The Great Singapore Sale is on till July 26 and hot promotions are sweeping not just downtown malls but also heartland shops in HDB estates.
This week, we kick off a new series that turns the spotlight on your friendly neighbourhood stores where good buys abound.
Our first stop: Ang Mo Kio Town Centre, where we found nine cool shops and five eating places.
From a chic salon offering haircuts starting at under $10 to a trendy boutique where frocks rarely cross the $20 mark, you can get a top-to-toe makeover in this heartland hub with a magnificently modest budget of $100.
We took Korean pop singer Lee An along on our bargain-hunting expedition.
The 29-year-old, who has two albums under his belt, has been spending time in Singapore since 2006 but it was his first visit to Ang Mo Kio.
'I actually feel more comfortable here than in a busy downtown area,' says the Seoul-born Lee of Ang Mo Kio's laidback charm. He stays in a condominium in Loyang when he is in town.
Not only is he a big fan of Singapore's hawker centre food, he is also an expert at snagging stylish threads at bargain prices.
He pulls together one trendy look after another at various neighbourhood boutiques and you would be hard-pressed to guess that he is more at home in Dolce & Gabbana shirts and swanky shopping neighbourhoods like Seoul's Ap Gu Jung.
'It's not important how expensive something is,' he says. 'It's knowing how to match things in order to make them look good.'
Wise words to keep in mind as we embark on our first Heartland Finds adventure.
SHOP
JAZZ
01-4002 Block 715
Yearning for a boyband revival? Check out this eclectic boutique that has been here since 1983. Lee's favourite picks here: A fedora ($19.90), vest ($33.90), jeans ($59.90) and shirt ($42.90). We also love this metallic snake bracelet ($40) and a variety of plaid ties ($10). Evening gowns here start from $120 and you can also tailor a men's shirt, priced from $50.
THIS FASHION
01-4056 Block 712
Lee has never heard of This Fashion, but he dove right in with gusto when we told him about this chain's reputation for cheap chic. This Ang Mo Kio outlet has a particularly extensive menswear section and he picked out an ensemble of slouchy jeans ($23), simple T-shirt ($18) and stylish jacket ($59) that would not look out of place on the streets of any fashion capital. A checked scarf ($11) flung just so over his shoulders completes the look.
HIP STATION
01-4050 Block 713
The soft-spoken Lee gamely got into a hip-hop groove for us at this tiny but fun fashion boutique for boys. Prices here range from $12 for a T-shirt to $89 for a sweatshirt, and most wares come with funky graphics and bright colours, perfect for stylish teenagers on a budget.
DAKRA
01-2603 Block 709
The tagline for this three-month-old store is "euphoria of style" and if cheap chic is what it takes for you to get high, head this way. The cute frocks and tops for women stocked here are imported from Hong Kong and South Korea and prices seldom go higher than $20. We particularly love the stylishly colourful bags ($18). The store's stock changes twice a week so if you see something you like, snap it up quickly.
PINK BEAUTY
01-2571 Block 705
We know what you are thinking but no, this beauty shop does not stock solely pink bath and body products. It does have a lot of pink stuff though and the staff members are super friendly to boot. Our pink picks: hair curlers ($2.50), Sexygirl Hair Cologne ($12.90), Clairol Herbal Essences Dangerously Straight Shampoo ($4.80) and Tulip Doree Hydrating Lotion ($47.60). Prices here are about 20 per cent cheaper than those at major personal care chains.
HAIR ILLUSION
01-2601 Block 709
This six-month-old salon looks just as posh as a shopping mall outfit, but its prices are definitely heartland-happy. Prices start as low as $7.20 for a haircut. There is a fun Today's Special signboard outside the store that changes daily so keep your eyes peeled for the day's promotion.
KIN KANG
01-2545 Block 704
From bracelets with different kinds of magnets that claim to harmonise your mind and body (from around $638), to rare Tibetan beads that are both valuable antiques and good luck charms (from around $2,588), this health-oriented store definitely does accessories with a difference.
OKINAWA HAIR
01-2561 Block 705
Get any haircut you like by slipping a $10 bill into one of the vending machine-like haircut stations in this tiny little salon. Don't worry, just because the price is low does not mean the hairstylists are haphazard with your tresses - there is no time limit to how long your haircut can take.
AH TONG TAILOR
01-4051 Block 727
This old-school tailor has been here for 20 years and gets customers of all age groups, from long-time customers to young lads making their first suit for their wedding. Men's suits start from $400.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
