With the day-to-day stressors you have to face and overcome, it is important to have your own set of go-to activities to help calm your anxieties and give you a breather. Engaging in a sport or a crafting hobby can relieve stress, but according to a study made by the School of Economics and Management at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, one other activity that is known to reduce stress is shopping.
You might think that nothing feels better than getting your hands on
new pieces of clothing to flaunt or new thingamajigs to post all over social media, but there is something even more rewarding and exciting than that:
tiangge (bazaar)
shopping on a budget. This’ll be a win-win-win situation because:
1) you’ll get to enjoy yourself.
2) you’ll score unique finds that cannot be easily found in all commercial malls.
3) you won’t tear a whole through your wallet and regret your purchases later on.
For under PhP500, here are the things that can fill your shopping bags.
2. Textiles
Where: Divisoria, 557 M. De Santos Street, San Nicolas, Manila
Divisoria, popularly called Divi, is known as the tiangge mecca of the country and is almost always bustling with shoppers and foot traffic (especially during the holiday season). You are likely to find anything and everything you could ever need in Divi, such as all kinds of fabrics at very cheap prices. Specifically found in Ylaya Street, yards and yards of textile which can be transformed into curtains, table cloths, or even dresses are priced between PhP20 to PhP50 per yard depending on the type.
How to get there: From the MRT Taft station, walk through the connecting bridge headed to the LRT 1 line. Take the LRT 1 and get off at Doroteo Jose station. Walk towards Claro M. Recto avenue and then take a jeepney ride headed to Divisoria.
4. Instagram-worthy Outfits
Where: Taytay Tiangge, Manila E Road, Taytay, Rizal
Labelled as the “garments capital of the Philippines,” Taytay Tiangge is where most
clothing bazaars in the Metro buy their supplies. Having just started in 2014 thanks to the efforts of the Taytay local government, an entire head-to-toe outfit can be bought here at very low prices. Tops and skirts range between PhP0 to PhP100 while denims and overruns are priced between PhP250 and PhP350. A variety of shoes are also sold with prices that start at PhP150.
How to get there: Get off at MRT Ortigas station and exit at the Robinsons Galleria side. Ride any bus with a Taytay signboard located at Robinson’s Galleria.
5. Asian delights
Where: Cartimar, 2075-f Recto Ave, Quiapo, Manila
Cartimar is known for selling pets and plants but it is also the home of many Asian grocery items and products. One of the grocery stores in the area is
Masan Grocery, a Japanese-Korean grocery which offers their products individually or by bulk. An example of what can be found in the grocery store is
Cledor Bar, a Korean brand of ice cream priced at PhP55 per piece.
How to get there: From LRT 1 Libertad station, take a left going to A. Luna. Cross the street, walk for about a block past Barangay Mabolo. Cartimar is located at A. Luna corner Mabolo.
7. Placemats and coasters sets made from capiz shells
Where: F-R Hidalgo Street, Quiapo, Manila
Capiz shells come from a type of edible oyster whose shells have a glass-like translucency. Specifically in Quiapo, placemat and coaster sets to embellish your dining room table can be found and are sold at PhP250. Other items that are made out of capiz shells include alarm clocks, lamps, and wind chimes.
How to get there: Follow the directions mentioned above.
8. Inexpensive silverware
Where: Dapitan Arcade, 37 Dapitan corner Kanlaon Street, Laurges, Quezon City
A truckload of Christmas decorations aren’t only what you’ll find in
Dapitan Arcade; the place is also filled with silverware choices to complete your home without burning a hole through your pocket. Dapitan Arcade contains many stalls selling many different items, but specifically in Stall 40 plates are sold for as low as PhP40 each and coffee set mugs for PhP60.
How to get there: From the MRT Quezon Avenue Station, ride a jeepney going to Quiapo. Get off at Welcome Rotonda then look for the jeepney terminal called “Del Monte Mayon Dapitan Welcome Rotonda.” Ride the jeepney and alight at Dapitan Arcade.
10. Overrun clothing
Where: Roxas Boulevard, Baclaran, Parañaque
Wanting to own and wear branded clothes will require a hefty amount of money, so buying overruns is a good idea. Overruns are authentic items made by the brand themselves which are slightly damaged or did not pass the quality assessment of the manufacturer. These pieces are perfectly wearable as the damages are hardly even noticeable and they cost a quarter of how much they would be worth in malls. Some brands that could be found are
H&M,
Tribal, and
Puma and their shirts go for about PhP140 each.
How to get there: From MRT Taft Station, walk through the bridge connecting the MRT and the LRT 1 lines. Ride the LRT and get off at LRT Baclaran station. From there you can already see Baclaran tiangge.
Needing a break from your demanding life shouldn’t automatically mean overspending. These finds and many others in these tiangge stores are not only affordable but rummaging around and bargaining for lower prices are adventures within themselves.
Make sure to visit
Yoorekka to learn and find out more about the best places to shop in Metro Manila.
What are some of your unbelievable tiangge finds? Tell us about them in the comments below!.