EATING out has become an expensive affair. Yet, many Malaysians eat out, especially students and working adults.
These groups of people are forced to eat out because they do not have the time or means to cook.
Families who frequent eateries are now opting to eat out only on special occasions like birthdays, wedding anniversaries and special events.
With food costs increasing, even cooking at home is getting costly. However, there are many ways to cut food cost.
We can buy foodstuff such as fresh vegetables, fish and meat at the pasar tani and night markets, which are cheaper and reasonably priced.
Most supermarkets advertise promotions of food items by distributing brochures and flyers. The bigger hypermarkets advertise food sales on their websites.
We need to be on the look-out for sales and discounts. Smart consumers will monitor and compare prices of food items before making choices.
When a particular item – particularly those that are durable, long-lasting and have a long expiry date – is cheap or on offer, stock up for future use.
We need to be frugal and cut cost on food. Many young working adults are willing to splurge on food and dining.
Restaurants and posh diners are always full during lunch hours and customers have to wait in queues to be seated. It is not uncommon to see many queuing outside these expensive food outlets.
Young working adults in the city have no qualms about splurging money on food. Mamak stalls are popular in the mornings for breakfast and evenings for teh tarik and roti canai or nasi lemak bungkus.
It is an irony that most households spend a fortune renovating their homes to build a wet and dry kitchen but sparingly utilise them.
They should cut cost by having breakfast at home or packing food to school or workplace.
People have to realise that home-cooked food is healthier, hygienic and cheaper.
We should also not waste food. I have seen people fill up their plates at hotel buffets but are unable to finish them.
Some people are so hard-strapped for cash they have to rely on soup kitchens and street feeding groups to feed them.
I know a group of people who stay at a park. They work in the city and live in the outskirts. They are unable to travel daily and cannot afford rentals and have no other options but to live at the park.
They use the public washroom to bathe and wash up.
They look forward to voluntary groups that provide night meals for them during the week days.
They need to save every cent so that their families back home can have food on the table.
Most of us need to count our blessings and spend wisely and not waste food.
Samuel Yesuiah
Seremban
