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Save money or eat food that will change your life?


Save money or eat food that will change your life?

 

Save money or eat food that will change your life? That is the question I asked myself as I sat down at a beautiful little restaurant overlooking the sea in Lisbon, opposite my sweet lover. It was my birthday. 


I looked down at the menu and that familiar thought pattern kicked in that wanted to pick the cheapest thing on the menu even though I knew what I wanted and it was by far the most expensive dish on the menu. Is this to do with self worth, a general survival mode or just this western conditioning that I constantly need to save money? For what? We put in energy to find this hidden gem and yet, here I was, feeling held back by not wanting to spend too much money. At that particular point, I was financially secure, and even if I was to spend money on this dish, rationally I wouldn't be in financial trouble. My boyfriend ordered a fresh orange juice and suddenly the prospect of buying orange juice yet alone anything seemed overwhelming. He saw my face and told me not to worry, ordered a second orange juice for me and told me that sometimes "it's okay to just let go". I felt angry at how right he was, mainly because I wondered how many experiences I had probably missed because of this fear. We had a discussion around this and unpicked it a little. I was afraid of losing my security, but I realised that I was more afraid of looking back and knowing that I could have experienced something very special. 


So what if we were oblivious to the price? How would this impact your experience? A friend of mine shared that he prefers to indulge in something more expensive when it is a special occasion, otherwise it won’t be as special. Some people do the opposite and always get the most expensive meal on the menu, perhaps because of their status around others, or perhaps because they are fooled into assuming that the more expensive, the better. Indeed, sometimes the more expensive, the better the quality, but you might find that what you really want is actually not the most expensive. 

It's okay and completely natural to be a little cautious of how much one spends, but at the end of the day if you've travelled to a new place, put in a certain amount of energy to find somewhere that you're bursting with excitement to try, literally imagining what its like to put that particular food in your mouth, perhaps you've walked past a patisserie which has a pastry that makes your mouth water, well, why not try it? You might be broke next month but at least you'll have an experience that might just stay with you forever. I might be naive, but perhaps the food you try will inspire you to start writing again after years of feeling passionless, perhaps it will make you feel light again after months of depression, perhaps those few moments will take you off of life's treadmill and remind you that it's the little things that you've needed in order to feel content. You know what, it might even be the most disgusting thing you've ever tried, but what have you got to lose? Maybe your disgusted face will make your company cry with laughter which in turn will make you cry with laughter which in turn will also give you a memorable experience.

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