Know what you want to buy before coming in to the flea markets. A whole area of second hand and budget-friendly items can be overwhelming so it is best to come prepared. The more focused you are, the easier it is to avoid impulse purchases.
2. MEASURE AND RE-MEASURE
To avoid buying furniture that does not fit your home, measure the room dimensions accurately by using a tape measure and a ruler. If you want to match an item with the room then take a picture or bring a fabric piece with you as you buy.
3. TIME IS ESSENTIAL
You will get the best selection in the first few hours of sale but vendors are reluctant to negotiate early one. So, if you want to save more then wait until the final day. But, expect your selection to be slimmer.
4. DO RESEARCH
Be sure to do your online research before shopping in the flea markets. This way you will be able to spot if the item is overpriced. Then if it is, use your bargain powers to sway the price.
5. GET CREATIVE
The items for sale may be multi-purposed. For example you are looking for a sideboard to put your dishes in, but a dresser/drawer has a better price. Grab the gorgeous dresser instead since you may use it as a sideboard.
Image Credits: US CPSC via Flickr
BONUS!Here are some of the recommended and unique flea markets you shall visit…
A. MAAD (Market of Artists and Designers)
MAAD houses pet-friendly and budget-friendly items for the whole family. Their innovative creators are from independent and are known for artsy fashion and artisan stationary pieces. Here you will find a wide array of crafts, plush toys, handmade jewelry, and paintings. The price range starts from S$10 to S$50. Visit museum.red-dot.sg/maad/ for more information. B. ZOUK FLEA & EASY
Zouk, one of the famous clubs in Singapore, organizes a flea once every three months. From trendy pre-loved threads to hipster rags at bargain prices, Zouk Flea & Easy offers an eclectic flea experience.Blogshops are welcome to participate! Visit zoukclub.com for more.
C. CHINA SQUARE CENTRAL (CSC)
CSC has a Sunday flea market that offers DVDs, souvenirs, and electronics for less. Aside from that, comic book junkies can grab the later issues and action figures at CSC’s Level 2. Price range starts from S$5 to S$30.
The Chinese New Year festivities are well underway. By now, surely a significant majority of the Chinese in Singapore would have went through their fair share of visiting old family friends, exchanging well wishes and greetings, and if my Instagram feed is any reliable indicator, our Chinese friends have certainly been werking it in their newest shirts and dresses indeed!
Truly, Chinese New Year is one of the most anticipated annual celebrations for every Chinese, and amidst the excitement, the hype, and the joy, it is certainly little wonder why it’s the favourite time of the year for most of the Chinese.
That being said, it is undeniably easy to get caught up in the storm of the festival excitement, and many of us may have over-indulged in some of those delicious Ferrero Rochers or Love Letters, offered time and time again by a friendly relative or two.
Well, don’t fret too much about it! After all, Chinese New Year is a special occasion that happens only once each year, and if you think about it from another perspective, this is the only time that you’ll be able to get so much free food without guilt. Plus, everyone gains weight during Chinese New Year anyway – you’ll hardly be the exception.
(Image credit: voucherlicious.com)
Indulge in junk food to your heart’s content for now, but perhaps not to the scary extent of eating yourself sick, that’s a definite no-no – we’ll worry about the weight gain and toxic build up after Chinese New Year. And perhaps, this article may come in handy then.
Through this article, you’ll learn 3 simple tricks to detox and cleanse your body of any harmful toxins without having to break your bank. Expensive juice cleanse regimes? The latest tea-tox trend that has been taking a toll on your wallet? With these affordable detox methods, you certainly won’t be needing any of those!
And by water, I mean water. For some who abhor plain water, or preferentially define your own terms of water, let me break it down for you. Boiled water, water fresh from the tap, mineral bottled water – yes, this is water. Your milk tea from Koi, apple juice from NTUC, or your can of Coke – darling, these are certainly not water! While it may be easy to assume that simply drinking liquid – no matter what form, sugared or not, is sufficient to fill your daily water uptake requirement, the truth is that they really aren’t! In fact, the additional sugar, syrup and other preservatives added into such flavoured drinks are more often than not, one of the causes that contribute to dehydration, particularly in sunny and humid Singapore. To get rid of those toxins from all the excessive Chinese New Year goodies that you’ve been popping into your mouth, you’ll have to up your plain water drinking game if you truly want to give yourself a good detox.
