Oh Japan. The center of every little thing. From pretty to smart to just plain weird, they have it…read moreall. For every object we deem ordinary, Japan has a version of. They've turned cube trays to heart-shaped ones and cold metallic baking equipment to the most colorful tools. There are so many things to love about them and if there is a shop in Manila that somehow captures the quirkiness that we all have become fans of , then it's Daiso Japan Store. Basically, it's a bunch of Japanese inventions found in a neat little space. Everything is mostly sold at a low price of 88 pesos- a good price for products that was made out of the minds of the most peculiar and brilliant people in Asia. I go there every so often to look for something that could turn the most ordinary chore into a fun one.

This place is my dad's favorite store in the world! We literally have spent hours in just this one…read morestore. I guess its because it is a one-stop store with a whole variety of items up for sale, and yeah you can lose track of time looking through every aisle for what wonder it might hold on its shelves. Daiso is always are first stop whenever we are looking for anything. Before we move on to any other shop we make sure to check to have it here, because everything here is dirt cheap! You need a cupholder for your car? They got it! How about some false eyelashes for your next night out? Look no further! Or an organizer for your toiletries, they have it! Daiso is like an entire mall crammed into one store that has pretty much everything! And best of all, you get things cheap!

This place I'd like to term as Miss OC's older sibling. Like Miss OC, they specialize in selling…read morePersonal Organizers. Bag organizers, car organizers, wallets, jewelry cases... but personally, I choose this place over Miss OC for their sheer amount of stuff they have. They also accept online orders! While they seem to have more stuff than Miss O.C. they don't exactly overlap. There's stuff you can find here that you can't find there but alas, I still couldn't find my perfect charger organizer. Other than that, Storage Solutions is great. You're spoiled for choice when it comes to their stuff. Proper sizes, different colors, again, you'll definitely find something for your personal office/bedroom/house organization needs. I recommend checking here before you go to Miss O.C. though.

I think maybe that I'm mildly OCD. I can't stand it when my things are disorganized, and my…read moredefinition of organized means color coded, everything matching (I hate it when your bag has a lot of pouch bags in it and the patterns don't match! Or if your pouch bag doesn't match the bag it's in. Gah!), and everything stored in it's proper place. That's why I was so thankful to have found Storage Solutions! They really had everything I needed: from pouch bags with compartments to bag organizers to closet organizers - it was heaven for someone like me. I wish they had better designs, though. But for the price of their stuff, it was alright with me! I also wish they had a branch nearer to the south, but I think the long commute to San Juan was worth it.

It's unlikely that you would ever think of the UP Shopping Center to get gifts, but there are…read moreplaces to get them here, and one of them is the Handog Plain and Simple Gifts store. The little stall has a ton of stuff to give, and while there all mostly cutesy, quirky, "kikay" stuff, it's still a treat to go in to take a peek. They have notebooks, planners, bags, accessories, toys, UP-centric shirts, and likely a lot more besides. It's happened that I just went into the store to have a look, but ended up buying a small coin purse or earphone cord organizer, since they're so darn cute. Their stationery and paper products are distributed from Papemelroti, which might be of interest if you end up in the area and need something like a card, because you forgot someone's birthday, or beautiful cardboard boxes, because you're moving into a dorm.

One of the first things you'll notice as a new mom is that newborn babies grow up incredibly fast…read more So you'll have to buy new clothes for your kid much more frequently than you do for yourself (by the way, you'll also notice that parents usually don't have any free time to spend shopping, so get used to your good old pajama as you'll spend a lot of time wearing it). The second level of Greenbelt 5 is the perfect place if you're looking for children's clothing, since it concentrates many nice stores like Mothercare, Gingersnaps and Osh Kosh. My favourite, however, is Cotton On Kids. Clothes there are so soft (cotton! yay!) and the prints are funky and cute at the same time. I just love their sleepsuits, specially because they offer many different options with side zippers or side buttons, what ease the dressing a lot. I get happy every time my baby wears Cotton On clothes. It's like "ooooh, you are so cute!", photo shoot #1; "owwwh, you look like a rock star with this one!", photo shoot #2 and I take a thousand pictures and don't know which one to instagram. Besides being soooo adorable, I can feel my baby gets really comfortable with the clothes, and that's what matters.

I love Cotton On so when I found out they had a store just for kids' clothes, I was excited to…read morecheck it out. Cotton On Kids has the cutest selection of clothing ranging from infant wear to bigger kids' clothes. Their clothing are up-to-date, but not over-the-top that makes your child look like a shrunken adult. Their clothes are made of nice material, not too thin not too thick, making them very comfortable for kids. They have shirts, pants, shorts, dresses, swimwear and sleepwear. They also have really nice accessories for both boys and girls. Of course, the girls get the nicer things like tutus, wands, headbands and clips, while boys get sunglasses and hats. I'm so excited for my little one to come out so I can buy him/her some clothes from here!

