I started shopping on Taobao mainly because I wanted to get cheap wedding gowns and I heard that Taobao's the best place to buy them. But ever since then, I've realised that Taobao is great for lots of other stuff too! So I've complied a list of affordable stuff that I've gotten from Taobao and I'll try to get the links for them as well if they're still available.
Buying from Taobao is easy once you get the hang of it. I can read enough Chinese words to get by, but if I can't read the words I'd just call for my husband's help or copy and paste the words into Google Translate. To get the English version of Taobao, just copy and paste the Taobao URL into Ezbuy.sg and they'd translate the page for you! I think you can also use Sgshop.com or something as well, but I've always just used the official Taobao app and website. If I'm on the computer, I just click the "translate" button on my Internet browser. Google Translate isn't perfect but it's good enough. My Dad can't really read a lot of Chinese words, but he still manages to shop on Taobao anyway!
1. Computer
Speaking of my father, he was the one who bought me the computer that I'm using right now to blog about this! I didn't (and still don't) trust myself to know what kind of CPU to buy even after he explained the specifications of a typical gaming computer to me, so he bought the CPU from Taobao. This is the link that he sent me, if anyone's interested.
He also bought the keyboard from Taobao but I think that's it. For the computer screen, he thought it'd be best to get a Samsung one locally since we'd be able to get a warranty.
Speaking of my father, he was the one who bought me the computer that I'm using right now to blog about this! I didn't (and still don't) trust myself to know what kind of CPU to buy even after he explained the specifications of a typical gaming computer to me, so he bought the CPU from Taobao. This is the link that he sent me, if anyone's interested.
He also bought the keyboard from Taobao but I think that's it. For the computer screen, he thought it'd be best to get a Samsung one locally since we'd be able to get a warranty.
2. Lights
We practically bought all of our lights from Taobao! Almost all of them. We still got track lights and a wooden ceiling fan that comes with a light from a local store because it was just cheaper that way. The fan would have been expensive and troublesome to ship over.
I love all these small and cute lights that can be found here at this link! We got two of the box-shaped lights (middle picture) and we also got the one next to it (on the right) that we called the UFO light.
Here's a picture of how it looks like at the entrance of our house! And if I'm not wrong, it's only $26? We were specifically looking for wooden lights because that was kind of how we wanted to design our house, hence all the wooden furniture and wood vinyl flooring. We used the UFO light for our service yard.
This is another one of my favourites: pendant lights! (Yes I know, I'm suddenly an expert on all the names of lights and stuff) We bought these lights for our dining area.
The above picture was taken after the lights were installed and before we got our furniture delivered. You can see the pendant lights there and the other box-shaped light in the corridor! Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention. The lights were $42 only! All these prices are much cheaper than all those shops that we entered when we were searching for lights. Also, all the lights at the lighting shops were all kinda ugly, so we didn't want to buy from them.
OMG look! This next one is what we call the cat light! I just had to get it because it was so cute! It's illuminating my room as I type right now. We had planned to move all the cat stuff to my room, which is also known as the cat room. So it's only fitting that the cat room has a cat light.
Ta-dah! Cat light in my yellow room! (Because yellow is the colour of happiness and cats make me happy) Oh the cat light is a little more expensive at $55, but I think it's worth it.
Okay we call this the rectangular light and it's for John's room. It's super bright and pretty and most importantly it's still partially wooden!
Most of the lights come in different sizes and also there are different options for the type of light (e.g. warm or white light, how many watts etc) so you have to choose carefully! This one is again slightly more expensive at $68.
Next up: The pentagon light that we have for our master bedroom. As you can see in the picture, they give you the exact measurement of how big the light is and you get to choose the colours. This one cost about $55.
Here comes my lousy photograph. I don't know how to make lights look good obviously.
Okay in case you're bored, this is the last one: Toilet lights. These are the best since they are only $4 each! I don't think they are pretty but toilet lights don't have to be pretty anyway.
We practically bought all of our lights from Taobao! Almost all of them. We still got track lights and a wooden ceiling fan that comes with a light from a local store because it was just cheaper that way. The fan would have been expensive and troublesome to ship over.
I love all these small and cute lights that can be found here at this link! We got two of the box-shaped lights (middle picture) and we also got the one next to it (on the right) that we called the UFO light.
Here's a picture of how it looks like at the entrance of our house! And if I'm not wrong, it's only $26? We were specifically looking for wooden lights because that was kind of how we wanted to design our house, hence all the wooden furniture and wood vinyl flooring. We used the UFO light for our service yard.
This is another one of my favourites: pendant lights! (Yes I know, I'm suddenly an expert on all the names of lights and stuff) We bought these lights for our dining area.
