$5 a day challenge.

So someone came up with a challenge to live on only $5 a day (transport + food) as a campaign that aims to raise awareness about poverty in Singapore.

It's difficult because transport and food is really expensive. Even as a stay at home mum I don't think I can do it but I do try to save money.

When I just started working many years back I didn't have much money (parents already stop giving me money so I was kinda living off savings) but I had a good company as they provide free drinks (milo/coffee/tea & even had soft drinks dispenser).



Everyday I travel to work by bus and have a cup of milo and maybe biscuits for breakfast (actually I dun have the habit to eat breakfast. :P)



Lunch I will either have
Bread from bakery ($1.20-$1.50) with milo (office), or
Instant cup noodle ($0.60) or instant cup porridge or
Bread and a can of tuna (can eat 2-3days) or
Bring yesterday's leftover dinner (put in office fridge) and heat up using the microwave in office pantry during lunch.
On the rare occasion that I want to eat junk food I will buy the $2 chicken burger from MacDonalds.
and on even more rare occasions when I have enough to buy rice, I buy the cheap sushi rice pack (usually 1 pack inside have many small rolls?) S$2++.





No, it's not very healthy but when you are poor you do whatever you can to survive.
I know of kids who only eat 1 or 2 meals a day cause they want to save money for books.



Dinner I will eat at home and I was lucky cause on days that I had to work OT until very late the company provides dinner!

So that was when I was like 19 or something. hahas.



After working got more money then eat better (like drinking soya milk) but I will still try to limit my spending...

I am lucky that almost all the companies that I worked at have their pantry stocked up with drinks and biscuits. heh.

Now that I am jobless I try not to spend that much on food too.
I make my own meals and find that it's a bit cheaper than buying food from outside.
A loaf of bread is good for week's breakfast and sometimes I have it for lunch too.
If you cook for more people it's cheaper than cooking for 1 person so there are some families they cook 1 big meal and eat the same food as lunch and dinner.. some even eat 3 meals on the same food.

Have you seen people walking 2-5 MRT stations to work/school? Yes there are people who actually walk to school to save on transport!

There are a lot of people who say they cannot do it even for a day, but have you thought that there are actually people living day to day like this? Yes there are! I have seen some myself. Heck I even had days when I only have 40cents in my wallet

Funny how some can work/save their way out of poverty and yet there we have some who complains everything is expensive, while rejecting eating at hawker centres/markets and cabs even if it's like 3-5 bus stops away..

Of cause this challenge is not saying you must do it and "suffer" like those who are tied down. It's just a reminder that there are people who live like this and you should be thankful that you don't have to live like this day to day. While you are thinking where and what to eat, there's a mother out there thinking of how to cook that can of sardine that they bought at a sale to feed 3 kids.


I saw someone's comment that they are pregnant and is not suitable to join this challenge. Yes, no one is forcing anyone to take up the challenge. Your life and health should take priority.

But doesn't this reminds you? Do poor people not get pregnant? So how do people eat on a budget and still try to provide nutrients to their baby?


-Scheduled this post to appear on 27th 8.30am.
At this time I should be at the clinic having my medical checkup. :)

Blogging is good.

I was looking for photos from my old blog entries and came across an entry about a mistake I made many years back.

I've made many mistake in my life but that mistake was grave and I actually blogged it so I can read back and laugh at myself. in my own words then.. "I want to record this down because I want to read back, a few years later and laugh at how stupid I am."


Today I read like half of the entry. :P
It's too lengthy and boring. :P

But I didn't laugh at myself. I just smiled.
Blessed is all I can say. :)
I am glad to have blogged about it regardless of how people will judge me.


Have you ever read your old blog entries/journals/diary?
How did it make you feel?

Recent changes to my diet.

Aw.. one of my comfort food~~

I love junk food! Burgers, chips, various kinds of fried food, chips, nuts, soft drinks, ice-cream, ...
2 years ago when I was trying to have a baby, I decide to cut down on my unhealthy food intake. :P

 Fish is healthier than say fried chicken? :P

Knowing that being overweight/unhealthy lessens the chance to become pregnant, I started eating a little healthier... More veg, less fast food. Cutting down on fast food was torturous! I had fast food about 4times a week and I cut down to about once a week?

Then I got pregnant with Winnie. I wanted to make sure she gets more nutrition, so other than drinking formula milk (something which I really dislike), I tried to eat as much vegetables as possible. Salad, niang toufu, seafood soup were food I had very often. :D

After my baby was born, I decide to breastfeed. I watched my diet to ensure she gets better milk, and I was afraid of water retention too. So less salt in my food and I started cooking a bit here and there.

