I just returned home from a three week trip in India (my plane landed literally 5 hours ago), spending a good chunk of the time in a small rural village.
There are countless experiences to share, but I just want to share one learning about spending/saving when it comes to something very near and dear to all of our hearts and stomachs.....food!
Travelling around south India, I was consistently amazed at how little food costed in terms of US Dollars. The food was simple, but incredible tasty and had plenty of variety. A full lunch or dinner at an average restaurant/canteen would cost about 20-25 rupees! The amount of food would be sufficient to satiate even the most ravenous appetite. I ate very well
Keep in mind that 20 ruppees is only about $.50 USD! Understandably, 20 rupees for a villager in India has a much greater meaning than for someone from a middle class home in the developed world...but my point is that I was able to eat very well by spending what I thought was a paltry amount by US standards.
While biding time in the Newark Airport, I went by a starbucks, noticing the snake-like queue of people just chomping at the bit to spend what would be enough money for a weeks worth of lunches and dinners (for a villager in india) on a single Latte and Pastry!!!!!
I got sick to my stomach. It made me rethink (and appreciate) what I have, and how I really can be much smarter about my eating habits and specifically, being loose when it comes to spending on food. Do I really need that 32oz ketchup when 8oz will do? Do I really need to blow $10 for popcorn and soda at the theater? Do I really need to pay $10 for lunch at work instead of packing a sandwich for 1/3rd the cost? Do I really need a $5 lattee when drip coffee is less than half the cost, or brewing my own latte is even a fraction of the cost?
Food is very dear to me, and when it comes to budgeting, it is the last place I would look to make cuts. However, I now realize I have been framing the issue in terms of myself...and not in terms of how other people would benefit from my actions. My experience in India has shown that the benefit is not just for me (in terms of saving more)...but for all the people who will be able to eat because I could save even a single $1 and donate it to a good charity.
$1 USD could feed someone for an entire day in India (and quite well at that!).
The beauty is, saving a few dollars a day would not take any sacrifices really...it would just require that I avoid spending a ton of money on....ahem...."stupid"...food items and be smarter with my money! And yes, $5 movie theater popcorn falls into the "stupid" category, despite how good it tastes
During my stay in the small village in India, I didn't see a single person walking around with a Starbucks coffee! peopled seemed to survive quite fine without their $5 latte. Nobody seemed to miss this culinary experience. Life moved on. The focus was on the more important things like putting food on the table and spending time with loved ones.
My main point is this: we often develop reference points based on what we see happening around us. When everyone seems to be paying $5 for a latte, or $50 for a haircut, or $100 for a bottle of wine....we assume this is our required standard for living as well. In India, I was eating very very well for the equivalent of a couple of dollars a day. This may not be possible in the US or Europe, but I am confident I could get by on much less than I am currently spending. I don't need to be perfect. I just need to start by first eliminating a couple "stupid" expenditures every week!
For me, it took seeing the poverty and starvation with my own eyes to really wake myself up from my bad habits. I urge others to also broaden your perspective, educate yourself and see how people manage to get by "without" all the fancy food things you think are required for your health and well-being. In the process, you might just realize that those things are not so important to you after all. As a result, you'll be able to save more, and in turn, give more to those in need.