And since majority voted for many me to share about #ashideout as my first (come back) blog post, I’ve decided to share about the top 5 items I would recommend for people to invest in as we use them on an almost daily basis. Do bear in mind that we bought most items 2 years back so there may be changes to the price or that there may be newer models available in the market!

 So let me introduce to you the 5 “good-buy” items for our home! (Ranked by its usage frequency)

#1 Zip Blinds

No regrets spending on MC2’s Zip Blind because it blocks out the wind & rain at our balcony with the amazing remote (as seen on the left). It gives you the flexibility to stop any one of the panels at your preferred height (example: to block out the sun) simply with a touch of a button!

This allows our balcony to be used as an alfresco dining area when the weather permits, while keeping the air-conditioning in when it rains and the binds are closed. The after sales service we experienced is really good too! Here’s a video link on how it works.

Est Cost: $4,000 (price varies depending on the length and ceiling height)
PS, this brand is way cheaper compared to ZipTrek and I feel that its quality is still good!

#2 Ruhens Water Dispenser

Ruhens WHP-760 is highly recommended for the lazy HAHAHA. It gives you hot and cold water at a touch of a button, so you can say goodbye to having to boil water or spend time making ice to add to your water! Plus it gives you certain pre-set amounts as well so you don’t have to stop for when filling a 550ml or 1.5l water bottle. The water that comes out are automatically filtered as well (meaning you drink this super healthy alkaline water). Vouching for their after sales service too as we faced an issue with our dispenser earlier this year and they gave us a 1-to-1 exchange!

Est Cost: $2,199

#3 Air Fryer

Air fryers are like the best inventions ever. The brand we bought was EuropAce EAF 333Q (S just bought it online randomly) and it worked surprisingly well! It does its job of frying stuffs without getting oil splatters all over the place and provides you with a midnight snack (hello, seaweed chicken/nuggets) real quick!

Est Cost: $70 (didn’t save our purchase price but this was its cost on Lazada 🙈)

#4 IKEA Bed Table

Breakfast in bed, anyone? Just kidding. Although it’s called the DJURA Bed Table, we use it when we are crazy chasing some drama and want to dine in front on the TV instead of the dining table. Perfect height for eating when sitting on the sofa. In fact, we use it almost everyday actually during the Circuit Breaker period 😅

Est Cost: $20

#5 Steigen Solar Dryer

If you are considering to get a washing machine + dryer in one, please consider getting a washing machine on its own with this! Steigen Solar allows to dry out your clothes without having to iron your clothes (S never had to iron his wrinkle-free shirts ever when using this)

The huge plus side for me is that although our yard has no natural sunlight coming in, it has a UV feature that does not makes your clothes stink (TBH, I can’t remember the name of the feature) but it works exactly how it would be hanging your clothes out in the sun.

Another plus is that short people like me don’t have to worry too much about top toe-ing while hanging clothes because you can adjust its height with a remote control! Comes with inbuilt light as well as 2 options for cold and hot air!

Est Cost: $849


Anyway, I could go on and on about the different items at home but I’d just stick to these 5 for now. Feel free to drop me a message on Instagram or Whatsapp if you’d like any other recommendations for other household items or daily necessities!