A Homemaker’s Diary

I stumbled upon a book online titled Living Rich by Spending Smart and it prompts me to think what we can do in our daily life to save more. With the current economic situation, (the fuel price hike, rising cost of food and raw materials), it is best that we check our daily spending habit and see whether we could cut back on certain expenses to save more for rainy days.

Of course certain things that you need, like medication, food, clothing and even eyeglasses for those who need them to stay focus and see the world clearly, you can’t compromise but you can still save by looking for cheaper alternatives.

Buying stuffs online rather than go out to the mall could help reduce the usage of fuel, save your toll expense, cut back on parking rate and even reduce the possibility of buying more items that you don’t really need. I like this part in the book that says don’t touch the merchandise. Research shows that people are more likely to buy an item if they can touch it and envision it as their own.

So if you are planning on buying items for seasonal festive like the coming Christmas, you should start planning your budget earlier as it is proven that last minute buying could lead to massive overspending and unwise decision.

OK, it was a disappointment on the second day when the dinner was supposed to be delivered. Really disappointed because I called the hotline at 9pm and was told they have problem with delivery. I waited till 11pm but no food. Fortunately I cooked dinner for Hubby so at least I have something to eat. The thing is the management didn’t even bother to call back and ask whether I get my food or not..so my conclusion is that their management sucks big time.

I called them again the next day informing that I didn’t get my dinner and she didn’t even bother to apologize. She did say that they will replace the meal next month..duhh..as if I will continue the service with them. I don’t blame the delivery or the cooking part because so far they have done good job. Even if the delivery boy has problem, it’s the management who should be responsible, either to find replacement or contact clients to inform of any late delivery. In this kind of business, customer service is very important and they fail to acknowledge that.

I got my lunch and dinner just fine yesterday. Even when I didn’t open the door for lunch, (it was 11:45am and I was still asleep upstairs) the guy put the food on the tembok at the front gate..hehe..and the dinner was sent around 5:30pm. As the delivery guy told me, he will deliver as soon as the cooks are ready with the packed food.

I hope as time goes by, the customer service and management of MangkukTingkat.com will improve. They do provide great convenient for people who need to eat but once they overlook the service level standard, it will ruin the perception and good impression of the company.

Today is the second day I got my lunch from MangkukTingkat.com. Yesterday the delivery guy mistakenly switched my food with another new customer who didn’t order lunch set with rice. But it’s OK since I still have to cook something for Hubby. The dinner yesterday was good since I didn’t expect their sup tulang to have a real tulang in it..heh! Even the portion was considered ample for me since I can eat the nasi goreng kampung for supper. Maybe for those who eat a lot, it won’t be enough but then if you are that kind of person definitely you should cook on your own rather than buy ready cooked meal. So when Hubby reached home after work, he had rice with my lunch leftover and singgang which I cooked the day before.

Oh, the taste of the food was OK, not really superb but at least it’s home cooked. Today for lunch, the menu is ayam kerutub with kobis goreng biji sawi. But I got acar buah as well, just like yesterday when I gladly found a slice of orange in my set..heh! For dinner today, I am supposed to get nasi berlauk Terengganu with keropok ikan. I will upload some pictures of the food later.

On another matter, during last weekend we went to Alamanda for some errand and we stopped by at Aussino. However they are still waiting for the stock to arrive for the baby cot bedding. I left my contact number and asked the sales girl to call me once any of the designs arrive. Even the Disney set on display was nice. Hopefully we would be able to buy at least one set for the baby. Hubby said we should buy two sets in case we need to change the bedding later..heh!

It’s been a while since I last shared my craft work here. Well, consider this as my last work for this 2008.
The client finally decided to tie the knot this December so I have to finish up her bunga daun getah. This is supposed to be made in 100 stalks but since I am no longer fit to work the extra hours..hehe..I turn them into 50 pieces.

The picture shown above includes about 25 batang bunga telur. The design takes space so I rather not put the whole 50 stalks on one pahar. In a way the client can save some budget as she will only need to put 25 stalks on each side of her pelamin.

I have a lot to catch up this November – complete bunga telur for the last client for this year, attend antenatal class, wrap up all the craft classes for this year, clean up the house, hopefully clear up the room upstairs in case anyone need to sleep in that room during my confinement..huhu..

But on the other hand, I might not be doing much cooking this November since I already paid mangkuktingkat.com for their service. I wanted to try their lunch and dinner menu and if it’s good perhaps we will continue during my confinement, easier for Hubby to eat at home while attending me and the baby..heh!

Oh, the M&S nursing bra that I bought has arrived, little that I realized that the size conversion between US, European and UK are quite different. Now the nursing bra is like 2 cup bigger..huhu..I’m thinking of buying the Goddess nursing bra and I think I can figure the correct size. Just hope it will fit nicely this time. I might need to buy bra extenders as well since most of my newly bought bras are a little too small across the back.

This weekend I have a few students coming over for bunga dip class. Will have to clear up the already messy living hall by Saturday. Hopefully next week we will be able to go out and watch Quantum of Solace.