10 Rakuten Hacks To Help You Save On Your Shopping

Rakuten Online Shopping Hacks

Shopping is Entertainment. That’s the slogan for Japan’s No.1 online shopping Mall Rakuten.

Launched in Singapore in 2014, Rakuten believes that shopping should be a fun experience, and they do so by creating an engaging environment for customers to do their shopping. Besides providing a platform for retailers to showcase their products, there are various interactive campaigns for shoppers.

The Rakuten Super Points was introduced as a reward program where customers can earn points to help save on their next purchase. Just like how airlines reward travellers with frequent flyer miles, Rakuten Super Points is awarded every time you make a purchase.

Rakuten carries over 330,000 goods from close to 500 merchants, with more than half of the retailers from Japan. Start your retail therapy with Rakuten today as we put together 10 Rakuten shopping hacks to help you be a smart shopper and save on your next purchase.

1. Bookmark the Deals page

This is one of the most important page you need on Rakuten. It showcases thousand of deals at up to 80% off and Buy 1 Get 1 free. It also includes a range of items from categories such as Food & Beverages, Health & Beauty, Electronics, Travel & Living, Women Apparels and many more.

*Tip: Simply drag the image below and place it in your Bookmark Toolbar on your browser.

Rakuten Deals Corner

2. Rebates, rebates and more rebates

Every dollar spent will earn you 1 Super Point and 100 Super Points = S$1 discount.

Accumulate your Rakuten Super Points to become a privileged Gold Member and once you achieved this milestone, there will be special perks and secret coupons mailed to you periodically! For example, Gold Member is eligible for the surprise Golden Member Days where you get a 24-hour Rakuten Super Points Day with exclusive discounts!

Rakuten Super Points

Update: Rakuten has recently launched a 5x Rakuten Super Point-back programme to help you accumulate your points faster. Every dollar spent will now earn you a whopping 5 Super Points (rather than 1) and that is equivalent to an impressive 5% rebate on any products, on any day.

5X Super points banner

Tip: Look out for Bonus Super Points Promotion Campaigns, Rakuten will reward you with 20x, 30x, 40x, etc, Bonus Super Points to help you save even more. 

3. Shop on Tuesday

TGIT. Thanks God It’s Tuesday! Every Tuesday, you can enjoy an additional 5% off your shopping if you pay with your MasterCard.

Tip: Remove all the MasterCard sitting in your wallet. Find out which of these cards provide more points or rewards when you charge your online purchase.

4. Shop from Ebates

Haven’t heard of Ebates? You have been missing out where everyone’s cashing in. Ebates is a cashback website that helps you stretch your dollar on your online shopping from over 300+ online retailers such as Groupon, Redmart, Foodpanda and more. Is Rakuten included in their cashback scheme? You bet. Register with an account with them and shop from their platform to earn an additional 5% cashback on your purchase.

ebate

5. Subscribe to Rakuten’s Newsletters and Follow Them on Facebook & Twitter

Be the first among your peers to know of the latest promotions and contests! Rakuten is on Facebook and Twitter, so follow them closely on their social media accounts and sometimes it pays to be kiasu!

Rakuten Singapore Facebook Post

You would have missed out on a chance to participate in their contest if you’ve spent $190 — $10 short to earn 1,000 Rakuten Super Points! Don’t miss out on such opportunities and start following them on Facebook!

Tip: There’s a $288 Rakuten Super Points giveaway today on 14/1 if you simply like their page, share and comment on the pinned post today. Otherwise, there’s also the Win a Free Trip to Shizuoka, Japan contest ongoing until 20/1.

6. Be a smart shopper: Know what to shop on Rakuten

If you have been a savvy shopper, you know what are the best deals to buy at Rakuten. But what if you don’t? Don’t worry, we have done the homework for you.

  • Mega Discount Store: Because of Rakuten’s generous 5% cashback from its Super Points (+ additional cashback from credit cards), it makes purchasing big ticket items attractive. That means you can essentially save up to hundred of dollars when you buy home appliances such as refrigerators, LED TV and massage chairs.
  • Snaffle’s: Being a fan of Hokkaido’s catch cakes, Snaffle’s is one of my favourite store on Rakuten. Although they have physical stores in Singapore, you rarely see their catch cakes on promotion. However, if you have been following them on their online store, you can actually snag a deal at times when they are running their 1-for-1 catch cakes promotion, 20% off, free delivery and other bundled discounts.
  • Henri Charpentier: When French-inspired Japanese patisserie Henri Charpentier opened their first online shop at Rakuten late last year, i was jumping for joy. I no longer have to travel to the inaccessible Dempsey Hill to satisfy my craving for their famed financiers and madeleines. I can simply order at the comfort of my own home or office, and with a few clicks, i can get it delivered to my place fuss-free.
  • TokiChoi: Fast fashion label Toki Choi (東京著衣) is a popular fashion brand in Taiwan. Their fashion collections are a hit amongst the ladies, as they are reasonably priced for their quality! Look out for their $9.90 or 50% off campaign! TokiChoi, with its original designs and vast selections at reasonable prices could give local blogshops a run for its money.
  • NanoJapan: Ladies would love this. NanoJapan brings in quality beauty & health products directly from their Japan’s factory. Their beauty collagens has received good reviews so far and a trial can can be bought for just $39.90. For the month of January, you can get 1 can at the price of $39.90 and $36.90 per can for a set of 4! Wow!
  • Soup Stock Tokyo: Fans of Japan food chain Soup Stock Tokyo rejoice! They not only have an outlet at 313 Somerset but are also retailing their frozen soup stock exclusively on Rakuten. Get your hands on the CNY trial sets retailing at only $14 now!

