I just got back from Low Yat Plaza where I went to pick up a wireless modem router. I’d expected to pay over RM300 for one which was what I’d paid before this. However, I managed to pick up a Linksys all in one modem router wireless thingy for nearly RM200!

Cheap or what?! Not only that, I previously got an Aztech wireless dongle for RM80. Today it was RM50. I saw that pen drives were going for about RM90 for a 16G drive and sd memory cards were also going for a song.

16G portable drive!!! Imagine what I could put on it! However compare a 250G external hard drive for just RM200.

Seriously, IT stuff are getting so cheap these days, I’m truly amazed! Its not even sale time.

I popped by the Marks & Spencer sale yesterday on a whim. It is on from now (date of writing) until March 30, 2008. Marks & Spencer, being a UK brand, their prices have always been on the high side. I used to find that it was cheaper to buy stuff from M&S in London (after conversion from GBP to RM) than to buy them here in Malaysia.

However, due to competition M&S has now dropped their prices in Malaysia so their things are now quite affordable. I used to buy lingerie from M&S – their bras are nice (not La Senza sexy nice but still nice) and of good quality.

But yesterday, what I picked up were 2 pairs of shoes!

Selected shoes from Marks & Spencer are 50% off – huge savings. My sis bought 2 pairs too for under RM100! That was because each pair she bought only cost RM49.50 after discount.

The best deal I got was on the pair of suede ankle boots. They cost me under RM70! Who’d believe it? And yes, they are both very comfortable indeed.

Ah I love sales don’t you?

With Chinese New Year coming round the corner faster than a speeding mat rempit (hooligan ) I decided to pick up some traditional decor for the home. Nothing is more traditional than Pussy Willows.

Pussy Willows represent spring because that’s when the silky shoots put forth, but also represent the inflow of money (because of its Cantonese pronunciation of the name so I’m told) and so most Chinese homes will have some stalks of pussy willows.

I found some affordable pussy willows at Ikea, to my surprise. They retail for RM16 for a bunch of 12 stalks. In the city when I checked flower wholesalers, they were going for RM20 for a bunch of 10 stalks. So I guess Ikea does have its uses too!

If you love having Christmas or Chinese New Year any festive themed items around the home, you might have realised that they are really quite expensive to buy all at a go as the holidays or festivities approach.

So, the trick is to plan ahead. If you find and buy your festive or holiday themed item early, you are more likely to get them at a good price before they get snapped up, or before prices go up.

Alternatively, buy them just after the festive period or holiday season when retailers want to get rid of their excess stock. These holiday themed items are less in demand during the year and so retailers are likely to let them go at hefty discounts.

I bought these Christmas themed bowls from Tangs department store in Singapore just after Christmas at a hefty 70% discount. They ended up being something like S$2+ (RM8+) each. I also got a few sets of decorative snack plates at just slightly over S$7 (RM16) for a box of 4.
I plan to use them throughout the year because they look so festive and bright and cheery but I know they will come in handy next Christmas if I decide to hold a party then. Don’t you love deals like these?

One of the hardest things to buy in my book, is a mobile phone. The reason being that the selection out there is so vast and varied that you would do to be boggled by the choices available to you. However, in my recent phone buying experience, I drew up a little checklist anyone might find useful, when buying a mobile phone.

This checklist wouldn’t be applicable for anyone who already has their heart set on a particular brand or model though. It is for people like me who suddenly find a need for a new mobile phone (in my case due to theft) and don’t have a particular brand or model in mind.

• Budget - I set myself a budget and tried to work within my budget. Many good phones can be bought for under RM1,000 as I found out.
• Specifications - Work out what you want in a mobile phone and then work within budget. I wanted a phone that could make and receive calls, send and receive SMS, have a decent camera, have bluetooth, and is slim. Others might place emphasis on a good  radio or on a good camera. I was less fussy about those bells and whistles.
• Original sets - I always believe in getting an original set i.e. one with an original warranty because if a problem arises with the phone you can always take it to the original manufacturer to be repaired or replaced if needs be. I am aware of sets known as AP sets which are cheaper but these sets aren’t covered by a manufacturer’s warranty and are thus at risk.
• Know your retail price - Always know the original retail price before you start your shopping. A friend got conned by a vendor who tried to sell him a phone at higher than retail. I too was quoted higher than retail rates before, so always check the retail prices before starting
• Shop around - From experience, I’ve found that shopping around a few different mobile phone vendors will give you a good idea of what a fair price should be before you start bargaining.
• Bargain - If you buy from a reseller in Sungei Wang Plaza or Low Yat Plaza, then you can bargain with them for a good price, or have them throw in some freebies. Some are willing to oblige if they want to close a sale. I ended up buying from one of the vendors because he gave me a good price without too much haggling, and was honest and pleasant which plays a big part  my decision to buy from any particular vendor.
• Check the phone before accepting it -  A friend found that a phone he bought was filled with unknown numbers. It turned out it was a phone that had been used before that by persons unknown. Once it was pointed out to the vendors they were quick to replace it with another new set.

This list is by no means exhaustive and if you have any further tips to add, feel free to leave a comment. I’m sure it’ll help someone out there who might be shopping for a mobile phone too! Incidentally, I ended up with a Samsung D900i for RM880. It fulfilled most of my requirements so I was happy.

Picture credit of Hachimaki

Whee! After reading about Giddy Tiger’s experience shopping on Chicwear.com.my I surfed on over and investigated the site. Lo and behold! They are having a sale! So, I checked out their hot picks and picked up a nightgown for a mere RM39 from the normal retail of RM129!

The package came today – in a lovely red box.

