Singapore: Eating out may become a luxury for many soon

Letter from Gilbert Goh Keow Wah, Straits Times Forum 7 Feb 08;

I REFER to the recent news on the increase in food prices here.

I recently returned home after a two-month working trip in China and was shocked at the steep increase in prices here.

Every year, I detected that our cost of living has increased though it is very gradual and minimal. This year, however, the increase is so steep that I have to withdraw a hundred dollars every other day to pay for general expenditure such as food and transport services. It is getting very unbearable.

There are various reasons for the increase in food prices and consumers generally do not have much choice here. They either have to hunt for cheaper food to eat outside or learn to cook at home. Cooking at home is often cheaper and more nutritious. While staying in Australia for a short period, eating out is a luxury and we often have to buy food back home to cook. Though it may take about an hour to prepare and cook at home, we felt that we have healthier food. We also felt the bonding together as a family when we took turns to prepare dinner and split the duties in the kitchen.

Gone are the days when we could eat out as a family and still feel that it is affordable. Many people around the globe could not afford to eat out daily and have to resort to eating in. The time may come for Singaporeans to change their eating habits and eat in. Eating out may be a luxury for many soon and unless we adapt we may continue to feel suffocated here.

When the supply exceeds demand, then I am sure that food prices will go down in the future. Every family I know eats out these days. The kitchen is speck and clean and suffers more from infrequent cooking. Perhaps, families should now learn to cook and eat in. It is also a great time of bonding and may even bring down the divorce rate here.