Here’s how I live my best life in S’pore without spending a fortune

Most people fall into one of two camps — they’re either a saver or a spender.

I consider myself more of a saver, but not to the extent that I strive to be part of the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement, members of whom are known to prioritise cutting expenses to the extreme.

Spending is not a dirty word, it’s just about striking a balance.

I’d admit, however, that over the years I’ve become somewhat of an “auntie”, in all senses of the word.

But I don’t consider it a bad thing.

They are likely the ones to know the best days to go shopping online and accumulate vouchers for greater savings (but more on that in a bit).

Personally, it has also become more of a fun challenge to try and achieve more bang for my buck and earn some bragging rights — from whom, I’m not sure.

Here are some tips I’ve gleaned on how to still enjoy life to the fullest, while not busting your budget.

Whatsapp/ Tele groups are your best friend

Don’t sleep on joining your neighbourhood WhatsApp or Telegram groups, where you can trust other like-minded souls to be able to snuff out the best deals and promotions.

Thanks to my neighbours, I’m also alerted to the latest coupon drops on online shopping platforms such as Shopee, sometimes on a daily basis.

But also, it’s important not to blindly follow what others are buying.

What’s a carton of energy drinks for just S$10 if it’ll only cause you to lose sleep?

Or that huge bag of snacks that you got for cheap, only to realise that they’re past their expiry before you can even get to finishing them?

Think quality, not quantity.

Check out online platforms for offline deals

Think time is money like I do? Shopping online can oftentimes cost less – not only do you not waste money on transport or parking, applying coupons or cashback on purchases can translate to larger dollar savings.

These days, there’s a deal for everything. So it may be worth your while to check out deal platforms and channels before you request for the bill or purchase an item at the store.

Doing this has helped our family shave off at least a hundred dollars a month when it comes to dining out and groceries.

Knowing what deals will drop online, and when, is also a bonus, so whenever there are targeted online shopping events happening, such as Shopee’s upcoming 9.9 Super Shopping Day, you can be sure I’m marking those dates in my calendar.

Redeem those credit card points and make sure they don’t expire

It pays to be a good bookkeeper when it comes to your accounts and also in terms of tracking your coupons and rewards.

Being able to accumulate credit card points and earn discounts is the sole reason I even have them to begin with, so I make sure to use them.

I find that it helps too, to narrow my spending to just two to three credit cards, to enjoy the most benefits that they offer in terms of meeting their minimum spend.

Compare, compare, compare

Comparison is often called the thief of joy, but not in this case.

In fact, some legwork can pay off, for example, when you compare which offers are the best within online platforms across different sellers (be sure to check out their reviews first, of course).

If one is able to get more for less with considerably low effort, why not, right?

But this only works if you’re not strapped for time, of course.

Importantly, one ought to have some perspective and not lose the forest for the trees.

If it all sounds like too much work, then maybe it is.

Shopee’s 9.9 Super Shopping Day

While I’m giving out tips on savings, here’s a friendly lowdown of Shopee’s 9.9 Super Shopping Day.

There’s going to be plenty of deals during this period where you can earn up to 99 per cent discounts for your purchases.

These will be available across nine timeslots on Sep. 8 at 8pm and 10pm, and on Sep. 9 from 12am, 2am, 12pm, 2pm, 6pm, 8pm and 10pm.

Personally, what I’m most looking forward to are the deals on vacuum cleaners, particularly from brands such as Ecovacs and Dreame, as I’d been wanting to replace my old robot vacuum for close to a year now.

On Sep. 9, prices of the robot vacuums are expected to be slashed by up to 99 per cent, which means one could get a machine for less than S$40.

Now that’s a deal that’s hard to pass up.

Orange Takeover

In addition, S$30,000 of free vouchers are up for grabs for those who deck themselves out in their orange-y best and post the photos on their socials with the hashtag #99SuperShoppingDay from Aug. 29 to Sep. 9.

There are also S$9.90 sure-win vouchers to be won on Sep. 8 and 9 if you can spot members of the Shopee team around Singapore.

In addition, Shopee will also be taking over hotpot restaurant Haidilao through a series of activities and deals.

So here’s a friendly reminder to log on to the Shopee app or visit Shopee’s social media pages so you don’t miss out on their exciting deals and activities.

Vouchers

• Cashback vouchers:

  • Up to 50 per cent cashback sitewide from 12pm - 2pm*
  • Up to 10 per cent cashback sitewide all day

• Platform vouchers:

  • Flash vouchers that lets you offset S$20 when you spend S$150
  • All-day vouchers ranging from S$1 to S$365 to offset purchases

• DBS vouchers: Up to S$70 off from Aug. 29 - Sep. 8

These will be stackable with Brand vouchers, which offer up to 15 per cent off selected stores.

*T&Cs apply

Livestreams

That’s not all, Shopee will be hosting livestreams with Lee Teng and Mongchin Yeoh (Mongabong) to share the best 9.9 deals on the platform.

On top of the deals, there’ll also be streamer exclusive vouchers and all day live vouchers that allows you to earn 80 per cent cashback.

• Lee Teng on Sep. 8, 8pm to 12am
• Mongabong on Sep. 9, 8pm to 10pm

On Sep. 8, keep an eye out for Lee's livestream, where three lucky viewers will stand a chance to win up to 100 per cent cashback on their purchases.

And if you didn’t manage to snag those winning spots, you can still enjoy up to 80 per cent off vouchers during Shopee’s 9.9 countdown livestream.

The best part? You can receive your orders the next day on selected items when you opt for Next Day Delivery.

If you somehow end up with buyer’s remorse after doing all that homework though, you can benefit from Shopee’s hassle-free returns policy.

This Shopee-sponsored article reminded the writer to note down the upcoming 9.9 sale so she doesn’t miss Shopee’s voucher drops.

Top photo via Canva.