As the money depletes before my very eyes, I have to learn how to live cheaper and cheaply. Which is hard of course. Economics (the layman sort) works in a very queer way. When you were young and living off a fixed allowance that you saved to buy the perfect pair of sneakers (insert other adolescent wishlist) and a top that costs more than fifty bucks was very hard to purchase. Then you started earning money as an adult, thousand by thousand until you lose track of everything and a 200 dollar dress seems like a reasonable deal. Which is what I realised when I was speaking to another intern (of intern age) and she was admiring this shirt that I told her to get because it was seventy bucks. She then told me seventy bucks is not affordable. Hence, I have to change my mindset. I am poor.

Cotton On is fabulous for cheapie buys. They are affordable with their normal prices but I live for their sales. Like could it get any cheaper? Case in point, cotton shorts for sleeping in. The sign said $10 which was very agreeable until I noticed the orange sticker that said $5. Totally of course going to get it. Then when I was at the cashier very pleased with my almost buy, the boy at the counter was ‘If you buy a second one, it is half price.’ I could not hide my disbelief. ‘You mean the second one will be $2.50?’ He did not blink his eyes. ‘Yes if it’s the same.’ Hell yeah. So that is how I walked away with two grey cotton shorts, both for $7.50. Amazing cheapie-ness.

After this transpired, I went to cut my hair for $10 at EC House. I know, it is like I am reverting to when I was in secondary school and JC and I cut my hair at this place in the housing estate behind Holland Village for Seven bucks. Now I go to this place near Cambridge Market when a Taiwanese boy band look-a-like gives me hair cuts for $14. Apart from the language barrier, though this is greatly aided with the help of magazine pictures and my mother translating (when it comes to descriptions, my Mandarin just fails me as it did during my AO levels, hence that F9), he is pretty great. However, even the cheapest hair places have to increase their prices before Chinese New Year and because I am cheap due to above mentioned unemployment, I refused to pay the hike in prices to have my lovely boy band hairstylist to trim my hair and headed to the ten dollar hair cuts establishment. It was really great though it was longer than the advertised ten minutes. Except for the exposed feeling I had as I had my hair cut whilst people were walking along side the shop very near me. It was disconcerting.

Speaking of which, I had the Popcorn chicken Snackers meal at KFC four times since last week for ‘lunch’. It is $2.90. I feel very happy after eating it every time.

Won’t you come along to be cheap with me?