This is yet another street in Manila with a special purpose. I recently discovered Bambang when my…read morebalikbayan friend asked me where to buy scrub suits for work (she's a nurse in the US). I volunteered to take her to Divisoria, but a friend of hers told her about Bambang, a street full of stores selling medical supplies and equipment. So off we went. The street of Bambang wasn't as busy as that of Divisoria, with fewer commercial establishments, but at the middle of the street is where you'll see the long line of stores selling different hospital supplies. The items there can go from brand new to second hand (I remember my hubby's comment about an old hospital bed, "Parang may namatay na dyan eh.") but all at a bargained price. My friend was so happy with her scrub suits in different colors and designs costing 300 pesos a pair (compared to a mall price of 700 pesos). What made the trip worthwhile for me were the nebulizers. For households with little kids, nebulizers are a must-have. But the most basic ones cost over two thousand pesos in malls and drug stores. In Bambang, you can get one for 850 pesos. Not bad, right? We have a big, heavy and durable nebulizer at home (costs over five-thousand bucks, a worthy investment though) but I'll probably be back soon to buy a more lightweight, travel-sized one.

Bambang Street was just a minute by foot from where I used to live. But I never realized the…read morepopularity of the place until I moved to Quezon City. My friends used to beg me to take them to that street where they can buy all the good ukay-ukay stuff. I was left puzzled not knowing what exactly they were talking about. Apparently, Bambang Street was an institution. Aside from discount stores with really good deals on some of the best branded items, Bambang also offers a wide array of medical supplies with stores located one after the other. Located so close to the street are plenty of public and private hospitals that can explain the influx of medical supplies and equipment. They also sell them in wholesale prices so you can be sure to get a good deal with anything you buy. Make sure though to take care of your belongings as it can get a little rowdy at times.

Like Japan Home Center, you can find anything and everything you're looking for in American Bazaar…read more But this time, yup, they sell American brands - for a really cheap price! Their price point ranges from 88 pesos to 66 pesos and this store is one of the stores I frequent when I need to restock office supplies, home supplies, gardening supplies or cooking and baking supplies. I'm a big fan of their hair accessories and their hair dyes. Sometimes I also buy their cocoa butter lotion - it's really good. I love how a lot of their products come in big sizes so you really know that you're saving a ton of money for something inexpensive that will last you a long time. Another tip is, if you're having a children's party or a simple party (nothing fancy) and you need props, food supplies and toys, you can definitely see a lot of choices from American Bazaar. Heck, you can buy all your party needs there. Well, except for food and drinks that is.

A few years ago, due to humongous losses from prolific counterfeiting of Levi's Jeans, the Levi's…read morebrand's main offices, factory, and warehouse in Pasong Tamo Extension closed down. They were at a large lot right across a long-abandoned building, which is now Alphaland Mall. Why is this important? Well, that was where you could go to buy original Levi's jeans and apparel at criminally huge discounts. Not as cheap as the counterfeits, but these were originals, and were worth having. Those days are gone. Or are they? Thankfully, original Levi's jeans, apparel, accessories, and yes, even Levi's Dockers pants and shirts can be had at factory outlet prices, at--- you guessed it, a Levi's Factory Outlet. Ironically it's right at the mall that's across the street from where Levi's warehouse and offices used to be. Up in the second floor of Alphaland Mall is where you'll find the store. The store is staffed usually by a couple of dudes who look like they moonlight as bouncers (and maybe they do!). I was pleased to discover they're the gentle sort, and the curious thing is, these "bouncers" are actually pretty good um... "seamsters"(?) as well (more on that shortly) The store does live up to its "factory outlet-ness" since it's full of different Levi's jeans in all sorts of sizes, colors, and styles, usually at 50-70% off the original price. Some of the sizes may be a tad large for the average person, so you'll have to make alterations... but where? Right at the store, where else! For a measly P100, you can have your pants and jeans' hems shortened to the right length. I'm not sure if they can make more complicated alterations, but you'll be pleased to know that they will do alterations on jeans and pants that are NOT a pair of Levi's or Dockers. All it takes is ten minutes, because usually there aren't that many people having alterations done, which is kinda unfortunate, since they do a decent job for a rock-bottom price. I'm no "fashionista" or whatever you call it, just don't expect the styles to be the latest ones you'll see in mainstream Levi's outlets. You may also have to dig a bit for the size and style you're looking for, but at P1600 to P1900 for original Levi's 501 Button-fly jeans, the effort should be worth it.