The above picture was taken after the lights were installed and before we got our furniture delivered. You can see the pendant lights there and the other box-shaped light in the corridor! Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention. The lights were $42 only! All these prices are much cheaper than all those shops that we entered when we were searching for lights. Also, all the lights at the lighting shops were all kinda ugly, so we didn't want to buy from them.
OMG look! This next one is what we call the cat light! I just had to get it because it was so cute! It's illuminating my room as I type right now. We had planned to move all the cat stuff to my room, which is also known as the cat room. So it's only fitting that the cat room has a cat light.
Ta-dah! Cat light in my yellow room! (Because yellow is the colour of happiness and cats make me happy) Oh the cat light is a little more expensive at $55, but I think it's worth it.
Okay we call this the rectangular light and it's for John's room. It's super bright and pretty and most importantly it's still partially wooden!
Most of the lights come in different sizes and also there are different options for the type of light (e.g. warm or white light, how many watts etc) so you have to choose carefully! This one is again slightly more expensive at $68.
Next up: The pentagon light that we have for our master bedroom. As you can see in the picture, they give you the exact measurement of how big the light is and you get to choose the colours. This one cost about $55.
Here comes my lousy photograph. I don't know how to make lights look good obviously.
Okay in case you're bored, this is the last one: Toilet lights. These are the best since they are only $4 each! I don't think they are pretty but toilet lights don't have to be pretty anyway.
3. Wedding gowns
This was the first gown I decided to purchase from Taobao but this turned out to be a stupid decision! I should have listened to the advice on other blogs about buying wedding dresses on Taobao, and that's to buy made-to-measure dresses. This dress was NOT one of those dresses. It came in sizes S to XXL and I noticed that the measurements did not fit mine at all. I still bought it because I thought that I'd just try it out since I wanted a short dress for the tea ceremony. Besides, it was only $77.
Anyway, I shouldn't have done that because the dress that came did not look like the one in the above picture. John and I had to bring it to Alt-to-Fit, a tailor shop in Clementi that saved my dress.
The wedding dress turned out all right in the end after we paid perhaps $200 for the alteration? I can't remember the exact cost. But altering a wedding gown is always going to be expensive.
This blue dress was slightly better because the made-to-measure or 定做 option was available. I gave them my measurements but unfortunately, the part with the sequins (the chest area) was still too big. We brought this dress to Alt-to-Fit along with the other one.
This dress was used for our photoshoot in Indonesia and I still love it very much because it's so poofy! It was only $90.
Okay, the last dress was hands down the best gown that I bought. When it arrived and I tried it on, I was surprised that it fit PERFECTLY, unlike the previous two that I had bought. So by this time, I was kicking myself in the foot, because this was the FIRST dress that I had favourited on Taobao, and yet I bought the other two dresses first! How dumb.
I had it made to measure and I didn't have to alter it at all! I wore this on the actual day of the wedding! And I just realised that this is almost the cheapest gown I bought: it was priced at $67.
I don't know if the moral of the story is to trust your gut, but UGH I feel like I should've had just gone with the first dress I liked! (even though now that I type it out it still doesn't sound wise)
Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention: All the dresses came with accessories like can-can skirts, white gloves, jewellery sets (necklace, earrings, ring) and veils. I didn't know about this so the first time we bought a wedding dress, we actually bought an extra can-can too. Turns out that it was totally unnecessary to do so.
P.S. All prices in this blog post are exclusive of shipping, but honestly since packages for wedding gowns can add up to thousands of dollars, I think Taobao is still the best option.
This was the first gown I decided to purchase from Taobao but this turned out to be a stupid decision! I should have listened to the advice on other blogs about buying wedding dresses on Taobao, and that's to buy made-to-measure dresses. This dress was NOT one of those dresses. It came in sizes S to XXL and I noticed that the measurements did not fit mine at all. I still bought it because I thought that I'd just try it out since I wanted a short dress for the tea ceremony. Besides, it was only $77.
Anyway, I shouldn't have done that because the dress that came did not look like the one in the above picture. John and I had to bring it to Alt-to-Fit, a tailor shop in Clementi that saved my dress.
The wedding dress turned out all right in the end after we paid perhaps $200 for the alteration? I can't remember the exact cost. But altering a wedding gown is always going to be expensive.
This blue dress was slightly better because the made-to-measure or 定做 option was available. I gave them my measurements but unfortunately, the part with the sequins (the chest area) was still too big. We brought this dress to Alt-to-Fit along with the other one.
This dress was used for our photoshoot in Indonesia and I still love it very much because it's so poofy! It was only $90.
