Lifestyle & Hobbies Archives | Page 128 of 145

Save Up to 50% Every Time You Shop at Amazon

Yusho Liu, co-founder of CoinHako.com, dishes out the dirt on how to save money at the world’s largest online retail store.

Let’s get real. Amazon is a wonderland of everything I’ve ever wanted to buy — or didn’t know I needed until they suggested it. With a huge selection of goods being sold at competitive pricing — not to mention, their remarkable 2-day delivery — it was my go-to place for everything during my time in Silicon Valley — except for my sneakers.

Purse.io is a San Francisco based startup. Their investors include prominent members in the Bitcoin ecosystem, as well as several well known Silicon Valley funds.

As seen in the screenshot, Purse.io allows holders of Bitcoin to exchange Amazon credits with gift card owners through Purse’s escrow platform. I followed up with some due diligence to check the legitimacy of their platform and decided to give this a shot. I ordered a bottle of fish oil. Sure enough, I received my omega 3 caps and saved about a buck doing so.

Fast forward 3 months and I’m back in sunny Singapore settling down, where I’m busy getting operations started for my own startup — CoinHako. We make Bitcoin easy and accessible.

“Not having 2-day shipping stinks. I know. But maybe learning to save significantly on your Amazon purchases when in Singapore will make it stink less.”

1. Pick your items and place them in your wishlist

I’m sure you’ve been itching to get that latest book on pandas playing chess with gremlins right — because Amazon is Amazin.

2. Sign up for an account at Purse.io

It doesn’t take you more than 30 seconds for this step.

3. Import your Amazon Wishlist into Purse.io

Click on “Spend BTC” and import your wishlist by pasting the URL directly into the field. Click “Import” and a pop up box will appear as shown below. Follow the steps and click “Done”

4. Pick your discount and note down the total amount of Bitcoin (mBTC) required to make the purchase.

It seems like Purse has tiered the discounts based on total spending. This simply means that the more you order via Purse, the more discounts you get.. (UP TO 50%) This should be largely beneficial to people who conduct Mass Orders.

Remember to note down the amount of milli-Bitcoin you will have to purchase. In this case, 503 mBTC = 0.503 BTC

Do note that my receiving address is in Dayton, OH, which is my freight forwarder’s office. The major players in Singapore are Borderlinx, Vpost, Comgateway, 65daigou etc.

5. Create an account at your freight forwarder.

This will give you a local US address to ship to. If you are not too certain on how to use these services, there are instructions on their website.

6. Buy sufficient Bitcoin and place your order.

If you have a Singaporean bank account, head over to CoinHako.com and purchase just enough bitcoins for the purchase. I personally recommend buying a little more in case the price fluctuates. If you do not know how to purchase Bitcoin, please head over here.

Once the coins are in your wallet, send the coins out to YOUR designated wallet address.

My designated wallet address. Purse.io recommends 8% market buffer

7. Wait for transaction to be completed.

It will typically take about 30minutes for the transaction to be confirmed by the network. Once that is done, just wait till it arrives at your transit facility.

Now that you have completed your transaction for 0.503 BTC….

Let’s see how much money Purse & Bitcoin can save YOU.

Assuming that freight charges leaving Borderlinx is constant, I did some math for regular checkout (via Mastercard), and Purse.io

1. Cost via Mastercard

Based on Amazon’s rates, the total for both items:

USD163 = SGD231.03

2. Cost via Bitcoin @ 20% discount

0.503 BTC @ CoinHako’s rates:

~SGD180

Smart Nation Shopping, this is.

Imagine saving up to $200 for a $1000 purchase.

(Article contributed by Yusho Liu, founder of CoinHako)

4 Cheap And Awesome KTV Places in Singapore

One of the entertaining activities to do in Singapore is Karaoke. A Karaoke Television (KTV) is a musical machine that allows the people to sing along with the recorded music using a microphone and the lyrics flashed through the screen. Hence, KTV places are the perfect spots for friends and family who want to have fun while channeling their inner diva. Here are 4 of the best KTV places that offer cheap rates in Singapore…

1. TEN DOLLAR CLUB KTV

Dreaming of singing along popular KPop, Jpop, or MPop songs? Dream no more as Ten Dollar Club offers good Karaoke experience at affordable prices. A group of 3 or more people can enjoy singing for up to 5 hours by paying S$10 per person. This price is inclusive of free flowing drinks! Also, you can save a few more bucks, as you are free to bring and eat your own food inside the Karaoke room. Corporate events and birthday parties are welcome too.

