The world is experiencing a global crisis: soaring oil prices, increasing food prices, prevalent food shortages, global warming, terrorism, eco-disasters, among others. In the Philippines alone, it is experiencing the brunt of this crisis: Close-minded politics, narrow-minded Church people (over population and political concerns that is), rice shortage, terrorism, ambitious yet unfinished infrastructure projects, and among others, the rising costs of education.
I consider myself as one of the lucky ones whose parents can afford to give their children education in all levels. Other than that, I'm lucky that my tuition comes from an insured educational plan coming from one of the most stable pre-plan insurance companies around (and I'm not talking about CAP). And that's the least of my worries.
Rising fuel costs prompted major transport groups to hike a petition for an increase in minimum fares. Recently, the LTFRB approved the petition raising the minium jeepney fare to Php8.50, a 100% increase from the now-previous fare of Php7.50. Students and senior citizens have the privilege of getting a 1.50 discount from the minimum fare thus we pay a minimum of 6 pesos with a Php0.50 increase per km after the 5th kilometer.
Now that the 8.50 minimum will take effect anytime now, i'll have to make a couple of sacrifices for me to save money. For once, I spend 10 pesos worth of a jeepney ride coming to and from Monumento (non-students pay Php11 for the same trip), about Php20 a day. Plus 15 pesos/ticket for my LRT ride (30 pesos a day). On average, I spend Php50 a day for my transportation expenses. I'm lucky if I have morning clases so that I get to hitch a ride to my ada's car or my mom's carpool, and if I have an extra 100 pesos for me to buy myself a stored value ticket (which would last for 3.5 days a week, boohoo). if the discount increased to become 7 pesos, that's a different story.
For my food necessities, I try my best to cut down from buying very expensive rice meals which ranges from Php55 to Php80, eating a large chunk of my lunchmoney (a minimum of Php500 a week with an additional 100-250 for Thursdays to Saturdays). I'm trying to spend my money on least-costly yet very fulfilling food orders like pasta (spaghetti, macaroni, etc.) and with occasional food drinks like C2, Fab, and mineral water.
I seldom buy food from Jollibee and McDonalds anymore now since they have raised the prices of their orders there. The problem that I have when it comes to food is that since most of classes are held inside the SDA building, I have no choice but to buy food in their caf. Everything there is pricey and the least expensiver ones are usually the least-quantity (in short: hindi nakakabusog!). I wanna eat at Main but I have no one to eat my lunch with plus nagtaasan na rin sila ng presyo ng pagkain.
But I have the tendency to but snacks at the SDA caf in between classes so around 100 pesos a week.
Since most days of the week I have classes in the afternoon, I opted to eat lunch at home beforeI go to school. That may mean i only have to spend at least two days worth of lunchmoney, around Php120 a week (it depends if I I wanna eat my lunch at school on Saturdays before my one and only class starts at noon).
My other major food sacrifices would be not buying merienda anymore in Araneta Square except for the occasional 10 peso- Mr. Donut and the seldomly-bought bottled-mineral water from Watsons (Php 16).
Over all, from 500 pesos a week I spend: Php300 on transpo (if I buy stored value, I'd saved Php135), Php420 on food (if I spend 70 pesos a day worth of lunch). What I would lose for the week will be Php220. If it's possible I wanna ask my parents for an increase for my weekly baon.
If that happens, I'd be able to afford to buy a stored value card, and buy pre-heated food from Mini-Stop to mitigate my expensive at the very least.
