Good food, good company: (From left) Muhammad Nazirul, Renuka, Kee and Atiqah having a laugh while enjoying home-cooked meals at their office at Komtar in George Town, Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: These days, it appears that “BYO” does not just apply to occasions when you bring your own food or drinks to parties.
With eating out getting pricier even at hawker centres, office workers are bringing food from home for their lunch break.
As such, lunchboxes are becoming common in the office now.
Senior communications officer Kee Shin Ai said she brings home-cooked food to her workplace at least two to three times a week.
“On those days, I need not spend money at work.
“Even without meat, I noticed that lunch meal prices have gone up. I used to spend RM3 to RM4 on each meal, but now it can go up to RM6,” she said.
She decided to bring food from home after noticing that the cost of eating out had been on the rise since last year.
Kee, 33, said cooking at home also meant she could use better quality ingredients.
However, she said the price of groceries has been gone up too.
“Just a few items in my shopping cart can cost RM90 these days,” she said.
She said she had to be careful with her spending, adding that she would compare prices from several supermarkets before buying.
“For example, I found that the price of olive oil has gone up, so I am waiting for a discount before replenishing my stock.
“Even cheese is pricier. The cheaper options are in smaller sizes,” she said.
Environmental education executive Muhammad Nazirul Mubin Abd Halim Shah, 30, said he would pack rice and dishes cooked by his wife as often as possible to take to his office.
“I started doing this last year as I noticed the price of food at eateries around my office was increasing,” he said.
He said he would have to fork out RM10 for a simple lunch of rice and dishes if he was to eat out.
“I can save around RM30 a week if I bring home-cooked food to work as often as possible,” he said.
Muhammad Nazirul said he spends on better quality ingredients and the cost was still manageable.
Senior environment policy development officer R. Renuka, 35, said she brings home-cooked food to work three times a week because good vegetarian food was becoming too expensive.
“A vegetarian meal of rice and a few dishes can cost RM25 with a drink.
“It is not easy to find cheap vegetarian food even through delivery services now,” she said.
Renuka said she would cook at home and pack the food for the office the next day, a habit she cultivated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It has helped me save money. But now the price of groceries has increased,” she said.
She said the price of onions, chillies and cooking oil which were among essential ingredients, had gone up.
“I have to be wiser about my choices,” she said.
Renuka said she would go to the market twice a week for fresh vegetables.
“Each visit costs me over RM15 now. Though it is more expensive, it is still cheaper than eating out,” she said.
Communication officer Atiqah Dalbadalsa, 31, said she had been trying to pack home-cooked food on a daily basis after realising that she could save as much as RM50 a week.
“I cook the previous night and refrigerate the food for both lunch and dinner,” she said.
For protein, she said opts mostly for chicken “as the price of fish fluctuates and can be expensive”.
Atiqah said cooking oil was getting pricier, too.
“I now alternate between brands, based on which one is cheaper,” she said.
To save money, she has stopped indulging in “expensive coffee”.
“I just get normal coffee,” she said.
But Atiqah said she would eat out with her colleagues sometimes to enjoy the camaraderie.
“This is usually on a Friday when we have a long lunch break,” she added.
