How I Started a Fried Food Business with $50 from My $100 Savings




I have a $125 salary per month. I use 3 envelope system. $75 for living, $25 for saving, $25 for emergency. I wrote about it before. Many people said $25 is too small to start business. They are right. $25 is not enough. So I waited.

I saved my $25 envelope for 4 months. Month 1 $25, Month 2 $50, Month 3 $75, Month 4 $100. It was long. In month 3, I wanted to use it for new sandals. But I remembered my debt book at the small shop. I don't want my name there again.

Why I Don't Spend All My $100?

This is important. I have $100. Why I don't spend all $100 for gorengan? Because I am scared. If I spend $100 for 1,400 pieces and it rains all day in front of my main road, nobody buys. All gorengan basi. My 4 months saving gone in 1 day.

So I use only $50 for capital. And I keep $50 for jaga-jaga. Reserve. If oil price goes up, I have money. If 2 days rain and no one passes my house, I still have money to buy rice. This is my 4th envelope now, business emergency envelope.

My Real Capital $50 - House in Front of Main Road is My Shop

I live in front of public main road. This is my advantage. I don't need to rent stall. I don't need to buy wok, I use my kitchen wok. I don't need to buy table, I use my house terrace. My terrace is my shop. Zero rent. So my $50 is only for ingredients and gas.

Here is my real shopping for $50 capital for 3 days stock:

IngredientQuantityPrice
Cooking oil 5 liter5 liter$6.50
Tempeh 20 blocks (160 pieces)20 boards$6.00
Tofu 40 pcs (80 pieces)40 pcs$3.60
5 bunches of kepok bananas (150 pieces)5 bunches$5.00
3kg of wheat flour + 1kg of rice4 kg$3.50
Complete seasoning + flavor enhancer1 pack$2.50
3kg gas refill, 2 cylinders for 1 week2 tubes$8.00
Plastic, wax paper, rubber1 set$2.00
Toples receh for terrace1 pcs$1.00
Reserve for rainy dayjaga-jaga$11.90
TOTAL390 pcs for 3 days$50.00


From $50, I can make 390 pieces. I sell one piece for $0.09 (Rp 1,500). Per day I sell 130 pieces x $0.09 = $11.70. For 3 days, $35.10 sales. My profit about $15 for 3 days. Small, but real.

And I still have $50 jaga-jaga safe in my envelope. I did not spend all my $100. I still have backup. If my gorengan not sold, I bring it home for family dinner. No waste. My family eats gorengan for dinner, so my living envelope $75 is safe too.


My 4 Envelopes Now

Before: Living $75, Saving $25, Emergency $25. Now: Living $75, Saving $25, Emergency $25, Business $50 reserve + profit. Every night I count on my terrace while looking at main road.


Conclusion: Start With $50, Keep $50

I know my business is very small. Some people laugh because I use my house terrace. But I am proud. Before, I had debt at small shop. Now, no debt. I have $50 capital that makes money, and $50 jaga-jaga that makes me sleep well.

My house in front of main road is not fancy, but it is my shop. No rent. No boss. If you have $125 salary like me, save your $25 envelope for 4 months to get $100. Use $50 for start, keep $50 for jaga-jaga. Don't spend all. If I can, you can.

I'm tired of having debt at the store, now I have $50 just in case so my kid won't see that debt book anymore.


my notes: 

This is my way of surviving in the village, helping my husband save up money to build a house later, and so that my husband doesn't have to go to the city to look for work. I'm not alone; my husband and child are always ready to help.
From here I understand that not all work has to start from luxury,

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