This article was first published on DollarsAndSense.sg

We all know that Singaporeans love to eat, but do we know that we are actually overpaying for some of our favourite dishes? Here are 5 items that we are spending too much money on:

Milo Dinosaur

Who doesn’t love Milo? When you add more Milo powder on top of the drink, it becomes Milo Dinosaur.

Milo Dinosaur is one of the most overpriced drinks in the coffee shop, especially when you compare it to a plain old cup of Ice Milo. At a starting price of $3, Milo Dinosaur is way more expensive than Iced Milo, which usually costs $1.50 to $2 per cup.

All that, just for a spoonful more of Milo powder!

Zi char vegetables

$8 for a plate of vegetables? Though expensive, people still order zi char vegetables. This is because of the common mindset that every meal should contain vegetables.

However, if you buy it from an economical rice stall nearby, the same quantity of vegetables would probably cost at most half the price.

Bandung

This deliciously pink drink is a crowd pleaser, but its ingredients actually do not cost much, nor does it take much skill to make. All you need is a bottle of rose syrup and a can of condensed milk.

Compared to other similarly priced drinks at the coffee shop, it is one of the least value-for-money options. You are better off buying a cup of Ice Kopi, or homemade barley, which costs the same and takes more skills to recreate at home.

Prata with extras

Mushroom Onion Cheese Prata anyone? A piece of plain prata normally costs 80 cents to $1.20, but add a few pieces of mushrooms, onions, and cheese, and the price is bumped up to $4.

That is akin to paying an extra $3 for a little more ingredients, which is pretty ridiculous, considering that you can get three more pieces of plain prata instead.

Fruit juice

Fresh fruit juices are healthier than canned drinks, but it does not mean that they are the best option.

Most fruit juice stalls would sell both fruits and juices. When you look at the quantity of fruits used to make each cup of juice, you would realise that it is a lot cheaper to have ordered the fruits, instead of getting the juice.

For example, you might pay $3 for a cup of papaya milk juice, which takes 2 slices of papaya to make. The same 2 slices could only cost you $1.40 if you bought them as fruits.

Furthermore, there are more health benefits to be gained from eating fresh fruits than from drinking fruit juices.

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