MANILA, September 24, 2013 – If the popularity of Divisoria and Piso Fares are anything to go by, Filipinos love a good bargain, and will sometimes go to great lengths to save money.
Here are some of them, as listed by Campaigns PR Inc. (CaPRI) after a random survey conducted among working professionals in Makati:
1. Sale shopping – The malls are never as alive as when they are on sale–and when they’re not, the crowds make their way to Divisoria, the tiangges, and the bazaars to find their bargains.
2. TGIS (Tiis Gutom Ipon Salapi) – It’s no wonder cup noodles and ten-peso fishballs are so popular–Pinoys put up with cheap food and even hunger when they’re saving up for that designer bag or iPhone 5S. Clearly, they know their priorities!
3. Making use of the Senior Citizen discount – Turning 60 in this country does have its perks, not just for lolo or lola, but for their families too, who get to take part of the 20% discount whenever they take their beloved seniors out on a dinner date.
4. Re- ting – Filipinos are very sociable and friendly…so when there’s a friend who suddenly has a birthday, last year’s collection of mugs from the Christmas season is a very nice thing to have indeed.
5. Travelling on a budget – Piso fares get snapped up in seconds in the Philippines, mostly by the frugal Filipinos who stay up all night to book their flight. Tie that up with a suitcase or backpack filled with canned goods, and a booking at a friend or family’s living room, and you’ve got budget travel, Pinoy style.
6. Bringing home hotel toiletries – This is something that Filipinos have down to a science. Taking all those little shampoos home is not stealing–it’s making the most of the money you spent on the hotel. And besides, not to do so would be a waste…and if there’s anything the frugal Filipino hates as much as he loves a bargain, it’s waste.
7. Accumulating reward points – Rewards systems basically award customers for doing a lot of shopping–so it’s no surprise that Filipinos love it!
8. Commuting wisely – Never mind that the MRT basically turns into the first circle of hell at rush hour, or that buses and jeeps start feeling like an uncomfortable round of Twister–if it’s cheaper than taking a cab or a car, most Pinoys will endure it!
9. Spring cleaning and garage sales – Pinoys love throwing garage sales even more than they do shopping at them, especially because it’s a great way to make a quick buck. For some Pinoys, if that ten-year-old shirt still has some wear in it, it’s still probably worth a few pesos.
10. Drinking instant coffee in a Starbucks tumbler – With its coffee smell, cozy couches, bright lights, and cold aircon, the nearest Starbucks can be the best place to work for most yuppies–until they have to pay for a frappe or latte. In true kuripot fashion, some Pinoys have figured out how to work their way around this, by accessorizing with their own Starbucks tumblers filled with instant coffee so that no one will know they didn’t actually order anything!