Tip: Check out the Top 100 Best Sellers to see what are the popular items on Rakuten.

7. Use the right credit card

There are several cards you can use to enjoy additional perks when shopping at Rakuten:

  • Citi Rewards Card: 10% off storewide with code “RTCITI10” (max discount $50)
  • Standard Chartered SingPost Platinum Visa Credit Card: 7% cash rebate (min $600 spend a month)
  • DBS Live Fresh Platinum Card: 6% cash rebate (min $500 spend a month)
  • MasterCard (any banks): 5% off storewide on Tuesday + any points or rewards from your bank

Tip: Tuesday: Any MasterCard | Other days: Citi Rewards Card, Standard Chartered SingPost Platinum Visa Credit Card or DBS Live Fresh Platinum Card

8. Make full use of free shipping

Don’t want to pay for shipping cost? Several merchants on Rakuten offers free shipping with no minimum amount, so if you are the type of shopper that want to maximize your dollar, you can shop at their Free Shipping page. Rakuten will display all the products that are eligible for free shipping.

Rakuten Free Shipping Promotion

Tip 1: Save on shipping cost by combining orders with your friends or colleague. Some stores offer free shipping when you make a minimum spend. The key here is to buy in bulk for items such as diapers, ramen, rice seasoning, etc. 

Tip 2: Most free shipping are on weekend so look out for weekend campaigns! 

9. Do your homework. Use Price Panda or Priceme

Don’t shortchange yourself. With many e-commerce platforms online, make sure the item you want is competitively priced. I personally use Price Panda or Priceme to compare the price to see if i’m getting the best deal. And often, Rakuten seems to edge because of the various cashback, rebates and offers.

Take for example:

The GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition is retailing at S$750 at both Courts and Challenger according to Priceme.

Lazada GoPro

(Click to enlarge)

The cheapest set displayed on Priceme: Lazada at S$619

(Click to enlarge)

(Click to enlarge)

Galaxy on Rakuten is selling it at S$650

Although it may seems cheaper at Lazada, it is an export set that doesn’t come with warranty. Whereas, the one by Galaxy (Rakuten) comes with a 1 year local agent warranty. And that is not all – Rakuten also offers 5X Rakuten Super Points which is equivalent to a 5% cash rebates. This works out to be a $32.50 discount which brings the total nett price to S$617.50! Now, which is more value for money?

*Tip: Charge your purchase with a a MasterCard and get an additional 5% discount on Tuesday + Points or rewards from your bank

10. Don’t miss out the Shop Campaigns

You thought that Rakuten’s campaigns was mindblowing? What if i say stores can run additional campaigns on top of Rakuten’s campaigns? Keep your eyes peeled when you visit a store’s page. There are certain campaigns run by stores and this include giving away free gifts and voucher when you make a purchase.

For example, Mega Discount Store is currently giving away freebies such as free bread maker and $50 voucher when you purchase certain promotional items from their shop.

Store Campaign

Tip: Subscribe to individual stores to get the latest updates on campaigns and promotions.

We hope you find these hacks useful!

To get your started, we have collaborated with Rakuten in the MoneyDigest X Rakuten Super Points Giveaway. 2,000 Rakuten Super Points (worth $20) will be given away to our readers who have yet to sign up for a free account at Rakuten. Do note that only the first 25 valid entries qualify.

Steps:

  1. Open a new tab in your browser and go to www.rakuten.com.sg
  2. Input the email address you used to register on Rakuten.com.sg on this form: http://goo.gl/forms/vpwFJRTMsZ

Terms & Conditions

  • Only new member accounts qualify
  • Contest runs from 14 Jan 2016 to 10 Feb 2016.
  • Points will be credited into your member account on 22 Feb 2016.
  • Points will expire if not utilised within two months
  • Rakuten reserves the right not to award points to accounts deemed as fraudulent.

(This post is brought to you by Rakuten Singapore.)

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Delicious And Affordable Places For Korean Soft Serves In Singapore

The unwavering popularity of K-Pop and Korean dramas brought forth the satisfying dessert called soft serve.

