In an environmental-conscious bid, Malaysian retailers have finally jumped onto the “Say No To Plastic Bags” campaign by charging customers for plastic bags and in some cases, simply eliminating plastic bags altogether.

More than 300 hypermarkets, mini-markets, department stores and other participating shops are charging 20 sen for each plastic bag given out. (source)

Find out how you can be a financially smart and environmentally friendly shopper below!

Carry a reusable bag the next time you go out shopping to put your groceries and purchases in.

20 sen for a plastic bag may not seem like a lot but remember that it will add up especially if you have a lot of groceries. During a recent visit to Carrefour, I noticed that they were not even giving our plastic bags anymore. Instead, a reusable canvas bag came with a 50 sen charge for purchases below RM50 which might encourage you to spend more simply to get a canvas bag just to put your groceries in.

Ikea has also done away with plastic bags totally and you might find it hard to juggle your purchases especially for bulky household items. Why not then pick up their blue reusable Ikea bag for just RM1.90 to reuse over and over again for your groceries, shoes or clothing the next time you go shopping during the 2009 Malaysian Mega Sale? The savings it will bring you on plastic bags in the long run is huge!

So, save money and the Earth by being a smart consumer!

Its the school holidays! If you are wondering where you can take your family without breaking the bank, why not take a short trip down south to take advantage of Singapore’s fantastic Half Price Singapore Surprise specially for Malaysians?

The Great Singapore Sale 2009

The Great Singapore Sale is back and its better than ever! Like last year, Malaysians get to enjoy a whooping 50% off attractions or pay the RM equivalent for Singapore’s top tourist attractions! Can’t wait to find out what they are? Read on below for a complete list of the attractions you simply cannot miss!

Half-Priced Singapore Attractions

Singapore Zoo And Safari Attractions

• Singapore Zoo – Visit the amazing Singapore zoo for rock bottom prices! Adults: RM18, Child (3-12 yrs old): RM9.
• Singapore Night Safari – Don’t miss the unique Night Safari. Adults: RM22, Child (3-12 yrs old): RM11.
• Jurong Birdpark – Catch feathered friends at the finest bird park in the world. Adults: RM18, Child (3-12 yrs old): RM9.

Discover Science at Singapore Science Centre

• Science Centre + 40 min IMAX Movie - Rediscover science and catch a movie on the 5-storey high IMAX screen. Adult RM16, Child (3-12 yrs old) RM8.
• Science Centre + Snow City – Or chill out in sub-zero temperatures! Adult RM18, Child (3-12 yrs old) RM15

Ultimate Sentosa Island Package

• 7-in-1 Sentosa Island Package – Ride a Segway, a virtual rollercoaster and a mini train, tour the Merlion and have your photo taken, fight in a virtual shoot-out and enjoy the Songs of the Sea multi-sensory show. Adult/Child RM91 

Singapore Excursions You Cannot Miss

• Captain Explorer DUKw Tour – Go from land to water in an authentic revamped WWII amphibious boat. Adults: RM29.90, Children: RM20.65.
• City & Cultural Open Top FUNVEEtour – Explore Singapore in a fun open-roof top bus. Adults: RM19.90, Children: RM15.90.
• TOPless HiPPO City Sightseeing – Unlimited hop off and hop on all across Singapore. Adult RM23, Child (3-12 yrs old) RM13.
• HiPPO River Cruise – Check out Singapore’s newest theme tour attraction at the Singapore River. Adult RM15, Child (3-12 yrs old) RM9.
• Original Singapore DUCKtours – Unique land and sea touring adventure on the genuine Vietnam War craft. Adult RM33, Child (3-12 yrs old) RM17, Toddler RM2.
• Singapore Cable Car – Enjoy exhilarating cable car rides. Adult RM18.90, Child RM9.50
• Singapore Flyer – Ride the famous Singapore flyer. Adult RM29.50, Child S$20.65

More details and attractions available here.

There’s no better time to visit Singapore! However, do remember some smart holiday tips before you start your trip.

Happy Holidays!

Credits

In a bid to help Malaysians be smarter about their spending habits and maintain thrifty habits, the Government has just launched a Price Watch portal (link) .

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a 1,600-strong price monitor team would key into the system prices of goods sold at hypermarkets, supermarkets and wet markets nationwide so that the public would know which outlets offer the best prices. (link)

Does it really work? Read on below.

Effectiveness Of Malaysian Price Watch System

On a whim, I tried entering the website which is predominantly in Malay and I couldn’t find an English version anywhere which may be a bit of a problem for urban consumers who are more familiar with English.

