5 Places To Buy Preloved Luxury Bags In Singapore

As more and more people lean towards sustainable fashion, we are beginning to embrace the “less is more” mentality. Known figures such as Marie Kondo and Fumio Sasaki help us to treasure what we already have and to lessen our material possessions. One of the best ways to shop consciously is by purchasing preloved or secondhand items.

You are not only saving the environment by going for preloved items, but you are also saving money by paying less. Moreover, shopping for preloved designer bags can be fun as it lets you discover the unique pieces form past seasons or decades. Standout from the crowd with a unique piece as you discover the following places where you can buy or rent preloved designer bags in Singapore.

#1: ZALORA

Zalora is one of Asia’s fashion e-commerce giants. If you are looking for preloved designer items from shoes to bags, look no further than Zalora Singapore. It has partnered with Singapore-based second-hand luxury company StyleTribute to offer over 10,000 preloved fashion pieces. You can also pair a preloved designer handbag with a vintage jewelry piece from the same store.

#2: REEBONZ

Reebonz is a well-known website that hosts a wide range of new and preloved luxury bags and accessories. The website curates designer labels from affordable luxury brands such as Alexander McQueen and Tory Burch to high-end luxury brands such as Prada and Hermes. Some brand new bags are offered on discount too. As you browse the shop, do not forget to read the condition or description of each bag. You see, they have a grading system from unused quality to good condition.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

#3: MADAM MILAN

With several physical stores in Singapore, Madam Milan is a popular place where you can buy or sell your luxury bag. What is nice about Madam Milan is its ability to collect limited edition bags, vintage bags, and in-season bags. Furthermore, you may pay thru a monthly scheme (e.g., S$50 per month). Visit the physical or online store to learn more.

#4: STYLETRIBUTE

As mentioned a while ago, StyleTribute is a marketplace with highly curated pieces. Every luxury item is authenticated by a team of in-house experts. You can either purchase a preloved designer handbag or sell yours through their white glove service. Your item will be collected and listed or you can upload your listing using a mobile app.

#5: LENDOR

Taking the last spot is Lendor – an Airbnb for personal belongings. From hiking equipment to luxury bags, you may rent fashionable items for affordable rates. You have the option to rent a luxury bag that you will only use for a single event. Shoppers have the ability to try out their dream luxury bags before committing to a purchase. For instance the Celine Luggage Bag is listed as S$30/day.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Lendor’s mobile app may be fairly new to the scene, but it is certainly gaining a fair amount of buzz.

Source: 1

 

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28-year-old League of Legends e-sports coach earns 2x of a fresh university graduate’s salary

League of Legends e-sports coach Jenson Goh

A mechanical engineering graduate and League of Legends e-sports coach Jensen Goh, reveals that his salary is about two times that of a fresh university graduate’s. The 28-year-old Singaporean began his e-sports career as a shoutcaster way back in 2013. Over the years, he made the switch to coaching.

Mr Goh stumbled on an audition for shoutcasters, who provide running commentary for e-sports events in 2013, just a few days before his first-year university exams. He took a leap of faith and passed the audition initiated by Garena, a gaming corporation, and began his freelance shoutcasting vocation for League of Legends, a well-known online game.

Remunerated up to S$1,000 doing commentaries

After being exposed to League of Legends by a friend, Mr Goh only played the game for a year. But clearing the auditions marked the beginning of his professional e-sports career.

Working as a shoutcaster for four days a week making various live game responses, he received up to S$1,000.

Mr Goh bashed the teams’ game strategies when commenting for the Singapore and Malaysian circuits in 2015. He decided to “put his money where (his) mouth was” and therefore called out to these teams to lend a helping hand.

Held several responsibilities as a student
National University of Singapore

Image Credits: todayonline.com

Mr Goh had to coordinate shoutcasting jobs and to train amateur teams as an undergraduate student during his years at the National University of Singapore.

In 2016, a decisive moment emerged when he had to pick between an engineering internship and a Garena internship. He would be entrusted with the viewership growth, overseeing advertising content and player activities in the latter.

Mr Goh eventually picked the internship with Garena, which bolstered his commitment to pursue an e-sports profession.

Coaching a professional team for the first time in 2017

He got a coaching opportunity with the Taiwanese team Fireball at the beginning of 2017. It was his first time managing a pro team. He was stationed in Taiwan for the first four months of the year, balancing full-time coaching responsibilities while finishing his university capstone project.

“I had to submit (engineering) plans and drawings to people in Taiwan, so I had to write everything in Chinese,” Mr Goh shared. He was pointing to blueprints and sketches for his engineering project that he was undertaking. As part of his final-year assignment, he had to deliver planned designs of a smart trash bin.

Although his peers were encouraging, his family was worried that he would not complete his final year and even quit school. But thankfully, he was able to deliver his project and graduate as anticipated in 2017.

Trained nine professional League of Legends teams thus far
Splyce League of Legends

Image Credits: Inven Global

To date, he has led nine League of Legends teams in seven countries. He would fly to the city when working with overseas groups, and mentor them in person. 

