I don't really have a plan to go outside, but then I remember Mommy F the other day urging me to venture outside, and while at it, she said I should visit this particular shop where I can cash out her money on GCash. She's out of cash now, and all her money was in her e-wallet. I just couldn't grant her request at that time because the day before that was actually the day I had a "panic attack." But today, even if it's raining because of the typhoon, I go on a walk with Mama to do the task, and while doing so, I also go visit the market to get the needed ingredients for the dish I'm craving today.
So on the way to the market, we are being accompanied by Creamy White. He's always like that, he will follow us, and when something catches his attention, he will leave us behind, but when we go back home, we will just see him already settled in Mama's house. Seriously, it's cute, lol. By the way, this is located not too far from home. And as you can see, you can see a "shop" here everywhere. It is very convenient, if you will ask me. This is also an advantage if you are living in the main capital of your city. This one is a thrift shop, they sell very affordable pre-loved clothes, all of good quality. I like their t-shirts here because they all look new.
Walking further, you can see a lot more in here. Sad because some shops in this spot are still close, maybe because it's Sunday. Did you see that long table in the first photo? That one with those broken TVs on the ground? That's a repair shop. Mama is also a regular in here, when her e-fan suddenly breaks down or when her heater suddenly sparks, she will bring them here and let the technician repair them. And because Mama is known here, they don't ask for a big payment, which is why Mama is very grateful. On the next photo is another shop, Fruit Shop and Vegetable Shop, they sell other stuff too. When Mama is too lazy to go to the market, she will just buy here because this is much closer to our home.
So we finally arrived at our first destination. You can see this as a regular shop for vegetables and fruits, but inside they also sell different items that you can only find in grocery stores. Aside from that, they also have a "GCash Outlet" where we can cash out or cash in some money in our e-wallet. Very convenient, really. And you know what's amazing about this kind of store? Their items are much cheaper, maybe because they have their own supplier. As for the payment per transaction on GCash, it is only 10 PHP per 1000 PHP. How about in your area? Mommy accepted GCash too, but she asked for a much higher fee so that she could also have her profit.
Here's more shop, left and right, you can spot them in every corner. It's very good for all the shoppers, but I'm not sure if it's the same for the shop owner. The more people open up shops nearby, the fewer customers they can get. I already encountered a lot of shops in our place that had grand openings, but months after opening, they decided to close down. I feel so bad for them, you know. They had a big dream for their shops but will end up closing them because no profits are coming in anymore. Aigooo. This is one of the reasons why Mama's small eatery closed down. We also feel like the number of the people in our town is decreasing, I think some just chose to move to an even bigger city. Well, they can have more opportunities there than in our town.
And here's another, clothes shops this time - and everywhere too. If you are not good at getting customers, I'm not sure if they can still gain some here. Especially, they also have to get employees to work on this. And next is another grocery store, but on this one, they have added products to their shop. They have rice and some feed for chicken. It's also good, especially since rice is the number one need for people here. Same with feeds, people love cockfighting here, and so you can see every house here with a few rooster and chicks.
Lastly, one of our favorite bakery shops It's small, but this is actually not the main shop. This is where Mama often buys bread, it's cheap but delicious. One of my favorite breads here is that bread sprinkled with grated coconut. And this one is also a little closer at home, we can just walk and reach this spot in less than 6 minutes.
Having a lot of these shops everywhere has a big advantage, and I am really thankful that I am living where I am surrounded by different shops. How's your area, by the way?
Lead Image Edited in Canva.