I have friends who I consider rather frugalalmost to a fault. They never skimp because they have to; on the contrary, they’re quite well-off. They simply choose to save money wherever they can: on food, on clothes, you name it. They always seem to have plenty of money, so its not about necessity at all.
Honestly, I only ever visit them when theres a special occasion. Otherwise, we just chat on the phone or exchange messages. About a month ago, they invited me over for my birthday. I went, but I came home absolutely starving.
That morning, I slipped the present Id bought earlier into my handbag before heading off to work. At four oclock, my friends sent a message reminding of the little celebration at theirs. Since I was expecting to eat there, I only had two biscuits and a cup of coffee at lunch; I thought it best to save my appetite.
I arrived a bit early, handed over the gift, wished them all the best, and joked that I was absolutely famished as Id barely eaten on purpose. My friend replied cheerfully, promising everything was ready.
There were six of us, plus our hosts. When we wandered into the lounge, I noticed there was no dining table. Instead, theyd prepared something of a buffet. There werent any chairs, just a small sofa that barely fit everyone. I couldnt help but think how nice it would have been to have a proper meal after work, somewhere you could sit comfortably, but I tried to get into the spirit.
A friend managed to set up a small, round table with some nibbles. This is when I regretted surviving on two biscuits all afternoon. The plates each held exactly eight slicesyes, I counted, and I make no apologies. Eight slices of smoked sausage (my favourite), eight slices of ham, eight of cheese. There were also eight thin slices each of tomato and cucumber, all arranged beautifully but sliced paper-thin. There were two tiny bowls with salads, and, for fruit, eight pieces as well. To cap it all off, a single bottle of wine for the feast. It was, frankly, more of a ration than a spread.
I nibbled on my little bit of sausage and cheese, still feeling utterly famished. I was almost afraid to have a drink without a proper bite to eat. Then my friend piped up, Ill bring out something hot! I perked up a bit, thinking that at last there might be a proper meal.
Our hostess came in, carrying a plate where shed carefully placed small portions of chips and a fried chicken drumstickone of each, for every guest. We all had a good laugh; at least the cake was a normal size. To be fair, we did enjoy ourselves. But after about an hour and a half, I left, positively ravenous.
On the way back, I popped into the corner shop and picked up something decent to eat. Once I got home, I made myself a proper meal. I suppose my friends did save quite a bit on entertaining that evening.
But honestly, why invite people round for a party if you dont intend to actually host them properly? The question lingered as I tucked into my late supper.
