G'day, Mates!
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Haha SL
SO and I cooked at home till we did our math and decided it is cheaper to tabao
plus there is no cleaning up hassle -
oh yea.. definitely more fun to tabao in Sg... cheap & good, & saves time too!Originally posted by elindra:Haha SL
SO and I cooked at home till we did our math and decided it is cheaper to tabao plus there is no cleaning up hassle 
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Rhon, you still remember that ngoh hiang stall featured?
Looks like the stall will move at year's end again -
Wow wee..........Rhonda!!!! Thanks for all the updates. Sounds like fun and I am glad everything's cool over there!!!
Bundle up for the coming winter eh? And looking forward to more updates. Hmm, shall we start a "Rhonda's PC Fund" drive?
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Hello Rhonda,Originally posted by Rhonda:You're right - it's much easier to save here. I've discovered that whilst the shopping isn't great in terms of variety, the sales here are really SALES! Mr. Green The sales helped me tremendously when I had to furnish a totally empty apartment - got my A$169.90 comforter for just A$36.90; my A$400+ TV for just A$320; a A$89.90 faux fur queen-sized blanket for just A$49.50; a flannel bedsheet for just A$3.99 (!!!) etc etc! Mr. Green
... and oh... the entire series of Sex & The City at a hefty discount!
.................
Oh, auxor... forgot to mention about the newspapers here... darn blardy expensive, man!!
I don't buy the papers on weekdays - I only buy the newspapers during the weekends. The Age on Saturdays, and on Sundays, I buy the big three - The Age, The Australian, and The Herald and then slowly peruse over the week. Besides, the weekend papers come with supplements!
Oh, in case you guys are wondering, The Age on Sunday costs $2.20!!! Tamade!! I think The Australian costs $1.60 on weekends (Sat cum Sun version).
If you're looking for broadband rates and plans, try this website:
http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/
It'll definitely save you marnee......
As for newspapers, I've basically stopped reading them and prefer to read them online instead although at times, I buy newspapers not because of their content but because of the freebies inside. *ahem*.
If I buy newspapers, most of the time, they end up being vegetable wrappers the next day.... without them being read.
As for saving money, you don't have to be overly extravagant.
Look for a local ALDI's and Asian grocery shops in your area.
I'll tell you the prices here in Sydney so you should have a rough guide how much to buy and at what prices to get them for:
Chicken breast fillet: $7.50/kg
Chicken drumsticks: $2.50/kg
Whole chicken: $4
Lean pork: $7.50/kg
Minced beef (premium): $5/kg
Prawns (large green banana): $14/kg
Fish fillet (Nile Perch/Hoki): $9/kg
Whole mackerel: $8/kg
Whole barramundi: $10/kg (seasonal)
Blue swimmer crab (female): $12/kg
Jasmine rice: $11/kg
Choy sum: 70 cents
Xiao bai cai: 50 cents
Carrots: $1/kg
Tomato: $2.50/kg
Brocooli: $2.50/kg
Iceberg lettuce: $2/kg
Spring onion: $1.2/bunch
Eggs (600g): $2/dozen
Eggs (700g):$2.20/dozen
Garlic:$1.20/bunch
Onion: $2/kg
Btw you tiao price here is exorbitant. $2++ for 2 strips!!
What I normally do is cook for 2 days (esp. rice) then reheat the food except maybe when I cook veggies - I normally cook for just 1 meal (reheat leafy green veggies the next day can be quite yukky IMHO). You can get most of the spices you normally get in Singapore except maybe things like Pandan leaves may be a bit harder to get.
Avoid the supermarket chains (Coles/Woolies) for fresh food (esp. vegetables). They're marked up quite a bit. usu. 40% more expensive than what you get in grocery shops.
Always buy veggies+fruits that are in season and you'll be surprised how much your dollar can stretch.
If you're looking for coupons, try http://www.hotdockets.com.au. -
Originally posted by elindra:I think our dear missy should know by now that ANY Club 30 thread will somehow turn into a food thread
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Originally posted by auxor:You can read the newspapers online for free unlike a certain country who has recently killed off a newspaper column because some kiasu and kiasee govt spokesperson complained.
what a way to put it -
how big is yr TV?Originally posted by Rhonda:Thanks for the info!
I had health coverage by the 2nd week of work and salary packaging by the 3rd. Neat!
I've been talking to my colleagues who migrated to Melbourne from other countries (and there are quite a few Singaporeans, or even Filipinos and PRC's who worked in Singapore before) about their accommodation arrangements and quite a number of them are paying for their own houses by the 3rd year or so.
You're right - it's much easier to save here. I've discovered that whilst the shopping isn't great in terms of variety, the sales here are really SALES! The sales helped me tremendously when I had to furnish a totally empty apartment - got my A$169.90 comforter for just A$36.90; my A$400+ TV for just A$320; a A$89.90 faux fur queen-sized blanket for just A$49.50; a flannel bedsheet for just A$3.99 (!!!) etc etc!
... and oh... the entire series of Sex & The City at a hefty discount!
And I was just sms'ing elindra the other day - you can get dozens of original anime DVD's here, even series that cannot be found in Singapore because it had been sold out there! I saw TWO different boxed sets of Rurouni Kenshin here - something I could never find back in Singapore! If I remain a good girl, I might reward myself with that for my b'day this year!
