with as much as you can afford and use it only when the shit really hits the fan. Put the money where it’ll grow a little but you can still get at it quickly such as a high-interest savings account.

67 Save on the highway
Apply for a Plusmiles card (www.plusmiles.com.my) and you’ll enjoy a five per cent rebate when you spend more than RM200 on Plus and Elite highways. A Touch ’n Go card with benefits.

68 Sort your satellite
Most of us stick to a few basic favourites on Astro, the other few are just wasting your money. Cancel the extra packages and save your money.


Click here to go to part I or Click here to go to part III