Okay, the last dress was hands down the best gown that I bought. When it arrived and I tried it on, I was surprised that it fit PERFECTLY, unlike the previous two that I had bought. So by this time, I was kicking myself in the foot, because this was the FIRST dress that I had favourited on Taobao, and yet I bought the other two dresses first! How dumb.
I had it made to measure and I didn't have to alter it at all! I wore this on the actual day of the wedding! And I just realised that this is almost the cheapest gown I bought: it was priced at $67.
I don't know if the moral of the story is to trust your gut, but UGH I feel like I should've had just gone with the first dress I liked! (even though now that I type it out it still doesn't sound wise)
Oh yes, I almost forgot to mention: All the dresses came with accessories like can-can skirts, white gloves, jewellery sets (necklace, earrings, ring) and veils. I didn't know about this so the first time we bought a wedding dress, we actually bought an extra can-can too. Turns out that it was totally unnecessary to do so.
P.S. All prices in this blog post are exclusive of shipping, but honestly since packages for wedding gowns can add up to thousands of dollars, I think Taobao is still the best option.
4. Shoes + Bra
These are the heels that I wore at my wedding! As you can see from the picture, there are different patterns and different heights that you can choose from! There are more options if you look at the listing on Taobao itself.
Guess how much my heels were! The answer is $15! And they were pretty comfortable too! No blisters or anything! On the day of my wedding, I did struggle but that wasn't because I had trouble with heels. It was because of the huge poofy dress I had to wear. I had to try my best not to step on my own dress and it was difficult!
In order to wear all those beautiful gowns, I had to wear a stick-on bra. I also purchased this from Taobao and it cost only $8!
I felt like it was losing its stickiness actually, because I had already used it for the photoshoot in Indonesia. I was super afraid of some kind of wardrobe malfunction but Klarissa (my make-up artist) told me not to worry when she was helping me change out of my tea ceremony dress to the other dress. She pulled on the strings at the back of the dress and tightened it so much that everything did feel much secure, and I didn't worry about it for the rest of the night.
These are the heels that I wore at my wedding! As you can see from the picture, there are different patterns and different heights that you can choose from! There are more options if you look at the listing on Taobao itself.
Guess how much my heels were! The answer is $15! And they were pretty comfortable too! No blisters or anything! On the day of my wedding, I did struggle but that wasn't because I had trouble with heels. It was because of the huge poofy dress I had to wear. I had to try my best not to step on my own dress and it was difficult!
In order to wear all those beautiful gowns, I had to wear a stick-on bra. I also purchased this from Taobao and it cost only $8!
I felt like it was losing its stickiness actually, because I had already used it for the photoshoot in Indonesia. I was super afraid of some kind of wardrobe malfunction but Klarissa (my make-up artist) told me not to worry when she was helping me change out of my tea ceremony dress to the other dress. She pulled on the strings at the back of the dress and tightened it so much that everything did feel much secure, and I didn't worry about it for the rest of the night.
5. John's suit and wallet
I think this blue checkered suit only cost us about $77! I found it on Taobao and thought that it suited him but unfortunately we also had to alter it. No regrets though - even after alteration, we only spent approximately $750 on his suit and my dresses, which is already a lot less compared to renting gowns and other wedding packages.
I think it's damn nice!
We also chose to buy a wallet for him on Taobao together but we didn't look at it carefully and bought one without a coin pouch. He's still using it now but I think it's stupid. Why is it so difficult to find wallets for guys that also come with coin pouches? It's as rare as pockets for women's clothes! Anyway, it's only $12 or $13 so it's still really cheap!
I think this blue checkered suit only cost us about $77! I found it on Taobao and thought that it suited him but unfortunately we also had to alter it. No regrets though - even after alteration, we only spent approximately $750 on his suit and my dresses, which is already a lot less compared to renting gowns and other wedding packages.
I think it's damn nice!
We also chose to buy a wallet for him on Taobao together but we didn't look at it carefully and bought one without a coin pouch. He's still using it now but I think it's stupid. Why is it so difficult to find wallets for guys that also come with coin pouches? It's as rare as pockets for women's clothes! Anyway, it's only $12 or $13 so it's still really cheap!
6. Wallets
Now we're talking about the wallets I bought for myself. I bought the blue one on the right a while ago and it has since spoiled, but can you believe that it was only $4?!
This is the wallet that I'm currently using! I like the colour and it's only $19.
What I like about this wallet is its functionality. There's plenty of space for cards, but it's small. Probably half the size of the previous wallet. And I can just place the strap around the wrist and go for my lunch break when I'm at work. Very convenient, plus I don't have to worry about misplacing it.