Soft serve, a type of ice cream, is perfect for the sunny Singapore climate and its increasing health conscious inhabitants. It is generally lighter, smoother, and creamier than the regular ice cream because of the air introduced during freezing. Due to its formulation, soft serve ice cream melts rather quickly so you must eat lick its goodness rather quickly. Worry not if you consume more than expected as it has generally less milk-fat than regular ice cream.

Inexpensive does not always come with bad taste if you know the right places to look. That being said, here are 3 delicious yet affordable places to satisfy your hunger for Korean soft serves…

1. THE POPULAR ONE

Boasting with lengthy queues daily, Honey Crème’s soft serves are silky and rich. Showing a balance between flavors, all the ingredients are mixed well together by the hand to give a smooth consistency. Customers can avail occasional flavors aside from its classic flavors such as Caramel Popcorn, Comb Honey, Affogato, and Organic Mixed Grains.

If you are a fan or cotton candy or fairy floss, their nice spins are made with organic sugar and natural flavoring. Furthermore, it is stuffed with Italian rock salt to give a twist and even out the sweetness of both the ice cream and the cotton candy.

Price Range: S$5.50 – S$6.50

Locations: 313 Orchard Road, #01-37, Singapore 238895 ; 50 Jurong Gateway Road #B1-06, Singapore 608549

2. THE ORGANIC TEMPTATION

Hailing from South Korea, Milkcow offers ice cream made with 100% organic milk from Italian farms. Much like Honey Crème, Milkcow has a loyal following that proves how addicting their products are.

With 14 special flavors, Milkcow’s wide selection of sort serves can be topped with organic honeycomb, cotton candy, fruits, jelly beans, chocolate syrup, and so much more. And if you are confused on which flavors to purchase, consider trying Snow Drop, Milky Peace, and Milky Cube.

Price Range: S$4.90 – S$6.50 (Soft Serves) and S$1.00 – S$2.00 (Toppings)

Locations: 8 locations nationwide, visit milkcow.sg for more information.

3. THE RISING STAR

Sweet Monster is the new Korean soft serve on the block. With its adorable characters, unique flavors, quality ingredients, and American festival vibes – you are sure to have a wonderfully satisfying experience!

Feast your eyes on their visually pleasing Popcorn Ice Cream (S$6.80) that is in complete dichotomy in taste, texture, and temperature. Is it sweet or salty? Is it crunchy or smooth? Is it hot or cold? Find the answers to these questions yourself by heading to one of their outlets.


Price Range: S$4.80 – $6.80 (Soft Serves) and S$8-8.30 (Cake Ice Cream)

Locations: Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Road, #B2-49, Singapore 238839 ; Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria Street, #M01-K1, Singapore 188021
Sources: 1 & 2

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Budget-Friendly Skin Care Tips That Experts Recommend

Dreaming of fresh, glowing, and youthful skin without the need to spend hundreds of dollars on expert services?

Skip fancy skin treatments by rejuvenating your skin with five simple skin care tips that beauty professionals do themselves.

1. BE GENTLE

Regular shaving and cleansing can damage your skin so lower its intensity by avoiding strong soaps and by shaving cautiously. Strongly formulated soaps can remove oil from your skin. So, use mild cleansers especially with your face.

Shaving cautiously entails protecting your skin by adding another layer of lotion, shaving cream, or gel before shaving. Also, you must shave in the direction of your hair growth and not against it.

2. STAY PROTECTED

Dermatologist Lisa Garner, the former president of Women’s Dermatologic Society, often fills her palm with about half a teaspoon of sunscreen to cover her face, ears, and neck. To keep your skin youthful, stay protected by using broad-spectrum sunscreens with SPF 30 or higher.

Image Credits: instagram.com/p/31AA7yD6vf via @agoncilloanna

Image Credits: instagram.com via @agoncilloanna

Reapply every two hours particularly if you are perspiring or swimming.

3. FRESHEN UP

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.

Just 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 is in store!

4. QUIT SMOKING

One of the best ways to protect your skin is to quit smoking. According to research, smoking narrows the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin, which diminishes the blood flow. This exhausts the skin’s supply of oxygen and nutrients leading to “older-looking skin” and more wrinkles. Furthermore, smoking damages the elastin and collagen – important fibers to give your skin elasticity and strength.

5. SOOTHE IRRITATION

Dermatologist Jeanine Downie shares that frozen peas can help soothe irritated and itchy eyes. Simply put the bag of frozen peas on your eyelids for about five minutes.

The coldness of these veggies can help reduce the swelling. Compared with ice packs, frozen peas easily follows the shape of your eyes and leads to a quicker relaxing effect.

