What participants say
Feedback from individuals and households who have completed Kintsugi's budgeting education programmes in Kuala Lumpur.
Back to HomeParticipant reviews
I did the workshop series after trying to budget on my own for years without really getting anywhere. The four sessions gave me a structure I had been missing — not just tips, but an actual method. The worksheet for categorising expenses was the most useful thing I have had in a long time. Three months later I am still using it.
My wife and I enrolled in the annual curriculum together. It has been useful — particularly the sessions on household money conversations, which were not something we had ever really approached as a topic. The quarterly check-in calls are genuinely helpful for staying on track. The first couple of months I found the pacing slightly slow, but it settles into a good rhythm.
The one-to-one coaching was exactly what I needed. I had tried apps and spreadsheets before but always abandoned them because I could not figure out where I was going wrong. Suraya was very clear, very patient. She did not tell me what to do — she helped me understand why my previous approaches had not stuck. Six sessions and I have a budget that I have maintained now for four months.
I was nervous about the group format — I did not want to feel judged about my finances. The sessions never felt that way. The workshop deals in general frameworks rather than personal numbers, which made it much easier to participate openly. I left with worksheets I actually understood and a method I could apply at home without needing to come back.
I joined the coaching after completing the workshop the year before. Nadia tailored the sessions to things I was still finding difficult — mainly the variable expense categories and savings buckets. Having someone to send questions to between sessions was something I used more than I expected. Worth doing if the workshop has already given you the basics but you want to go deeper on your own figures.
My household has been on the annual curriculum since the start of this year. What I appreciate most is how consistent it is — each month covers something concrete, the workbook gives you a place to keep everything together, and the quarterly calls actually check whether you are applying things correctly. It is one of the more structured things I have done for our household in years.
Participant journeys in detail
The situation
Wan Azizah had been earning a consistent salary for three years but felt her money was disappearing without clear reason. She had tried tracking apps twice but stopped using them after a few weeks. She joined the workshop series hoping for something more structured.
What she did
Completed the workshop series and then enrolled in the coaching package six months later. During coaching, she and her educator worked through her actual expense categories, identified three areas where her tracking had been too broad to be useful, and built a revised budget structure that better matched how she actually spends.
Where she is now
One year after the workshop, Wan Azizah has a working monthly budget she has maintained consistently. She describes knowing approximately where she stands by the 15th of each month — something she says she could not do before. She has also built a three-month buffer savings bucket, which was a goal from the coaching sessions.
"I do not think the workshop alone would have been enough for me — I needed the coaching to translate the method into my actual numbers. But the workshop gave me the framework to bring into those sessions, which made them much more productive."
The situation
Zulaikha and Yusof had been managing their finances separately for most of their marriage. Money disagreements were a regular source of stress. They joined the annual curriculum primarily because of the household money conversations component, which neither had found elsewhere.
What they did
Enrolled together in January. The first quarter was difficult — the sessions on categorisation surfaced spending patterns neither had acknowledged openly before. By the second quarter, they had built a shared household budget framework they were both willing to work within, and the check-in calls helped them stay consistent.
Where they are now
Currently in the third quarter of the curriculum. Both describe money conversations as less fraught — not because there is no disagreement, but because they now have a shared framework for having them. Household expenses are tracked in one place for the first time.
"The Q3 module on money conversations between family members was more useful than I expected. It is not therapy — it is practical. How do you talk about who is spending what, and what to do when priorities differ. That was what we needed."
The situation
As a freelancer with variable monthly income, Kavitha found standard budgeting approaches — built around a fixed salary — did not reflect her reality. She had avoided budgeting seriously for years because every system she tried assumed a stable income she did not have.
What she did
The coaching sessions focused on adapting a budgeting framework to variable income — identifying a baseline 'floor' budget for low-income months, a standard allocation for average months, and clear rules for higher-income months. Sessions three and four were spent testing these structures against her previous six months of actual figures.
Where she is now
Kavitha has been using the variable-income budget framework for five months. She describes it as the first budgeting approach that felt honest about how she actually earns. She has reduced the number of months where she dips into savings to cover regular expenses from around four per year to one in the last five months.
"I had tried every budgeting app aimed at freelancers. What I needed was not a different app — it was someone to help me build a framework that started from my actual situation rather than assuming I earned the same amount every month."
Get in touch
Contact Kintsugi
- +60 3 2148 7396
- [email protected]
- Jalan Stonor 27, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
Office hours
- Monday – Friday9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Saturday10:00 am – 2:00 pm
- SundayClosed
Enquiries by email are responded to within one working day.
Professional credentials
Financial Education Network Malaysia
Kintsugi's workshop curriculum acknowledged as a strong model for community-level budgeting education, April 2025.
Adult Learning Practitioners Network
Active membership since 2022. Educators participate in ongoing professional development through the national network.
Community Education Partner
Partnership with three Klang Valley community centres to deliver accessible budgeting workshops since 2024.
Ready to take part?
If you are considering a programme, we are happy to answer questions about format, scheduling, or which option might work best for your situation.
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