Balkoni Hijau blog is a personal finance blog balancing between frugal and enjoyable living.
Sometimes, the word ‘frugal’ might get a bad rap. It’s is not about being calculative in everything you do. There’s no joy in a life like that, and that’s not what this blog is about.
- If you like going out to eat at fancy restaurants, then allocate a budget for it.
- If you like to invest in stocks, allocate a budget for it.
- If you fancy a nice car, set a goal and budget for it.
- If you paid much money at a restaurant and was disappointed, learn to cook it yourself.
The topics that this blog covers:
- Personal finance
- DIY projects to save money
- Cheap meal-prep recipes
- Millennial hustles to exit the 9 to 5
- Cheap or free things to do
Here are some of my most viewed articles:
- [Revealed]: The True Cost of Car Ownership in Malaysia.
- [True Owner Cost]: Under-Con Property Investing Journey in Malaysia.
- Realistic Monthly Grocery Budget for a Malaysian Millennial in 2020.
Why the ‘Balkoni Hijau’ Name?
In 2014, I started an Airbnb Vacation Rental business in Kuala Lumpur and named the business; ‘Balkoni Hijau’.
‘Balkoni Hijau‘ is the Malay word for Green Balcony. That was my brand and unique selling point (USP) to stand out in a crowded Vacation Rental market.
How did I get into the whole Airbnb business in the first place?
In 2014, I was laid off from my comfy engineering job in Singapore and had to return to KL. I needed a way to pay my mortgages & that is how I founded the Airbnb business, and grew it from 1 to 10 apartment units.
This website was originally a blog of what to do in Kuala Lumpur to promote direct bookings of my apartments.
Balkoni Hijau KL Vacation Rental 2014 – 2019 Memory Lane:
These are selfie pictures of my guests from all over the world from 2014 till 2019:
UK 
Johor Baru 
Kenya 
Greece 
USA 
Netherlands 
Yemen & Japan 
USA 
Paris 
Denmark
Here are some awards that I’ve achieved as a top performing host & property in Bukit Bintang:
Airbnb Superhost 
2018 Booking.com Heroes of Hospitality
Unfortunately, in 2020, with the dwindling worldwide economy, intense competition, razor-thin margins, and the Corona Virus being the final nail in the coffin, I decided to pull the plug on the Airbnb venture after 5 years in the business.
In 2020, as like everyone else’s life scrambled by the Covid-19 pandemic, I repurposed this website into a personal finance blog.
Work With Me
I am now a full time writer & marketer in Kuala Lumpur.
For any inquiries about collaborating or hiring my writing services, please click on the button below to visit my ‘Work With Me’ page:
