MARKET PRICES

Mama went to the market yesterday. When she got home she basically complained about the cost of everything. She said everything became expensive over the week. She told me that the cost of a piece of ginger which was around P5 only became P12 now. The price of tomatoes, onions and other vegetables also increased. I could only imagine what the price of meats, seafood and fish cost these days.

When we were in Japan, I had to be very careful with our grocery-shopping. Everything is expensive there so I had to really plan the week's menu so that we would not be wasting food. It was not that hard because I usually cook Ruther's favorite food and then would prepare some side dishes to go along with it. To also save money, I would cook Ruther's lunch for the day and he would bring that to the office. Of course, we do indulge in the occasional fast food (KFC) because of some cravings but other than that, we managed quite well. I suppose that with the increasing prices of vegetables and perhaps everything else, it would help to be a bit more consciencious with our spending and eating habits. Maybe it's just a matter of discipline. Food wastage for me is quite sinful, especially when I see so many starving people around. When I'm at the grocery/supermarket, I always take a list with me and if I see something I want to buy that's not on the list, I have to think twice about purchasing that item. Sometimes I give in and other times I don't. Sometimes I regret certain purchases but of course, that's the only way to learn (not to buy that item anymore). When the boys want some snacks I ask them, "how many do you want?" If I feel that it's too much, I just tell them to get a few and if they finish those, we could always go back and buy more. The good thing with my boys is that they listen. When I say, "it's an expensive toy, we can't get that now" or "only 3 small bags of chips", it's okay. Sometimes, Nikki would bargain, "Could we make it 4?" and okay, 4 it is as along as he eats those after dinner. Anyway, I do feel a bit alarmed at the rising costs of food these days. I mean, who wouldn't? It seems as though eating out is becoming more and more a luxury. Like a 2-piece chicken (with rice and gravy) at a fast food here costs P100. But for the same price, you could get like 8-10 pieces of chicken wings and just fry them at home and you have homemade fried chicken.

Perhaps it's about time we learn to tighten our purse strings. Maybe it's about time we check our plates after dinner and see how much food was wasted or unconsumed. Then maybe we could gauge how much money we're throwing away every week. Maybe it's time we plant our own garden. Or maybe it's time we take care of our health and just eat right. Whatever our choices in life, maybe it's time we realize that our habits not only affect our family, but the whole world as well. Maybe it's time to make a change.