With increasing living costs and hiking GST prices, many have been looking for ways to reduce their expenses. 1 great way is to purchase some of your daily needs from our neighbour at almost half the price here due to the exchange rate ( SG 1 to RM 2.95) and extensive promotions at their mall. Some might find it a hassle to brave the crazy congestions on either of the causeway but all it takes is careful planning and scheduling to avoid the peak periods. One of our favourite mall to visit is the AEON Mall in Bukit Indah as it is away from the main crowd at City Square, KSL or even the new Paradigm Mall. The next 20 items are our absolutely MUST stock up items when ever we make our bi-monthly trip across the bridge.
1) Rice
Rice is our staple as Chinese and pretty much runs out very fast if your family cooks every meal. The 5KG Royal Umbrella fragrant rice is at RM36.99 with current exchange rate it is SG 12.75. Both NTUC and Giant sells it for SG 15.50. If you buy the 10KG it is priced at RM 69.90 which is SG 24.10 while both NTUC and Giant sells it at SG 30.80. The bigger sized the better the savings.
2) Cooking Oil
The Naturel Canola and Sunflower Oil Blend 3 litre oil is priced at RM 24.43 which is SG 8.42 while NTUC sells it at SG 11.50 and Giant at SG 10.95. There are times where we bought the oil at RM 18 before when the mall runs promotions.
3) Olive Oil
For healthy living, many people I know have turned to Olive oil in their cooking. Borges Pure Olive Oil at 1 litre was having an offer at RM 30.99 which is SG 10.68 while Giant sells the same at SG 13.90
4) Toilet Paper
Kleenex is known for their quality paper products and are usually one of the brands with no promotion in Singapore. Kleenex Clean series of toilet paper ( 20 rolls) were having a member sale at RM 24.99 which is SG 8.61 which NTUC sells at SG 14.45 and Giant at SG 13.95.
5) Joy Detergent
Joy detergent which is one of the best dish washing detergent and is constantly having promotion. The anti bacterial 500 ml bottle sells at RM 4.49 which is SG 1.54. Giant sells at SG 6.45. NTUC only sells the normal ones at SG 5.40
6) Milo Powder
Milo is something that runs out very fast in my family. As an energy drink, almost the entire family drinks it. Aeon sells the 2KG refill pack at RM 38.67 which is SG 13.33 ( 6.65 for 1KG ) while Giant and NTUC both sells the 900g at SG 8.45 ( 9.388 for 1KG)
7) Kitchen Towels
Kitchen towels are like a god send in the kitchen although perhaps not the most environmental friendly. The Scott kitchen towel 6+2 pack is selling at RM 13.68 which is SG 4.71 while both Giant and NTUC sells at SG 5.95
8) Magic Clean Toilet Cleaner
After trying multiple brands of cleaner, Magic Clean is the only one we used that left our toilet sparkling clean. Aeon sells them for RM 7.29 which is SG 2.51 which NTUC sells it for SG 3.95
9) Honey
My family uses this Capilano squeeze bottle honey a lot for cooking, marinating meats as well as for breakfast. Aeon sells them at RM 16.90 which is SG 5.80 where both NTUC and Giant sells them for SG 8.40
10) 3 in 1 cereal
These 3-in1 cereals are like a quick breakfast for days where you run short on time. We bought them at RM 8.49 which is SG 2.92 for all flavours where NTUC sells them between SG 3.90 – 4.95 depending on the flavour. In fact the 2 flavour pictured here are not sold in Singapore
11) Ribena Concentrate
This is my solution for sweet drinks cravings. It was priced at RM 13 which is SG 4.48 where both NTUC and Giant sells it at SG 7.70
12) Instant Oats
For a more filling breakfast or even a healthier choice lunch, instant oats is a very good source of fibre and proteins. It is priced at RM 9.49 which is SG 3.20 and both NTUC and Giant is selling it at a promotion of SG 4.65 ( usual price SG 5.10)
13) Anlene Milk Powder
This is very useful for women as it replaces calcium in our bones as we age. We buy the Gold version as it has more active ingredients which are also suitable for the elders. The 600g refill pack is at RM 18.99 which is SG 6.54. Both NTUC and Giant sells the same at SG 13.95 on promotion. Usual price is at SG 16.30
