PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are not only paying more for their nasi lemak, rendang and roti canai prepared by eateries; they are also feeling the pinch from high grocery bills.
When it comes to grocery shopping, Malaysians are faced with the constant dilemma of whether an item is a must-have or optional.
ALSO READ: INTERACTIVE: Malaysians have highest grocery bill in South-East Asia
For the last five years, grocery prices have increased, causing household budgets to burst.
Despite the continuous rise in prices, Thangarani S., 56, pointed out that there is no other way around it since her family of four does not eat out often.
“Yes, it is true. All essential items have increased in terms of pricing, but you cannot stop buying rice or sugar or flour, can you?
“We have to buy them regardless of the increase in costs because how much can you cut off your budget? You can remove things like biscuits, chocolates or keropok, but daily essentials are a must-buy.
“Take sardines, for example. It is considered basic food for the B40 group, but a big can costs around RM10 now,” the Ampang homemaker told The Star.
ALSO READ: INTERACTIVE: See exactly how much more your groceries and meals costs now
Thangarani was responding to data showing that Malaysians are spending more on groceries than any other South-East Asian country.
Administrator S. Saras, 53, from Ulu Kelang, said that when it comes to buying groceries, there are two main items – wet and dry.
“I spend about RM80 to RM150 on the weekly wet items. For the dry items, I spend around RM300, which can last for two weeks, depending on what I buy.
“If you compare the current pricing with those from five years ago, yes, there is a steady increase. This is why I end up spending RM600 to RM800 per month easily.
“We also cook more because my parents live with me, so they prefer home-cooked meals. We only go out maybe once a week or on special occasions because even a basic meal for five people can come up to RM80,” she said.
ALSO READ: Inflation also bites into food prices
Aliya Saiful from Setia Alam, Selangor, typically spends around RM300 on dry items alone when grocery shopping.
This is because the mother of four splits her grocery bill depending on the priority of the household items for each month. She also carefully considers the budget before choosing to go to the supermarket or local wet market.
“Typically, we would need to spend up to RM800 per month including wet items, but I do check for prices before going shopping.
“Now my list is a lot shorter as I only have my youngest children at home. But when all my kids are at home, the grocery bill can go up to RM900.
“Since I only have my two youngest school-going children now, I have more time to choose where to spend my budget,” said the 50-year-old accounts manager.
Alia has cut down on processed food items such as frozen chicken because they tend to take up a chunk of the bill.
She also has a shopping tip – fruits and vegetables are basically more expensive in supermarkets but cheaper at local traders.
From her own observations, she said supermarkets tend to put an “organic” label on fruits and vegetables to justify a higher price tag.
“Even though it is just local spinach, I have seen them sold for RM5 per bunch when I can get it for RM2 at the wet market,” she said.
Sales executive Cynthia Lee, 33, said she now brings her own prepared meals to work in order to save money.
“When I started working, I was able to splurge on lunch and coffee with my colleagues. But after marriage, I realised that I was able to save more with my own packed lunch.
“This is also because eating out or ordering food costs more lately due to delivery and labour costs. As such, I opted to pack meals for me and my husband,” she said.
Lee also noted that prices of certain items have steadily increased over the past years.
To satisfy her love for overnight oats with honey, she has switched to buying local honey.
“The switch from imported items is also extended to other things as long as they are good,” she added.