Among them are Evos, who won the internal championship in Vietnam, and Splyce, who subsequently won the tournament in the Spanish European Regional League in Spain and finished in the top eight of the grand prix.

He was sometimes the staff cook and even cleaner when captaining smaller teams with less support. 

“In e-sports, there is no real certification to be a coach… no hard and fast rule,” he commented. “It’s the nature of the e-sports industry. Even till this day, there are many people who are trying to get into the industry.”

His biggest takeaway from e-sports as a career

Knowing how to manage diverse cultures is the largest lesson from working in e-sports. “It expands your horizons,” Mr Goh said. “(It makes you) think about and compare and contrast your experiences.”

At the end of January, he will fly to the United States to mentor the Immortals Academy, an American team. He is assumed to be the first Singaporean to become an expert American League of Legends team lead trainer.

He will be residing in Los Angeles and aims to grow Immortals Academy players to become a squad that individuals will respect and see as worthy challengers of the trophy.

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Possessions vs Experiences: Where Should You Spend Your Money?

Congratulations! You have survived one of the most challenging years of your life – 2020. As a reward, you may either purchase new possessions or new experiences. Personally, I saved up enough money to purchase a Nintendo Switch Lite. My hesitations rose as January 2021 came. I realized that I want to spend this amount on experiences instead. Surely, I will spend numerous hours on playing it for the first few weeks. However, happiness attached to things fade quickly. Instead, I can invite my significant other to a fine dining restaurant or a relaxing staycation.

A study by Dr. Thomas Gilovich, a psychology professor at Cornell University showed why possessions have a fleeting effect. Our excitement fades because we get used to new things. What once seemed novel quickly becomes the norm. We adapt.

I remember purchasing my first designer bag. I started collecting lower-end bags and began to grow fond with high-end bags. As I buy more designer bags, my expectations increased. I became more particular with the brand and the price. My increased expectations led to increase expenses. We keep raising the bar with possessions. This leads to the desire of wanting new and better things.

Lastly, possessions foster comparisons. You may purchase the latest designer bag, but feel empty when you compare your collection to your friends. There will always be someone with a better item than yours. These reasons highlight why it is better to invest on experiences than on possessions.

THE POWER OF EXPERIENCES

1. Experiences help you invest on purposes and passions.

If your guiding principle in life are possessions, you may be in trouble. You will never feel fulfilled chasing after the next “must have” item. Real happiness can be reaped through experiences. Follow your purpose and passion.

2. Experiences become a part of your identity.

You are a culmination of your experiences. Buying an iPhone is not going to change who you are as a person. Completing your first triathlon will certainly change you. You were shaped by the things you have done, the places you have been, and the people you met.

3. Experiences fuel less comparison.

Our experiences are subjective. It is hard to compare the quality of vacation two people have. A person may have a short and meaningful vacation, while his peer may have a long and wasteful one. It is difficult to quantify the relative value of any two experiences, which makes them more enjoyable.

4. Experiences foster anticipation.

Anticipation of an experience is important in increasing one’s excitement and enjoyment. While, anticipation of obtaining a material possession can cause impatience and frustration. Savor the moments of planning all the way to the memories that you will cherish forever.

5. Experiences introduce you to a whole new world.

Image credits: unsplash.com

Unlike material possessions, experiences introduce you to new perspectives and moral lessons. For instance, travelling can instill gratitude and acceptance. You will begin to appreciate and understand different cultures as you travel to New York City or Manila City. Let your wallet take you to places you have never been before!

Sources: 1 & 2

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5 Inexpensive Pleasures Found In Singapore

Pleasure is a purely instinctive reaction lasting for 30 seconds to 2 hours. While happiness can be elusive, sources of pleasure are fairly easy to come by. We all need to indulge in pleasurable moments that will not break the bank! Add icing to your cake by checking out these suggestions that will help you savor the day.

INDULGE IN RICH CULTURE AND HISTORY

Explore the rich history dating as far as 1887 as you step into the halls of the National Museum of Singapore. Beneath its 19th-century colonial exterior is its cutting-edge technology, which it uses as a means to present the nation’s legacy and development. Its galleries take you on an immersive voyage with modern lenses. The new exhibition entitled “Home, Truly: Growing Up with Singapore” is up until August 2021.

The museum opened when the country moved into Phase Two. Please follow the COVID-19 guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety. It is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm.

INDULGE IN NATURAL WONDERS

Help your body benefit from having a healthy dose of sunlight and fresh air as you go outdoors. Treat yourself with nature’s beauty as you stroll the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Gardens has been renowned as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee on July 2015. It is the first and only tropical botanic garden on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This recognition speaks volumes on the wonders that this 82-hectare Gardens holds.

With more than 150 years of history, the Gardens will continue to play an important role as a leading tropical botanical institute and an endearing place to all Singaporeans. Visitors are asked to have a maximum group size of 8 individuals. A distance of 1 meter from other groups is also required. You must also keep a distance of 3 meters from others during exercises.

INDULGE IN FASTER CONNECTIONS

Being stuck at home for the majority of 2020 taught us the importance of having fast and reliable internet connectivity. We need this to stay connected to our friends and family members, to collaborate with our co-workers, and to order necessary household items online. Do not settle for slow and choppy internet services! Upgrade your current phone or internet plan by checking with your internet service provider.