After all, water has a remarkable ability of flushing out the toxins from your body in a simple, yet affordable way. All you need is to habitually get yourself a mug of plain water from the tap every hour or so, or perhaps bring a large bottle to your workplace for frequent refills at the water dispenser, and you’ll be well on your way to a more hydrated system, and a body that will naturally rid itself of any toxins that have been building up. Frequent cups of plain water will certainly prove to be particularly useful when the toxins in your body begin to accumulate, and return to haunt you in the form of a scratchy throat, or an aching dry cough after you’ve had one too many slices of Bak Kwa.
Not to mention, drinking more water is certainly very easy on the wallet as well. As long as your taste buds do not have a haughty ache for only well-packaged mineral water, drinking more water from the tap comes only at a marginal addition to your bills!
To cleanse your body and simultaneously give your immune system a quick boost, opt for an affordable option of making your own home made juice blend! While laziness and procrastination may compel you to simply pop over to that snazzy new smoothie bar for your juice fix, a cup can set you back a surprising 6 to 8 bucks easily. Not to mention, more often than not, these juice shops tend to add in a spoon or two of sugar or syrup, to keep you coming back for more. Ever wondered why your home made juice blends never taste quite as good as the ones sold outside? Well, this is the reason – the added syrup sweetens up your drink, and while this makes your cup of blended juice much more palatable, you’re left wondering about how much sugar has actually been added, and the extent of detox help you’re truly gaining from that cup.
Save yourself from the uncertainties, and make your own juice blends at home instead! This way, you’ll be able to determine what fruits and vegetables you wish to add into your own custom blend, without having to fret over whether your desired blend is on the menu. Plus, you’ll get to save much more, as each blend can easily serve up to three or four cups, and you can simply refrigerate any extra cups for consumption at night. This is in stark comparison to the $6 that you’re shelling off for a paltry cup of blended juice found in malls.
To pack an extra detox punch to your own home made juice blend, make sure you pop in some of the following fruits and vegetables to your blender. Cucumbers, carrots, celeries, oranges, cranberries, blueberries, lemons, and pomegranates often contain high contents of anti-oxidants and vitamins, which can help in cleansing your body of any unnecessary toxins that have been building up. For the junk food gourmet, a custom juice blend containing some of such fruits and vegetables will certainly have an immensely beneficial impact on your health, as the power-packed juice will help to give your body a thorough detox.
If you have a sweet tooth, balance out the portions of fruits and vegetables in each blend, to keep your cup of home made juice sufficiently tasty for yourself.
Indeed, it can be quite a chore for those who are unaccustomed to working out frequently, but a good round of exercise can certainly do wonders in cleansing your body of those ill toxins that will eventually make you sick!
Go for a quick round of exercise once every two to three days to get your sweat glands working, and ensure that you perspire sufficiently to shed off toxins and fats. Each round of exercise does not have to take very long – just 30 minutes to 45 minutes of such regular sessions every alternate day would be good enough to give yourself a good, healthy detox. Not to mention, regular exercise is undeniably the tried and tested way to lose that extra tyre around your waist! What better way to lose off the weight gained from chomping on too much Chinese New Year goodies? Through sweating it out, you’ll be able to not only lose the additional pounds that you’ve gained of late, but also give your body an affordable detox to stay healthy and make sure that you stay on top of the game!
To cut costs, opt for a simple run around your neighbourhood, or perhaps around the CBD during your lunch break at work. After all, jogging is free, and it helps you to sweat out the bad stuff really effectively.
This is certainly a preferred option as compared to taking up expensive gym courses or signing on for exorbitant yoga sessions that can set you back $50 an hour easily. While these options may seem like the trendiest path to take these days, it is important to keep in mind that they’re not exactly the best financial decisions to make. After all, the end goal in mind is simply to detox your body – surely it doesn’t matter whether your chosen mode of exercise is Instagram-worthy or not, right?
Get your running shoes ready! Though Chinese New Year has yet to come to an end, it won’t be long before the festivities and excitement die down, and we’ll be brought down to the frenzy of desperately trying to lose the extra weight gained, and detoxifying our bodies of the scrumptious but oh-so-sinful Love Letters, Almond Cookies, and crackers alike that we’ve all unwittingly ingested amidst the Chinese New Year hype.
