LBYM : Dining out, A Luxury? In India !!

If there is one thing that I like to splurge on, it is food.  Both my wife and I like to sample different cuisines, and between us we have a wide range of foods that we enjoy dining on.  However, one constant source of disagreement that comes up at home is regarding how often we get to eat out.  I think we don't eat out often enough, while my wife feels that eating out is too expensive and she'd rather experiment with home cooking to expand her already wide portfolio of tasty recipes.  I usually disagree, and feel that it is too much effort to slave away in the kitchen day in and day out, and eating out twice or even thrice a week is completely justified.  Given that my wife works as well, I think it is only fair that we reduce as much work at home, while spending on something that we both enjoy, i.e. dining out.  Something happened this Friday though, that has made me re-think my stance on how often we should be going out to fancy lunches and dinners.

Cost of Living in India : Light South Indian Lunch

Last weekend we had gone out for a bout of shopping, and stopped at a small road side hotel for a quick lunch.  The plan was to grab a few South Indian snacks like idlis, dosas, vadas etc and make a lunch out of it.  We were both hungry and so was the baby, so we figured a couple of dishes each would do the trick.  The place we picked was part of a larger chain that is supposedly popular down in South India.  A small outlet, with self service, and seating for about 15 people.  Well maybe it was the time of day (around 12:30pm) that we picked, but they had run out of idlis.  They didn't have masala dosas either, so I settled for a plain dosa.  Mrs. B decided to go with a plain uttapam, and we decided to supplement with a plate of lemon rice.  Lets just say that we have had better when it comes to South Indian fare.  The taste was authentic, but not necessarily top notch.  It was the cost that took us by surprise.  Each of the 3 dishes cost Rs25, for a total lunch bill of Rs75.  For the level of service and ambiance, which wasn't spectacular given that we were in a roadside outlet, and the taste which wasn't something to reminisce about, we thought the food was very overpriced.  Needless to say we will not be eating there again.  There was a time when South Indian snacks were considered to be the cheap fast food of India.  I guess at Rs75 for 3 dishes, the inexpensive status is being challenged.

Cost of Living in India : Flat Maintenance

Most of us in Tier1 (or for that matter Tier2, Tier3) cities in India live in apartment complexes or buildings.  We all share common amenities with our building/colony neighbours, and typically pay a monthly maintenance fee to help maintain the shared amenities.  The more modern complexes boast everything from swimming pools, children play areas, tennis courts, badminton courts, squash courts, fancy clubhouse, library, gym, jogging track, etc.  There is also the general upkeep of the building that needs to be considered including lifts (elevators for those of you in the US) lobby area, water pump, building exteriors etc that needs monthly spending.