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Here’s how to shop Black Friday in Singapore

Now that November 11 is over, there’s another day that savvy shoppers look forward to. Black Friday on November 25.

Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year in the US because it is an opportunity to cash in on some of the biggest savings of the year. From smartphones and television, to beauty products and household products, consumer take advantage of this 24 hours sale on 25 November. There’d be retailers extending the sale over the next few days to Cyber Monday and some over two weeks.

What about Singapore?

Black Friday has only gained traction in Singapore in recent years but don’t expect it to be as crazy as in the US. Sure there will be sales, but to score the best deals, you’d have to look elsewhere. By elsewhere we do not mean going to the next store in the mall but going right up to the origin of the source — in the US.

Top stores international bargain hunters shopped online at:

Amazon.com
Adidas
Gap
Forever 21
ASOS
Nordstrom
Drugstore.com
Newegg
Neiman Marcus
6PM

Tips on how to shop Black Friday

1. Prepare a wish list a few days before

Black Friday officially starts on the midnight of 25th November EST/PST in the US. That’s 1PM or 4PM in Singapore on 25 November. You don’t want to start shopping when everyone starts carting out the sale items, so prepare a few days ahead and add them in the shopping cart. Check out when the sales officially start to prevent them from going out of stock.

You can start shopping at Amazon for their Black Friday Deals Week.

2. Make use of international delivery service providers

Some US retailers don’t offer international shipping (even on Amazon.com), so that’s when things get a little tricky. You can use parcel forwarding services like vPost and comGateway that provide you with a US shipping address. But you won’t know the shipping costs till they have received your parcels.

A more convenient way is to use Uskoop. Uskoop has recently launched in Singapore that takes care of everything for you from the purchasing to the shipping and insurance. You don’t even need a US address since every orders will go through them, making shopping a breeze. Plus, you get your shipping instantly and much cheaper than the merchant’s direct shipping fees. (that is if they ship to you!)

3. Know what and where to shop

Most electronics, apparels and toys are cheaper in the US than in Singapore since distributors import these goods and sell them at markup price in the brick-and-mortar stores.

a. Laptops

A 13″ HP Envy i7 laptop costs about S$1499 in Singapore but you can get the same for US$809.99 on Amazon.com. Unfortunately, this item does not ship to Singapore. Thanks to Uskoop, you can now ship it to Singapore for S$1307.25 after including shipping and handling fees. Add the GST and you’d still be better off buying from Amazon.com.

b. Cameras

This Canon EOS 100D/Rebel SL1 Digital SLR with 18-55mm STM Lens costs S$999 on Canon Singapore store. You can get it from Amazon.com at US$499.00 or S$817.24 including shipping and handling fees.

c. Toys

This LEGO City Fire Station set costs S$179.99 on Toys ‘R’ Us. On Amazon.com, it costs US$63.99 or S$154.27 after including shipping and handling fee.

d. Apparels

Brands like H&M, Michael Kors, Forever 21, Tory Burch, Adidas and Nike are definitely not sitting this one out. Expect great savings with huge discounts on their Black Friday sale this weekend.

This Faux Suede Moto Jacket from Forever 21 is a Black Friday Special and you can only purchase it at their official site for US$25. To ship it to Singapore, however, it will cost you an additional US$38 for shipping. That doesn’t make sense when you are paying more for the shipping.

You can however check out with Uskoop for a more reasonable shipping and handling fee at S$18.26.

4. Use right credit card to maximize your savings with cashbacks & more discounts

There are many cards that offer cashback on your online purchase. The Standard Chartered SingPost Platinum Card offers 7% cashback on eligible online purchase. In addition, the OCBC Frank Card offers 6% cashback on online shopping.

The DBS Live Fresh Card provides 5% cashback on online purchases as well as 3 DBS Points per S$5 spent online. For those holding the UOB Preferred Platinum Visa Card can get up to 10X UNI$^ (or 4 Miles) on online shopping and entertainment!

Using the right card means stretching every shopping dollar.

5. Shop smarter and quicker with a click of a button

There will be thousands of retailers in the US and UK that will be slashing price on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Keeping tab of many retailers and carting out at the same time can be exasperating. What if you can do your shopping and consolidate your cart all in one click?

Enter Uskoop Assistant.

Uskoop Assistant lets you shop smarter and quicker online — all in just one click. It is a nifty plugin for your browser that automatically consolidate your shopping from different merchants in one place. It also shows you the total cost including the shipping and handling fees converted to Singapore Dollars, fuss-free!

Simply download the Chrome/Firefox plugin and start shopping!

Found an item you like? Click on the Uskoop icon and it will be automatically show up on Uskoop!

Uskoop provides free shipping to your local address and also free insurance coverage for every single order! No more worrying about your item getting lost in transit.

