Singaporean mothers share their grocery shopping secrets
![With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we reached out to nine Singaporean mothers, aged between 34 and 59, from across all income levels to find out how they became such effective shoppers. Fortunately, they were more than happy to share valuable tips, tricks and their go-to grocery suppliers around the country. [Photo: Pixabay]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/wwl2IIDPR.1CwcsxnQoVLQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03NDU-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/7b92f3cbb51d64a46d8503eee38c06f3)
by Purnima Balraju
With Mother’s Day just around the corner, we reached out to nine Singaporean mothers, aged between 34 and 59, from across all income levels to find out how they became such effective shoppers. Fortunately, they were more than happy to share valuable tips, tricks and their go-to grocery suppliers around the country.
Where moms shop for groceries in Singapore
While it’s common to note that many mothers prefer to shop at NTUC Fairprice, wet markets, Sheng Siong and Giant, the real reason mothers go to these places is their close proximity to their homes.
More often than not, what the family eats every day depends on what’s available at the nearest market.
Out of all of the aforementioned places, NTUC FairPrice and wet markets came out tops, as many of the former are located at heartland malls and many of the latter situated within the neighbourhood – typically 20 minutes or less from their HDB flats. According to the mothers, these places are more convenient to go to and the goods they sell tend to be cheaper.
But what about online grocery shops?
Only one mother said she shopped for groceries online due to her busy lifestyle. The full-time working mother sees convenience as key when it comes to grocery shopping.
How much do Singaporean mothers spend on groceries?
According to all of the mothers we spoke to, it’s an average between $300 and $400 a month. This is regardless of household size and level of income. For the record, the mothers we surveyed for this article typically had four to nine members in their households.
One of the more well-to-do mothers shared that she goes to cheaper places such as Tekka Market to shop. That way, she was able to keep her grocery expenses low.
With regards to the frequency of grocery shopping, we discovered that each Singaporean mother visited the markets a different number of times in a month, though many go supermarketing at least once a week.
What do Singaporean mothers buy?
While many of our mothers would generally spoil us with home-cooked meals every day, very few of us think of the amount of decision-making that takes place behind it – what can I cook today using the existing ingredients at home? How much should I cook today so the food won’t go to waste?
In order to understand how some Singaporean mothers go about such decision-making, we decided to take a peek at their shopping lists.
Top three most important items in mothers’ shopping lists:
Lower income | Middle income | Higher income |
Rice, vegetable, meat | Rice, bread, milk | Fruits, frozen food, fruit juice |
Meat, fruits, vegetables | Tissue paper, milk | Vegetables, meat, detergent |
Fruits, frozen food, spices | Rice, eggs, onions | Eggs, rice, onions |
Top three most expensive items in their shopping lists:
Lower income | Middle income | Higher income |
Oil, seafood, meat | Milk powder, rice, detergent powder | Meat |
Salmon, chicken thigh, pork | Organic food | Steak, fish, rice |
Frozen food, oral care (mouth rinse), laundry detergent | Fish, butter, milk | Olive oil, rice, meat |
When it comes to fresh ingredients such as vegetables, meat and seafood, mothers still prefer to buy them at wet markets.
Vegetables: Most of the moms we spoke to would go to the wet market where they can find a great variety of fresh vegetables. Wet markets also give mothers the freedom to handpick their own greens to ensure good quality.
If you don’t live near a wet market, supermarkets make for a viable second option for quality vegetables that are consistent, even though most of them are already pre-packed.
Seafood: With seafood being highly perishable, wet markets do have the freshest range. One mother we reached out to even gets her seafood supply directly from Senoko Fishery Port!
Meat: While wet markets remain the go-to for all things fresh, including meat, some of the mothers we reached out to still prefer going to the supermarkets as they perceive them as being more hygienic.
When do Singaporean mothers shop for groceries?
Weekday mornings, from 7.30am onwards, are the best times to shop for groceries, according to all of the mothers.
For the millennial working mother, one place to go would be Tangy Tangerines at The Grandstand for fresh fruits and vegetables. You can even have them delivered to your doorstep for orders are above $80.
Stop splurging on frozen food
Most of the mothers we spoke to agree that frozen food is not worth splurging on when you can purchase cheaper fresh meat and keep the excess in the freezer.
So, the next time you’re thinking of getting frozen popcorn chicken, remember that they’re just smaller chunks of meat that you can marinate on your own without having to include the preservatives. While it takes more time, your tastebuds will thank you!
Other Mother’s Day specials:
10 of the most awesome mothers on Singapore screens
Singapore stepmothers open up about loving their partners’ children
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