‘From now on it is not dying we must fear, but living.’ ― Indian author, Arundhati Roy.
With the rising cost of living in Malaysia, some people may be asking themselves “Is it economical to eat outside?”
Friends, this is the question I ask myself almost every day, especially when I am lazy to cook.
No, it is definitely not cheap to eat outside. It is certainly cheaper to eat at home. There is no doubt you can save a lot of money if you eat at home.
Do you know how much a plate of white rice served with two vegetable dishes cost in Kuching? At least RM5. Don’t ever ask for fish or you may have to pay RM3 or RM4 more.
I had ‘Ayam Penyet’, a traditional Indonesian fried chicken dish yesterday and it cost me RM13.
Mind you, my friends, there are days when I wake up very early, eager to cook meals for myself and my dogs before I go to work. A simple meal for me may consist of white rice, two fried eggs and a vegetable soup.
However, there are also certain days when I am really lazy and all I want to do is to stay in bed until it’s almost time to go to work.
These are the days I end up eating my lunch at a food court in my neighbourhood. These are the days I tell myself I deserve to give myself a treat and should appreciate myself more.
Like everyone else, I’d love to save lots of money if I can but as I grow older, I’ve learnt to be realistic and to love myself more.
Loving myself more means spoiling myself and learning to take life easy, living one day at a time.
So if I don’t feel like cooking, I don’t. If I feel like eating outside, I just do it.
No, it is not cheap to eat outside but sometimes, when you live alone, you have no choice. There is no one to cook for you.
Long ago, when my parents were alive and my nephews and nieces were young, something was always cooking in the kitchen. When I woke up, the meals would be ready on the table.
Then, one day, all the little birds flew away from the nest. Now that the nest is empty and the old folk have also gone far, far way, I have to cook for myself and my dogs sometimes.
Unlike me, younger sister, who works in Johor Bahru, seldom cooks. Most of the time, she eats either at her workplace or in the food courts.
Both of us, however, believe that it is good to go to work on a full stomach.
“When you are full, you will be in a good mood and will not be easily irritated by small, small things. When you are full, you are ready to work and work,” she once told me.
We also share the same habit — we always bring tidbits and packets of coffee or tea to work. We find these snacks boost our energy levels and make us happy.
On days when I’m not working, I love to visit a farmers’ vegetable market near my housing estate. There, I am glad to find fresh but cheaper vegetables and seasonal fruits.
I find prices of fresh fish and vegetables vary from place to place in Kuching. I’ve discovered that some supermarkets do sell their vegetables and goods cheaply on certain days. But alas, some supermarkets never do that; they just let their goods wither on the shelves.
Despite the rising cost of living, I think if you have savings and you still work, you can survive if you cut back on your expenses and make some lifestyle changes.
If a lot of money goes to food, you can perhaps start by cutting down on the number of meals you eat outside by cooking some at home. You can also start going to hypermarkets for groceries or farmers’ markets for your vegetables. If a lot of your money goes to petrol, you should also try to shop at places nearer your house or office.
Lifestyle changes are not easy to make. But you can do so by taking one step at a time. Remember, my friends, every great journey starts with a single step. Good luck!
