Chapter 139: Managing a budget

He quickly calculated the total cost of his purchases.

Lin Feng might not have the original body’s mastery of calculus and advanced algebra, but when it came to keeping accounts, he was exceptionally good.

After all, managing household expenses had once been part of Madam Lin’s daily responsibilities as the matriarch.

The personal hygiene and bathroom supplies, including alcohol, cotton, and band-aids, came to 148 yuan.

The laundry supplies, including the basket, hangers, drying rack, and small stool, cost 189 yuan.

The cleaning supplies, such as the mop, cleaning rags, broom and dustpan, and other items, came to 147 yuan.

The total was 484 yuan.

Everything in the shopping cart hadn’t even reached 500 yuan!

Lin Feng blinked, realizing something.

Before he left, Grandpa Bai had been worried that he would lack enough money to get by before finding a part-time job or starting a small business

As a result, the old man had practically forced him to accept a sum of money and transferred it into his account.

At the time, Lin Feng had no idea about the market prices or the actual value of money in this country and era.

He had no way of knowing how much he would need, so he eventually relented and insisted on writing an IOU for 100,000 yuan.

Grandpa Bai had wanted to give him a million yuan, but Lin Feng still had some sense that it was too big of a money for a normal independent youth, or else the term "millionaire" would not have stood out in his mind.

But now...

But now... it seemed that even 100,000 yuan was a already a huge some of money for ordinary people in this era.

For a moment, Lin Feng couldn’t help wondering whether there was even any point in talking about becoming independent when he already had such a huge amount of money in his account, given to him by other people.

’No. This is a debt.’

The confusion in Lin Feng’s eyes cleared. He clenched his fists, silently cheering himself on.

’The less money I spend, the sooner I can repay them once I start earning. To be safe, I’ll tentatively set my settling-in budget at... 5,000 yuan, including the furniture and appliances I’ll buy later.’

As for the remaining money, Lin Feng would save it and return it at the end of the month, once he was fully settled in.

After shyly asking the staff to keep an eye on his purchases at the storage counter, Lin Feng headed upstairs to the bedding section.

Having seen how cheap everything downstairs was, he was completely unprepared for the prices upstairs.

When Lin Feng saw the price tag on a basic single foam mattress, his eyes widened.

650 yuan!

Everything he had bought downstairs had cost just over 480 yuan, yet this single item alone cost 650!

Robbery!

Then there was a blanket for 120 yuan and a set of bed covers for 100 yuan. Lin Feng also needed two pillows at 45 yuan each and four pillowcases at 25 yuan each.

So expensive!

In total, the bedding expenses cost 1,060 yuan.

If he added the previous items he bought downstairs, he spent a total of 1,544 yuan.

Sniff.

Lin Feng just saw a considerable portion of the tentative budget disappear.

With only 3,456 yuan in his budget, the boy finally felt the need to strictly manage his budget.

Then, Lin Feng faced yet another challenge.

How should he carry all of these things back?

The staff member manning the counter could not help but talk to the boy who stood frozen on one side with several trolleys, staring helplessly at the huge pile as if his soul had left his body.

The staff member was not new to this scene.

"Dear customer, we offer delivery within a three-kilometer radius, but there is an additional charge."

Lin Feng immediately perked up. He had been worrying about this very problem.

"How much does it cost?"

"For a purchase this large, delivery will cost an extra 20 yuan. If you need someone to help carry the items into your apartment, you can give the delivery staff an additional five yuan as a tip."

Lin Feng learned something new and nodded.

"How long will it take?"

"We can deliver everything within an hour, dear customer."

That was much more convenient than he had expected.

After arranging the delivery, Lin Feng finally left the hypermarket.

Outside, he noticed several food stalls and small restaurants nearby.

His apartment did not yet have a stove or anything in it, he could only eat out.

Since it was already approaching lunchtime, Lin Feng decided to have an early meal and buy something to keep for dinner as well.

Lin Feng wasn’t sure exactly when the delivery staff would arrive, so he decided to find a fast-food restaurant nearby and have something to eat while he waited.

He ordered a chicken burger, mashed potatoes, and a salad.

The moment he took a bite of the crispy, savory chicken burger, his eyes lit up.

The combination of tender chicken, fresh lettuce, and special dressing was surprisingly delicious!

No wonder Bai Jianning was always lamenting how much she craved fast food.

Of course, his aunt had always said that such food was not healthy.

While chewing, Lin Feng thoughtfully examined the chicken burger in his hand.

It was just bread, chicken, and lettuce. What exactly was unhealthy about it?

Just as he was finishing his mashed potatoes, a young girl suddenly approached his table.

Two other girls stood behind her, seemingly cheering her on.

"Excuse me, handsome. Can I add you on WeChat?" The girl smiled as she held out her phone.

Lin Feng stared blankly at her, still chewing his food.

’A scammer? Or is she trying to promote something?’

But he soon remembered that this was a common way for young people nowadays to approach someone of the opposite sex and get to know them.