Ahh… Divisoria. Where brave men dare not tread. But get a couple of mommies together, throw in some single ladies looking for a good bargain, and you are good to go.
A lot of people think going to flea markets saves quite a bundle of money. In December 2006, when the economy was scraping the bottom, Agence France-Presse reported that Filipinos flocked to places like Divisoria, Baclaran, Quiapo and other bargain shopping areas instead of glitzy shopping malls. For many, it was the worst Christmas in years.
And these are not just the masa you are talking about. There are a lot of Divisoria divas in the rich mommy club. Take Melanie Marquez-Lawyer and Tessa Prieto-Valdes, for example.
I make it a point to go to Divisoria at least once a year. Believe it or not, to me it’s more of a therapy, hehe. But to get the most benefit from flea markets, you need a strategy. You need a plan. Saving buckets of cash will not happen just because you find yourself sweaty on Ilaya street. In fact, if you are not careful, you’ll end up losing a lot of money!
First, compute the value of time and gas you spend going to these flea markets. It will take you at least three to four hours to navigate through the streets. What is the cost of three hours to many of us? That doesn’t count gas.
Second, five mommies I interviewed said they ended up buying bargain items they did not need. One said up to 50% of the things she bought were not immediate needs – they were just good bargains she couldn’t pass up. Until now, bolts of good quality cloth bought at 70% discount are still taking up space in her closet. Bargain or no bargain, they are unnecessary expenses if they are of no use.
This doesn’t mean nobody can make or save money going to flea markets. Just be aware of the pitfalls. At the least bring a list of things to buy – and stick to it! There was a time I balked at making a shopping list. It sounded too OC for me. Many overspending months after, I decided that taking the time to write a shopping list is worth the effort.
(Email me at lightdream@gmail.com if you want to submit your own tip.)
May 25th, 2007 at 12:53 am
nina, thats my problem with shopping there. what are you going to do with one dozen of each product? it would help if you go with your friends, but would you all like the same design? this is not to say i dont enjoy it, cause i really do :). as with everything else we do with personal finance, kelangan may plan at may strategy. A friend told me he poses as a chinese businessman, buys in bulk from divisoria, and sets up a roving store in the province. marketing strategy “everything P55″. ayun, he’s making quite a sum of money. magaling na strategist =). masipag din, considering ang gulo dun, mainit at matraffic!
May 25th, 2007 at 12:53 am
john: “it’s cheap there eh considering the toys in the mall, eh sisirain lang naman nila yun kasi bata pa sila =)”
expensive toys are one of the most foolish purchases parents can make, so buying cheap ones is a good decision :). gleng!
May 24th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
Simple lang naman ang dapat gawin para makaiwas sa mga flea markets at malls.
Isntead of spending time shopping why not just spend it on the family. Like during the weekends, after going to mass why not just play monopoly with the kids instead of hanging out in the malls. It is a great way to bond with the whole family and enjoy at the same time without any costs. It also make the family stronger.
May 24th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
salve, this is soooooooo true!
we don’t have divisoria here in baguio, but we have lots of ukay shops. if you know where to look, stuff can really be cheap. but, yes, i am now stuck w/ about 25 bags, and i use only about 2-3 on a regular basis. i have about 10 suits, and i use these only about once to twice in a year. i have about 45 pairs of shoes, yet i only use about 4 on a regular basis. etc etc
i discovered these stuff because we are moving to a new place and sorting and packing our things. i guess i need to have a garage sale and i hope there will be people who will go and buy
May 24th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Divisoria is good for bulk shopping (e.g. wedding souvenirs, give-aways) especially if you go to the right shops. From experience, those in the sidewalks are sometimes more expensive than if you go to the big shops. It’s good to there with 2 or three other friends who are intending to buy the same items so you can get bulk discounts. You’ll be amazed at how much discount they give if you buy a dozen or so of one product. Pag -isa-isa lang kasi ang bili, retail price din nila binebenta, not worth the effort to go there - sa SM na lang pareho din naman yong item at yong presyo.
I remember those fake Girbaud bags and wallets that was popular 4 or 5 years ago. The wallets are being sold in P. Gil sidewalk for 150-200 each but during those times, in Divisoria, you can get those for 100 each if you buy 6 or a dozen.
Two years ago, beaded shoes/sandals were very popular - it’s 400-500 in greenhills while sa 168 for the same shoes (i know it’s the same because the brand is the same) P180/pc lang ang retail price.
Divisoria is a good place to go to, depending on what you need how many you need. Look at the quality of product also - minsan kasi mura nga pero hindi naman maganda ang quality.
I also wouldn’t advice to bring cars to divisoria, there’s no parking area and the traffic jam - one of the worst!