Minor Detail #13

I’m a cheapskate.


My close friends would beg to disagree but really, I’m a cheapskate. I’m not exactly tightfisted though because if I were, then my savings account should have already taken me to my dream destinations (will blog about them soon). Generally, I’m stingy but I don’t mind splurging on a couple of items, namely:

  • Food. I’m a picky eater and I’ve learned my lesson not to settle for less when it comes to gastronomic satisfaction. Case in point: I was worried I would overspend in a recent local trip so I avoided restaurants and settled for more affordable meals at the food court. It didn’t work out. I quickly realized that it was all right to shell out a little extra for a decent, delicious, vegetarian meal. I guess this makes me an even more insufferable travel companion (because all my friends are omnivores and are willing to eat anything, anywhere).
  • Office supplies. I don’t mind spending on quality items for my work space.
  • Air freshener. It’s an obsession. I’ve learned to divest myself of expensive hand soap but I can’t say no to air freshener.
  • Magazines and books, even if I don’t get around to reading all of them!
  • Movies and (good) popcorn. Doesn’t matter if it’s the best cinema in the world. If the popcorn isn’t good, I’m not watching the movie there! (Which reminds me, my Popclub Privilege Card is missing.)

Over the past year, I’ve learned to spend less and make do with what I have. But ever since I can remember, I’ve never been one to spend extra/waste money on:

  • Transportation. I’m a sucker for budget fares. I don’t see the point of booking a P10,000 plane ticket when I can get one for 1/4 the price, especially if the trip is just three-five hours. When it comes to land travel, I won’t take a cab unless it’s late in the night or there is no other choice. I’m also a walker — so long as my feet can take me to my destination, I don’t see why I should bother hitching a ride. Also, on most days I walk from work to home.
  • Rest room use. If it’s an independent, well-maintained rest room and I can’t hold it any longer, then I don’t see why not. But I can’t bring myself to shell out change to use one in a bus station or, worse, at the mall.
  • Accommodation. My first instinct is to book the cheapest possible place to stay but I’ve found that it isn’t always the best practice (after some unfortunate experiences). But I just find it impractical to stay at an expensive place if I’m going to be out all day anyway.
  • Internet access. Back in the day, I wouldn’t have minded spending a little extra to surf the web. But today I would rather hop from place to place in hopes of locating a free WiFi hotspot.
  • Pens. I just can’t buy expensive pens, expensive being more than P20. I still marvel at those who wield a Pilot G-Tec or a Parker, and these aren’t even luxury pens. I’m already pleased with my Bics, Pandas, and Avantis.
  • Admission passes, in general. If there’s a ticket involved, I’m most likely going to pass. Markets, bazaars, and exhibits should be free for all!
  • Daily vitamins
  • Neckties. For crying out loud, it’s a strip of fabric. Why should it cost me one grand when I can get one for P100 (or less).

But y’know? I’m the biggest cheapskate when it comes to buying water. Case in point: my sister and I were walking at the mall when I realized I hadn’t taken my meds yet. She offered to buy me water but I told her that it wasn’t worth the cash; I just swallowed the pills sans liquid.

I keep forgetting to pack bottled water when I go to the gym, which sucks because drinking water there isn’t free. For this reason, I always end up parched and dehydrated after a 40-minute run on the treadmill. But I would rather wait to get home to quench my thirst than spend a couple of pesos on water, whether at the gym or the nearby sari-sari store. I know, it’s not healthful. One should always keep hydrated when working out… But. I. Just. Can’t. Buy. Me. Water!

Well, there was this one time I couldn’t take the sweltering heat anymore that I finally gave in to the idea of shelling out money on a drink of water. The only problem was, I was at Bonifacio High Street and there wasn’t a convenience store in sight. I wasn’t up for spending extra on a cold drink at Starbucks or Seattle’s Best so I just decided to go to Krispy Kreme and get bottled water there. Surely the 330mL bottle of Nestle Pure Life wouldn’t cost me more than P10, right? Wrong. Imagine my horror when the cashier punched in P30 on the cash register! I was even more ticked off to find out that it cost only P9 at the supermarket.

Sigh, it’s a shame such a basic commodity has to come with a price. I can’t wait for the day our tap water becomes safe for drinking, just like in Singapore. I was there last week and, being the cheapskate and all, I saved this plastic water bottle I got in my first hours in the city and used it for my future refills for six days. Water is not complimentary in all restaurants so my packed water from the tap, albeit tepid, definitely served me well. You can imagine my joy when one restaurant I had dinner at served me ice-cold water. I didn’t have to bring out my water bottle anymore!

It was a 600mL water bottle so I couldn’t bring it with me on the plane. Before boarding I drank from it one last time and photographed it before disposing of it properly.

And finally, let me just share with you two bottles of water I stumbled upon in my recent trips to Cebu and Bohol:

 

This one was the complimentary water in Radisson Blu. That’s a fine looking bottle, no? It reminds me of a lava lamp. The plastic was flimsy though.

I found this bottle of St. James water in a supermarket in Tagbilaran, Bohol. The back label reads:

Since medieval times the Way of St. James (el Camino de Santiago, Sp) (Chemin de Saint-Jacques, Fr) has been one of the most important pilgrimages in the world. Travelers to the city of Santiago de Compostela who wore the scallop symbol and the Cross of St. James received food, water, and shelter from churches and were protected from thieves who would not dare harm the pilgrims.

I was immediately drawn to the simplicity and minimalist appeal of the bottle. Initially I’d assumed it belonged to the family of expensive water like Fiji, Perrier, and Evian but I was surprised to find out it was locally made, in Mandaue, Cebu! Plus, it cost only P10-12! I didn’t get around to consuming the water though so I just brought it with me back home. I’m reusing the pretty bottle, but of course!