Stretching your dollar (Part 1)

Some friends have requested that I share with others how I save money buying anything from daily household items to holidays. Basically, I find it fun to look for such deals or promotions and I don't mind sharing... just that I'll just share what I can remember as I go along.
[ disclaimer : I'm not in anyway affiliated with any of the website / apps that I am sharing and opinions are my own. Also, links below are not referral links. I'm not doing this for referral money. ]

First up - before buying anything
I have many adhoc purchases but if I'm not in a hurry, I'd check out some of the following:

Singpromos - I like this website because of its easy interface. There are various filters like onoing / upcoming / started or ends today. They also classify according to categories like Department Stores, online stores etc or Footwear.

Pros: easy interface to search
Cons: many bank advertisements to sign up for credit cards

Shopback - This is an online rebate system that lets you cash out accumulated rebates once it exceeds S$10 directly to a bank account. How this works is that you go to Shopback website, find the merchant you want to buy from (check out the Visa option too for an additional 1%) and click to access the merchant's website.
Fastest cashback I've experienced was using it for Cotton On (no longer a merchant with Shopback) purchases when I got the money in 2 days. Usually it takes 60 to 90 days. I've more than S$300 cashed out since I started more than a year ago. I've used Shopback for purchases at : Cotton On, Redmart, Expedia, BusOnlineTicket, Easybook, Lazada, Guardian, Groupon, Fave, Taobao, Qoo10, Ezbuy etc though some of these are no longer with Shopback.

Tip: install the shopback buddy on your browser to get instant notification if the website supports Shopback
Pros: high cashback during promotions (get the email notification to be in the know)
Cons: missing cashback - I encountered this several times. Easy to initiate an investigation but sometimes it takes up to 60 days and the record was actually wiped out before any conclusion. However, I still continue to use because I consider cashback as a bonus and not a requirement.

Ebates - I don't use this. I tried once and it didn't work so I gave up. Maybe next time...

Qoo10 - I installed this app on my phone so I can go to the Q-lounge daily to click attendance. They give increasing Qpoints every 6th day of attendance so you can claim up to 190 (?) Qpoints which is equivalent to $1.90 credit (redeemable as whole dollars though). Each attendance is also a chance at the wheel where you can get more Qpoints or discount vouchers. Check out the Mameball event too, to play a game similar to Pokemon Go to catch brandmons to exchange for more Qpoints or buy selected items at a further discount. Exchange selected brandmons for even more Qpoints.
Gmarket Korea also has a similar programme.

Tips: the $2 off a $15 item can also be used for accumulated items, eg. you can use the $2 if you buy 3 quantities of the same $5 item. Install Live10 app and collect more vouchers other than the event ones. Discounts can be as high as
Pros: many promotions.
Cons: conditional vouchers

Fuzzie - I discovered Fuzzie gift cards recently. I like it's instant rebate because the rebate is instantly subtracted and I only pay the difference but I don't like it because it makes me want to buy more. LOL. They have cards for various merchants and because it is relatively new, some of the staff at these merchants don't quite know how to redeem from the phone.
I've bought : Lazada, Althea, Books Depository, Ezbuy

Taobao - they also have a loyalty points programme where you can collect points to offset final purchase price of selected items. Number of points increases from 5 by 5 points to a maximum of 30 if you collect daily.

Ezbuy - collect ecoins. Can't be used for offsetting price. Only for lottery chance of winning more ecoins or vouchers.

That's all for now...

Malacca Travels

We've been to Malacca a few times, returning only yesterday from the most recent trip. I wasn't able to find much craft stuff there. There was a fabric shop or two, mostly selling either dress or curtain fabric. Else there is Daiso.

Just want to blog some points about Malacca.

• Cendol opposite the red square - they used to open at 9am, then 10am, now they open at 11 sometimes. They've also diversified and are selling watermelon with the inside juiced with a handheld blender.
• Claypot rice at the Mahkota Parade foodcourt - Just follow the smells or look out for the long queue. Value for money claypot cooked in a flash.
• Ee Ji Ban Chicken Rice Ball - we have eaten there every trip, sometimes a few times in a trip. DS and DD like the vegetables and the cincalok omelette. I prefer this to the Farmosa because the chicken rice balls here are hand formed and thus not so tightly packed like the golf balls in Farmosa. We chanced upon it while roaming near Hotel Equatorial.
• LW pineapple tarts - they have several outlets but we go to the one that displays the world record pineapple tart near the stage at the end of Jonker street.
• Banya Peranakan food - not too bad for the buah keluak but this is a halal restaurant
• Tastebetter durian puffs - stuff one into your mouth for a new experience. Get these from the shop near the stage at Jonker street and not from the basement outlet at Dataran Palawan which sells dried out puffs.
• Unicorn Cafe - recent find. Babi pongteh is a must.
• Brands outlet and Padini - DS' favourite shopping places
• Cotton On and Nichii - DD's favourite shopping places

We've always stayed at Mahkota Parade Hotel but we're not going back there anymore.

• Pros - huge room with 2 bedrooms and 2 toilets, sitting room and kitchenette
• Cons - crossing the road to Mahkota Parade, pathetic state of rooms (most recent stay)

Cost is around S$150 per pax for 3D2N F&E if you go through the agent but S$100 if you DIY. For this last trip I used bookticketonline.com and Expedia.

• Bookticketonline - I missed out on the Big Box trips because I wanted to wait for Black Friday deals. We ended up using Boon Lay shopping centre instead. Finding the unit to get bus details was a bit unnerving at first because I couldn't find the unit. The numbering of the units in the shopping centre is a bit odd. They are not in running order. The trip there had a stop for breakfast which didn't happen with the previous trip. Then we were caught off-guard with insufficient food. The return trip was also worrying and it didn't help that the lady at the counter made a comment that she was surprised that there was a Holiday Inn stop and asked me to call should the bus not appear. It did appear, but as a Five Stars bus (more comfortable than Konsortium) though I noticed the smaller travel agency sticker later. Both bus trips ended and started at Holiday Inn which is next to Mahkota because I couldn't get one that did.
• Expedia - so many deals available. Ended paying less for the room than the coach rides. Checking in was hassle free. I'd try Expedia again.

Changing of SGD there is also easy. It starts from S$2 but you'll get a bad rate. There are also credit card promos and DD's Popular card worked in Mahkota.

Tourist privilege card at Mahkota used to be much better but now we don't bother much. Perhaps for the bowling next time...

Getting local products is easy, either at the pink shop up north from the red square else at San Shu Gong which has outlets at Jonker Street and Dataran Palawan.

That's all for now. Have a safe trip always...