Whenever my friends and I can’t think of what to do when we are bored, we end up getting food. This seems to happen all too often since we live in Saratoga, where boredom comes far too easily. Eating food seems to be the only activity all of us can agree on in the moment.

Of course, food is often expensive. A drink can be around $5, and meals are anywhere usually from $15 to $20 if we decide to go to a sit-down restaurant. .   

Because of this, my friends and I always joke around about being “broke.” In reality, none of us is broke, and we are just exaggerating a first-world problem.

Nearly every day I find myself at Sue’s Gallery Cafe studying or doing homework. While I’m there, I usually buy a $4 tea or $6 coffee, so the costs definitely pile up. Nevertheless, I should never refer to myself as “broke” or “poor” as a result of this unnecessary spending.

There are families living in other places who are really struggling with money and who cannot say where their next meal will come from.

It woild be a good idea to stop mislabeling ourselves as “poor” or “broke” because we are only experiencing are first-world problems.

That being said, spending money on food and drinks so often isn’t healthy for anyone’s wallet.

I think that the main reason this problem of always buying food exists is the lack of other diversions in the area. The only realistic local hangout spots are restaurants or coffee shops, so overspending can sometimes be hard to avoid. However, it is much more economical to hang out at someone’s house and watch a movie or play board game or a video game. We can still enjoy each other’s company without the cost of going to a restaurant.

Another thing that my friends and I have tried is going off campus for lunch less often. There is really no point in it, as all of us can bring food from home and be perfectly content.

Also, I find that if I always have a bottle of a water on me, I am less likely to spend money buying boba. Since I already have something to drink, I don’t crave the expensive alternative.    

All in all, food can be expensive, but spending money on it doesn’t make any of us truly “broke.” This simple exaggeration shows how small our problems are compared to those who truly do have to worry about where their next meal will come from.