The Reality of Eating Out – Why Eating Out Every Day Can Drain Your Wallet
When you’re working, it’s easy to get swayed into spending. It’s advisable to indulge once in a while for de-stressing purposes. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that if you get paid twice a month by your employers, you should lose yourself. Always remember, what you earn is what you will use to build a stable future. So, as early as your first job, you should always think long term or else, you’ll be sorry. Take it from us!
One of the biggest temptations that you have to overcome is food. When you’re working with your own income, you’ll find that it’s easier to have any kind of food in the city. Sure, spending for food is better than shopping but if you’re not careful, you’ll get the challenge of a lifetime, a financial one. Restaurants are abundant, especially if you’re working in Metro Manila. There are times when you just have to get in line at a fast food restaurant or sit inside a fancier establishment to have some delicious dish.
If you’re one of those people who eat out, we want to know: has this been working out for you so far? Although it feels like heaven to be served with special delicacies, you have to take a second to see if your wallet’s okay. Eating in well-known restaurants often entail people to spend more than P100 per meal. Doing this once in a blue moon is cool but almost every day? By the time the week before payday arrives, their money seems to have flown by. How will you survive?
Budgeting Advice You Can Use To Eat Well and Save Good Money
People, you have to take a moment to reflect on this. You can’t keep on spending. It doesn’t really mean that if you don’t eat out, you won’t get to eat good food. If you actually stop and look around you, you’ll see that there are cheaper options. There are ways for you to obtain a good, hearty meal without spending over P150. So what are these options?
(SEE ALSO: Frequently Asked Questions on Job Stress Management)
Have a “baon” – This is by far the best money saving tip of all. If you can cook or have someone that can do this for you, you can save P150 every day! Just in case, you won’t be able to cook, you can bring rice and vice versa. You should also buy a thermos. Just think of the money you can save from not buying drinks.
Door-to-door food seller – Almost all buildings have a resident food seller. More often than not, they sell lunch placed in a styro with rice, “ulam” and even soup and a banana. The food choices differ every day but are usually between P40-P60. That’s quite cheap if you have you own drink!
Building Canteen – If you want to go out and stretch your legs, you can always ask if your building has a cafeteria. Usually, they serve cheap meals. If there’s no canteen, others have one. A short walk to the building beside yours would surely do you good. Usually, meals in canteens cost about P45-P80. Of course, it always depends.
Carinderias and similar establishments – You can always eat out. No one’s stopping you but if you’re in need of money, you have to lower your standards. No fast food restaurants for a while. Ask the guards if your area has carinderias. In these places, the prices usually depend on the “ulam”. Some offer meals like Tocilog or Tapsilog. You can also order extra rice for a price as low as P10.
Fast Food Establishments – Not all fast food establishments are expensive. When you find out that your area of work has a scarcity of canteens and cafeterias, fast food will help you. Some of them like Jollibee and McDonalds have meals under P50.
Convenience Stores – These stores are not just good for drinks and snacks. In fact, if you go to their refrigerated section, you’ll find that they have rice meals that are priced as low as P50. Some even have pasta and sandwiches. Check out stores like Mini-stop or 7/11.
By following all of these, you’ll save at least P50 a day. If you’re working for more than a year, you’ll realize that even this small amount of money can do a lot for you. Remember, budgeting your money can do a lot. You can always start by saving with your food. Because it’s something you need every day, you need to find ways in order to spend at a minimum.