It looks like a beautiful businessI can't wait to go there to see it and November I'm coming to the…read morePhilippines in November

I love how Greenhills can still somehow surprise you even though you've spent a good time of your…read morelife there and seen it grow. There are stores there that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and one day you'll just be walking along, getting lost in Shoppesville and you chance upon a dollar store, and you think nothing of it, until you go in and have your life changed. A dollar store in America is much like the Daiso and Saizen here, except of course a dollar is cheaper than th P66 or P88 you shell out for an item in these stores. While similar in concept, the stuff here isn't exactly ridiculous low-priced, just that they're American imports. A lot of them are stuff you'd easily get here in the country, of course, but you'd come upon a few that are more hard to find, and one of those are STARBURST CANDIES! I love Starburst. They were my friend when I was in the US riding the subway or getting lost and feeling like a complete foreigner. I sometimes have dreams about Starburst. And I was over the freaking moon that the store carried them in a bunch of different varieties, so I snatched one up (I regret not buying more) and had it rung up at the register. They have other things too, like curiously cheap trail mixes, cereal, dog accessories, shampoos, cosmetics, detergent, and so much more stuff. But I'll only come back here for the Starburst.

Most of the reviews here are on the pet center or the other divisions of the market, i.e. the one…read morewith shoes, the one with clothing overruns, the one with secondhand appliances, the one with bicycles, the one with gardening stuff, etc. Those are all well and good, but what I love about the Cartimar Market is their food. Seriously, where else can you get authentic Thai food for less than a hundred pesos? Sen Lek Thai in the foodcourt is one of the best Thai places I've tried. If you're more into Korean food, Arisoo is a restaurant towards the back that I was also able. My favorite though is the cold taho at one of the Japanese groceries here, I forget the name. It's basically cold taho with toppings of your choice, for around fifty pesos for a big bowl. It's my secret pick me up. Don't tell anyone, okay?

I consider Cartimar Market to be one of the more underrated places in the metro. A lot of people…read moreknow about the pet center here, which is also what drew me to the place in the first place, but once you go past that, you'll see that it has a whole lot more to offer. It's not a market in the usual sense. I haven't seen any wet produce like meat or fish, though I'm sure there's an area in there somewhere. What I have seen are stores selling clothing - mostly overruns or surpluses of major brands, stores selling shoes, stores selling appliances, and stores selling miscellaneous items like mason jars and the like. You also have, of course, the pet center, and the SM supermarket. The best part, I think, are the foreign groceries where you can get Japanese or Korean ingredients dirt-cheap.

I'm addicted to thrift stores and 'ukay-ukays'. Not only because I don't have a lot of money and I…read more-can- be cheap, but personally, it's a thrilling, satisfying experience and past-time that naturally curious folks would enjoy. Seriously, you'll never know what thing of beauty awaits you (and for less, too)! A couple of my prized possessions (mostly clothes, artwork/trinkets) I've purchased from such stores. I live 2 minutes away from Go Green Japan Surplus, so I frequent this place quite often to look around, see what's available. I really find the whole experience entertaining, to say the least. I mean, all these odds and ends from another culture, owned by a stranger you will most likely never, ever meet--who may also be still alive, or dead! Okay, that's not very enticing. But really, with a combination of luck, perseverance, and a good eye, you can really come home with a lot of good finds. This place mostly sells second hand furniture and home accessories. Their furniture can be a bit pricey, so do choose wisely. It might be helpful to check brand new items in other places first for a price basis. If you're a mug/teacup/plate hoarder, they have a huge selection of ceramics with novelty designs (i.e. ceramic sake glasses with erotic Japanese artwork called Shunga). For outdoorsy types, beautiful, secondhand Japanese bikes and surfboards are available here, too!