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Image Credits: pixabay.com (License: CC0 Public Domain)

Sources: 1 & 2

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Best Places To Buy Affordable Footwear In Singapore

The iconic man behind the red-lacquered soles once said:

“A shoe is not only a design, but it is a part of your body language, the way you walk. The way you are going to move is quite dictated by your shoes.”

I could not agree more with the words muttered by the talented French designer that is Christian Louboutin. More than just for its aesthetic purposes, the right type of shoes take you to the right places. For instance, if you want to survive a 6-hour hike, would you wear heels? Of course not.

Words cannot describe how much I adore shoes. But as much as I am fond of them, purchasing footwear in Singapore can get a tad pricey. Fortunately, there are places where you can find premium footwear at the discounted prices. Check out the list below!

FOR RUNNING SHOES

Since exercise shoes are often subjected to wear and tear, finding factory outlets of quality brands is a must. Consider going to Changi City Point or IMM malls.

At Changi City Point, you can go crazy for discounted running shoes and other sporting goods (e.g., apparel and accessories) courtesy of Nike Factory Store, Adidas Outlet, and New Balance Outlet. Depending on the store, discounts can go up to 70%!

At IMM, you can take advantage of the previous season’s sporting products that are not limited to just one brand. From running shoes to goggles and exercise attire, discounts at Royal Sporting House Outlet can go as high as 70%!

FOR FLIP-FLOPS

As we live in a tropical country, it is unavoidable to be decked out in casual and breezy attire. Complementing this look is a trusty flip-flops or sandals.

For convenient yet inexpensive shopping, go to Lazada.sg. Lazada.sg, one of Singapore’s popular online shopping website, offers a wide selection of flip-flops for both sexes. Men can enjoy sandals that go as low as S$6 with discounts as high as 76%. While women can enjoy it for as low as S$4.90 with discounts as high as 79%.

I was amazed that the famous Brazilian Havaianas is sold at S$22.90 (unisex) – saving you about 43%!

Screen-grabbed from lazada.sg/havaianas-brazil-series-flip-flops-white-2568893.html

Screen-grabbed from lazada.sg

FOR OFFICE SHOES

Founded by the siblings Charles and Keith Wong, Charles & Keith aims to create innovative and contemporary footwear that are entirely wallet-friendly. Almost every Singaporean owns or at least knows the brand. Ranging from S$30 to 170, their footwear carry sizes up to 41.

Sure you can find this brand at almost every shopping mall in Singapore, but if you want to purchase work-appropriate shoes for a fraction off, visit IMM.

Image Credits: facebook.com/charleskeithofficial

Image Credits: facebook.com/charleskeithofficial

 

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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Money-Saving Fashion Resolutions You Must Keep

1. RECYCLE MORE OFTEN

You can recycle your gorgeously patterned old clothes by sewing it into pillowcases or teapot covers. On the flip side, you can accept mint condition hand-me-downs from family and friends especially those who have baby clothes or infant toys. Do not be too picky! These said items are not utilized a lot since babies grow significantly every day anyway.

2. REFRAIN FROM USING CARDS

A surefire way to save money while shopping is to leave your credit cards at home. Only bring the substantial amount of cash you saved up for rewarding yourself. By doing so, you will only be purchasing things you actually afford!

3. GO BACK TO THE BASICS

If you are aiming to make your affordable clothes appear lavish, it is best to go for the basics and to avoid handbags or clothes that are filled with bargain embellishments or distressed denim patterns. If you want to accessorize, opt for a thick bracelet rather than stacking three little ones to increase the outfit’s impact. Remember: the sleeker and simpler – the better.

4. GET FIT

No! This does not involve spending countless hours at the gym. Instead, it involves purchasing the fitting size for your blazers, bras, hats, and so on

Purchasing the right size entails not having to exchange or return the product. Thus, it will save you effort, time and money. Take advantage of the sales employees who are happy to help you as you fit. Once you found the best size and brand to your physique, become a loyalist (e.g., join their loyalty card program) to enjoy discounts and other perks!

5. DRESS IN MONOCHROME

Since splashing yourself with every color on the rainbow can look cheap, wear one shade or color from head-to-toe. This creates an illusion of supreme quality. For example, you can wear the different shades of black, from Jet-Licorice, to look slimmer and more fashionable.

6. SHOP AT THE RIGHT PLACES

Shopping at the right places brings value to your buck! For instance, if you find yourself blessed with a baby this 2016, consider purchasing stylish and inexpensive maternity and nursing clothes from online shops such as Mummy’s Secret and My Little Angels Maternity. Mummy’s Secret, with a price range of S$9.99-30, offers a wide array of youthful-style clothing line that is as cute as those sold in Korean or Japanese shops.

http://www.99ms.com.sg/maternity/maternity-wear

Image Credits: 99ms.com.sg/maternity/maternity-wear

While My Little Angels Maternity offer diaper bags and infant wear with socks as low as S$2.90!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

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