"Cheap Date"

One of those "simple luxuries" I have trouble giving up or limiting is "lunching out with a friend."  I have a cadre of friends I take turns meeting for lunch in various Jerusalem restaurants.  It's a real treat, and honestly I can't afford it, but... one has to eat, nu?

Yesterday I had a date with a friend.  We met downtown Jerusalem, near the "Hamashbir," large department store.  She has learned how to conserve money.  Her lunch was in her bag.  I ran down to the supermarket in the Hamashbir basement and bought myself a banana and bag of shelled walnuts.  We sat on one of those street benches which has been screwed into the sidewalk by the Jerusalem Municipality.

We talked and ate.  I just had a few of the nuts and all of the one tiny ripe banana they had for sale.  The rest of the nuts were put in the freezer to be eaten at another time.  In my pre-diet days, I would have bought myself an inexpensive sandwich.  You can get a yummy one for about NS12, ($3.50,) but I really shouldn't eat the starch.  Carbohydrates put the weight on me.  And considering that I sampled quite a few of the hotel desserts on Shabbat in Tel Aviv, I already had my diet splurge for the week and the week to come.

When you think about it, both dieting (keeping excess weight off) and living within a limited income require planning.  Usually I take food along with me, but my friend and I hadn't communicated well about it.  Next time, I'll know.