The site is not exactly user-friendly and some Malay instructions were rather confusing. The goods offered were also quite basic. A choice of fruits revealed only papaya and watermelon options which is a pretty limited choice of fruits! My few attempts to compare prices of goods was often met with an error message or led to a site where my only option was to go back to option choices! I did not manage to compare any price at all!

How Often Will The Price Watch System Be Updated?

Prices fluctuate everyday, depending on the supply available. Are the 1,600-strong team going to research the prices every morning and update their systems or will it be redundant after a while? The system covers hypermarkets, wet markets and sundry shops. Imagine the manpower and effort required to gather new prices everyday to be updated! With the many advertisements already offered by the hypermarkets in our newspapers everyday, will this be a wasted effort?

Internet access is widely available mainly to the urban population. Will these consumers really take the trouble to sit and surf for prices before they do their grocery shopping or will they just go to the most convenient supermarket or hypermarket to pick up their groceries?

For interested parties, the Price Watch Portal and Smart Consumer website for consumers to share shopping ideas and tips are available at these links:

Price Watch Portal
Smart Consumer

Photo credits

In an ironical twist, the sales of luxury goods have recorded increases everywhere while discount stores such as Woolworths have been forced to close. The demand for luxury goods appear to be almost unaffected and if anything, is benefitting from the global recession!

People are trading excess for excellence, superficiality for substance. Yet while trendy or midrange clothes chains like Saks Fifth Avenue are hurting, ultraclassics with reputations for quality are still going strong: LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, charted 4 percent growth for 2008, while Hermès hit 8 percent. (source)

Why is that the case? And should you buy luxury or expensive goods during this economic recession? Read on below.

Luxury Goods Last Longer

Today, there is an influx of cheap and disposable bags, shoes and clothing made in China but do they last? Often, these items last only several washes or wears before they start looking worn. Take a look at your own wardrobe and you might notice that items which continue to look good after several years would be the more expensive items simply because they are of better quality. So while they may be more expensive upfront, people are starting to switch back to buying quality over excesses because in the long run, these items will give them more value for money and long term savings.

Do the Math: 3 pairs of cheap shoes costing RM50 each which last only 3 months vs 1 pair of expensive shoes costing RM150 which will last you more than 2 years!

Luxury Goods Are More Comfortable

Cheap shoes are available in abundance today and can be bought for less than RM100 a pair. Their comfort, however, is often questionable as they just look nice without giving your feet the necessary support and comfort they require. Protect your feet and spend a little more on quality shoes to give your feet the comfort they deserve. Cheap shoes might save you some money now but not in the long run when you start developing health problems as a result of wearing them!

Luxury Goods Look Good

Take a look at your wardrobe again and think of what makes you feel like a million dollars or the shirt you always reach for when you need to impress. Luxury shirts or dresses are always better made and fit better to flatter your figure. A well-made designer suit is often made to measure and wonderful at hiding any body flaws. The material used is also of better quality and survives more wears and washes before it starts showing signs of age. Contrast this to cheaper clothes where the material starts thinning or aging after several washes. Or a cheap suit which is ill-fitting or accentuates your body flaws!

Luxury Goods Are Classic

The best part about most expensive or luxury goods is their classic designs that almost never go out of fashion. A vintage Gucci bag looks just as good today as it did 40 years ago. With classic designs and styles, you can almost never go wrong in selecting a bag which will suit you at every stage of your life!

Having said that, it doesn’t mean you should run out and blow your salary on luxury goods. The key is to go for quality rather than excesses and to consider a higher cost upfront for something that will last and make you look good. Tips on how to shop for luxury goods for less will be provided in coming articles!

New car park rates have been implemented in The Gardens, Mid Valley Megamall! Effective 2 Feb 2009, the Premier Zone will now cost RM5 for the first 3 hours on weekdays and a whopping RM7 on the weekends!

Now for the million dollar question…how many of you are willing to pay RM5 for the first 3 hours of parking there? Or would you rather circle round and round to look for a parking lot in the cheaper zones?

Leave your comments below!

Photo credits

Daiso is one of Japan’s best exports and finally, it is on our shores at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara! For those uninitiated, Daiso is similar to a cheaper Muji but with a wonderful fixed price of RM5 on every item in the store.

Daiso stocks a whole range of household and living concept products from Japan and has great storage and kitchen ideas, all for RM5. The store makes excellent browsing but do be careful when picking up your items to throw into your basket as each RM5 item does add up very quickly! So, here are some tips on how you can shop smart at Daiso, The Curve!

