Just the place to get some bargain knock offs! Yep, I'm cheap. Everyone's respectful and no one…read morepushes their stuff on to you. Just check them out and get only what you want.

Over the years, Tumblr users have skyrocketed. It's so popular that a lot of kids, teens and hip…read moreyuppies get inspiration from Tumblr blogs. May it be photography, quotes, memes, gifs, art, pop culture, style and most especially fashion. My friend actually introduced my sister and I to Fashion Market. After learning about it, we go there every time were at this mall. Fashion Market is split into 2 sides on the mall - the left and the right. I suggest going through all stores. It can take hours though, haha, but you won't regret it. They have every style and trend you'd typically see on Tumblr, fashion blogs, Youtube beauty channels and fashion week! Inside, you'll also find spas, salons, money changers and ATM's. The prices range from super inexpensive to normal clothing price rates. A lot of stores sell super hip shoes, clothes, hats, shades and even prom dresses and traditional Filipino costumes. Definitely check out these stores I frequent when you're there - (right side) Push Thru, Mastermind Chase and Muradito, (left side) Nava, Berca and Ballow. Happy shopping! :)

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.

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.

I always knew that Starmall EDSA-Shaw is a good place to hunt for bargain items. But it's only…read morerecently that I discovered Japan Selection on the second floor. At first glance, the store looked like just any ordinary thrift shop selling Japan-made goods. Look closer, or better yet get inside, and you will see that they are more than just the usual stocks of cookware, kitchen gadgets, chopsticks, Lucky (or Pocky) biscuit sticks, and whatnots from the land of the rising sun. They sell second-hand appliances on an 'as is, where is' basis. This means they will test the appliance you want to buy in the store. But if it doesn't work later when you bring it home, you can't claim a refund. They also have pre-owned baby strollers and other baby furniture. Heck, they even have used surfboards. What really lured me to the place was the stacks of original Japanese manga comics, many of them are Naruto. I was giddy because my cousin who's learning how to read and write Japanese can now spice up his studies by reading one of his favorite manga/anime series in its original language. Without hesitation, I grabbed three books to buy. Right across the manga section was the used toy shelves. Here, I found countless Ultraman figures, diecast cars, robots, and baby toys. Clumsy me grazed one of the items on a shelf and it fell with a beautiful percussive sound. When I picked it up, I realized that it was a bamboo baby rattle. I bought it for twenty bucks to use as decoration at home. The only downside to Japan Selections is their dusty, topsy-turvy store. If you suffer from asthma, better stay out.

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.

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.

So it's been 17 years since last went to the Philippines, and I didn't know what to expect…read more What a pleasant surprise it was when my parents and I checked in to the Airbnb and we find out that the Venice Grand Canal Mall was just across the street. I spent a lot of time here. As soon as you walk into the mall, it doesn't feel like you're in the Philippines anymore. The canal was nice to see during the day and at night. You can even take a gondola through the canal. They also have an area where you can feed pigeons seeds. They have a lot of the stores and the restaurants that we have in the US. I was joking around saying that I traveled 7200 miles to eat at a Denny's in the Philippines. Lol. And you know I had to hit up the Uniqlo here! Will I be back? Of course. Especially if I stay at the same Airbnb. I'll see you when I see you Venice Grand Canal Mall!

The Venice Grand Canal Mall is a large lifestyle center located in Taguig, Philippines…read more The Venice Grand Canal Mall should be viewed within the context of a master planned development. Encircling this mall are apartments, condos and office towers. The mall offers a lot: a supermarket; bookstores; fast food and casual dining restaurants; a multi-screen movie theater; spaces for dance and play--and a lot of retail shopping. You can also buy tickets for a gondola ride or rent a swan boat. This location provided an opportunity for me to people watch; examine products and brands unfamiliar to me; and to price compare goods in the PHL, versus back home. It was interesting.

What's better than an Adidas store? What's better is an Adidas OUTLET store. Yes, Adidas can be…read morepretty pricey and you would definitely need to shell out a lot of money for cool new kicks or a hip sports jacket, but why not check out an outlet store and see all the (still) cool and hip stuff that are sold with great quality? I for one, am definitely thankful for this store. I have not one but 4 members of my family who are Adidas addicts. I can see why because they certainly have great stuff but it's personally not my style so I buy other and cheap workout gear that won't burn holes in my wallet and pockets. An outlet store won't so every time there's a birthday or it's Christmas, I always visit this branch. They have great discounts (up to 70% off during sale season) and you can even call them beforehand to ask if they have a certain model you want.

Ahhh, Japan Home Center, the land of the 3C's - cheap, cool and captivating. Cheap because…read moreeverything is P88 or P66...around $2 or less. That's a steal! Cool because you can literally find anything you'd ever need for your house, room, classes or work. Captivating because they sell a wide array of things that you would think is only a want but it's actually a need. I can't just go inside the store and not buy anything. Sometimes I buy a lot - pet accessories, neck ties, baking items, toys...but it never bothers me because I love everything I buy and again, they're so cheap! Also, a great tip if you're on a very tight budget for buying gifts on friendship day or gifts for any occasion really, is buying your presents here. Seriously, they may be cheap but a lot of the stuff don't look cheap. There was even this one time, I think I reached P1000+ on my purchases and they had this promo that if you reach 1k, you'd get a free vase or something in the lines of...a vase would be around half the price. Of course I accepted the promo with open arms. They had great vases! And my parents' anniversary was coming up so I got them a vase I thought they would like and they did! This my friends, is called smart shopping. Learn it, love it, live it. :)

I have a love hate relationship with this store…read more Their items go for cheap prices which I really love. And they always have something that I need. I have found kitchenware, bags, umbrellas, items for my pets and Hello Kitty things. There are times when they have book covers made out of cloth and liners for my shelves. The quality is rather okay considering the cheap prices. I mean, don't expect something that costs Php88 to last you for an eternity. It's my go to place when I need something right away and I don't have much money to splurge on the item. So why do I hate this store? Because the items are so cheap I end up buying things that I don't need. Not the store's fault really.

Another thrift shop that I frequently go to, not that I'm cheap, but I'd like to see it as bargain,…read moreor a talent of finding branded beautiful used clothes in mint condition aAnother thrift shop that I frequently go to, not that I'm cheap, but I'd to see it as bargain, or a talent of finding branded beautiful used clothes in mint condition and d working it out. I was able to see great finds in this store, you just have to be patient in checking each garment one by one and aisle by aisle. It's like finding needle in a haystack once you find it, it feels great. I was able to get two Jag pants for only Php 100.00 each, a Fendi vest for Php120.00, several knitted cardigans and shirts for only Php25.00 each, Liz Claiborne and three winter clothes jackets for only Php100.00 each. They have new stocks every month but I advise waiting for a few weeks after the delivery because new stocks are priced higher, so be patient and wait until they have the sale sign out, clothes jumps from Php150.00 to Php 25.00. Ukay digging is fun, try it.!