Okay so last weekend I promised my kids we’d get pool toys, right? Budget’s tight so I needed to find where to buy cheap ones without wasting money. Simple goal, but man, figuring out Singapore prices turned into a full mission.
The Starting Point: Online Check
First thing I did, obviously, went online. Searched everywhere. Big supermarket sites, popular e-commerce platforms, those giant online marketplaces where everyone sells stuff.
- Prices were all over the place! The same dang rubber duck or swim ring could be $5 one place, $10 another.
- Shipping costs killed most deals. Found some awesome cheap floats, then saw delivery was like $10 extra. Nope.
- Stock photos look the same everywhere. Hard to tell if the cheap ones are thin rubber trash that pops first use.
Got frustrated quick. Needed to see and touch the toys before buying.
Hitting the Streets (and Malls)
Time for boots on the ground. Set aside a whole afternoon. Goal: Visit actual stores, compare prices immediately.
Stop One: Giant Hypermarket. Big hopes. They have everything else cheap. Pool toys section? Pathetic selection. Mostly just cheap plastic watering cans. Found one small floatie – price was okay, like $4.90. But the choice? Zilch. Kids would be bored in minutes.
Stop Two: Popular Budget Home Store. You know the one. Found a slightly bigger float. Price tag: $12.90! Tried not to make a face. That’s online ‘before shipping’ price. No deal.
Stop Three: Heartland Shops in Ang Mo Kio. This felt promising. Wandered around those little neighbourhood shops selling household things, next to the wet market. Found some decent swim rings! Bigger than Giant’s. Price: $3.50 each! Now we’re talking. Grabbed two different ones.
Stop Four: Big Sporting Goods Store in a mall. Went in, saw fancy stuff, immediately felt out of place. Nice branded floats were like $20+. Laughed and walked right back out. Daylight robbery for toys the kids will wreck in two weeks.
Stop Five: That random $2 shop near the MRT station entrance. Sometimes goldmines. Checked it out. Found cheap squirt guns for $2.50 and a tiny ball for $1.30. Quality felt flimsy, but hey, cheap water fun.
The Winning Combination
So, after all that running around, sweating buckets thanks to our lovely humidity, here’s the haul:
- 2 x Swim Rings (Ang Mo Kio shop): $3.50 each = $7.00
- 1 x Small Squirt Gun ($2 Shop): $2.50
- 1 x Mini Foam Ball ($2 Shop): $1.30
Total Spent: $10.80! Saw similar online for $15+ BEFORE shipping. Felt pretty smug.
The Real Talk
Honest lessons from the trenches:
- Heartland shops FTW. Those unassuming little places near markets? Goldmines. Prices were unbeatable for the basic stuff.
- Big chains mostly suck for cheap toys. Either no stock, crazy prices, or both. Waste of time unless you want expensive gear.
- $2 shops are hit or miss. Got lucky finding the squirt gun and ball, but lots of the floats looked like they’d disintegrate. Buyer beware.
- NEVER trust just online prices. Shipping adds up instantly. You gotta factor that in or it ruins the ‘deal’. Seeing & feeling stuff is key.
- Just go local first. Save the car park fees and hassle. Start near home. I could have skipped Giant and the sporting goods store entirely.
Kids had a blast with the $10.80 haul. Rings didn’t pop. Mission accomplished. Skip the big names for cheap plastic water fun, seriously.