Penny Pinching: 10 proudly 'kuripot' Pinoy habits
A random survey of people working in Makati City done by marketing communications company Campaigns & Grey revealed the following kuripot ways of Pinoys. They range from the sensible to the almost-ridiculous. Read on and tell us if you can relate to any of these thrifty moves.
1. You're a proud sale hunter. You wouldn’t mind waking up early to line up for the year-end sale of your favourite luxury shop just to get quality items with a red price tag. You spend hours reading countless reviews about the deals online to get the most out of your hard earned money.
2. You do the TGIS, which stands for "Tiis Gutom Ipon Salapi." You keep your food cravings in check until you finally save up enough for that expensive high-quality bag you’ve been dreaming about. After all, cup noodles come in different tasty flavors, so the sacrifice isn’t too bad!
3. You hang out with a senior citizen. Asking your mom on a date is your way of saving money. You make her order the turkey dish you’ve been dying to try at that lavish restaurant. When food shopping, you ask her to bring your grocery cart to the cashier. And voila, you get 20% off the price tag. Mommy is the coolest ever!
4. You practice "re-gifting." It’s the birthday of your grown-up inaanak but you’ve used up all your spare cash to buy a direly needed piece of appliance. You look through your stuff to find a copy of that best-selling novel you got last Christmas – it’s in perfect condition! While wrapping it, you think, “After all, I received three copies of that book from my booklover friends!”
5. You're a budget traveler. You don’t mind staying up practically all night just to be among the first to avail of that Piso fare promo for your next travel destination. You call up friends abroad and invite yourself to stay at their house just to save on hotel costs. You pack only a few re-usable clothes so your luggage can accommodate canned goods that will tide you through your trip.
6. You take home hotel toiletries. You receive a gift certificate for a staycation at the most fashionable hotel in the metro. You’re super excited because 1) you can finally get a good night’s sleep away from the stresses of work and home, and 2) you can bring home a daily loot of imported hotel toiletries! You just love five-star housekeeping service.
7. You diligently accumulate reward points.Your younger sister decides to use her savings to treat herself to some special items, and she asks you to go shopping with her. Instead of making her pay with cash, you use your credit card and even throw in an extra item as a bonus. Oh boy, the reward points you’ll get from those transactions can buy you gifts for your entire Christmas list – What a wise shopper you are, and a good sister to boot!
8. You commute wisely. You commute to work instead of bringing your car to save on gas and toll fees. Instead of hailing a cab in front of your office, you trek to the shuttle service station. And of course, you are delighted when a colleague/neighbor offers you a ride home. Long live carpools!
9. You do general cleaning. The latest issue of your favorite fashion magazine inspires you to update your look, but your closet is full of tired old styles. So that weekend, you haul your clothes to the garage, put up a sign, and have a highly successful rummage sale. And just like that, you have enough money for an entirely new wardrobe!
10. You drink instant coffee in a Starbucks tumbler (and other quirky moves).Your boss calls for an online collaboration for the company’s year-end report on a weekend. Armed with strong instant coffee in a Starbucks tumbler, you take your laptop with you to the nearest Starbucks branch, where you can enjoy free Wi-Fi and air-conditioning. Who’s to say you didn’t order coffee?
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