And nestled inside, nicely wrapped up in thin tissue and prettily presented, was my nightgown. It looks and feels soft and satiny. The stitching looks well done and the material is slightly thicker than usual satin which I would expect would make for it to fall better.

You cannot beat them for presentation though. I can just imagine how this would look were it to have come as a gift! I’ll review Chicwear.com.my another day. For now, I’m dying to go home and try it on to see if it fits.

I used to frequent Blook when it was 2 shop lots in Bangsar. They had trendy and contemporary clothes at very affordable prices which made it an attractive shopping experience. Their sales were also a very good time to pick up past season items at good prices.

Recently, Blook underwent some form of  rebranding and transformation and they are now one big clothes boutique on Jalan Telawi (down from McDonalds) with a slightly more upmarket feel to the layout of the place. I’m happy to note however, that the prices of the clothes were not similarly raised.

Blook now has a section for evening dresses at very affordable prices – between RM129-RM300 and I think it would be a good place to start looking, for those who have  dinners to attend or even proms. Some of the tops did have a little bit of an “aunty” look about them, but I suppose they cater to different tastes and different age groups who go through the store.

I rather liked some of the tops I saw there. I’m on the lookout for tops – shirts, blouses – and I liked what I saw. Blook is presently having a Year End Sale from now until November 30. There are items going for up to 70% off which is a steal!

I popped by and got a dress last weekend for 50% off i.e. RM39.50 down from RM79. I did try on many other sale stuff, but nothing else caught my fancy. There were some previous season dresses going for about RM40 which is a steal, if you can wear them or have an occasion to.  Maybe I’ll check out their other outlet in 1 Utama this weekend to see what else I can scoop up.

Blook outlets are found at Bangsar (Telawi), Bandar Utama (1st Floor 1 Utama) and Subang Parade. They have an outlet called Elo as well, for accessories.

I haven’t been doing a lot of warehouse sale-ing. But I couldn’t pass up the chance to go to the Lancome warehouse sale which is on today and tomorrow. I haven’t been for a cosmetics sale in a while, plus I was meeting up with a friend there.

Anyway, this is all I ended up with from the sale. 3 tubes of Biotherm Sunfitness 50SPF sunscreen (not all mine) and a tube of Flextencils mascara in brown. I really like the Flextencils mascara which I have reviewed. I hear its already discontinued so I decided to only get 1 tube. Mascara dries up fast and I didn’t want to run the risk of having old stock on hand.

The Flextencils mascara cost RM50 (RRP RM90) and the Biotherm Sunfitness sunscreen cost RM40 a tube (RRP RM85). Not super duper cheap, but still lots of savings.

If you are familiar with the Lancome warehouse sales, I have to say that this one is rather small. The only makeup they have is by Lancome (lipsticks, juicy tubes, eyeshadows, palettes, foundation, blushes) and Biotherm foundation and makeup base (RM70). They have lots of Lancome and Biotherm skincare and a smallish selection of perfumes.

I’d say this is the smaller Lancome warehouse sale as opposed to the large one which usually has Shu Uemura and Giorgio Armani cosmetics on hand as well as loads and loads of perfumes. But if you are a Lancome or Biotherm skincare and cosmetics user, this would be a good sale to hit.

Here’s the sale info:

Location: Ballroom 1 & 2 10th Floor, Crown Princess Hotel, City Square centre

Time: 1 Nov 2007 12pm to 8pm, 2 Nov 2007 10pm to 6pm.

Have fun!

Giddy Tiger over at Kaki Shopping asked me what I have found that is cheap and good, preferably for RM10 or under. Well, GT, I couldn’t come up with anything that I have found locally under RM10. There have been but I cannot come up with anything off hand.

However, one of the cheapest and best black eyeshadow I have used is by Milani Cosmetics, which isn’t found in Malaysia. The colour is Storm which is a dark black shadow with multi-coloured shimmer. Its really awesome.

This was purchased for me by a friend for about US$1.99 (RM6.80) so that puts it in the under US$10 and under RM10 category I guess And here is how I use black eyeshadow. If you or a friend has access to Milani cosmetics, grab Storm. Its cheap and excellent!

~ Start Copy ~

Name something you have bought that was worth every penny you spent, and add it to the list below. Feel free to spice it up with a photo or two. The catch is that the amount must not exceed 10 units in whatever currency you are using.
e.g. If you shop in Malaysia, list down something good you’ve bought for RM10 or less. If you shop in US, list down something you’ve purchased for US$10 or less.

1. Gorgeous ethnic earrings from Beadszone (3 pairs for RM10) – Kaki Shopping

2. Excellent black eyeshadow by Milani Cosmetics – All about Shopping!

~ End Copy ~

I’d like to know how these other shopping girls fare in the budget department so, here’s on to you:

• Tine
• Beetrice
• Doris 

Let us know of your fab finds under RM10!

Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest state on Borneo island is famous for a couple of things – pepper, native handicraft and pottery. I was in Kuching, Sarawak over the weekend and was thrilled to pick up some carved pottery lamps which I’d been wanting for a long time.

Actually, the first lamp I wanted was a fat lamp for a table in my entrance foyer. Nice lamps cost a lot of money so while I was in Sarawak, I decided to shop for one. I did get one I really liked at a pottery factory. This lamp cost me RM63 for the base and RM29 for the shade. I’d seen a smaller version at a souvenir shop in the city centre going for RM89 just for the base alone.

And since I was there, I picked up another much larger one for RM177 total because I liked the look of it. I’m not quite sure where its going yet but hey, who knows when I’ll go back to Kuching right?

So, if you are planning a trip to Sarawak, and you like picking up household stuff, try to get yourself to the pottery factories. Selection is awesome and so are the prices!