More cost-effective for Malaysians to cook or eat out? Netizens debate

 

EATING out or cooking at home, this is an age-old debate that evolves alongside our lifestyle. There is no one size fits all argument so the topic may feel pointless to some people. 

Regardless, it is an interesting one as it gives us a glimpse into the life of Malaysians as they navigate the challenges of everyday life in BolehLand.

Here in a post on X which has garnered quite a sizable following, netizen Southeast Bayesian said it does not make much sense to self-cook in Malaysia when time is factored into the cost.

Her post became a launching point for the discussion with netizens providing numerous pertinent inputs.

According to netizen ng(Gua+Pi), cooking at home as a cost-saving measure is feasible if the family is large. However, the drawback was that they would be fed up eating the same stuff again and again.

Another netizen pointed out the long term health benefits of eating at home which is not factored in the costing.

She said outside food is almost always higher in fat, sugar and salt, which is the reason why they taste so good.

However, she added that men are usually advocates of cooking at home since they are usually not the ones who do it.

Netizen Kay echoed her statement, saying that one is able to curate what the family eats.

Hui Lin, however, said that self cooking can be easy if prepared beforehand and done in batches. 

One netizen suggested that people should look at the entire value chain first before evaluating. 

“Do you factor in the time spent eating out as well, such as driving to and fro, and also the waiting time? This is not to mention the fuel and parking cost,” he said.

Then there was netizen Thromboxane A2 Inhibitor who said the type of meal determines how relevant self-cooking can be.

For us, self cooking bypasses the many hidden and disgusting dangers of eating outside.

Take for example, the recent horror story of a staff in a mamak restaurant spitting into the gravy before giving it to the customer.

When you don’t see it, you don’t feel it, hence the term, “Ignorance is bliss.”

But when we are to list down the uncountable unhygienic stall operators worthy of a horror movie, self-cooking begins to really shine. —Focus Malaysia