When it comes to food, it’s different for every one of us. Many people are picky with what they eat, especially those who have a weak stomach and can easily react to food that’s not to their liking. And then, there are those who really have no qualms with what they eat. As long as it’s not poisoned or spoilt, they can eat it and continue on their merry way.
While many find cooking at home to be cheaper and more affordable, especially because they’re more in control of what they cook and they know exactly everything that goes into their bellies, there are those who also rely heavily on fast food. It could be because of their lack of skill in the kitchen, or simply because they don’t have the time it takes to prepare a good meal. Either way, what matters the most is that everyone eats, no matter who you are.
And for me, I’m no different. Although I can’t say I’m entirely in one camp because more often than not, I find myself switching from one end of the field to the other. I buy from fast foods regularly and I also cook just as regularly. Yesterday, I patronized the fast food close to where I live, and this morning, I cooked my meal myself. So, why is it this way for me?
Before I resumed school, I used to cook everything I ate. I never had an issue with it because it was cheaper and as long as I had all the supplies I needed, I could survive without having to get out of the house. It was also okay for me because as a remote worker, it was a really sweet thing to always have food in the pot, so that whenever I got the urge, no matter the time, I could go into my kitchen and put some out for myself.
However, things changed when I got admission and started going to school. I had my work, and I also had school that I was really taking seriously. Many times, I found that cooking was hard because it took a lot of my strength. So much so that by the time I was done cooking and eating, the inevitable thing I did next was to sleep. Even though I never planned to sleep. This affected me a lot because I always had work to do and as a result, either my assignments or my work was suffering for it.
When I realized all that, I decided to stop cooking for a while and focus on buying fast food. It was easier but more expensive. The amount of money I spend on one meal, I can use it to prepare a meal that will last me for the entire day. And this is also considering the fact that I’ll be coming to take portions of it at random hours of the day.
However, albeit expensive, this new arrangement helped me to work more. I could wake up in the morning and begin work without having to worry about what I’d eat. When I get hungry, I simply go out and eat, come back, and continue from where I stop. That’s not something that’s easy.
But then, the economy changed and the price of buying fast food became too high, even for me. It was becoming too expensive for me to keep up, but I still couldn’t continue cooking full-time. So, I had to come to a compromise with myself. When I have the time, I cook. And if I don’t have the time, I’ll eat out.
Throughout the exam period, I was eating out, for those two weeks, I didn’t even turn my gas on except to boil water. However, since the holiday began and I’ve been mostly at home and working, I’ve been cooking. The only reason I patronized fast food yesterday was because I had a deadline to meet yesterday morning, and cooking would have made that impossible to meet.
If you ask me, I’d say that I prefer cooking because it’s more reliable. However, eating out has its own merits, and it’s easier. It’s something you can pause your work to do, and get back once your belly has been filled.
And on that note, my favorite of the two is cooking, but that doesn’t mean I won’t consider fast food if I had the choice.
