Take Me Away! Chill All Day at La Mesa Eco Park.

On this next article, we went to La Mesa Eco Park for another affordable adventure.






La Mesa Eco Park is located in Quezon City. You can get there by riding the MRT/LRT and most buses or FX en route to or from SM Fairview. My friend and I rode the MRT to Quezon Avenue station and rode an FX from there. A tricycle ride, which costs P10.00, will take you straight to the entrance. Entrance to the park costs P50.00 (incredibly cheap!) but if you have a Quezon City resident in company, it will be even better because the entrance fee will be reduced to P20.00.

On the way to the park is a very relaxing path which will instantly make you forget that you are in the middle of a busy city.





At the park, you can pretty much do whatever you like. There are plenty of activities that you can choose
from.

There is a Wall Climbing Area and a Nature Path for those who seek adventure.

Swimming complex for those who wants to swim.






Plenty of cottages all around the property for those who just wants to relax and enjoy the feel of nature
around them, and so much more.
 



And of course, because we’re always on a tight budget, we just chose to walk around and then chill in the free tables scattered around the property (the cottages cost P500.00 which was a little too pricey for a group of only four). It was so relaxing there that it felt like the best thing to do. 

 



Eventually though, we couldn’t resist the prospect of cool water in the pool that we just had to get in. The entrance to the pool will cost an additional P80.00, but I have to say, it was well worth it.

 



In conclusion, La Mesa Eco Park is definitely a must-visit. It fits all the requirements for a perfect cheap getaway. Not only is it budget-friendly, it has a very peaceful environment that can be an absolute stress-reliever and it is also an entire property full of fun things to do.
   




I am already looking forward to my next visit to La Mesa Eco Park.

Bargain Shopping Galore! 10 Tips for Successful Bargain Shopping.

More than a decade ago second-hand shopping was not socially-accepted yet, but those days are gone. Today, almost every one of us has done bargain shopping at least once. Some sites are popular for bargain-shopping like Cubao, Bambang and Evangelista St., but most stores are well concealed around the Metro, waiting to be discovered. Each store houses different brands from the other. But one thing is for sure: with ukay-ukays you’ll never get the same thing twice!

If you like dressing up but don’t have the money to support your fashion urges, you should definitely check those ukay-ukays out.

 Here are some tips I have gathered based on personal bargain shopping experience from the past 5 years:

1. You could always haggle. Or “tawad” in Tagalog. If you think 500 php is a bit expensive for a second-hand bag, or 250 php is too much for a pre-loved blouse, you could ask for a discount. Meet halfway with the seller’s price. You will be surprised with how much is the seller willing to scratch off from the original price.

2. Bring smaller bills or barya. How can you convince the sales clerk to give you a discount when you are carrying bills in 500php or 1000php denominations? The main trick of the haggling game is to make sure that the seller sees you as a broke fashionista looking for cheap fashionable items.

3. Dress for the “occasion”. Don’t go in an ukay-ukay looking like someone who “has all the money to spend”. Forget about wearing make-up and jewelries. As I’ve mentioned earlier, you should act and look like a struggling fashionista so you could convince the sales clerk that you really deserve a discount. Wear clothes that you are comfortable with, 'cause you will be spending some time sorting through racks and piles of clothes.

4. Always check the quality of the item. Check for any damage like discoloration, stains (especially at the underarm areas), missing button, jagged zipper, and even the tiniest hole in the pocket. Most ukay-ukays strictly observe a “no return, no exchange policy”.

5. Make sure the item fits you perfectly. Like what I said above, they observe a “no return, no exchange policy.” Dressing rooms are always available. If you don’t feel comfortable changing your outfit in a makeshift dressing room with curtains that serves as partition, I suggest you just wear the outfit of your choice over the clothes you’re already wearing.

6. If you’ve decided to purchase an item, then purchase it right away. You cannot ask the sales clerk to reserve an item for you. Remember: the items for sale in an ukay-ukay are of one quantity only.You don’t want to be disappointed when you go back the other day only to find out that someone else has bought that piece you have wanted to buy in the first place.

7. Ask yourself if you really need/want this item. Not because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s not a waste of money. If you think there’s no chance that you would ever wear that item, put it back and leave it for someone who would actually love it.

8. Befriend the sales clerk. Once you’ve found the ukay-ukay that has clothes that suite your taste, make sure to be friends with the sales clerk, and ask for their contact details so you could get updates on the arrival of the next batch of hand-me-downs.

9. Be patient. Be really, really, patient. Shopping at ukay-ukays could be time-consuming, and tiresome. But, I am certain that you’ll like something out of the thousands of items up for sale. And it feels really fulfilling after you find a piece that you like, it’s like finding a needle on a haystack.

10. Kill those bacteria. If you could notice, items bought from ukay-ukays have this striking, distinct odor. It is the disinfectant poured into the clothes before putting it up on sale. But it doesn’t mean that the item you’ve purchased is totally free from bacteria. What I do is rinse the clothing with vinegar (upon research I’ve discovered that it could eliminate bacteria). Some says that boiling it slightly will also do the trick, but I haven’t done it myself yet.

So there you go; 10-tips that’ll lead to a successful ukay-ukay experience. Equipped with this battle-plan, I’m sure you’ll survive bargain-shopping.

Fashion at Its Cheapest! My Latest Fashion Find at Bench.

This brown tee with shiny – unicorn – sun – swords – and – other – fancy – stuff prints form Bench which I have bought last week for only 229php. The Bench store in Robinsons Nova Market is on sale all year round. Trust me. Majority of the clothes I wear are bought here.

P.S. I apologize if you won’t find any photos of the store here. They don’t allow taking pictures. You don’t need ‘em anyway.

Fashion at Its Cheapest! Mogao and Hey Dude.

Sometimes all you have to do is to step out of your comfort zone. Be noticed. Be loud, in the most silent ways. Adding a little sparkle on your life is essential. Same goes with what you wear. For some people including me, wearing anything that’s eye catching is a big no – no. I am a minimalist when it comes to fashion, I prefer wearing clothes in colors like black, white, brown and gray – my favorite color. They’re dull, plain and boring if you would ask other people. But those are my choices. I like to camouflage.

But I guess changes are inevitable. I made the first bold move by joining a school pageant. I have to stand out. Or at least be noticed. Dressing up is a pre – requisite on every beauty pageant. I needed new clothes. I have to go shopping. With only 1k in my pocket and hope in my heart that I’d be finding something special, I rushed to the nearest SM Mall and that’s SM City Fairview. I meticulously checked every store, racks after racks, and here’s what I discovered:

I came upon this newly – opened store on the ground floor of SM City Fairview and its called MOGAO. For fashionistas and recessionistas alike, it’s a go – to. They sell trendy clothes in amazingly low prices! Tops for as low as 100php, and jeans and pants ranges from 300 to 600 per pair. I was able to buy two white short sleeved polos with details on their front part. I can say that the first one is quite unusual for my taste.

I was also able to buy these gray cotton blazer and black vest which are both slashed to half of its original prices. They’re both from Hey Dude found in the Pre – teens Wear section of the SM Department Store. For those who haven’t gone through this area of SM Dept. Store despite their petite sizes, I suggest you do.

Going back to the pageant, I didn’t win any of the title. But I came home happy. I had pushed myself and stepped out of my comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to wear something “not you” once in a while. Check out Mogao and make a statement with pieces that are trendy yet affordable. They have branches in most SM Malls and even in Divi.