Betrand Peto's Struggles as a Child: Selling Steamed Buns and Firewood for School Fees

Kapanlagi.com - Betrand Peto is now known as a top singer in Jakarta. Amidst his busy schedule, he often reminisces about his childhood in NTT before being adopted by Ruben Onsu, when he had to work from a young age to help meet school expenses.

"Just like I used to do back in the village, I sold things to earn extra money for school fees and snacks," said Betrand Peto when met in the Senayan area recently.

Since childhood, he has been used to earning money on his own. The goods he sold varied, and he often walked long distances around the village to sell out his merchandise.

1. Betrand Peto's Journey: from Selling at 11 Years Old to Going Viral

Betrand Peto - © KapanLagi.com/Budy Santoso

Betrand started selling at the age of 11 in East Nusa Tenggara. He engaged in this activity for several years until his name became known to the public and he was later invited to Jakarta.

"I sold from the age of 11 until I was 15. I stopped when I went viral and was invited to Jakarta. My grandma used to make my cakes, like donuts and bakpao, and then I would go around selling them," said Betrand.

He mentioned that his grandma prepared various homemade cakes like donuts and bakpao, while he was responsible for selling them from one place to another. Going around the village became his daily routine at that time.

2. Memorize Anything That Is Sold and Its Price

The type of goods Betrand sells is not just cakes. He also brings natural products to offer to the local residents.

"In the past, I didn’t just sell cakes, but also fish, firewood, and several types of cakes made by Grandma as well as those made by others," said Onyo.

He still remembers the details of his merchandise prices back then. For bakpao cakes, he usually brought up to 100 pieces each time he sold.

"If the bakpao cakes were priced at Rp1,000 each. I usually brought 100 pieces of cake, so if they all sold, I would get Rp100,000," he said.

In addition to cakes, Betrand also sold firewood to the residents. He once transported it with makeshift vehicles, then went around offering his goods to earn extra income.

"For firewood (haju), the price is Rp5,000 per bundle. It is usually sold by going around using an open pickup truck (pick-up)," explained Betrand as he recounted details of his past work.

3. Stay Frugal with Expenses

Although now successful and financially stable, Betrand mentions that he still holds on to the habit of managing money. He only buys things that are truly necessary.

"I am the type of person who only buys things that I really need. For example, soccer shoes for playing soccer, clothes for shooting needs, or decorations for my room," he concluded.

The shopping choices he mentioned relate to his activities: equipment for his soccer hobby, work needs during shooting, and some decorations for his room. Outside of that, he keeps his spending under control.

(kpl/far/ums)