A Malaysian woman has shared how buying a new car based on strong commission earnings became a financial burden after her income declined just a year later.
In a viral post on Threads, user @alyzzaamenia said she had been earning a stable salary and attractive commissions when she first started working.
Feeling financially secure, she bought a Proton X50 after just six months on the job. She said the SUV had only been on the market for about two months at the time, and owning one made her feel she had achieved success.
The vehicle was financed under a nine-year loan with monthly instalments of RM1,100.
However, about a year later, her commission income dropped significantly, making the monthly repayments increasingly difficult to manage.
She said she initially missed one month’s payment before falling two months behind, adding that every repayment date became a source of stress.
Although she had no outstanding credit card debt or personal loans, she said the car loan alone was enough to strain her finances once her income became unstable.
At one point, she contacted the bank to ask about surrendering the vehicle because she could no longer afford the repayments.
However, she claimed she was informed that she would still need to pay around RM15,000 even after returning the car. With few alternatives, she decided to continue paying the monthly instalments despite the financial hardship.
“Until today, I’ve learned my lesson,” she wrote.
Reflecting on her experience, she advised those earning commission-based or irregular income not to make major financial commitments based on their highest earnings.
Instead, she suggested planning repayments based on the lowest monthly income they could realistically survive on, as there is no guarantee that today’s earnings will remain the same in the future.
She also encouraged anyone struggling with repayments to seek assistance early before their financial situation worsens.
Her post resonated with many social media users, particularly those working in sales and commission-based jobs.
Several commenters said commission earners should keep at least six months’ worth of savings to cover financial commitments, while others shared that they preferred driving older, fully paid-off cars rather than taking on another long-term vehicle loan.
One commenter added that while banks may approve loans based on a borrower’s best-performing months, the monthly repayments remain fixed even if their income later declines.