There's a relatively large warehouse-type store in the middle of Dona Soledad Avenue in Bicutan,…read moreParanaque City that simply calls itself Japan Store. It is, of course, a second-hand shop that sells a wide variety of houseware, furniture, home décor, bicycles and just about anything that can be sold used. Every so often, the Japan Store will sell shoes that look to be in good condition. I chanced upon a pair of tripods that I had been looking for and one was being sold for P1,200 and the other for P2,000. The most interesting item available was an old-style slot machine. Two of them actually. It didn't have the lever of the typical one-armed bandit, making the P5,000 gizmos next generation slot machines. The place also has surf boards and more cups and mugs than I could count. One seemingly fast moving item would be wheelchairs, as every so often a few would be on display, only to be gone a week later. Cabinets, clocks, kitchen utensils are also plentiful. For those who like to restore old furniture, Japan Store has a wide array to choose from. This place has been around for years so it's safe to presume that business must be booming. I like to visit it just to see what new old stuff they have for bargain hunters like me. I'm still waiting for them to have a classic juke box for sale, and I will probably bargain like crazy to have it.

When I stumbled upon the Daiso Japan store in Glorietta 3 a few months ago, I couldn't contain my…read moresurprise. "Finally!," I thought. Perhaps its area also doesn't do the store a lot of justice since it's in a part of the mall that doesn't really attract a lot of foot traffic (bridge way from Glorietta 4 to Glorietta 2). But I was glad I saw and I so entered the store with excitement. One can't help but feel overwhelmed with the rows upon rows of objects stacked high until the ceiling. From office supplies to kitchenware, cleaning supplies to gardening tools, make-up and skincare, snacks, and everything in between - Daiso really has it all. Perhaps you're not even sure what you're looking for, but for sure, Daiso has it. What's great about the discount store is that everything starts at Php 88. With that in mind, I grabbed everything I needed (and also didn't need), and left a happy (albeit a little poorer) shopper.

I love Daiso! They have things that you didn't even know you needed, but things that you want -…read morebecause it's either really cool, cute, or cheap! This is a pretty sizable outlet, and unlike the other outlets, has a lot of space to walk around and the shelves are organized pretty well. There are lots of kitchen items here - ranging from glassware to plates to cutlery to measuring cups and even kitchen utensils and tools. I also love that there are some cheap Japanese snacks to purchase here. It's not of the absolute best quality, but it'll do for the price that you're paying. If you need to get anything for the office or events, you'll be sure to find what you need here. They have lots of stationary and little gifts and even craft items too! It's really a one-stop shop! Love it.

Thank the book gods and goddesses for Chapters and Pages! I wish I knew of this store when I was…read morestill studying as I could have saved more money for other school expenses and food. For any bookworm who has a tight budget or who wants to buy more books, Chapters and Pages is the place to be! Instead of one book, you could buy a book or 3 for the same price. They have really inexpensive school supplies too! There's a lot of stock of pad papers and notebooks - a whole area dedicated for students. Any kind of book in a bookstore, you'd find here. I particularly love buying cook books here as in other bookstores, I'd have to shell out a thousand or more for just one cook book. Whenever I want to read something new or stock up on books for the summer or want to add to my growing collection, Chapters and Pages is one of the bookstores I never fail to visit.

When our family goes to Nuvali, you can bet that this is one of our destinations. Nuvali is home to…read morea lot of outlet stores and Nike Factory store is really the one that attracts customers (mostly sports enthusiasts) the most. The men in my family love coming here to score bargains on the latest kicks. Before they buy basketball or cross-training shoes at the mall or online, they make sure they check this place out first. The store offers around 15 to 40 percent mark down from the usual market price. If you find a pair of shoes that you like, cross your fingers that they have them in your size, because they have a limited number of stocks, especially the more popular styles. If luck isn't on your side with shoes, maybe you'll find a shirt, bag or accessory that you like. I'm really not a shoe person. My brothers and my husband own more shoes than me. But I like buying my cross trainers and gym clothes here because of the big discount.