Now we're talking about the wallets I bought for myself. I bought the blue one on the right a while ago and it has since spoiled, but can you believe that it was only $4?!
This is the wallet that I'm currently using! I like the colour and it's only $19.
What I like about this wallet is its functionality. There's plenty of space for cards, but it's small. Probably half the size of the previous wallet. And I can just place the strap around the wrist and go for my lunch break when I'm at work. Very convenient, plus I don't have to worry about misplacing it.
7. Cat trees
If you're a cat owner you'd know that cat trees in Singapore are EXPENSIVE. A small cat tree can already be more than a hundred dollars!
But the one above is only $27! Can you believe it?
I didn't realise that it was going to be so short, though. I mean, the length of the cat tree is stated in the listing, but I didn't realise how short it was going to be until I actually saw it. I wanted something that was super tall because Shadow (like most cats) loves to perch up high on furniture.
So I decided to buy another cat tree! Hey, why not? It's cheap anyway!
This is a cat tree that reaches the ceiling and it's only $38! The cost of two cat trees doesn't even add up to the price of one cat tree in Singapore, so I think it's super worth it.
This is a picture of Shadow watching me assemble the cat tree. After this picture was taken, she jumped up on it thinking that it was ready to be used, but it ended up toppling to the side so she freaked out and ran away. Haha! She scratches these cat trees every day and I think she loves them.
But the one above is only $27! Can you believe it?
I didn't realise that it was going to be so short, though. I mean, the length of the cat tree is stated in the listing, but I didn't realise how short it was going to be until I actually saw it. I wanted something that was super tall because Shadow (like most cats) loves to perch up high on furniture.
So I decided to buy another cat tree! Hey, why not? It's cheap anyway!
This is a cat tree that reaches the ceiling and it's only $38! The cost of two cat trees doesn't even add up to the price of one cat tree in Singapore, so I think it's super worth it.
This is a picture of Shadow watching me assemble the cat tree. After this picture was taken, she jumped up on it thinking that it was ready to be used, but it ended up toppling to the side so she freaked out and ran away. Haha! She scratches these cat trees every day and I think she loves them.
8. Shadow's shark bed
I saw some cats sleeping in shark beds online and wanted to buy one for Shadow too. Taobao made this pawsible! The shark bed I bought was only $9.
When we first moved in, Shadow slept inside the shark bed every night. I think it makes her feel safe because it's like an enclosed space. But now that she's used to the house she doesn't use the shark bed that often anymore.
I saw some cats sleeping in shark beds online and wanted to buy one for Shadow too. Taobao made this pawsible! The shark bed I bought was only $9.
When we first moved in, Shadow slept inside the shark bed every night. I think it makes her feel safe because it's like an enclosed space. But now that she's used to the house she doesn't use the shark bed that often anymore.
9. Tablecloths
Now that we have a house of our own, we can buy stuff like tablecloths! Maybe in future, we'd buy even more household items. Anyway, we bought two cat tablecloths and they were $14 each.
We've only used one of them so far but Shadow approves of it. She likes to jump up on the dining table and inspect our takeaway food. She also likes to ask for butt pats over there.
Now that we have a house of our own, we can buy stuff like tablecloths! Maybe in future, we'd buy even more household items. Anyway, we bought two cat tablecloths and they were $14 each.
We've only used one of them so far but Shadow approves of it. She likes to jump up on the dining table and inspect our takeaway food. She also likes to ask for butt pats over there.
10. Bag with cat ears
Okay, I have more things to blog about actually, but I'm going to stop at 10 because I'm so tired. I needed a new backpack because to be honest, I prefer carrying backpacks so that the weight of whatever I'm carrying is split between my shoulders. It's more comfortable and it can also be cuter if you get a backpack with cat ears!
I brought it along with me on our honeymoon to Greece and Serbia. It only costs $7-8 which is honestly such a steal. Now I really want a hoodie with cat ears too.
I hope you enjoyed reading about all the cheap stuff I bought from Taobao! There's more to come because I have another bunch of stuff that'll be shipped over soon, and like I mentioned, I actually haven't blogged about some of the stuff that I've already bought. If you're interested in all of that, stay tuned for the next post about my Taobao buys!
Just remember to be very careful when you shop online, whether you're shopping on Taobao or not. Look for stuff with lots of reviews and always read the details properly. Most of the stuff I bought from Taobao have thousands of positive reviews, and some customers even shared their wedding pictures too.
Personally, I think that it's super worth it to buy stuff on Taobao because the prices are cheap if not affordable. So many things are overpriced in Singapore, so I prefer buying on Taobao and on Carousell. It makes me feel like I'm buying what I want/need (depending on the situation) and I'm saving money at the same time.
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