Beef Stew and Budget Battles

We were planning to eat out yesterday, and AJ suggested checking out Balay Dako, which was just three minutes away from Summit Ridge.

The last time I ate there was around 2018, and their Bulalo (beef marrow stew) was about P600. I thought, Okay, we might even be able to add some vegetables, and the total bill might be around P1,000. Plus, this was our first proper Tagaytay trip together, so we decided to go for it.

We arrived and took these photos. The waiter said the menu was online, so we scanned their QR code.Shookt when we saw their Bulalo was P1,495!!! (Inflation is real!) Vegetables were around P300–500! 

I told AJ that even if the serving was good for 5–6 people, it was still too much for our budget. So, we quietly left (thankfully, nothing had been served to us yet—we had just sat down). No one stopped us either, haha.

We went to Bulalo Capital instead and ordered their Special Bulalo for P620, which was also good for 5–6 people. We even had leftovers to take home! Plus, we still got to enjoy the view—at a price we could afford. We really felt like we got good value for our hard-earned money.

While driving home, I told AJ, Next time we come back, we won’t even look at the prices—we’ll just order. We’ll be able to afford it by then.

And since we’re trying to recognize more small wins and practice gratitude:

Thank you, Lord, because we still had a great meal.

Thank you, Lord, we still got to enjoy Tagaytay (and thank you JG Summit for the free stay hehe).

And of course—thank you in advance, because someday, we will be able to afford that P1,495 Bulalo! 

Better days are yet to come. ✨️