To fix the white wall blemishes that are smaller than 1/4 inch wide then try covering it up with plain toothpaste. Put enough to fill in the whole and scrape off the excess with a knife. If the imperfection is still evident then sand it flat and re paint. For larger cracks you will have to cover it up with “wall filler or spackling compound” that is available for about S$5-7 at the hardware store.
2. UNEVEN WOODEN FURNITURE AND FLOORS
To avoid sanding the whole floor or table to smoothen it up, try this simple solution. Spread a wet towel over the scratched or uneven area then place a hot flat iron on the top then move it in a circular motion for 3-5 minutes. Color it with varnish afterwards if you want.
3. CLOGGED DRAIN
To clear the drain, avoid chemical cleaners as much as possible. Most clogs are in the P-trap (curved pipe below your sink), which is usually easy to access yourself. Place a bucket below to catch any overflow and unscrew the two connections. Clean any debris inside then, screw everything to place.
4. WOBBLY CHAIRS
To silence the creaks and to stabilize the chair’s frame, tighten all the screws first. If the chair has interlocking joints, disassemble the joints. Fill the cracks with an adhesive to bring the parts together.
5. LOOSE CABINET DOORS
Loosen the cabinet screws on the hinge to adjust the door up and down. Adjust accordingly then, retighten once again. A worn out or a bent latch can be replaced by a new one.
6. DIFFICULT SLIDING DOORS
To smoothen the move of the sliding door, you must clean the debris that are jammed within the track and the wheels. Clear it all by running a paintbrush or vacuum along the track.
7. CLOGGED TOILET
This is one of the usual issues faced in the house. To unclog your toilet, use a plunger that is completely submerged. Plunge vigorously! If this does not work, then buy a toilet auger or plumber’s snake in hardware stores that cost about S$13-15. Insert the flexible tool into your toilet drain then rotate it around.
Image Credits: Gary J. Wood via Flickr
There you have it. See, you can solve household problems without calling for backup!
As an entrepreneur, you may be aware that you can get financially unstable at times due to the market’s condition and other factors. So, consider ways to get income on the side that will help alleviate some of the financial stress. Try these 5 ways…
1. CAR FOR RENT
Rent your personal vehicle to others in need. You may post an Ad for free at Gumtree or spread the word through self-printed flyers. Get acquainted with the user first to have a firm and trusting agreement regarding the car’s usage. This will allow you to focus on your business while your car is making money on its own.
2. RENT YOUR GUEST ROOM
If you are okay with sharing your house with other tenants then rent out the empty room/s. Once again, get to know the tenants first (i.e., personality or cleaning habits) and set some ground rules because you might be living with them for more than a month. In an event that you need to go overseas for business, then you may rent the whole house to them and charge them more.
3. TRY ONLINE OUTSOURCING
Some online websites allow users to outsource their skills on a freelance basis. If you can do website development, clerical jobs, writing an essay, video editing, or any other skill…try signing up for Odesk to get decent extra income. Salary payment in Odesk is painless because Credit Cards, PayPal accounts, and Bank Accounts are accepted.
4. INVEST IN REAL ESTATE
There are a lot of methods for making money in real estate that do not require your full-time effort so you can focus more on your growing business. You can consider purchasing properties and resell them for profit (flipping houses) or real estate wholesaling. If this area is unknown to you, find your friends or people in your area with the expertise that you do not have and partner with them.
5. CREATE A NETWORKING EVENT
Image Credits: Image Credits: Cydcor Offices via Flickr
Organize networking events to help young professionals interact with the environment. You not only help others to make valuable connections but you also make money by charging the participants for the food or the registration fee.
As the most important day for the Chinese in the world arrives, it is also the time when festive mood kicks in. Most of us look forward to usher in the Year of the Goat hoping for a better year ahead filled with abundance and prosperity. For the younger generation, it is also the time of the year when they get rich as they fervently collect the red packets.