Making a big ticket purchase? Uskoop has collaborated with DBS to offer you 0% interest instalment plan program for up to 12 months!

Still want more?

From 23 – 30 November, Uskoop provides you with discount of up to S$30 on your purchases!

SGD10.00 off (minimum purchase SGD80.00)
SGD30.00 off (minimum purchase SGD200.00)

Discount will be automatically reflected when you check out your items.

Save Up to 50% Every Time You Shop at Amazon

Yusho Liu, co-founder of CoinHako.com, dishes out the dirt on how to save money at the world’s largest online retail store.

Let’s get real. Amazon is a wonderland of everything I’ve ever wanted to buy — or didn’t know I needed until they suggested it. With a huge selection of goods being sold at competitive pricing — not to mention, their remarkable 2-day delivery — it was my go-to place for everything during my time in Silicon Valley — except for my sneakers.

Purse.io is a San Francisco based startup. Their investors include prominent members in the Bitcoin ecosystem, as well as several well known Silicon Valley funds.

As seen in the screenshot, Purse.io allows holders of Bitcoin to exchange Amazon credits with gift card owners through Purse’s escrow platform. I followed up with some due diligence to check the legitimacy of their platform and decided to give this a shot. I ordered a bottle of fish oil. Sure enough, I received my omega 3 caps and saved about a buck doing so.

Fast forward 3 months and I’m back in sunny Singapore settling down, where I’m busy getting operations started for my own startup — CoinHako. We make Bitcoin easy and accessible.

“Not having 2-day shipping stinks. I know. But maybe learning to save significantly on your Amazon purchases when in Singapore will make it stink less.”

1. Pick your items and place them in your wishlist

I’m sure you’ve been itching to get that latest book on pandas playing chess with gremlins right — because Amazon is Amazin.

2. Sign up for an account at Purse.io

It doesn’t take you more than 30 seconds for this step.

3. Import your Amazon Wishlist into Purse.io

Click on “Spend BTC” and import your wishlist by pasting the URL directly into the field. Click “Import” and a pop up box will appear as shown below. Follow the steps and click “Done”

4. Pick your discount and note down the total amount of Bitcoin (mBTC) required to make the purchase.

It seems like Purse has tiered the discounts based on total spending. This simply means that the more you order via Purse, the more discounts you get.. (UP TO 50%) This should be largely beneficial to people who conduct Mass Orders.

Remember to note down the amount of milli-Bitcoin you will have to purchase. In this case, 503 mBTC = 0.503 BTC

Do note that my receiving address is in Dayton, OH, which is my freight forwarder’s office. The major players in Singapore are Borderlinx, Vpost, Comgateway, 65daigou etc.

5. Create an account at your freight forwarder.

This will give you a local US address to ship to. If you are not too certain on how to use these services, there are instructions on their website.

6. Buy sufficient Bitcoin and place your order.

If you have a Singaporean bank account, head over to CoinHako.com and purchase just enough bitcoins for the purchase. I personally recommend buying a little more in case the price fluctuates. If you do not know how to purchase Bitcoin, please head over here.

Once the coins are in your wallet, send the coins out to YOUR designated wallet address.

My designated wallet address. Purse.io recommends 8% market buffer

7. Wait for transaction to be completed.

It will typically take about 30minutes for the transaction to be confirmed by the network. Once that is done, just wait till it arrives at your transit facility.

Now that you have completed your transaction for 0.503 BTC….

Let’s see how much money Purse & Bitcoin can save YOU.

Assuming that freight charges leaving Borderlinx is constant, I did some math for regular checkout (via Mastercard), and Purse.io

1. Cost via Mastercard

Based on Amazon’s rates, the total for both items:

USD163 = SGD231.03

2. Cost via Bitcoin @ 20% discount

0.503 BTC @ CoinHako’s rates:

~SGD180

Smart Nation Shopping, this is.

Imagine saving up to $200 for a $1000 purchase.

(Article contributed by Yusho Liu, founder of CoinHako)

5 Coolest Techie Gift Ideas Under S$30

Searching for the perfect yet inexpensive last minute Valentine’s gift for your techie sweetie? Fear not, here are 5 Coolest Techie Gift Ideas Under S$30…

1. EC TECHNOLOGY® PORTABLE POWER BANK WITH FLASHLIGHT (2600mAh)

US$7.99 or S$10.82. Buy it here.

Image Credits: amazon.com

Available in 5 colors, this mini power bank with flashlight fits easily inside your bag or pocket. Its capacity is a one full cycle charge for your Samsung or iPhone handphones. Its weight is about 3 ounces that only requires 4-5 hours of input charging time.

2. SANDISK CRUZER GLIDE 16GB USB FLASH DRIVE

US$9.50 or S$12.86. Buy it here.

