In lieu of city-wide WiFi networks, which analysts consider to become a reality two years away in the future, one has no recourse but to access through public wireless hotspots. However, not all public access points are free—some come with a subscription, and some others come with a store or food purchase.

This poses a problem to road warriors like myself who are fond of working out of the office. I do have a subscription, but my problem is having a place where I can set up my laptop and work away without worrying about losing power (my old laptop batteries give up after three hours). WiFi-enabled cafés are nice, but then I’d have to spend on refreshments.

My solution—I try to find a shop or café with a good WiFi signal, and with a cheaper alternative nearby. The last time I worked on-the-go, I went to the Mexican fastfood store beside an expensive Italian café (which carried my WiFi network) and stayed for a couple of hours. The total bill: less than the equivalent of one US dollar! Had I stayed in the Italian café, I’d have spent about ten bucks on food alone.