Locations:

Aranda Country Club, 60 Pasir Ris Drive 3, Singapore 519497

35A Smith Street 3rd Floor Singapore 058945

Home Team NS-JOM, 31 Ah Hood Road Singapore 329979

2. PARTY WORLD KTV

Party World KTV, a brainchild of Eric Chan, consists of capacious and decorated rooms filled with quality audio equipments, speakers, and large LED screens. They offer wide array of songs enabling everyone to sing their hearts out. Students are able to enjoy their promotion of S$12 each on the weekdays and S$15 each on the weekend. This includes 3 hours of stay with 2 beverages each. All you have to do is to present your student card upon reception.

Location:

177 River Valley Road, Liang Court, Singapore 179030

3. TANG MUSIC BOX

What separate Tang Music Box from the rest are their contemporary interiors. Their rooms are suited with materials such as exotic tiles, exposed bricks, and untreated woods. You get a choice of whether you want to spend hours on the Mini (1-3 pax), Small (3-6 pax), Medium (6-10 pax), Large (11-18 pax), Premier (19-25 pax), and Club room (26-40 pax). The prices are as low as S$10 per person. Also, you can purchase food (e.g., liquor or snacks) at their store called “The Meeting Place”.

Location:

3B River Valley Road, #02-03/04, The Foundry, Singapore 179021

4. TEO HENG KTV STUDIO

Probably one of the well-known places for belting out your favorite Karaoke song is the Teo Heng KTV studio. Not only do they offer good quality KTV experience but they are also considered as one of the cheapest in the market today. This is because they charge by the room instead of by the number of person in it. Prices range from S$8-18 per hour. So, imagine having the maximum of 10 people in a room, that will equate to about S$2-5 per person for a 3-hour session. Now, you can sing freely for hours at a surprisingly good price!

Locations:

7 outlets islandwide, visit here for more details.

Image Credits: Savio Sebastian via Flickr

5 Ways To Have Flawless Skin For Less

Skip Skin or Face Treatments that cost for more than S$300 by rejuvenating your skin with simple kitchen ingredients available at your own home. Isn’t it amazing that you can get flawless skin for less?

1. FIGHT BUG BITES, PIMPLES, AND RASHES

Aside from cleaning your teeth or fixing small holes in your walls, toothpaste can be used as a handy tool to remove bug bites, reduce pimples, and eliminate itchy skin rashes. All you have to do is apply an ample amount of plain white toothpaste on your bug bites or pimple and allow it to stay on your skin over night. Rinse it off immediately in the morning.

2. FRESHEN YOUR SKIN

Consisting of 95% water, it comes as no surprise that cucumbers help freshen and moisturize the skin. Also, cucumber pulp can help improve your skin’s complexion especially if you have redness or irritation. So, place at least two cucumber slices in a plastic bag and let it freeze in the fridge overnight. Remove it from the fridge the next morning and place two slices in your eyes for 10 minutes. Guaranteed instant freshness and less puffy eyes indeed!

3. EXFOLIATE YOUR SKIN

Coffee is not only delicious but also skin smoothening. Exfoliate your skin by mixing coffee grounds with your body lotion. Just dip a wet cloth into your leftover coffee grounds. Massage it from your neck down to your body to wash off the dead skin.

4. REDUCE ACNE, WRINKLES, AND AGE SPOTS

A natural antiseptic (i.e., prevents the growth of disease-causing microorganisms), sea salt helps to reduce acne, wrinkles, and age spots. What a powerful ingredient! Try it at home by adding one tablespoon of sea salt in a 16-ounce bottle of warm water. Spray the solution to a cloth then apply it on your skin. Buy the Origins organic sea salt (500g) for only S$2.80 at Natural.sg.