Image Credits: amazon.com

We all have important files we want to protect. But, as soon as the computer crashes, all of it can be gone forever. To prevent this from happening, it is important to back-up your files with this 16 GB SanDisk flash drive. You can store a lot with this small thing.

3. MITAKI-JAPAN PORTABLE LUGGAGE SCALE

US$7.99 or S$10.82. Buy it here.

Since airlines are now charging by the extra pound, knowing how much you are bringing on board is a serious business.

Image Credits: amazon.com

Tackle with weight of your luggage with this portable luggage scale. Its features include LCD back-light and varied unit options (i.e., grams, kilograms, ounces, and pounds). The two AAA batteries it requires are included when you purchase.

4. SECUR MINI COLLAPSIBLE STORM LANTERN

US$19.06 or S$25.81. Buy it here.

Image Credits: amazon.com

This collapsible storm lantern by Secur boasts its ability to act as a light source and as a charging source for your Smartphone incase of a storm or any light shortage emergency. There are two light settings that require different amounts of charging time. This product can also double as either a lantern or a flashlight once you collapse or fold it down.

5. GRIFFIN TECHNOLOGY GC30014 APP CONTROLLED HELICOPTER

US$19.99 or S$27.07. Buy it here.

Image Credits: amazon.com

Embrace your partner’s inner child with this cool Griffin Technology Helicopter controlled by using your IOS or Android App. Yes! You can be a pilot and control the plane’s onboard LED with just a tap of your fingertip. It features twin twin missile launchers and 6 Redeye missiles.

5 Ways to Save Money on Hand Phone Accessories

The cost of your hand phone accessories range from $2 to $100+, but its expense adds up together. Hence, it is paramount to be savvy in purchasing hand phone accessories to save money.

1. USE A SOCK ON IT

Instead of buying a new phone case, try to buy a new pair of toddler socks. The phone fits perfectly inside the sock and it is easy to see in your purse. It not only protects your phone to serve its purpose but it also has a wide range of cute designs to choose from.

2. BUY HAND PHONE ACCESSORIES ONLINE

Do not rely solely on the gadget shops in the malls that sell hand phone gear, also explore good prices in the Internet such as: Amazon, eBay, and Carousell. Online stores have sales and clearance of their last year stocks where you can save money. It is important to shop around, and compare prices before purchasing to get the best deal.

3. PROTECT YOUR CHARGER CABLE WIRE

The cable chargers of Apple products usually break and bend. This urges Apple users to buy another costly cable for the Mac store. The solution is simple, take the spring from your old pen and put it on the cable wire. Or, you may buy plastic cable wire protectors for $1.50 to $2 from Carousell.

Image Credits: Raul Gonzalo via Flickr

4. DO YOU REALLY NEED AN EXTRA BATTERY?

Rethink if you really need an extra battery before buying them. Some smart phones do not have an option of replacing the battery by your own. So, it is wiser to invest on an extra charger for your office or your car.

5. STOCK UP YOUR OLD HAND PHONE ACCESSORIES

Do not toss your old hand phone accessories such as your car charger because phone companies may revert back to their old power cord. Instead, clean your silicone phone case in the dishwasher or sell your stuff online to earn more.

4 Unusual Places to Find and Earn Money

Some people make it their golden mission to find hidden treasures throughout their lives, while others accidentally stumble onto them without effort. Whether it be practical or not, here are 4 Ways You can Find and Earn Money in the most Unusual Places.

1. YOUR OWN BACKYARD

A couple in California discovered treasures in their own backyard while walking their dog. They found 1,427 rare mint-condition coins dating from 1847 to 1894. Then, the coin experts estimated and appraised the coins at US$11 million. Today, you can find the last piece of coin that is offered for sale at Amazon.

Image Credits: Kagin’s, Inc. SRH via Amazon

2. FLEA MARKETS

A man once bought a painting of a country scene at a flea market in Pennsylvania in 1989. It turns out that it was one of the 24 known copies of the original 1776 Declaration of American Independence. In 2000, it was sold for US$8.14 million to the television producer named Norman Lear.

There are various flea markets in Singapore. Maybe you’re the next person to find antiques or special items in the flea market. Nonetheless, you can always find cheap yet useful items, which you can resell again.

Image Credits: Nasrul Ekram via Flickr

3. UNIVERSITIES OR RESEARCH CENTERS

Participate in paid focus groups, online surveys, or research studies that maybe in the field of science, marketing, etc. You may google the opportunities that are near to your city or those that pay even if you are in any place of the world through reputable services such as Paypal. Although while in search, you must make sure that the center or the institution is credible to ensure your safety.

4. LASTLY, IN YOUR BOOKSHELF

Selling your old books and magazines on online sites such as Amazon or Carousell can be a valid option. Not only can you earn extra money but you can also de-clutter at the same time! Also, some people have had success by compiling used books of others or buying books on the cheap garage sales, and reselling them again for a higher price.