Share your lunch ideas below $5?

Skip the drinks:) i find that it helps cut costs significantly for me

Your body will thank you for less intake of sugary drinks too

1. Nasi Padang - $4.50 @ Timbre+

Gosh I miss it already... $4.50 is the price when using the Timbre+ App and not including the $1 for the tray since it gets refunded anyway.

2. Salad - ??? @ Home

I like to believe this is below $5 since the ingredients are quite affordable and also it's whatever I can grab at home HAHAHAH - eggs, tomato, red onion, carrot, cucumber, nuts, anchovies, homemade salad dressing (garlic, spring onion, pepper, salt, lemon, chilli powder, chilli flakes, honey, olive oil AKA anyhow)

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Meal prep yourself. If you wanna go even cheaper go all vegetarian and replace proteins with tofu options. I managed to spend <$2 per meal if I went vegetarian. Use cheaper vegetable options (carrots, cauliflower, mixed veg etc) and buy in bulk. If you want meat then buy the cheaper cuts. Sauces and stews are my preferred way to prepare cheaper meats as they need the extra seasoning 'boost'. And you need to prepare for the next 2-3 days to spread out the costs. If you buy ingredients just to make for one day and have excess left behind, then it won't make sense. Drink water, or if you want coffee buy nescafe powder from value shops.

Preparing food yourself is a good way to save money and also to watch your own health. And I feel like because you're working with such limited ingredients, it really trains your palate to detect flavor and seasoning as you need to constantly taste and adjust the flavors. Weirdly it has made me more aware about the taste of food I buy outside and better appreciate them.

Use 1 for 1 apps like Burpple, or look out for Eatigo 50% discounts when dining with friends! I find that helps me to keep within budget even when I'm out :) E.g. 1 for 1 Curry Don ($14) at Sakae Sushi with Burpple

Usually I pack my lunch to work.

Hard to get meals for <5 , with good potion size and quality , unless it's located outside the malls .

Avoid eating at malls for lunch time and sugar drinks . Have a bottle of water with you. This will definitely save some bugs.

Don't keep on munching . Have a break between the meals and by this you will not over spend on eating.

Either hawker center mixed rice stall ( 2 veg and 1 meat ) or at vegetarian stall . Mostly the prices are less than <5$.

1) Always hawker, especially market as some coffee shop stalls tends to overcharge. Compare to restaurant, no inflated charges , no GST , no service charge.

2) if is rice & dishes , 1 meat 2 vegetables usually within $4.

3) don't buy drink. Drink from home / office , bring own drinks , save $ and healthier

4) Switch around different dishes and even if exceed $5 but if total daily budget is $12 or $15, then if lunch is more than $5, balance it with less than $5 breakfast or dinner.

Other major expenses would be Telco (use sim only plan below $20) and go for free instead of paid entertainment.

Happy savings. Cheers ​​​

• 2 Egg Prata and 1 Kosong Prata (1.60 x 2 + 1.00 = 4.20)

• Economy Rice 1 meat 1 vege (2.50 to 3.50)

• Ban Mian (3.50 to 4.00)

• Buy bread from the day before arounf 7+ when they clearing their bread (most stores have promotion of 1 dollar per bread). Usually I will buy 2 bread and eat each about 2 hours to 3 hours apart to stop hunger)

• Wanton Mee (3.00 to 3.50)

Hi Rachelle,

I usually have a couple of 'combos' that I employ when outside and don't feel like spending too much.

It's usually a mix and match of one main course and a drink, and most combinations would be lesser than $5

Main meal:

• McChicken ($2)

• Ananas ($2.20-$2.50)

• Chicken Rice ($2.20-$3)

Drink

• Soya Bean milk from Mr Bean ($1.60)

• Whatever's on offer in 7-11 or cheers ($1-$1.50)

• Coffee/Tea or the iced version on a hot day ($1-$1.60)

• With the McDonald's app you can often get a cheap drink with a burger. I had a cuppucino for $2 yesterday.

I've found that Soya Bean milk tends to help me feel full.

Cai png!! hahah generally hawker food and like many have said, skip the drinks!

Kembangan MRT station has Chicken rice $2.50. it's halal as well. Nasi lemak at $2.50 too. Can afford to have a kopi-o or kopi-c too!

Few Years ago i keep eating Pizza Hut for lunch at S$3.41

Now the exploit is gone.

Cai Png no fish will be my fav! 2 meat 1 veg usually $3.6. 2 meat 2 veg usually $4.5. 99% of the time I don't get drinks and drink plain water.

Mixed vegetable rice. 1 meat, 1 veg and rice. This usually costs between $3 to $4.

$5 actually i would just eat filet-o-fish meal. Got drinks, got fries, got burger.

If really budget, i will go to those stall at mrt with $2.30 nasi lemak, dont taste great, so everytime ask auntie put lot of sambal chilli😆, just to fill the stomache. cheers/7-11 normally have offer $1 bottle soft drink every week. Total $3.30 food with drink

To keep costs low i usually buy cai fan from the mixed vegetable rice, very economical and good price, wallet friendly too