S’poreans say it’s important to have lunch with workmates, but the cost can add up
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SINGAPORE: After a local Reddit user asked others on the platform how much they spend on lunch on a regular workday, a discussion ensued concerning the importance of having lunch with your colleagues, at least once in a while.
However, many agreed that it can end up costing a pretty penny, and talked about ways to cut down on this particular expense.
In a post on r/askSingapore on Wednesday (Aug 27), u/hatefrontend wrote that they were curious about how much people’s lunches cost, especially in the Central Business District (CBD). They added that they worked in a non-CBD area for nearly a decade, and could “easily have a decent meal below 5 dollars, maybe with a drink at most 7-8 dollars.” They spent more during special occasions, but this did not happen often, and when it did, their bosses would usually foot the bill.
But now that they’ve moved to a firm located in the CBD, they’ve noticed people spending S$15-20 for lunch daily, while they still try to keep their lunch at S$5-10. Since there aren’t a lot of places where they can get a cheap meal, they end up “always trying to avoid team lunch.”
“Not sure if I am the one being stingy, but I can’t get the idea of spending so much for a quick weekday lunch with colleagues. Wouldn’t mind spending 3-4 times that budget for a proper meal with my partner and friends, definitely,” the post author added, asking if they should adjust their budget so they can socialise more. They admitted, however, that they feel more rested when they scroll on their phone at lunch than when they eat with others whom they aren’t close to.
Nevertheless, they worry that they would be deemed antisocial and that this would affect their career progression overall.
“Socialising over a $15-$20 lunch at least once a week with bosses and same-level colleagues around is the unspoken key to making connections that can help you get your work done…
Better not to be that colleague who never shows up during lunch. People ask why, and while they are not intending to be rude, first impressions are formed fast,” advised a Reddit user.
“This.. especially if new to the company. If it really hurts the wallet, either brown bag your lunch from home and eat with them or go to half the team lunches and the other half by yourself,” agreed another.
When the post author said they had a hard time finding reasons to keep on saying no to lunch invites, a commenter told them they can just say they “need me-time today. Join y’all tomorrow,” which people would understand.
“Learning to say no is a soft skill not many can master,” a Reddit user commented.
Some offered suggestions for the CBD area where food does not cost too much.
“There are definitely cheaper eats depending on where you are. There’s a litter of smaller coffee shops all over, while in terms of hawker centres, Tanjong Pagar has Amoy and Maxwell, and Raffles Place has Market Street, not sure about MBFC though (maybe Lau Pa Sat?). I rarely break $10 unless I’m sick of food at Amoy, and even then, I’ll head to places like Maxwell and Tanjong Pagar Plaza instead. Proper restaurants are for the rare occasions when I eat with my bosses,” suggested one. /TISG