1… Learmed to walk.

When I started driving petrol was $1.10/litre. It was so cheap that even when i wanted to buy a packet of noodles i drove my car.
At the mall, I knew the parking bay closest to the mall entrance, so I didn’t have to walk much from the car park to the mall. And if that bay already has a car, i will ronda ronda to see if there is another one closest to that is available.

Now, no car and i rely on foot mode transporation. Ofcourse i curse and swear some time( especially when it is raining and the wind is acting like it has some vengeance against me)…But still, I am walking. 6km a day dropping and fetching the kids from school.

2…Learned to count money
When i worked as a locum Dr, i earned $25/hour. that is a cool $200/day tax free. By the time I reach home, after my work, there won’t be much money in the handbag. My clinic was close to the toys R us.. and each day after work I went there and bought toys for the kids..Toys were probably an exchange for the guilt i felt leaving the kids at home.

Now..no money, no toys..I take the kids to library.. we can borrow 35 books/person. We borrow video tapes from the library.

3… Learned to use secondhand stuff
In Malaysia, when a friend of mine said she only bought clothes from the pasar malam, i thought, gee, she is so stingy. I wasn’t much in to branded clothes, but still the kids had clothes from Sogo or from Jaya Jusco. They had shoes that matched their outfits.

Now… We look for secondhand clothes. We can do with a pair of shoes.

4… Learned that Mc Donalds and KFC can do without us

Most evenings when i fetched the kids from school, if they they are hungry, we would go to the KFC/Mcdonalds and have kids meal. yeah I know how unhealthy it was.. But still mama had money and the kids had fun

Now.. Fortuntely there aren’t as much KFC/Mac here and mama can’t afford it. So we said good bye to the fast food and hello to mama’s food. And i am not clogging up their arteries..
Part 2 tomorrow