I'm not going to put extra money in my Superannuation now either. I'm in the process of deciding if I'm going to apply for PR independantly (in which case, costs will be involved), or if I'm going to get hospital sponsorship for my PR... and then, there's the PC and associated costs (I desperately WANT a PC with unlimited broadband and am patiently waiting for the 'best' deal! ), the setting aside money for a rainy day and driving lessons and subsequently, a car... I heard from SL that the first year of setting up home here would be a time when money just flows like a river straight out of your pockets and I'm finding it oh, so true!
normal tv, LCD or plasma -
is that CSI new york??Originally posted by elindra:I had like 58 missed calls from Chris (He's in Thailand for reservist)
And I was worried you called too and couldn't get me.
Oh, I have to repeat this here.
I watched CSI on Tuesday while snacking on an ice-cream and then they cut open this guy's skull and took out his brain I was like ...I'm eating...and suddenly my ice-cream lost it's flavor to me.
BTW, I think I prefer Criminal Minds to CSI
the first espisode is intriguing, using buildings on a photo to pinpoint the location where the photo is taken
cool
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Hey Rhonda! Glad you're settling down happily over there.
Can I ask: Do you have to work shifts over there? And did you get your job after you went over, or while still in Sg? I'm just curious.
Take care! -
Hospital library, not the public library.Originally posted by SydneyLibrarian:
How come the library close so early one?!?! What lazy librarians they have over there
I think I shall pay a visit to the neighbourhood public library soon although it's quite a long walk from home. These days, I walk so much and sometimes, have to carry my shopping as I walk around that I feel like a creature of burden!
But overall, I feel that I'm living a much healthier lifestyle here - lots of walking, housework, and eating home-cooked foods. -
Yeah, whilst eating out is definitely dearer, it's really much cheaper to cook here.Originally posted by SydneyLibrarian:Hubby & I were just discussing cost of food in Singapore vs. Sydney, both when eating out or buying groceries. We find that whilst eating out is more exp. in Sydney, buying your own groceries & cooking turns out to be much cheaper than if you were to do so in Sg! I guess it's cos Sg exports so much of its groceries, that it's more expensive in the long run to cook! I love the prices in Saturday's Richmond market, the special weekly discounts over at Cole's as well as the low prices in the greengrocers, butchers and fishmongers. Why, just last Saturday, I bought three whiting fillets and two salmon fillets from the cute fishmonger's van in the Saturday Richmond market for just A$14.40 total! -
Originally posted by Kenashi:how big is yr TV?
normal tv, LCD or plasma Tell me where you can get an LCD / Plasma TV for just a little over A$300 and I'll migrate there now!
Hmm... if I'm not wrong, it's a 19" Philips Tao TV. -
Hi, Wanda! Great to see you in here again!Originally posted by Wanda:Hey Rhonda! Glad you're settling down happily over there.
Can I ask: Do you have to work shifts over there? And did you get your job after you went over, or while still in Sg? I'm just curious.
Take care!
I do work shifts here but I no longer have to work night shifts!
It's flexible here - some nurses choose to work a 3-day week (12-hr shift), some work as agency nurses, others in a nurse bank... it's really up to the individual how many days they want to work and which shifts!
I secured a job before I left. That's the safest bet! The hospital even took care of my Visa for me!
And yeah... I've learnt that wherever we land, we can carve a niche for ourselves and make our home there. It's relatively easier to feel at home in Melbourne because of the diversity (and the good food and shopping!! ) and the fact that quite a number of my colleagues are Singaporeans or PRC's and Filipinos who have worked in Singapore hospitals before. -
*sneaks up behind and give Rhonda a squeeze ..... -
Originally posted by Fatum:*sneaks up behind and give Rhonda a squeeze .....
Are you born in the Year of the Rat? Why are you always sneaking about? -
Hey Rhonda! Grissom and Sarah are finally sleeping together!!! I'm so happy for them!
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maybe a second-hand one mahOriginally posted by Rhonda: Tell me where you can get an LCD / Plasma TV for just a little over A$300 and I'll migrate there now!
Hmm... if I'm not wrong, it's a 19" Philips Tao TV.
19" for over A$300 is a bit steep. but maybe that's the normal price tag there. -
Actually, to be honest, I cannot really recall how many inches it is!Originally posted by Kenashi:maybe a second-hand one mah
19" for over A$300 is a bit steep. but maybe that's the normal price tag there. And to think size is supposed to matter!! -
They are??Originally posted by av98m:Hey Rhonda! Grissom and Sarah are finally sleeping together!!! I'm so happy for them! 
Grissom appeared... kinda sexless!
I've missed quite a few episodes of CSI because I was either at work or fell asleep watching it halfway or got busy doing something else and couldn't concentrate on the show at all. Anyways, can always buy the DVD boxed sets one! Waiting for the next great sales! -
who cares abt sarah and grissom sleeping together??
Katharine heigl horny and half naked on grey's anatomy, that's what hot!! -
Maybe that day I didn't mention it properly
That Macpherson hawker centre where the ngoh hiang stall is at is slated for demolishing works due to road upgrading works for the Woodsville Flyover
This december probably will be the final mth the hawkers would be there -
I'm been rooting for them to jump eah other for years, just like many CSI fans around the globe!! Some couldn't wait and actually created fanfics of gil and sara!!Originally posted by Rhonda:They are?? Grissom appeared... kinda sexless!
I've missed quite a few episodes of CSI because I was either at work or fell asleep watching it halfway or got busy doing something else and couldn't concentrate on the show at all. Anyways, can always buy the DVD boxed sets one! Waiting for the next great sales! (I was actually expecting grissom to end up with lady heather but sarah's my first choice )
OK, I really need to get a life. -
Rhonda, you're back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *confetti, confetti*
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Missy!
'Eat!' Magazine is no more! The last issue is August 2006.
FYI