For this past few months, i've been cooking for my lunch & dinner. I do it not for the sake of healthy eating, but my late financial problem kills me.
I found this at numbeo.com the facts of living costs in Jakarta:
So.... Here is my theory
Whoa isn't it a lot of money? For you who already lived the middle class lifestyle, it could buy one bottle of liquor or wine for a night in the weekend, you can buy fancy sneakers with little money, holiday tickets, etc etc.
That kind of money for me, I used it to pay my credit card bills. (when you're so far away from home, and it's lebaran so you have to go home but the ticket is so so so expensive so installment is the solution)
A credit card is bad for anyone.
So...... my current rent room (read:kosan) had a kitchen, like a personal kitchen inside your room. So I fill it with a stove, also a refrigerator (which I bought it on installment, so another bill to pay)
After all of them are fully equipped I was a lazy ass at first. I only cook when I don't really starve and had a lot of time but when the starving is in high levels I decided to Go-Food everything, then in the middle of the month, my money is just all gone.
Then I tried this shopping plans, my boyfriend actually helps me a lot doing this.
WHEN IT ALL STARTED
First, I tried to do groceries shopping twice in a month after the payday, one to a supermarket another one to a traditional market I usually go to Kebayoran Baru or Palmerah.
It's never effective. Once I went to a traditional market once in a month, all of the veggies became a ROT! Ewwwh. I hate fridge cleaning. Also, the money that you've spent for the veggies are just be thrown away became a garbage, it. really. hurts. my. wallet.
Mistakes happen so you won't do it twice, right? So I decided to go to the supermarket once in a month then go to a traditional market once in a week. Actually, this things works, even tho some Lil veggies become rotten because I sometimes skip cooking one or two days.
Here's how it works.
1. I buy 2 different kinds of meats (chicken, cow meat, fish, anything) once in two weeks, in total 1-2 kg. Because meats don't easily rot in a freezer.
2. Buy a little Veggies, because not every veggie is really good to store too long in the fridge. Actually, when you go to traditional market you could just ask the seller to buy carrots for Rp 6.000 (usually I got 2 big carrots). Don't be afraid to look stupid when you go to traditional market, just ask. Please don't do bargain at a traditional market, they are actually already cheap, don't torture them.
For your guidance how long to store foods in the fridge, here's some what I found on Pinterest.
3. I made a meal plan for a week, sometimes two veggies are on repeat because I bought it a lot.
Here's an example:
After all of these long explanation, here's how much I've spent on traditional market shopping only.
1st week = Rp 100.000 - 150.000 (Meats & Veggies)
2nd week = Rp 50.000 (Veggies only)
3rd week = Rp. 100.000 (Meats & Veggies)
4th week = Rp 30.000 - 50.000 (Veggies only)
Why do I spend only 100.000 for the 3rd week? Because I have leftover meats from what I've bought from the 1st week.
4th week is limited because it's actually CRISIS WEEK where we millennials who can't save is actually already running out of money.
So... In total
I spent Rp 280.000 in minimum and Rp 350.000 maximum.
If I always bought food outside with maximum budget which is 1.500.000, minus maximum budget for traditional market shopping.....
1.500.000 - 350.000 = 1.150.000
I found this at numbeo.com the facts of living costs in Jakarta:
- Four-person family monthly costs: 24,928,677.19 without rent (using our estimator).
- A single person monthly costs: 7,079,209.00 without rent.
This is the cost you need when you live in Jakarta with a middle class lifestyle.
Here's another fact, standard minimum wage in Jakarta, is only half of single person living cost! Shit happens right?
For you, fresh graduates who come to Jakarta, I know how the struggle.
So.... Here is my theory
- Eating in Jakarta needs at least Rp 15.000 - Rp 25.000 for once. Especially for you who works in Central Business District in Jakarta such as Sudirman, Thamrin and Kuningan.