There are also various activities and places to go where you can soak into the ambience of the festive mood. We take a look at 8 places where you can celebrate the Chinese New Year on a budget:
1. River Hongbao 2015
River Hongbao is one of the best place to be at during Chinese New Year as there are a varieties of activities from Xinjiang performances to large lanterns and God of Fortune. For your kids, there are more than 25 game stalls and rides such as the bumper car and carousel. There are Traditional Chinese Art and Crafts stalls if you enjoyed arts. When you are famished, there is also a Food Street for you to try out some of the local delicacies such as Chicken Rice, Bak Kut Teh, Laksa, Hokkien Prawn Noodle and more. There’s also fireworks on the eve of Chinese New Year. Admission is free.
Take a walk at the museums as there are Open House during Chinese New Year. With an array of activities organised for you and your family, learn the history and cultural aspect of the Festival of Spring. Admission is free.
As this is a festive period, expect a number of movies to be launched on the first day of Chinese New Year.
Make sure you catch these movies:
Ah Boy To Men 3: Great family show. If you have watch the first two series of Ah Boy To Men, you know Jack Neo is a good director who know what the Singaporeans want to see.
King of Mahjong: Starring Mark Lee. Good show to watch for those who wish to be inspired before their Mahjong’s session this CNY.
From Vegas to Macau II: With Chow Yun Fatt, “the legendary gambler” as the main lead, you shouldn’t miss this for those who like to gamble during CNY. Gamble with care.
Dragon Blade: With Jacky Chan in the movie, need i say more?
Triumph in the Skies: If you are a HK Drama addict like myself, you would have watched their drama on TVB years ago. It has also been cited as one of the best serial dramas. With Julian Cheung and Charmaine Sheh in the movie, this will be a movie on my watch list.
12 Golden Ducks: Another HK Movie, this time a comedy starring Sandra Ng who plays a cross-gender gigolo that will make you laugh your way out of the theatre.
4. Chinatown Countdown Party 2015 and Street Light-Up
Image credit: ST
Expect Chinatown to usher in the Chinese New Year with a blast! After your reunion dinner, head over to Chinatown for a countdown party from 9.30pm – 12.30am on 18 February 2015. Immerse yourself with the festive joy with performances, skits and festive songs. Did i mention there will be firecrackers and fireworks? On the first day of Chinese New Year, the entire street of Chinatown lights up with lanterns and “goats” figurines.
Do not miss out the actions at The State of Fun as Sentosa will bring you a series of performances this Lunar New Year. Wei Wei, a Shaolin Master who also holds the Guiness World Record, will showcase his Kung Fu and martial art skills during the events. Be captivated by the Northern and Southern Lion Dance performances located at the Merlion Plaza and Wings of Time Concourse respectively. That’s not all. When night falls, you will be mesmerized by the LED Dragon Dance at the Beach Plaza and the Prosperity Walkway with hundreds of lantern beautifully lighted up.
Ride the Singapore Flyer for free this Lunar New Year if you are the first 88 visitors from 19 – 22 February 2015! It operates from 8.30am so make sure you are there early if you want to embark on a ride that provides unrivaled view of the Singapore’s skyline. Make sure you snap a photo of Marina Bay and the Esplanade. There are also other fun-filled activities such as Lion and Dragon Dance performances, Wushu performances and God of Fortune/Lucky Goat mascots to welcome you.
At Gardens by The Bay, there are also plenty of events lined up for Chinese New Year. Don’t miss the floral showcase at the Flower Dome where you get to see display of goats and other Chinese New Year figurines made of flowers. There’s also Lion Dance performances on 21 February 2015, from 5 – 6pm.
Since this is the year of the Goat, don’t you think you should visit the Zoo to snap a picture with the “main lead” this year? There’s Goat Photography on 18 – 22 Feb 2015 for you to take a shot with the baby goats! There are also Lion Dance performances and Mascots to greet you during your visit.
Catch the giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia at the River Safari as you witness these majestic Chinese animals fervently open up their Chinese New Year’s treats.
Want to catch glowing ‘Lions’? Then head over to Night Safari where you can catch spectacular LED lighted Lions showcasing their moves to bring you luck and prosperity. The LED lighted mascots look forward to snap pictures with you, so make sure you bring your camera with you. If you would like to read your future, take a walk along the Zoo-diac trail which predicts your horoscope for the year of the Goat.
