Welcome to the era of “High Cost of Living”! While all is not gloom and doom, it’s imperative that we watch our spending. This week, we will look at your food and clothing bills.Be frugal This simply means getting the most value out of your money. To do that, ask yourself: • Do I need this? Can I delay having it? • Can I get a less expensive alternative? • Can I get it for free? Until we seriously look into this, we’re in for a hard time coping with the higher cost of living. Food bills Fine dining, all-you-can-eat buffet, fast food or home-cooked meal. You can choose the kind of food to consume. Plan your food budget and take drastic measures if you must to keep on track. Some suggestions to cut down on your food bills: • “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper!” — there’s wisdom in that. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and usually the least expensive. If you have a wholesome breakfast, you won’t need to snack in between and save some money. And lunch is normally cheaper than dinner as many eateries offer special lunch deals. • Bring your own drinks. Do you realise that drinks can cost as much as a third of your main meal? This means that for every three meals, you could have one free meal. So why not start bringing your teh tarik, kopi-o or sky juice (plain water)? Note: Check if the shop charges a fee if you bring your drinks. And if you need to order a drink, make sure it comes with free refills.
• Pack your lunch. Most working people don’t have the luxury to head home for lunch, but you can pack lunch from home. It’s cheaper and healthier. • Many families eat out during weekends, but make it an exception rather than a rule. Eat at home if possible, and make it a fun-filled family event. Children can help prepare the food, Mum can do the cooking and Dad can wash up. Be creative and experiment with new recipes. For instance, you can bake a cake for your child’s birthday using natural ingredients instead of food colouring. This is not only healthier and cheaper, but can also bring the family closer. • Never over-indulge yourself. For some of us, we have to change our life’s philosophy from “live to eat” to “eat to live”.
• Never waste food. Perhaps we should try fasting once a week since this is good to both our pockets and soul. Clothing bills Today, there are many styles to choose from. Prices can range from a few ringgit to tens of thousands, and this is where you have to exercise your discretion. Some think what they wear defines who they are in society, so they go for the newest fashion trends even though they may be struggling to maintain their lifestyle. There’s an apt Malay saying that goes, “Ukurlah baju di badan sendiri”, which simply means we have to live within our means. Some suggestions on how to save on clothing bills: • Go for off-season clothing or buy them at a bargain. • Buy factory overruns. This is where you can buy branded clothing at regular prices. • Buy in-house brands, which are cheaper than premium brands. Of course, quality may differ, but you need to ask yourself if it’s worthwhile paying for one piece of premium branded clothing when you can buy 10 regular ones. • When was the last time you went through your wardrobe? Just browse through your clothes and you may discover that you have not worn many of them for ages. They are as good as new and some thought to be old-fashioned could be “in” now. If you find that you won’t be wearing some of them, sell them at a garage sale or donate them to charity.
*Taken from NST Online
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