- I only eat twice a day, so in minimum: 2 x 15.000 = 30.000, 2 x 25.000 = 50.000
- There are 30 days in a month. So 30.000 x 30 = 900.000 for minimum and 50.000 x 30 = 1.500.000 maximum
Whoa isn't it a lot of money? For you who already lived the middle class lifestyle, it could buy one bottle of liquor or wine for a night in the weekend, you can buy fancy sneakers with little money, holiday tickets, etc etc.
That kind of money for me, I used it to pay my credit card bills. (when you're so far away from home, and it's lebaran so you have to go home but the ticket is so so so expensive so installment is the solution)
A credit card is bad for anyone.
So...... my current rent room (read:kosan) had a kitchen, like a personal kitchen inside your room. So I fill it with a stove, also a refrigerator (which I bought it on installment, so another bill to pay)
After all of them are fully equipped I was a lazy ass at first. I only cook when I don't really starve and had a lot of time but when the starving is in high levels I decided to Go-Food everything, then in the middle of the month, my money is just all gone.
Then I tried this shopping plans, my boyfriend actually helps me a lot doing this.
WHEN IT ALL STARTED
First, I tried to do groceries shopping twice in a month after the payday, one to a supermarket another one to a traditional market I usually go to Kebayoran Baru or Palmerah.
It's never effective. Once I went to a traditional market once in a month, all of the veggies became a ROT! Ewwwh. I hate fridge cleaning. Also, the money that you've spent for the veggies are just be thrown away became a garbage, it. really. hurts. my. wallet.
Mistakes happen so you won't do it twice, right? So I decided to go to the supermarket once in a month then go to a traditional market once in a week. Actually, this things works, even tho some Lil veggies become rotten because I sometimes skip cooking one or two days.
Here's how it works.
1. I buy 2 different kinds of meats (chicken, cow meat, fish, anything) once in two weeks, in total 1-2 kg. Because meats don't easily rot in a freezer.
2. Buy a little Veggies, because not every veggie is really good to store too long in the fridge. Actually, when you go to traditional market you could just ask the seller to buy carrots for Rp 6.000 (usually I got 2 big carrots). Don't be afraid to look stupid when you go to traditional market, just ask. Please don't do bargain at a traditional market, they are actually already cheap, don't torture them.
For your guidance how long to store foods in the fridge, here's some what I found on Pinterest.
3. I made a meal plan for a week, sometimes two veggies are on repeat because I bought it a lot.
Here's an example:
When you know the meal plan, you know what to buy. I usually just plan an essential menu, such as 3 or 4 days menu, then the rest are following.
Example: What's essential in this menu are Sup Ayam, Gulai Daging and Chicken Curry.
Then I wrote what do I need to buy for these menus such as:
- Chicken
- Meat
- Carrot
- Potato
- Cabbage
When u already found what's essentials, then you'll find the rest of menu and add another additional veggie. From this menu my additionals are:
- Chickpea
- Tempe
- Egg
- Broccoli
- Mushroom
Well, Broccoli and mushrooms tend to more durable to keep in fridges, so I bought them to use it for next week.
HOW MUCH DO I SPEND??
After all of these long explanation, here's how much I've spent on traditional market shopping only.
1st week = Rp 100.000 - 150.000 (Meats & Veggies)
2nd week = Rp 50.000 (Veggies only)
3rd week = Rp. 100.000 (Meats & Veggies)
4th week = Rp 30.000 - 50.000 (Veggies only)
Why do I spend only 100.000 for the 3rd week? Because I have leftover meats from what I've bought from the 1st week.
4th week is limited because it's actually CRISIS WEEK where we millennials who can't save is actually already running out of money.
So... In total
I spent Rp 280.000 in minimum and Rp 350.000 maximum.
If I always bought food outside with maximum budget which is 1.500.000, minus maximum budget for traditional market shopping.....
1.500.000 - 350.000 = 1.150.000
I COULD SAVE 75%!!!!!!!!
Yet these money actually to buy my credit card bills so.... yeah I still couldn't save money at all. But with this method, I could learn a lot.
I learn how to cook, I learn how to hold my starve, and actually I'm healthier because I never use MSG or any artificial seasoning.