• Have a general idea of prices in other stores before you start shopping in Daiso as not everything there is cheaper. Some items such as chopsticks or files might be cheaper elsewhere.
• Do a final check on the items in your basket before you head for the check-out counters. Perhaps you might change your mind about that cute little plate that might not be so useful in your kitchen! Remember, that 10 little items from Daiso will set you back RM50!
• Go with some measurements of the storage boxes you are looking for to save you the cost and hassle of buying something that does not fit well. Goods sold at Daiso are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged.
• Check the items you are buying to ensure you understand how they can be used. The instructions of the Daiso products are usually in Japanese with minimal or bad English translations and I have personally bought stuff of which I had no idea of how I should use it!
• Try not to fall for the overly cute little Japanese items!  It is too easy to be tempted by an adorable dish washing sponge or the many funky stickers and notepaper Daiso stocks but remind yourself they each cost RM5!
• It pays to shop in Daiso without an empty stomach and not to go crazy on your first time there! It is too easy to go absolutely mad with its fantastic range of products and cute little items, especially its kitchen and bento accessories. Remember to breathe!

Daiso is a great and cheap place to look for quirky bathroom accessories, storage boxes, kitchen accessories and especially bento making products. The innovative and creative Japanese products they stock are really interesting and makes for a great weekend of browsing. Just remember those little tips above to ensure you don’t blow a huge hole in your pocket with many little RM5 items!

Happy Daiso-ing!

Daiso is located at:
Lot 209 / 210 / 211 / 212,
2nd Floor, The Curve,
Mutiara Damansara

Photo credits

The 2008 financial crisis has been a terribly far-reaching one throughout the entire industry. While many thought the collapse of banks was partly their own fault, the reality and effects of the crisis are painfully sinking in when Britain’s most loved retailer, Woolworths, closed its doors for the last time after over 100 years of business.

Although it was never known as an upmarket store, I have fond memories of Woolworths or “Woolies” as its affectionately known and it is very sad to see this iconic brand eventually succumb to the global financial crisis.

Read more about Woolworth’s last customers below.

In its final moments, this grand ol’ dame of British suffered the indignity of having its stores cleaned out by shoppers taking advantage of their closing down sales.

More than half the aisles were bare, but that was no matter: the shop fittings themselves were for sale, at £20 for a metal panel and £10 for shelf unit.

Shoppers barged between the shelves, tossing aside unwanted DVDs and knocking displays onto the floor before queuing patiently to pay at the till points for up to 20 minutes. It was like a very British version of looting. (source)

Saddled with debts of over £385 million, over 27,000 people are expected to lose their jobs in an already distressed economy (source).

Will there be more of these bad news to come as we herald in an uncertain new year? We certainly hope not.

Farewell Woolies.

Photo credits

Another 13 days to go to Christmas! Have you gotten your pretty Christmas dresses yet? Christmas isn’t just a time for children to dress up but its a time for all you pretty girls to shake out your Christmas frocks and get ready for Santa’s arrival!

Shopping, as a woman, is never easy. We don’t want to pay too much for a pretty dress yet we want something which is unique and comfortable. It’s so not chic to bump into someone wearing the exact same thing as you in a Christmas party…especially if they look better than you in it!

So, if you are looking for a pretty Christmas dress that will not break your bank, do read more below!

Paperdoll Online Boutique is just the place you want to go for your pretty Christmas dresses! Owned by a wonderfully bubbly enterpreneur, Jo, Paperdoll promises trendy, floral but so very affordable dresses (most of which are below RM100)!

How about this gorgeous black number this Christmas?

Your wonderful shopping experience with Paperdoll starts when you sign up for their free membership which entitles you to key in your vital statistics so Jo can correctly assess if the particular dress you have chosen fits you. I absolutely love this personalised service she provides as it takes away so much fear I used to have about online shopping. Once you have chosen the dress and paid for it, do look out for a beautifully wrapped package from Jo. Each dress is pressed before they are sent and tenderly wrapped in tissue paper to complete the whole shopping experience.

A gorgeous red velvet number perfect for Christmas and the coming Chinese New Year!

Even if you are plus sized, do not fret as Paperdoll caters for plus sized women who wish to indulge in floral and flirty numbers and feel great about themselves without having to pay too much.

So, for some savings this Christmas, take a peek at Paperdoll. You might just find the perfect outfit for that Christmas party you have!

Photo credits

Christmas is a wonderful season and everyone, regardless of religion or beliefs, often enjoy this time of the year. Shopping centres and retailers love this season even more as this is often their busiest time of the year as frenzied shoppers run around spending lots of money looking for the perfect gift for their loved ones.

However, some may feel the pinch a little this coming Christmas in light of the recent financial crisis and some may choose to set aside more cash savings as economists predict a tough year ahead in 2009. Whatever your reasons, here’s a tip for an affordable but wonderfully personalised Christmas gift that will definitely bring a smile to your recipient. Find out more below.