5. HELP MAKE SKIN LESS OILY

Lemon and sugar are the perfect duo to help make your skin less oily. Like sea salt, lemon is a natural antiseptic that is good for removing bacteria and dirt from the pores. While sugar acts as an active ingredient to open up the pores so that the lemon’s juice can seep in. Simply use half of the lemon and sprinkle sugar on top. Apply this on your face to help get rid of blackheads and acne – leaving you to look more radiant than ever before!

Image Credits: Heather via Flickr

Sources: AllYou and Lifehack

12 Hot Groupon Deals That Are Trending Now

If you might have been aware, Groupon is having a 3 hours sale for 3 days (14 – 16 Apr 2015) from 10AM to 1PM. (Today is the last day!) Shoppers can enjoy an ADDITIONAL 10% to 20% discount on their shopping by using the discount code “3HOURSALE” when you check out your cart.

Most deals are already heavily discounted, so this additional discount makes the deal even sweeter.

Let’s get shopping savvy by finding out what are the current deals that are trending on Groupon. We have listed 12 of them, of which most are dining deals (Singaporeans love to eat!), with the most popular deals first!

1. Paradise Inn (6,916 Bought!)

Nothing beats dining at Paradise Inn where you get to enjoy a range of delectable chinese cuisines headed by executive chefs. You must try the crisp-fried crystal prawn with pork floss when you are there!

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1ziDH8j

2. Tai Parfait (6,769 Bought!)

How awesome can it gets when you get another Taiyaki for free? You save $6, the cost of one piece, in this 1-for-1 Tai Parfait deal. Bring a friend along and share the goodness of a parfait topped on to your Japanese cake.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1H9DJpg

3. Peranakan Buffet at Hotel Grand Pacific (5,799 Bought!)

When i heard that Peranakan Food are one of the most traditional yet tasty food around, i was delighted to see this deal on Groupon. When you combine the Chinese, Malay and Indonesian cuisines together, you get a scrumptious spread of food on the table. The buffet at Hotel Grand Pacific means you can eat and try all you want from babi ponteh to ayam buah keluak.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1yx1Jl7

4. Ice Skating at The Rink (5,744 Bought!)

Have you tried the ice skating rink at JCube? Whenever you do your shopping there, don’t you feel envious when you see a group of happy people skating in the rink? Now you can, with the deal from Groupon, that makes it MUCH cheaper and affordable to skate now. Almost at half its price, you can skate for 2 hours at just $8.00.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1PQlk4S

5. Churchill Italian Single Size Bedding Set (4,326 Bought!)

I’m not a household person, but when i saw this bedding set deal on Groupon and the amount of hype it’s getting, i thought it might be a good addition to the list.

Soft, flexible and comfy tinsel for breathing material for improving sleeping quality

As we spend most of our time sleeping, i don’t mind exchanging my dollars for a better sleeping quality.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1OgTrPS

6. The Manhattan Fish Market (3,543 Bought!)

Need i say more?

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1cxi7rL

7. Howards Storage World Cash Voucher (3,220 Bought!)

As a standard unit is getting smaller each day, you would need to maximize the space that you have in your house with efficient storage methods. Howards Storage World lets you do that by organizing your mess into neat shelves, drawers and more. Now get clutter-free and not only you save space, you save money with this deal.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1E3WP1c

8. Oromo Coffee’s All-Day Breakfast (2,955 Bought!)

Located at Shaw Tower, Oromo Coffee aims to start your day with a hearty breakfast that comes with a drink. You save more than half the price by purchasing this deal.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1FViYvT

9. Original Apple Lightning Cable (2,938 Bought!)

You need to sync your iPhone or Apple products with your laptop? Now get the real deal when you can get it for cheap from $18.80.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1HvErhg

10. Philips Air Fryer (2,735 Bought!)

You love your fried chicken and fried food, but hates the calories that come with it? How about airfrying your food when it purportedly claims that you gets up to 80% less fat from the standard cooking method?