14) Brand’s Essence Chicken
I have always loved the taste of chicken essence from a kid and would sneak a bottle when I feel tired now. This is the only product sold cheaper at the pharmacy instead of the super market. Different pharmacies have their promotions and this time round we bought it at Guardian for RM 130 which is SG 44.82 for 30 bottles of 70ml. ( SG 1.49 per bottle ). Giant sells 14 bottles of 68ml at SG 34.90 ( SG 2.49 per bottle ) and NTUC sells at 12 bottles of 68 ml at SG 33.90 ( SG 2.80 per bottle )
15) Wardrobe scent freshener
These small sachets of fresheners work really well and the scent lasts for a long time. You can slip them in the wardrobe, car , toilet or anywhere you want them. For easy use, they have a small slip hole in each sachet for you to hook them up. These were selling at RM 5.90 for pack of 4 sachet which is SG 2.03 ( 0.50 per pack ) The closest I could find for comparison is the Glade Hang it Fresh Fragrance Beads from Giant selling at SG 1.80 per sachet.
16) Kleenex tissue paper with Eucalyptus Oil
I bought 1 box to try when we discovered it and I found it extremely useful for days when you nose is runny or days when your sinus is acting up. They provided great comfort for the nose. These are not sold in Singapore at all and so are the next few items. These are at RM 15.09 which is SG 5.20 for box of 3
17) Kleenex Travel Pack tissue with Essential Oil
These are also not sold in Singapore and they come in a few fragrant like Rose , Lavender, Cocoa Butter and Cherry Blossoms. Our favourite is the Rose Essential oil as it smells very legit and you feel enveloped in rose parfum everyway you go. These are sold at RM 5.28 which is SG 1.82 for pack of 4
18) Boh Tea Cham 3 in 1
This is basically the Yuan Yang we drink at Hong Kong cafes. It is a 3 in 1 mix of coffee and tea. This is so good for days you feel like coffee and milk tea at the same time. This is priced at RM 14. 05 which is SG 4.84 for 12 sachet
19 ) Medicine
I always bring medicine with me with ever I travel and there are specific medicine that works extremely well. For people with sinus or sensitive nose issues, you can purchase flu or allergy medicine in Malaysia much cheaper than in Singapore. Telfast D is sold at RM14.86 for 10 tabs which is SG 5.12 and Guardian sells the same for SG 13. Betadine Cold Defense Spray at RM 27.90 which is SG 9.60 and Guardian sells them for SG 18.80. Many other medicine is close to 40% cheaper, do a check on SG prices before you purchase them in JB.
20) Ho Yan Ho Herbal Tea
With the sheltering heat and our love for everything fried, our bodies get heaty very easily. While you can easily purchase cooling tea from some of the medicinal hall, I find these herbal tea sachet very helpful. We first discovered them in Ipoh and it is invented by a traditional medicinal hall therefore all ingredients used is very legit and a modification from their traditional herbal tea recipe. There is 3 versions; the gold for daily well-being, there is a blue for people who have insomnia and the green one is when you are feeling the onset of a cold. You can read more about the tea here and you can also buy them online although buying them in Malaysia is slightly cheaper.
Some people might feel the savings of a few dollars per item is not a big deal but when you add up everything, it is quite substantial savings especially when you are in charge of the entire household budget. A simple example: In my recent trip, I bought supplies of oil, paper products, milo and drinks enough for 1 -2 months and it set me back at about SG 120. Back in Singapore, I simply bought milk, juice, coconut water, bread and 2 packets of biscuits from Giant and it was SG 42. For me, the savings is personally worth it to travel across the causeway, because with the same price, I can purchase a more premium product there and Johor is also known for its sumptious food galore.
Bear Travels . Bear Eats . Bear Cooks 