This Christmas, why not get them a photo frame with a nice photo of themselves or their loved ones? It is inexpensive but full of meaning!

For parents, why not take a pretty picture of their child and place it in a festive Christmas photo frame or even a simple Ikea photo frame?

For grandparents, they will definitely smile at a photo of their beloved grandchildren or a candid family shot.

And for your loved one, a spontaneous photo of both of you is sure to bring laughter on Christmas morning and will definitely earn a display place of honour!

Photo credits

Those with young children can get them involved in the gift. Simply give them their favourite colours or craft tools and let them loose with their creativity in decorating the photo frame!

After all, Christmas isn’t about expensive gifts but the meaning behind them

Photo credits

It’s less than a month to Christmas! Have you started ticking the days off your Advent calendar and your Christmas shopping already?

If you are still shopping, do stop before you pick up that overpriced Christmas wrapping paper or expensive gift tags. Often, once the aftermath of Christmas morning is over, all that remains of your expensive wrapping is a pile of rubbish and paper which will all be thrown away.

So, this Christmas, why not exercise some creativity and save on your Christmas wrapping with these great tips? Your recipients will love your creativity and you will love the savings you have made!

Kids artwork

Kids are naturally creative and what would bring more Christmas joy to a parent or grandparent then seeing their a home made gift and wrapper from their precious ones?

Photo credits

Start with a piece of brown paper and let your child stamp all over the paper with pretty stamps which are quite inexpensive from the craft stores. Alternatively, get them to exercise their creativity and decorate it with their crayons, glitter, beads and sparkly sequins. Wrap up the gift with this paper, finish up with a pretty ribbon and you have a beautiful and personalised wrapping paper at a fraction of the cost!

Tip: Older children can even make their own gift tags and cards to go with the gift.

More saving tips on Christmas wrapping below.

Fabric

Fabric makes a great alternative to wrapping paper with its different textures and colours. You can buy fabric scraps very cheaply from cloth shops like Kamdar or Nagoya Textiles. Trim it to the right size for your gift, finish up with a pretty bow and you have a beautiful and uniquely wrapped gift sitting right under the Christmas tree!

Photo credits

Tip: Fabric scraps are a great wrapper for odd-shaped presents!

Magazine advertisements

This is a great tip especially if you have lots of old magazines you are thinking of disposing. Simply remove the advertisement pages of your magazine to create your own funky and unique wrapping paper at almost zero cost! The glossy magazine pages make it a great wrapper!

If you don’t have magazines on hand, don’t fret because comic pages in your newspaper do more than making you laugh. They too make great wrappers and who knows, your gift recipient might find themselves laughing at the comics again too! If you are worried about your recipient’s fingers getting black and dirty from the ink, iron out the pages with a cool iron to set the ink.

Photo credits

Tip: Do try to look for colourful advertisements to add a burst of colours to your presents.

Gift bags

Some presents are given out in gift bags or gift boxes. These make beautiful packaging and often, all you need is a pretty ribbon to compliment the present. However, instead of throwing them away after you have taken out the gift, why not keep them to be recycled the following year?

Otherwise, unleash your creativity and create your own special gift bag easily with a paper bag and colours!

Photo credits

Tip: If recycling a gift bag, just ensure you do not give it back to the person who gave it to you!

Sweet wrappers

Stop before you throw away that crisps packet or sweet wrappers. Whoever would have thought they make great wrapping paper too? Often, sweet wrappers such as Mentos, Smarties and M&Ms come with lots of vibrant colours perfect for presents. Crisps and biscuit wrappers also make bright and lovely wrappers and are often made with glossy foil material which make it strong enough for wrapping. Simply clean them out, dry them and you’ll have a great wrapping idea that is environmentally friendly as well!

Tip: It will be best to use wrappers that are outside and separated from the crisps or biscuits with another foil layer to avoid grease stains.

Brown Paper

“Brown paper packages tied up with string, there are a few of my favourite things” – Sound of Music

Whoever said brown paper was boring? Some of the best gifts come in lovely brown paper packages tied up with pretty string! Brown paper is cheap and versatile. You can decorate it or colour it any way you wish or create an elegant package with plain brown paper.

Photo credits

Tip: Buy your brown paper in a large piece to wrap many gifts.

Christmas can be a highly stressful period for some who are determined to find the best gift for their loved ones and with all that stress, it is easy to end up spending a lot of money on gifts that may not be suitable. so before you go into a shopping frenzy, take a deep breath, shop smart for Christmas and save on your Christmas wrapping with these tips. Despite the economic doom and gloom, you can still have a great Christmas!

Do remember that the best Christmas gifts are not the most expensive but those that come from the heart.