Ask if it is possible to upgrade to a fiber optic or a high-speed cable. For instance, StarHub offers 2Gbps Fibre Broadband for as low as S$62.90 per month and 1Gbps Fibre Broadband for as low as S$39.90 per month.

INDULDGE ON YOUR INTERESTS

Take this time as an opportunity to indulge on your interests. What are some things that you want to do, but have no time for? It can be great for your mental health to work towards your new goals. Improve your skills by searching through fitness centers that provide free or inexpensive remote classes. You may also look for online music and dance lessons. Lastly, you can download free apps that will help you learn a new language or two.

While you’re at home, there are many great opportunities to use online learning to improve your skills. Yoga studios and fitness gyms are offering remote classes, many for free. Music and dance teachers are teaching lessons online. Why not use this time to learn a new language, learn to code, learn new cooking skills or find a new hobby?

INDULDGE ON MUCH-DESERVED SELF-CARE

With everything that happened during the past year, you deserve to take care of yourself. Self-care is not selfish! Self-care allows you to be more productive and motivated to tackle other upcoming tasks. Moreover, you will be able to support local restaurants and artisans.

Naiise has a plethora of self-care items such as bath bombs, teas, and candles. Bath bombs sell for as low as S$10. Interestingly, one bath bomb includes a 24kt gold leaf. I would love to try that!

Image credits: unsplash.com

At a time when you have to be careful with your money, there are still affordable indulgences to enjoy. Consider an item or two on this list!

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Singapore’s health minister assures sufficient free vaccines for all citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents

a lady getting vaccinated

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong assures the public in Parliament on Monday (Jan 4) that for all citizens, permanent residents, and long-term residents, Singapore has acquired ample vaccines, with shipments expected to arrive by the third quarter of 2021.

The abovementioned groups will receive the vaccines at no extra costs and include employment pass, S-Pass, and work permit holders. Alongside foreign domestic workers, dependent pass, long-term visit pass, and student pass holders, a total of about 5.7 million people can obtain the injections.

Vaccines would arrive in batches

On Dec 21, the first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines arrived in Singapore and was given to employees of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases from Dec 30.

Mr Gan, the co-chair of the multi-ministerial task force assembled to address the pandemic, said the vaccines would come in batches, with further supplies anticipated in the coming months. This includes those from Moderna and Sinovac.

Residents urged to get vaccinated
a man receiving the COVID-19 vaccine

Image Credits: news.abs-cbn.com

Mr Gan also advised as many people to get vaccinated as it would be a significant move for Singapore to return to everyday life.

“This will not only protect yourself, but also indirectly protect others who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons. This collective protection will be more effective the more people are vaccinated,” he shared.

Singapore should avoid being complacent

Although there may be those who believe that considering Singapore’s limited number of COVID-19 cases recently, there is little need to get vaccinated, Mr Gan cautioned that people here should not be complacent and only hurry to receive the vaccine when an epidemic arises.

“We have seen a few community cases in the last few days, which shows clearly that there are hidden cases among us. We are also seeing new variants that are more contagious. Any of these cases has a risk of sparking a major outbreak as we have seen in other countries.

The best time to vaccinate is now. If people wait till an outbreak has happened to get themselves vaccinated, it will be too late, both to protect themselves and to prevent the outbreak in the first place,” he noted.

Vaccinations for the elderly will start from February
an elderly shopping for groceries

Image Credits: The Straits Times

Previously, the authorities indicated that they would give priority to those most at risk. This explains why the first to be vaccinated were healthcare practitioners. Latest updates suggest that injections for the elderly will begin from February, starting with people from 70 years of age.

Singapore would also target those in roles with a significant risk of a super-spreading occurrence emerging. This refers to employees in the construction, maritime, and process industries.

Vaccines will be allocated based on availability

Mr Gan said people would not be offered a preference for which vaccine they would like to receive. Instead, vaccinations would be assigned depending on their availability, the different vaccines’ medical indications, and various subgroups’ appropriateness.

“Allowing individuals to have a choice of vaccines will unnecessarily complicate the already complex vaccination programme,” he added.

Prior bookings for vaccinations will be necessary
Singapore polyclinic

Image Credits: The Straits Times

The minister also said that considering the vaccines’ cold-chain criteria and multi-dose capsules, prior bookings would be needed. He mentioned that Singapore would be presented with more information about how to make bookings in due time.

A physical card will be provided to those injected. This will inform them of their commitment to come for their second dose, show the issued injection, and offer guidance following vaccination. The National Immunisation Database will also have their records revised, and one may review their status online.

60 per cent of the population here would get vaccinated, according to polls commissioned by government agencies. A third said they were wary.

Mr Gan stated that to clarify the value of vaccination and to ensure its protection and effectiveness, the government will do more educational outreach in the community. He also advised the public to pay attention to reliable data sources as misleading statements about the vaccine have surfaced.

What are your thoughts? Will you take the injection when it’s offered to you?

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