As a budget traveller, you’ve planned for that trip meticulously, choosing from the cheapest tickets and accommodations to make sure you don’t go over the budget. But you might have overlooked the “hidden cost” of this entire plan – the travel essentials that you’ve yet to settle.
Reduce that wallet damage with budget travel items such as luggage, winter wear, and footwear that’ll give you the best bang for your buck. Here’s where you can get them in Singapore:
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Tucked away in a corner of Level 1 at People’s Park Centre is C.H.NG Enterprise. While it may not be a huge store, it’s a hidden gem that offers loads of good luggage deals. The brands they carry may change from time to time, but some you can expect include Eminent, Swiss Polo, and Hush Puppies.
Lojel cabin size luggage with laptop compartment at $238. These are typically sold for ~$320 in malls.
They also have bundle deals – you can easily get Slazenger 29” + 20” hardshell luggages at $99, which is a great bargain for those who require more space to store their loot.
They only sell luggage and there isn’t a specific sale period. So just pop by anytime you like and you’ll be met with the bundle of the day. The lady boss will give generous discounts if you’re a sweet talker – we’re talking about tens of dollars here. Or bring a friend who also needs a luggage, and she may give you a 20% to 30% discount for multiple purchases.
Address: 101 Upper Cross Street, #01-32, People’s Park Centre, Singapore 058357
Telephone: 6535 3053
If you’re going for an outdoor adventure, pay a visit to Decathlon to purchase your field essentials. This field chair ($23) with an armrest is a great for resting your legs when you’re out fishing and camping.
Women’s sports wear, male version available too
Stock up on a few sets of comfortable sportswear like windbreakers and tights from just $10 if you’re going on hikes, or shorts at $3.50. There are plenty of dri-fit tops and tights of different lengths to choose from for both men and women.
On the subject of hiking, the proper shoes for the activity can be quite costly. But at Decathlon, you can find a pair of trusty beginners’ hiking shoes starting from $25.
Alternatively, consider a pair of these sleek running shoes ($15). They’ll be easy on your feet and will help you get around in comfort when walking for long hours.
Decathlon also houses a wide variety of winter wear. You can easily spend under $100 for a full set that covers you from head to toe – for example, a bobble hat at $14, waterproof jacket at $65 and 100% waterproof gloves at $15.
Dry bag $15-$20 (left), Quechua haversack $3.90 (right)
Dry Bags ($15-$20) are absolute essentials if you’re going to do water activities like diving or paddling, so you don’t have to worry about splashes and capsizes ruining your phone and other precious items.
Their haversacks are also sold at unbeatable prices; this Quechua haversack is a common sight because it only costs $3.90 and it’s really durable – I’ve personally had mine for 2 years now which I use regularly for hikes and cycling trips, and it’s still in great condition.
Find their list of store locations and opening hours here.
Located in the heartland malls such as Junction 8 and LOT ONE, Winning is a convenient one-stop shop for you to get some travel essentials if you don’t frequent town as much. Here, you can find 20” luggage starting from $39, and a huge 28” luggage from $59.
Winning also has random sales from time to time; We were met with a “Buy 24” + 28” luggage bundle going at $109 when we visited.
These sales don’t only apply to luggage, but winter jackets (~$69) too. You can expect discounts from 30%-50% off.
Find their list of store locations and opening hours here.
We already know that Daiso is the go-to $2 store, and they too sell travel essentials at dirt-cheap prices.
Long plane rides aren’t the most comfortable, unless you’re flying first class. Between meals and movie marathons, sleeping is what most of us do to pass the time. Daiso’s $2 air neck pillow will come in handy during times like this – it’s inflatable, which helps you save loads of carry-on baggage space.
If you’re travelling in winter or visiting chilly mountainous places, stock up on their heat packs to keep warm.
You could also get a refillable perfume bottle to store your favourite scent for a short trip so you don’t have to bring the entire clunky fragrance bottle and add to your luggage weight.
$2 tie case to store your tie proper
A well-tailored suit is the shining armour you’d need when it comes to meeting important clients on a business trip. Prevent your tie from being wrinkled by packing it in a tie case, and it’ll still look sharp after a long-haul flight.
Find their list of store locations and opening hours here.
Mustafa Shopping Centre is literally the mother of all shopping centres – it carries almost everything, from quirky snacks to watches and apparel. You can expect to find a wide selection of luggage too, and by “wide”, we mean a few hundreds to choose from. It’s also one of the few 24-hour shopping centres in Singapore, which is perfect for any last-minute purchases before you hit the airport.
31” American Tourister Rumpler Luggage (left), 29” American Tourister Luggage (right)
This 31” American Tourister Rumpler hard-shell luggage ($90) comes with a TSA lock, is scratch resistant and has 3-years warranty – a great choice for your overseas shopping hauls. For a cheaper and smaller alternative, you can get the soft-shell 29” American Tourister luggage at $69.
For additional security, you can pick up a luggage lock, such as these solid Carlton TSA locks at ~$9. TSA locks are a must, especially if you’re travelling to USA, Japan, Canada, or South Korea, just to name a few. You wouldn’t want to watch your luggage getting ripped apart at the security clearance for using a non-approved lock.
Besides a ton of luggage for you to choose from, you can find loads of haversacks here too. Take this Bobby Original Anti-Theft Bag ($98) for instance, it’s ~$30 cheaper than the ones found online.
Address: 145 Syed Alwi Road, Singapore 207704
Opening Hours: 24hrs
There may be a lot of places where you can find containers for your skincare products and body wash, but Miniso sells an array of them packed in different combinations to suit your needs – with pump bottles for shampoo/shower gel, spray bottles for toner, and mini tubs for creams. There’s an average of 5 containers per travel kit ($3.90) which comes in its own ziplock bag.
2 tall containers, a spray bottle, a pump bottle and 2 balm containers in this travel kit ($4.90)
Stash those bottles and your makeup brushes all in this handy storage bag ($5.90). It comes with a hook at the top so you can conveniently hang it in the bathroom to save counter space.
You might also want to consider a compact wallet ($7.90) that you can keep safe, close to your body – rather than a chunky long wallet. With simple designs in pastel colours, these come with 6 card holder slots for you to conveniently store your rail passes, tickets to attractions and identity card.
A roomy haversack is good to have when travelling, so you can chuck all your necessities in it and go hands-free. This haversack featuring the design of Grizzly from We Bare Bears is made from a solid blend of nylon and polyester, and is one adorable and functional option to carry around.
There’s also a new $2 Miniso at Harbourfront which you’d want to check out for more budget essentials – read our article on it here.
Find their list of store locations and opening hours here.
Giant Hypermarkets doesn’t just sell groceries and clothing. They also have a corner dedicated to a range of luggage like the 20” Kapa Spinner ($65) to 28” Arnold Palmer hard case expandable luggage ($99). You’ll also be able to find small travel knick knacks like ziplock bags, locks, and containers.
Image credit: @caramellechaos
My colleague’s trusty luggage which she bought for $35 (U.P. $70) during GSS. There’s still no hint of damage after 4 medium-haul trips.
Image credit: @vitaminsquare
Worth noting is this Dylon Travel Wash ($4.35), which is extremely handy for budget backpackers who need to do their own laundry by the sink. It’s hand luggage approved, colour-safe and can be used on wool and silk too.
Image credit: Giant
You can also use this set of laundry pouches ($9.90) to organise your clothes categorically and store them in a compact manner to save precious luggage space.
Find their list of store locations and opening hours here.
Budgeting woes begone when you have these stores to get cheap travel essentials from. Be it basic luggage, heat packs or shoes, everything you need can easily be found at affordable prices.
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