What can you eat with $3 today?

Foodcourt chains like Koufu, Food republic and Kopitiam have changed the hawker landscape so much these days and have also pushed up the cost of food altogether. Granted, that they bring more comfort and hygiene to traditional hawker centres but the increase in prices hardly justify the supposed upgrades.

KF Seetoh from Makansutra recently posted a rather alarming article about the hidden costs of the Government's new social enterprise hawker centres which are touted as supposedly good for hawker tenants and us. But the additional costs plus the need to keep their food at low prices seemingly makes it unsustainable. Either way, we can conclude that the older NEA run hawker centres might be a vanishing trade. Troubling indeed.

Just today, I ordered a Jia Jia liang teh at Lau Pa Sat run by Kopitiam and it costs $2! (If you have the kopitiam card it is $1.60, but still). I ended up having a meal that costs $6.21 (with kopitiam card discount). Anyway, there was no air-conditioning but maybe the prices are jacked up to fleece tourists. I couldn't help but notice some stalls were empty or closed. The rent must not be cheap there.

Add a dollar to that drink I had and make it $3 I can already eat a decent meal elsewhere.

You might ask, what can one get for $3 these days?

$3 can get you one of these at a place I frequent. I usually eat a lot and I have to search for more value for money options unless the situation does not allow me to do so. This is an example of what I might have on a regular evening (yes 2 servings of food because I really eat a lot and have to find good bargains so I do not eat a hole in my wallet).

$3 - Roasted meat rice (comes with complimentary soup of the day)
$3 - Roasted chicken rice (comes with complimentary soup of the day)

For this particular stall, the serving is quite generous and the food is quite delicious. I guess the pictures below with the queue speak for itself.

A lot of older folks patronise this stall because it represents value for money. A rare find in nearby Westmall and other coffeeshops nearby where the cheapest meal will be $3.50 or more.

$3 might still get us food like this today, but nobody can guarantee that they will still be here tomorrow. Unless we are some Crazy Rich Asian, I think these kind of $3 food will go a long way to help our wallets and ultimately our investing journey.

Venue: S-11 Bukit Batok Food House. (640 Bukit Batok Central)

Do share with me what you can eat with $3!

Until Next Time,
K.C.

If you like this post, you might like our facebook page as well.

Related topics:
1. K.C. saves money K.C. Eats: Bukit Timah Food Centre
2. My 3Cs to money/investing
3. Why you need to set aside money for savings first

K.C. Saves Money K.C. eats: Bukit Timah Food Centre

It is not easy for the Singaporean guy to save money. Most guys eat alot and one portion of food just isn't enough so we usually order two. The misery is compounded especially if our girlfriends/spouse prefer to have dinner at "better" places such as restaurants. 

K.C. tends to overspend on food options as such. He spent a staggering $484.89 on restaurants alone. Given that every other meal is settled outside alone, the total spending for food alone was $1057.69 for the month of January! Food actually comes to be the main expenditure for K.C. 

The second furthest spending from grab/uber trips comes up to $374.31 which is totally dwarfed by the food amount. (Grab/Uber trips will be cut from the budget)

K.C. will force himself to sleep earlier so he doesn't wake up late and has to Grab/Uber.

Aiyo! Eat more than he earn already! How to save money?

UNACCEPTABLE!


This is grossly over budget and K.C. has to go back to the drawing board.
1) Limit restaurant visits to special occasions only or max twice per month capped at $150.
2) Cap personal food spend to $20/day for 3 meals = $620 (estimated using 31 days month)

The allocated budget is by no means that I have to spend all but rather a limited capped ceiling amount. Thus I cap the total monthly spending on food to $770.

This should save me $600 extra next month. Hopefully. 😭

So, where does K.C. eat when he is alone?

K.C. recommended Eats: Bukit Timah Food Centre

Food centres host a great variety of food and also come often at affordable prices. It is often not so hard to find food from $3.50 onwards.

To save more money, bring your own water! A normal sugar cane drink can cost $1.60 already and with every 2-3 drinks you can buy another meal!

At Bukit Timah Food Centre, there are many foods you cannot find anywhere near as tasty. One of them is CHIN HOCK MUTTON SOUP.

Chin Hock Mutton Soup (Bukit Timah Food Centre)

The stall is operated by an old uncle with his son and the stall has been around for at least 30 years. The soup base is herbal (not much mutton stench) plus the mutton has been boiled over long hours so they literally melt in the mouth.

$5 onwards + $0.50 for rice. 

There are also a host of other popular foods like chicken wings, satay bee hoon, Zi Char (stir fired dishes), katong laksa, fried hokkien mee and carrot cake.

Satay Bee Hoon and more

Hopefully these food centres will stay for as long as possible given that modern food courts and chain kopitiams have overtaken most of the traditional hawker centres.

So, where do you eat to save money? Share with K.C. can?

Bukit Timah Food Centre
116 Upper Bukit Timah Road, 588172