Ever since I found about Daiso after the army, I discovered a new world. I realized that not everything cheap is bad and will break tomorrow.

So when I went into Daiso for the first time. I was very skeptical. I always say how can it be cheap and good? Is this a money laundering scheme?

However, surprisingly, Daiso’s products have been cheap and quite useful.

So today I would like to share some tips about Daiso shopping so you don’t overbuy and fill your house with junk.

  1. Make a list before going to go to Daiso. Saying let’s see what is in Daiso, is a recipe for disaster. Your wallet will be thinner and your house will be filled with junk. Always, make a list. Send the list as an email or a message to yourself. Even though you go with a list, you will buy some other things (they are so tempting) but at least you will not come home with too much stuff.
  2. Compare prices. Everything in Daiso is usually cheaper than anywhere else. But roaming around LA, I found some 99 cent stores that have good stuff as well. So compare your prices. Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy in bundle from a grocery store.
  3. Don’t buy the snacks. There is a reason why for a whole row of snacks before check out. Impulse buy. Many fall for that trap where they say we saved a lot of money, let’s treat ourselves. Many snacks are not really worth one dollar!! So save the money on snacks.
  4. Kitchen stuff and bathroom stuff are ok. Kitchen utensils and bathroom cleaning stuff look really cheap but they are quite sturdy. In fact, I have been using some for 3 years and they are good.
  5. Buy in bulk. Some Daiso’s offer buying in bulk. So if you need to prepare some gifts or items for a bunch of people, call the store and ask if you can buy in bulk.
  6. Go in the morning. Some Daiso’s can be crowded. I don’t know why but it happens. So just go in the morning and you will be fine.
  7. Take some cash. For small amounts, Daiso won’t accept credit cards so make sure to take some cash.
  8. For urgent gifts go to Daiso. Need to prepare some gifts for people that you don’t really know or care? Go to Daiso, they have some neat stuff for everyone. Today, I saw some pretty note books for a dollar, which is a great deal. Perfect, for a gift that is enough to meet the minimum threshold.
  9. Ask the manager. It is not the case that the manager knows what products will come in exactly but some times they know. So you can ask and then buy your favorite products again and save them for later or use them as gifts.
  10. Be thankful! Daiso makes money by offering reasonable products at a cheap price. Don’t complain if the product breaks, if you want good stuff then you have to pay more. Just be thankful that Daiso offers more choices. As a grad student, I am super thankful for Daiso. Thank you Daiso!

I am thankful for Daiso. I just hope they keep offering reasonable products at a cheap price. Also, I hope Daiso becomes more socially responsible as well 😀

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