On A Budget

Ever had to redo an already 3-minute-read article just because? So this one's it. I'm cleaning up my messed up drafts. All beginnings no endings. Anyways, I felt like cleaning up without having to use the delete function.

Also, ever had to go some place to eat but had to modify what you were looking forward to eat because you suddenly realize you do not have enough money with you?

It was a usual week night. I was driving around the neighborhood and just thinking of where and what I want to eat. At that time, I was within the area where a lot of dormitories and boarding houses are located. And most tenants were students. I forgot to factor in the fact that some of these students, own the condo units they are living in in the area.

There was a "new" hangout place that is open twenty four hours. And after looking it up in Waze and looking for the nearest safe spot I can park my car, I went ahead and decided it is that time that I can try the place. It was a week night after all and the students may be in their dorms and there are other places near the area where they can drink booze and waste their allowances on. I wanted to try the new place's tapsilog. Tapsilog is the name for a dish containing three things: Beef Tapa, Sinangag (fried rice), and fried egg or egg(s). And that would go perfectly with a soft drink. Yes, I'd get a set or a combo meal as we say it.

I was thinking and imagining that it would be of good serving and that it would be having a reasonable price. Now I know, "reasonable" is relative to what's left in your purse.

Went to the nearby drugstore to buy my vertigo meds costing around 53 pesos roughly a dollar. I ran out of stash and it has to be on hand else my world will go rolling wild when it decides to attack. So that's a minus on the amount of money I had at the time. But I was still confident I have enough for that dinner I was eyeing and really looking forward to. I then parked at the nearest roadside parking and paid the attendant and walked some ten meters to the place. I took a deep breath, opened the door into the homey ambiance. Taking in the chatty crowd of students and professionals mixed and found my spot. I was at this point really really excited, and also acknowledging that I am hungry.

The menu was placed on my table and the order taker will be coming back to take my orders while he attends to some other table as well. I scanned the menu for my target meal. Nope. Don't want anything else other than that. I was looking forward to eating that so I have to get that. It should not cost much.

Or so I thought.

And boom! The price just ain't right. I was like "Wait, what?". The meal that I wanted to have without the drinks already costs over a hundred bucks. I am only left with a hundred bucks. So the slashing of the imagined meal started. Slash the soft drinks. And my eyes landed on the one without the eggs. So the tapsilog dream had to be just the Beef Tapa and the fried rice. Oh house water, too. When I gave my order I looked around at the students having their Tapsilog with the "log" part not slashed off and wondered how much is their budget for a meal each day?

In fairness to the meat, and the serving it was all good. Happy tummy but weirdly re-computing and tagging the place "bring extra". The next time I visited the place I made sure to get my "imagined" meal finally and some dessert, too. Hah!

What's your story?

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