Makro-slow

This has happened several times…waiting in line at the Makro (Sucat) check- out counter for various reasons, like a particular merchandise did not have the bar code so the cashiers would leave their posts to check with the supervisor or somebody senior or, simply, there could be very slow-moving staff (apparently new hires). To aggravate matters, one can not even read what is printed in the sales receipts, because the ink is so light, plus there are some commercials (logos of various products they carry) scrolled all across the bill, making it impossible to check the items and their corresponding prices. Not a few of us, peeved at this, made up our minds not to patronize the brands so advertised! After all, it took nearly half an hour to get out, by which time the ice in our seafood packs had melted.

That being the case, we called the attention of our Makro friend, Jewel, who promised to bring this up to management. Anyway, what were the good buys on that day we visited the store? Actually plenty. Anti-bacterial liquid toilet bowl cleaners and all—purpose detergent (WC Frisch and Der General, obviously from Germany) were incredibly cheap at P109 and P90, respectively, for each pack of two with another duo of the same product free. So you get a total of four bottles for the price of one.

The horribly expensive water melon in market stalls (costing P40 a kilo) is sold at Makro for only P21.50 a kilo. Native garlic retails at P126, while kitang was at P153 a kilo. We did not find any mangoes, but readers might want to skip this fruit for a while because every week its price goes up by at least P5, the latest being P90 a kilo. We got quite a lot of the day’s fresh catch although, unfortunately, Makro does not offer to clean them. Sapsap at P165, lapu-lapu liglig at P160, tilapia at P65 and talakitok (small) at P148.

We’ve been had again. That’s how we look at the forever-escalating cost of prime commodities. After a recent increase, the price of petroleum products went up anew. LPG now costs more, just as gasoline does. The homemaker will have to make magic and really juggle available cash.

Let’s work with a daily food budget of P200 per family of four. Pan de sal now goes from P1 to P2. So get eight of the former and perhaps spread some jam, or sugar and margarine. Coffee or chocolate will cost about P2 per. Should you have sinangag (left over rice from the night before) and tuyo plus eggs (four can share two of these, scrambled), you need to apportion at least P20 for breakfast. Lunch can be a kilo of tilapia (at P60) which you can make into sarsiado, so add another P15 for tomatoes, garlic, onion, cooking oil. Rice is about P12 for half a kilo. For dinner, you can do a menudo of beef or pork, using again 1/2 kilo of meat. That would cost you about P90, including sautéing ingredients, potatoes or gisantes. As chicken sometimes costs less, you can save a few pesos if you use it instead. Add a gulay guisado dish, like adobong kangkong (two bunches at P7 per), garlic and seasoning at P5. With this one-course meal, you still would go over the budget of P200.

This means the homemaker we will have to scout around for the cheapest ingredients. She must also cook only for the number of people who will partake of the food. And the family might just have to settle for one-dish meals. Therefore the nutritional value will have to be considered as well.

Stay away from meat and expensive seafood. Vegetable dishes will be very good alternatives. After all, they are healthier and can be very tasty. Pakbet is a satisfying dish, but avoid putting pork, specially the fatty portion. Cook sitao with squash in coconut milk, adding hebi instead of fresh shrimps. Ginisang monggo with chili leaves will go very well with fried fish. Misua with patola, if enhanced with tiny shrimps or small meat balls, using only about 100 gms of meat, will be delicious.

It is time for us homemakers to be more innovative, creative, imaginative and not the least resourceful to give our families value-for-money meals.

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Lydia D. Castillo’s e-mail address: [email protected]