We haven’t actually announced this on any social media, but we will be expecting a new arrival to the family pretty soon! So I think it is pretty apt for me to post about some of the good deals I got from overseas online shops. It is extremely expensive to raise a baby, even more so for Singaporeans with all the inflated prices. Many items are so much more affordable if you can get them direct from the US/UK and we managed to do so with bulk of the items that we purchased for our little one.
iHerb
Good for mommies who want to take a more natural, non-toxic approach because they carry Earth Mama Angel Baby and Badger Company, two very well-known brands in US but the prices are grossly inflated in Singapore. They also carry Weleda, Munchkin and Summer Infant products but I find these items cheaper on Amazon.
Amongst all that I purchased a number of oils i.e. grapeseed, coconut and argan. I really like argan oil for my stretch marks but switched to coconut and grapeseed oil because it was getting expensive. I prefer this to Bio Oil because it is natural and it absorbs much faster than Palmer’s. These oils are also great for baby massages!
For the mommies who are suffering from UTI, you can also get the cranberry concentrate from Dynamic Health, much more affordable than the ones in Singapore. Thayers witch hazel is something that I used very often as I had some heat / pimple rash on my chest and back, but you can also get it for about the same price on Qoo10.
Use my code FQF079 to get additional $5 off! Also, check iHerb and your email often as they do offer 10% discounts occasionally and discounts for certain brands too. Shipping from iHerb is pretty cheap with Singpost and the items usually arrive within 2 weeks. The only issue I have with them is the packaging problem, 2 out of my 9 orders had items which leaked and had to be refunded. Thankfully their customer service had greatly improved over the past year and they are more willing to offer compensations for such cases.
Amazon
It’s a little trickier ordering Amazon since the key point is to qualify for their free AmazonGlobal Shipping. Only certain products are eligible and you have to buy at least USD$125.
The following are the links to the items we bought:
- Philips Avent BPA Free Natural Infant Starter Gift Set
- Philips AVENT Breast Milk Storage Cups : Avent products are much much cheaper on Amazon, even cheaper as compared to Baby Fairs.
- Zojirushi Stainless Steel Food Jar : We couldn’t find this in stock when we went to Japan and were so happy that this can be purchased from Amazon!
- aden + anais Classic Muslin Swaddle Blanket : The cheaper ones always on sale in Mothercare are made in China and are smaller in size. From the Amazon reviews, the 47 inch ones are much better in quality and they are almost never on offer in Singapore.
- Munchkin White Hot Inflatable Duck Tub : This is super super expensive in Singapore, we purchased this so that we can have a place to bathe the little one when we stay in budget accomodations overseas.
- Dynarex Disposable Underpad : This super unglam item is reccommended for use as a disposable changing pad.
- OXO Tot Bottle and Accessories Drying Rack : Another must-have but much cheaper when purchasing from Amazon. I prefer this design because the ‘sticks’ don’t go all the way into the bottles, which I find a little unhygenic.
- Weleda Baby Calendula Body Lotion : Recommended by Hello Charlie as a good moisturizing lotion for baby.
Target
We also made a one-time purchase from Target, mainly for Medela items since they don’t qualify for shipping on Amazon, so it was either we purchased them via a forwarder or we get them from Target. There was a one-off $30 discount for items over $150 so we went with target.
he following are the links to the items we bought:
- Medela Pump In Style Advanced 9 Volt Power Adaptor
- Medela Breast Pump Accessory Set
- Lansinoh Milk Storage Bag 100 Ct : this is cheaper on Amazon so don’t purchase it from Target unless like us, you need to hit the minimum amount.
absolute honesty 