I am the kind of person who wants things put in a certain container and the one who scours the…read moremalls for that specific container in my mind and when I find it, I'd be in heaven till I think of the next one that I'd need. Don't you feel that too? Like if you're going to travel you'd need a smaller bottle to put your perfume in so it won't take too much space or if you don't like what your make-up container looks like, you can always change that. And they also have those cute coloured bags so you can put all your stuff there! Beabi has it in all shapes and sizes. Most of the items they have there are cheap and inexpensive but there are some that's slightly more expensive than the rest. But the quality of the item is good and not the ones that feel like they're disposable. I like the Greenhills branch the most because their stuff is always new (also no scratches on the products) and the store looks bright and inviting which is the right environment for container hunting. Check out this branch and let me know if you like it as much as I do!

When you've had your taste of ukay, every so often you'll be itching to venture out and ukay new…read moreold stuff, very much like the itching you get after you've tried on several articles of dusty clothes. It's all worth it though, when you find those few things you've worked hard to find among the sea of secondhand somethings you'd had to wade through. This particular building in Anonas houses a good bunch of ukay-ukay stores and has always been one of my go-to places to thrift, after the spots in Cubao had to close and be replaced by the condominium sites. It's really accessible to the Anonas LRT Station and a lot of the stores have air-conditioning, which is great to have when you plan to be covered in grime at the end of the day. Most of them are fashion stores, carrying clothes, bags, and shoes, but a good few would have beddings, toys, and a couple of appliances or books here and there. One of the stores only specialize in toys and collectibles, while its neighbor only housed shoes and bags. It's my personal strategy to go for the least accessible places as they'd probably have cheaper stuff, but most of the stores in the higher floors had a more limited selection, more expensive clothes, and limited air conditioning. One of the stores had tops and dresses that went for almost four hundred bucks, which is hella expensive, but I guess it was because they were pre-chosen designer and branded articles. I guess they were worth a look regardless--no doubt they'd go on sale at some point in time. Still it'd be better to just sift through the bigger stores with more varied, cheaper stuff. Arm yourself with a bottle of water, some wipes, and alcohol, and make your way to Anonas. You're sure to find something here. If not, ask when their next batch of arrivals come in (some might have a text "mailing list" or they'd just give you a mobile number), or ask if they're online. Some of them have legit, updated Facebook pages!

I think one of the things I love about one of my best friends is that despite us having grown up in…read moreprivileged circumstances, she's always been judicious about her spending habits. Now that I'm pushing 30 and making my own money, I understand its value and how hard it is to make it! It's true -- the stuff really does run through your fingers! Having said that, Celina was the one who introduced me to the world of ukay-ukays. If you're a foreigner or you can't understand Tagalog, an ukay-ukay is essentially a thrift store or a flea market for clothing items. Once in awhile, bags or shoes are on sale as well but it's mostly clothing-centered. Anyhoo, the first time that she introduced me to this specific ukay-ukay was in our college days -- so somewhere in the realm of 2006-2008. It can be overwhelming to dig through the thousands of tops, bottoms and dresses available here but if you're patient and persistent, I guarantee that you'll find something to your liking that costs less than P500. 100 percent guaranteed. There are at least 10 ukay-ukay stores in the area so knock yourself out. I think one of the things I love about one of my best friends is that despite us having grown up in privileged circumstances, she's always been judicious about her spending habits. Now that I'm pushing 30 and making my own money, I understand its value and how hard it is to make it! It's true -- the stuff really does run through your fingers! Having said that, Celina was the one who introduced me to the world of ukay-ukays. If you're a foreigner or you can't understand Tagalog, an ukay-ukay is essentially a thrift store or a flea market for clothing items. Once in awhile, bags or shoes are on sale as well but it's mostly clothing-centered. Anyhoo, the first time that she introduced me to this specific ukay-ukay was in our college days -- so somewhere in the realm of 2006-2008. It can be overwhelming to dig through the thousands of tops, bottoms and dresses available here but if you're patient and persistent, I guarantee that you'll find something to your liking that costs less than P500. 100 percent guaranteed. There are at least 10 ukay-ukay stores in the area so knock yourself 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.

I was taking a break from recording voice over clips for my work at a nearby recording studio when…read moreI chanced upon this surplus shop along Filmore. Now, I should really stop going to thrift shops because I am very close to developing a habit of picking up cute knick knacks that will eventually make me qualify for an episode of Hoarders: Tea Set Edition. I like styling props for food shoots, and there are no better props than porcelain, ceramic and glass dining and tea sets because they give so much character to the food spreads that I love designing. I am also a sucker for textures and patters, and bamboo mats, woven baskets lacquered serving trays and bento boxes are staples when shooting Japanese or Asian food.Their selection of used glassware, plates, ceramics and kitchen implements are rife of cute pieces that are around P40 apiece. I was able to get a cute wabi sabi Japanese bowl that I have used many times in shoots. If you have the patience to trawl and sort through shelves and shelves of stuff, you may find really unique pieces that you can use when entertaining. The only drawback is that most of the pieces are one-ofs, meaning you can't buy them in a set because some pieces are missing. Here, they also have furniture and used office supplies like shelving units, file cabinets and desks. The goods here are relatively cheap and are in considerably good quality.