What’s The True Value Of Money? Lessons From My Cheapskate Ex-Boyfriend
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The boyfriend who only brought me to Saizeriya
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When it comes to Saizeriya, there are Singaporeans on both ends of the spectrum: some may think that it’s absolute trash, while others acknowledge it as a great place for decent Italian food. For me, I’m on the extreme end of the yes train—I f**king love it. Still, despite my love for Saizeriya, I don’t expect to eat it every day. Especially not on dates. However, this was something that was lost on my cheapskate ex-boyfriend, W.
If you looked up “cheapskate” in the dictionary, W’s face would be right there. That boy was cheap.
He was so cheap that he had a policy of not spending beyond a certain amount on dates. So the only decent place that fit his bill was, of course, Saizeriya.
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I mean, sure, Saizeriya is literally everywhere in Singapore. And I do love it. They have an extensive menu with a wide variety of cheap dishes. To make myself feel better and have the illusion that I’m actually at a fancy Italian restaurant, I’ll specially curate a three-course meal with an appetiser, main, and dessert. Their Chocolate Lava with Vanilla Ice Cream is life-changing!
But on special occasions, like any girl, I expected a little more than that.
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And it wasn’t like he was broke or anything. He was loaded. He lived in a bungalow at Bartley, drove his family’s Porche around, and golfed with his dad every Sunday.
“I just don’t believe in spending a lot of money on food. I think money should be spent on important stuff like weddings, travelling, and housing.”
He wasn’t totally wrong. That being said, I do believe that there should be exceptions, like birthdays and anniversaries. Unfortunately, W’s belief did not bend that way, or at all.
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After almost two years of dating, and countless Saizeriya dates, W and I went our separate ways. Not because of his cheapo-ness but because his parents sent him to the US to study medicine. That meant it would have taken at least 10 years before he became a full-fledged doctor.
All the money in the world could not make me leave the life I had here in Singapore. As such, we parted ways.
This made me realise the true importance of money.
Its value lies with your values.
Because W and I had different values in life, we valued money differently. For me, money was just a tool that allowed me to live comfortably. As such, I did not mind spending a little more on special occasions.
For W, money was a tool that aided his long-term aspirations. Whether it was to pursue a demanding career or to get a big house, he needed to make sure all his expenditures contributed to his goals.