Day 3-4: Weekend Chaos – A Budget, a Mall, and the Power of Compromise

Bismillah.

Ah, weekends. The time to unwind, catch up on everything I didn’t do during the week, and… somehow end up at the mall, fighting for parking spaces like it’s the Hunger Games. We had a grand plan, though. I’d mapped out the budget for the weekend—yes, mapped out. I was going to keep everything under control, have a bit of family fun, and not leave the mall with half the store’s stock in our hands.

Spoiler alert: that did not happen.

We started off strong. I gave Wafi and Amy a quick lecture on “budget-conscious shopping.” It’s simple: make a list, stick to the list, and no impulse buys. They nodded like they understood, their eyes wide with that perfect mix of innocence and hope. We walked into the first store, and within five minutes, Amy had picked up a pair of neon green socks that I’m fairly certain she didn’t need. But hey, they were “on sale.” It’s like they have a sixth sense for sales.

Wafi was already on his phone, checking the latest tech gadgets. I knew what was coming. “Dad, look at this drone!” he said, all wide-eyed like it was the most reasonable request in the world. I gave him the speech I’ve given a hundred times. “Not today, son. We have a budget.” He blinked at me like I’d just told him I was secretly a superhero.

Somehow, in the middle of the chaos, I found myself walking out of a tech store with… a portable speaker. A speaker. I didn’t need a speaker. I don’t even know how it happened. One minute I was saying “No” to Wafi’s drone dreams, and the next thing I know, I’m carrying a speaker I won’t use because, apparently, it was on sale too. That’s the magic of the mall: it takes no prisoners.

We stopped at a cafe to take a breather. I looked around, watching my kids argue over which snack to order. The chaos of it all, the endless demands and negotiations, reminded me of… well, work. At Telekom Malaysia, I’m part of all these meetings about “synergy” and “streamlining processes,” but at home, I’m the one navigating the synergy of my kids fighting over cookies and making deals like they’re on Wall Street.

I mean, let’s be honest, if you can manage to negotiate a deal with a 10-year-old about a chocolate chip cookie versus a peanut butter one, you can probably handle anything, right?

By the time we got home, I had given up on the “budget” and accepted that the weekend was more about compromise than financial prudence. The kids were happy, and I had a new speaker to add to the collection of unnecessary gadgets I’ve accumulated over the years.

But you know what? I wouldn’t trade it. As much as I joke about the financial chaos and the “mall madness,” these moments with my kids—annoying, chaotic, and unpredictable—are the stuff that makes life worthwhile. Sure, I may have spent a bit more than I planned, but the laughs, the small arguments, and even the negotiating felt like part of the bigger picture.

Tomorrow, I’ll tackle the real budget. For today, I’m just going to focus on the fact that I got through this weekend without losing my mind (well, not completely). And yes, I’ll have to make a few adjustments to next month’s financial forecast. But that’s okay. There’s always room for a little flexibility in the budget, especially when it involves family.

Alhamdulillah.