Then my baby started weaning. I was cooking for her and decide to cook for myself too and sometimes we eat the same food (no salt, less/no processed food). Most of the time we have porridge, steamed food, boiled food, soup. All the "healthier" stuffs. Now that she can have a tiny bit of salt in her food so I put a bit of Marmite in her porridge or on plain bread (plain bread doesn't have much nutrients and I can't give her peanut butter yet).

I still have junk food once in a while and I love cold drinks like 100plus, coca cola..

Recently I had a health checkup and apparently my blood sugar is a little high.
Am quite upset about this as I seldom have sugary stuffs other than a bit of soft drinks here and there. :( Now I limit my soft drinks intake and try to have tea/honey/water when I am dining outside instead of soft drinks.

Oh well. Somehow this became a super long post. :P

FBI/SBI Closed Door Sale - 19 Oct 2013

Received lots of reminder for the event, decide to make a trip down to replenish our milk powder and baby diapers.

Milk powder promo was free 1 small tin of milk powder with purchase of the big tin which was worth it for us as we were considering to purchase a small tin for use when we are overseas.

Diaper price is not much different from normal NTUC promotion.

They are selling the smaller 30piece pack at $11.30 which works out to be about S$0.376 per piece.
NTUC Promotion is $36.85 for 2 48piece packs which works out to be about S$0.383 per piece.

Yes 23cents per pack is still savings.. but... They were selling the old design! Not the current Drier type with better "stretchable ears" which helps to fit to baby's waist contour comfortably!

We didn't know they were selling old stocks. :( So mummies and daddies going to the upcoming event do take note and remember to check if it's the new type before purchasing!

We got the goodie bag and here's what's inside the goodie bag.

Freeze dried chips snack (for 1 year old and above), Stage 3 Mamil samples, 1 small pack of wet tissue in cute container, a small post-it pad and I think a bookmark or something.

Yups, that's all for now. :)

NIKE WE RUN SG 2013 - The long story.

Mixture of feelings.
This is a very long entry and I wrote  typed this in a few separate days.

3rd November, went for this event and completed the 10km run.
Managed to finish the race in 1hr 35mins (nett timing).

I was with the 7.30am flagoff.

My shoes were giving me problems, it was too tight in the front, my toes were squashed and for the first time my ankle hurts really badly during a run.


Knowing that there will be hydration/drink stations I didn't bring along a water bottle, but what I didn't know was that I would missed a station because it looks like it was for the other route. Started feeling very thirsty and weak, ankle hurts badly coupled with the fact that I didn't know how far away I am to the next station, I almost want to give up.. When I manage to reach the next station I drank 3 cups of water..

 

*All shots in the run were taken while I was running/jogging.

Thirsty, tired and my legs didn't really want to move. Every step I take was in pain (the ankle and toes), alternate between walk/jog/run. I just want to get to the finishing point and see my baby girl.

There was a point, I suddenly remember hubby had a friend who collapse in a run many years back (about 6years ago?). What if I couldn't make it to the end? Will my husband and baby knows the kisses I gave them right before the run was my last?

Then I saw a "medic" / "healthcare?nurse?" person by the road.. went there to get some spray for my ankle. The spray lasted for like a couple of mins then the ankles start to hurt again.. I have never experienced so much pain on my ankle during a run before and it scares me. I have done many runs in the past years and the pain is usually just muscle aches after the run.

 

 

Completed the run, collected my finisher tee and met up with baby and hubby.

Just barely a few hours after the race, I came across a heart breaking news on facebook.

An ex-classmate of mine collapse during the final 250m of the same race.
I didn't want to believe it. The same day, same race, same road.

Her last post on facebook was a post on instagram. She was wondering if it would rain during the race.

Then details of her wake surfaces. My heart just felt like there's something holding on to it. It's really tight and heavy. I wished it's just a nightmare that will end soon and all that I read is not real..

I am not close to the ex classmate but she has shown me care and concern while we were classmates. She is one of the nicer girls around. Everytime someone comment on her facebook I just become emotional and cannot stop the tears.

The next day, took a cab to the wake venue. It was raining heavily.
A short ride became a torturous long hour ride due to bad traffic. I was shaking in the cab.

At the wake's venue, I saw my friends. Then I saw her photo in front of the coffin.
I broke down and cried. Couldn't stop my tears. It's like seeing her photo and coffin suddenly hits me that she is really gone. I didn't understand why I would feel so sad, the only explanation was that she is so young and it's always more sad to see someone so young pass away. :'(

Rest in Peace Kai Lin.
Next year I will run the race and I will run it with you in my heart.

and I will bring along my water bottle even though it's not easy running with it.