Cavalock and The Budget Polarization

Ever since I gone back to religiously keeping a budget again, I have been really taking note of how much I spend on my daily meals. Started years ago on my pen and paper filofax, now it's my iPhone expenses app. Anyway, despite what some might think, I kinda like counting every meal's $. When I'm within my budget, it kinda feels good and when it's almost end of the month, and I have overshot my budget, it used to feel bad but these days, it doesn't really.

Now I usually only overspend on my food part of the budget, it's a often a single trip to a fancy joint that kills it. On those months when there's a Kinokuniya sale, that's when my 'Publication' budget goes crazy.

I also have a little section for 'Wardrobe' and it's only $25 a month! Really, I hardly spend a cent on clothes here so it snowballs every month till .... I dunno maybe till my next trip outta the country? Hah!

Wish I got some cool pix to put up this week but I been pretty busy at work. Check out my Twitter to see what I'm up to. <^;^> It's fun to a point I guess. Am also helping to maintain my office's Facebook fan page. Maybe more on that in another post.

Cavalock Goes Back On A Budget

Found this book at the library. Now I have no idea if I'll pop down to any of the restaurants next month but still, it was an interesting read. I definitely don't see myself eating any Japanese food there! Indian curry, fish and chips ... most probably.

Anyway, was in town this morning and early afternoon, running some errands. What used to be Pepper Lunch is now the new Tompopo joint at Takashimaya. The kurobuta (black pig) shoulder loin was pretty good. They are having an opening offer till the end of the month, that's half price off all drinks including booze.

Now at $S32.15, that wasn't exactly the cheapest solo lunch but I just felt like treating myself. Arrgggh! Feeling guilty now, I really need to keep to a budget again.

'From the head/skull region of the pig'

I have to admit, all this recession talk is making me think twice bout buying stuff and spending $$$. Even though I can afford those things, there’s a little voice telling me to think twice. I’m coming up with excuses like where am I gonna keep those books if I buy them or do I really want to spend all that on a three-figure omakase meal when I can get good and cheap sushi at Far East Plaza’s Wasabi Tei? And when I look at my budget application on my iTouch, it does kinda make me feel good to see how much I saved.

Ok, enough talk bout the recession, time for some food matters! This is IMHO the best pig organ’s stall I ever been to. It’s at the small ground floor food centre, next to Funan Centre facing the main road, facing the old fire station. What I always have is the LEAN MEAT soup, item no. 6 on the overhead menu board. I know the pix I took don’t do it justice. These slices are super tender and taste great. They are not your usual pork slices. Was told that they could be from the head/skull region of the pig so it’s real tender. Good and cheap food to beat the recession!

Did a few more Ladies Drinks shoots. Tried some new angles and stuff. Got these two bottles of Moscato at a very, very cheap dealer's price. Actually got four but passed two over to a couple of friends. Now those two remaining bottles of mine should keep me tied up for a weekend!

'My Christmas shopping early'

Decided to do my bit to pick up the economy by doing my Christmas shopping early last nite.

Got it at Tangs for S$699 and it's not for me. It was on offer and I was afraid if I don't get it now, the price would go back up again. Wanted to ask them to gift wrap it but figured naaahhh. 

Now believe me, it ain't no joke lugging it on a Friday nite all by myself through the train station! Damn, I feel old, haven't been to Orchard Road on a Friday nite for ages, it's so crowded! And no, I won't be adding this to my budget listings, something like this would blow half my entire budget for the month. 

So it's a Saturday morning now and I'm home alone watching a Frasier rerun on cable as I'm typing this. Will be catching Ave Q tonite. See wat pix I have later. 

Oh yah, managed to finally catch the first episode of award-winning TV series Mad Men earlier this week. Hmmm...what can I say, it may not be the 1960s when I joined the industry here, but yah, I have seen and committed my fair share of 'stuff', especially my Four Rules to Life. 

Also caught the 11-episode Anime series on Animax cable, Ayakashi - Samurai Horror Tales, which is a collection of three classic Japanese horror/supernatural stories.  

'I knew I had to stop'

Here’s something strange. I haven’t stepped into Plaza Singapura mall for like, months and months but since last week I been there three times. And all three times, I been eating at BrukFAUST (hah!) shop at the basement. The Grinders Coffee flat white is a must-have! Here’s the bacon and eggs sandwich with BBQ sauce I had for lunch. Will probably try one of their hotdogs next time.

Anyway, checking my budget application in my iTouch and it looks like I waaaay overshot my book/publication budget for the month. Should have known S$30 for a month was just wishful thinking. I blew almost S$60 already and it sure didn’t help with the Kinokuniya sale last weekend. But I still think it’s good to have the budget application cos I know that if I didn’t, I would have blew almost a hundred bucks on a whole bunch of other books, mags and comics that day. I looked at my iTouch and I knew I had to stop.

What else did I overspend? Under the Misc. column, I OD on that too. Same with action figures category. BUT I'm still within the overall month's budget! That's cos I have yet to overspend on my wardrobe, household groceries and gadgets!

'Treat myself to the good stuff'

Am liking the budget application in my iTouch. Good cos it serves to remind me if I’m gonna be overspending on something. My ‘eating out’ budget for the month is S$500, and that includes mostly lunch, dinner and weekends where I’ll treat myself to the ‘good stuff’. Doesn’t include groceries or homemade meals. Well, it’s the middle of the month and I have spent less than half, $240.51 to be exact! Like I mentioned in my eariler post, the biggest bill so far is still the S$52.96 lunch for 2 on the first of October, a public holiday.

I gave myself S$100 on transsport and so far I have spent S$59.70 already, but that's cos S$50 was spent on topping up my train and bus card. Oh yah, the name of the software is Spend at the Apple Apps Store for only 99 US cents, but you can get a limited free version Spend Lite for free.


Bought into StarHub's video-on-demand for the first time, just to catch the first episode of CSI's new season on Monday nite. That's like 3 or 4 days after it was first shown in the US! Ties up last season's cliffhanger nicely. Might do the same for CSI: New York and Miami once I finished watching all of last season's episodes.