The Airfryer can make nearly anything – and fast. From fried chicken to french fries to breakfast muffins, with less fat and more nutrition. The airfryer’s ability to fry, roast, bake or grill makes it almost unbelievable: that is, until you’ve tried.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1H9Ebno

11. Straits Cafe International Buffet (1,811 Bought!)

The moment i saw someone slurping down those oysters and picking on those snow crabs from the window yesterday (15 Apr 2015), i know it’s a hidden treasure along Bras Basah road. I got to admit i stretched the list from a top 10 to a top 12 list because i need to add this buffet deal which you can get at a bargain. Here’s your chance to savour these sea delights from mussels, scallops, gong gong, tiger prawns to oysters and snow crabs.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1CQ1SuI

12. Bluetooth Smart Watch U8 (1,772 Bought!)

Who say you need to get the latest Apple Watch? This Bluetooth Smart Watch allows you to take calls from your wrist, play the music from your phone besides telling you the time. Get it now from $39 at Groupon.

Purchase it here: http://bit.ly/1b4Rv0E

I have round up these 12 items to make it easier for your purchase, just click on the image which it will redirect you to the product page. Just don’t forget to enter the promo code: “3HOURSALE” from now till 1PM” to get an additional 10% to 20% discount on top of your purchase.

4 Ways To Get Cheap And Beautiful Hair Coloring Services In Singapore

There are days when you just want to reinvent your look and go wild with different hair colors. But, not all hair services in Singapore are cheap! Some may cost you over S$200. Fortunately, there are other ways to tell your beautiful story with your hair as the canvas…

1. INDULGE ON GROUPON

GROUPON is probably my all time favorite shopping companion. Used by many Singaporeans, GROUPON is a website that offers discounted deals on events, luxury goods, bags, watches, beauty products, lifestyle services, and getaways. I recommend going for these current deals below that range for only S$23-48.

a. S$23, avail here – Clementi: L’Oreal/MSK Ampoule Hair Colour / Highlights + Treatment + Hair Ampoule

b. S$23, avail here – Toa Payoh: Vibrant Clairol Hair Colouring / Creative Highlights + Magic Spa Treatment

c. S$38, avail here – Orchard: Hair Colour / Highlights + Wash & Blow

d. S$48, avail here – Somerset: Shiseido Hair Colouring / Highlights + Wash & Blow

Styling, highlights, blow dry, and treatment at a fair price brought to you by GROUPON! You can conveniently pay through for Debit/ Credit Card, Paypal or American Express.

2. TRY SHOPPING ON Qoo10

Aside from GROUPON, Qoo10 is a popular website portal for diverse sellers around the world. The ongoing Qoo10 e-Ticket sold by Organic Hair Professional Singapore can save you up to S$93 on hair coloring! With this e-Ticket, you can avail 90 minutes of cut, wash, blow dry, and organic hair coloring for only S$48. What’s more? They have 7 locations islandwide!

3. LOOK FOR PROMOTIONS

Still have your heart set on the best salons in Singapore such as Salon Vim, Artica Hair Studio, and Toni & Guy Essensuals Hairdressing? The good news is that these salons offer promotions for haircut, treatment, and hair coloring every once in a while.

For example, you can get the Artica‘s Express Package including hair coloring and protein treatment for S$88 or the Essensuals hair coloring, cut, and treatment for S$148. Only Artica Hair Studio and Toni & Guy Essensuals Hairdressing have available promotions at the moment. But, you may keep an eye on Salon Vim’s promotions at salonvim.com/promotions.

4. LASTLY, SELF-SERVICE

If your budget for hair coloring is less than S$16 then, try the magical services provided by you! At your own speed and mixture, you can achieve a new hair color by spending as low as S$7.90 for a box of Revlon ColorSilk or as high as S$15.90 for a box of a Liese Blaune Treatment Cream Color. These are available at all Watsons outlets. Watch this short “How to Dye Your Hair at Home” video to guide you.

1. Pick your items and place them in your wishlist

2. Sign up for an account at Purse.io

3. Import your Amazon Wishlist into Purse.io

4. Pick your discount and note down the total amount of Bitcoin (mBTC) required to make the purchase.

5. Create an account at your freight forwarder.

6. Buy sufficient Bitcoin and place your order.

7. Wait for transaction to be completed.

Let’s see how much money Purse & Bitcoin can save YOU.

1. Cost via Mastercard

USD163 = SGD231.03

2. Cost via Bitcoin @ 20% discount

0.503 BTC @ CoinHako’s rates:

~SGD180

Smart Nation Shopping, this is.

(Article contributed by Yusho Liu, founder of CoinHako)

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