In school, we’re regularly told of the common proverb sedikit demi sedikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit, or literally, “little by little, a hill can form”. Even the tiniest amounts of money saved could turn into something in the long run – as proven by Fajar Satria Nugroho from Demak, Central Java.
Taking the proverb’s advice to heart, Fajar saved every Rp. 1,000 (~USD0.07) coin he could find over a period of 4 years. This year, he finally saved enough money to help buy a new motorbike for his wife, and in the process, became a role model for husbands across the country.
Fajar’s gallon of coins
Image credit: Kompas
As reported by Kompas, the Cendana Harum dealership in Demak had a day worthy of the history books when on 31st August, Fajar walked into the dealership with a gallon full of coins. His sole mission; to exchange that gallon of coins with a brand new motorbike for his wife.
Dealership employees in the process of counting the coins
Image credit: Kompas
While his transaction method was unconventional to say the least, we respect the dealership’s willingness to work with Fajar. 5 employees from the dealership had to spend 3 hours counting up all of the coins.
The head of the dealership, Pradita Sukmono, confirmed that all of the coins add up to a staggering Rp. 14,250,000 (~USD962.31). He mentioned that the dealership has met similar customers before but Fajar takes the cake in terms of the amount of money he brought in coins.
Fajar and his wife with her new motorbike
Image credit: Kompas
While it turns out that the coins still fell short of the Rp. 20,600,000 (~USD1,390.73) he needed for the motorbike, Fajar was able to make up the difference. Eventually, he walked out of the dealership with a red Honda Scoopy, to his wife’s delight.
Rp. 1,000 coins
Image credit: @chandanypytaloka
While Fajar mainly works as a secretary for his local village head, he also runs a small convenience store with his wife. Thanks to the purchases people made from his store, he managed to save up all these Rp. 1,000 (~USD0.07) coins over the course of 4 years.
To carry the thousands of coins he’d collected to the dealership, Fajar had to ask for the help of two other people. It just goes to show that in life, even the usually negligible weight and value of a single coin can have a pretty sizable impact on your life when pooled together.
Reading what Fajar has done has made us feel guilty of all the coins we’ve lost and simply neglected over the years. The next time we’re pocketing some loose change, we’re definitely putting them in a safe place and seeing how much we can save up.
For more inspiring local news, check out these stories:
Cover image adapted from Medcom and @zirchovicks
Enjoying The Smart Local Indonesia? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more stories like this. If you have a story to share, email us at pressid@thesmartlocal.com.
These family-friendly itineraries in Singapore will bring your kids and loved ones to educational sites,…
Tourists are now allowed back into Bali on regular visas on arrival, as Indonesia's tourism…
Good news - the new Singapore VTL for Indonesians has been announced by the city-state.…
Keraton Kasepuhan is one of Cirebon's oldest palaces and it has stunning architecture and an…
Hey Beach Cafe is the cafe for your next Instagram post with coastal-themed decorations inspired…
Check out Dusun Bambu in Bandung, a Sundanese-style resort which offers scenic nature views and…