SINGAPORE: People cope with the rising cost of living in various ways, but one Singaporean man has gone to great lengths by driving all the way to Johor Bahru just to do his grocery shopping.
He shared his story after one netizen on an online forum asked, “Would it be worth it to buy groceries from JB? Considering the cost or petrol/driving, would it still be worth it?
I am quite flexible with time and am considering a morning drive in and out. How quick can that be?” In response, the man shared his insights, emphasizing the practical benefits of shopping across the border:
“I go once every 2 months to get groceries—household products, tidbits, UHT milk, canned food. Every item is cheaper in JB than in SG. I spent around 1,000 ringgit (around S$300) for the items.
For the same items [in Singapore], I spent around S$420. Not to mention, carwash and breakfast. To me, it’s worth it.”
He also gave detailed examples to show how much he saved. For instance, he saves around S$2.20 per can of tuna when shopping in JB, so purchasing ten cans at once results in a S$22 saving.
Likewise, when UHT milk is discounted, he saves up to S$0.40 per packet, totalling S$12 when he buys thirty packets. “This itself covers my petrol and toll fees by a large %.”
He added, “If you go to Aeon, you won’t find the savings as it’s like an NTUC fairprice finest; Same products, extra $. If you go to NSK, fresh produce is even cheaper, like its a wholesale market concept.
But it doesn’t last 1 week even if kept in the fridge.”
Additionally, he shared that his wife uses YouTrip, a multi-currency travel wallet and money changer app, as it offers better exchange rates. Sometimes, they exchange money in Singapore before the trip and other times in JB.
They also bring recyclable bags to avoid the cost of buying reusable ones there.
Intrigued by his unconventional approach, another netizen asked him: “I’m assuming customs didn’t check the items you bought, but if they did do you need to pay GST for that kind of quantity?”
The man explained that he drives a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) and buys groceries for two families, so his car’s boot is usually full.
While customs usually doesn’t inspect his groceries closely, he remembered a time when his son bought furniture from IKEA Tebrau in JB and had to pay about $100 in taxes.
Despite this additional cost, he found it worthwhile since buying similar items in Singapore would have cost him around $100 more, factoring in taxes, toll fees, and petrol expenses combined.
However, another netizen disagreed with his strategy and argued that “getting stuck in traffic for hours is not worth the money saved,” as one trades his time for money.
To this remark, the man responded that, in these cases, it is essential to get the timing right.
He then shared one incident where he inadvertently chose to travel to Johor Bahru via Tuas on Vesak Day, which resulted in a frustrating seven-hour wait at the border.
He said, “The key is to know what time to go in and what time to come out. I go in, do all my things, return back to sg. Total time is 7 hrs, so that’s the key. Now we use qr code to scan, so it’s much faster.
However, passports are still required on the JB side.”
Read also: Singapore to Johor Bahru via Ferry Without the Jam
Featured image by Depositphotos