The government just distributed CDC vouchers to citizens, offering $250 for supermarkets and $250 for hawker centers (for the non-Singaporeans, this is the government’s distribution of cash in the form of a voucher to help in difficult economic times with rising prices). Wonderful, I though. Then Fairprice supermarket announced a promotion – spend $80 in CDC vouchers and receive an additional $8 return voucher. The catch? The spending had to be done before January 17th. As a deal enthusiast, this sparked my interest, and no heavy downpour was going to stop me! The SippingCoconuts household embarked on a rainy weekend shopping trip to Fairprice with our eyes on maximizing returns.
The Unexpected Over-Achievement:
Mr.C was doubtful we would hit $250 at a go, he cautioned me that we can split the shopping trip. Ms.K: Silent chuckle, buckle up Mister!
Armed with CDC vouchers and the promise of return vouchers, we set out on a mission to make the most of this promotion. Little did we know that our enthusiasm and the Chinese New Year promotions at Fairprice would lead us to over-achieve our initial goal. The checkout bill, a whopping $400, left us in awe. Our usual grocery run had transformed into a shopping spree, prompting even the cashier to question if this was a month’s worth of groceries.
Unfortunately, this was a challenge that I knew was far too easy to meet. All we had to do was stock up on what would we have bought anyway.
The big ticket items:
- Nutella x 2 = ~$23
- Brie Cheese x 2 = ~$24
- Unsalted Butter x 2= $13
- Early Grey Tea = ~$13
- Jumbo Chicken = ~$14
- Fruits = ~$20
Splurge Items:
- Beef tail = $30
- Hokkaido scallop = $20 (darn CNY promotion got us!)
- Pork Belly x2 = $12
This already brings us to ~$170. How did we make that leap to $400? Here’s where than randoms shine and take us way past the finishing line (in a terrible way!). Randoms – Tomato ketchup, Mayonnaise, Olives, Fish balls, Sausages, Pork floss, dried herbs, oyster sauce, soy sauce, a variety of noodles, coconut water, spring rolls, jelly, prawn crackers….it’s these little guys that collectively packed a real punch.
Side-Track —> The Kids’ Selections:
Adding an entertaining twist to the story, each of the older kids was given a basket to pick out items they fancied. Coco#1’s choices reflected a mix of nostalgia and personal preferences, from love letters (Redondo) that his father used to buy for him when he was younger and random junk like prawn crackers! Coco#2 on the other hand, fresh strawberries, raisins, and jelly! He was so excited to show me what he had selected. It was a fascinating glimpse into their preferences!
Teachable Moments with the Kids (we love this!):
- Understanding the Value of Money:
When Coco#1 realized the magnitude of our spending, he was taken aback. His curiosity led to a teachable moment about the value of money and how seemingly small decisions can accumulate into significant expenses. - Some Maths Thrown in for Good Measure
The realization that each $30 spent earned us a lucky draw ticket added an element of excitement, with dreams of winning the elusive car. He quickly worked out that we had 13 lucky draw tickets. Separately, the Redondo love letters he picked was a small packet. Together with Mr.C, they worked out that the large tin gives us better value for money, by doing the cost and the weight analysis. - Practicing Prudent Purchases:
A key lesson emerged in the importance of buying only necessary items. While our goal was to spend $250, we focused on purchasing predominantly dry goods that could last longer. This emphasized the importance of mindful shopping and avoiding impulsive purchases, even in the pursuit of a good deal. We talk about this with the kids, fully knowing that only a portion of what we said made sense to them or would even stick. That’s fine, we’ll take any win we get!
Was a great grocery run, all in all. A mission to capitalize on CDC vouchers and Fairprice promotions turned into quite an adventure for our family! Beyond the thrill of a good deal, we learned about the cumulative impact of small choices, the value of money, and the significance of budgeting for essentials. That’s a parenting win!!!
