In the weeks leading up to April 1, father of four S Anba was a man on a mission.

“I tried to beat the GST and I bought stocks of things that can last long,” Anba said.

Like many others, he bought household items in bulk, in anticipation of the new six percent tax.

Now that the GST has almost reached its two-month mark, families have come up with plenty of other ways to deal with the increased prices of many goods and services.

“You have to make a concerted effort to maintain your household budget,” Anba, 57, said when met at his house in Damansara Perdana, Selangor.

Anba is a retired businessman living with his wife and three of his children, all in their 20s.

Even accounting for two of his daughters,who  recently returned home after studying abroad, Anba estimated his grocery expenditure has gone up by about 10 percent due to the GST...