Savvy Filipinos who are always on the hunt for a bargain might be fascinated by a shop where the…read moreprices of (almost) all the goods follow a flat rate of 88 PHP (and occasionally cheaper). The Japan Home Center provides an experience for those who want to buy products at a cheaper price and are up to looking for a more quirky solution to most home problems. Want to buy a retractable curtain hanger without breaking the bank? Want to buy various items for your kitchen and bathroom? Want to look for multipurpose items like a screwdriver that can convert into ten other sizes and is also a flashlight? Then you might just be interested in dropping by. This is one of those shops where you can enter "not looking for anything" and then discover that you can find something fascinating for a very low price. So why not take your mind for a spin and visit your nearest Japan Home Center?

My girlfriend moves around a lot. She's incessantly searching from her dream home, so much so that…read moreshe's moved three times since I met her two years ago. That's a lot of moving for such a tiny little girl, but I think she's settled down now because Storm the dog is now in the picture and does not take kindly to being forced into a car. Every time she moves though, we make sure to head over to Japan Home Center to get her stuff for the new place. Japan Home Center is the IKEA of the Philippines - whenever I walk into this place, no matter how much I promise myself that I'm only going to get what I came for, I always end up buying all sorts of stuff. One time, I went in looking for batteries, and came out with a toilet plunger, cookies, shampoo, and a bike lock. I forgot the batteries. And given their prices, you wouldn't really care what you buy. It's not gonna hurt your wallet either way.

Patrick is right, this place is the IKEA of the Philippines, minus the weird instructions and the…read moremissing screws. I always like browsing through their selection even if I have nothing specific in mind that I have to buy, and I always end up leaving with my arms full of various bric-a-brac. Seriously, I bought a bunch of chopsticks once, and I didn't even know how to use 'em. This place is great for those who just moved, or are looking to populate their apartment. They also have great miscellaneous items you didn't know you needed. Try not to blow a hole in your wallet though - all their items might be priced the same, but that can stack up pretty quickly if you're not careful.

Looking for cool and functional items you didn't even know existed? Then head on to Saizen, an…read more88-Peso store that sells items from Japan. Every time we pass by Trinoma, it's a must to visit Saizen, since they update the store every month and goodies are available every now and then. Although it is a surplus store, their items are still efficient and safe to use and eat (for the snacks). They sell from cute, colorful notebooks to yummy chocolate wafers, kitchen and dining items, bathroom items, and even beauty items! They sell all kinds of things, and some even make great ideas for gifts! Don't worry, 88 Pesos may be expensive for a three-piece candy, they offer half prices or one price for two items as well, so you can be assured you're getting enough for what you pay for. Tip: it's inside True Value hardware shop, so don't back away when you don't see it as a standalone shop.

Who doesn't love Saizen? It's such an amazing store and I really spend hours just looking through…read morethe P88 finds. Whether it's items for the kitchen, for the office or for personal use, you will definitely find something to your liking at Saizen. Funny though, I always go here not intending to buy anything but I always end up with several items costing me about P500 or P600. No worries though, I always end up using what I buy anyway. The best finds so far, the vacuum / compression bags. When you're packing for a trip, they really save a ton of space in your luggage. I also found some wool gloves for those quick trips to winter countries. I don't mind buying the cheap kind since I don't use them that often and they actual work for protecting your hands from the cold. If you like being creative with your kid's baon or your own packed lunch for the office, Saizen is an amazing place to buy bento stuff. They have rice shapers, sandwich cutters and different types of lunch boxes that would drive any bento momma crazy.

I really like Japan Home Center. It's this place where I can go to buy almost anything that my mind…read morecan think of without having to think too much on the amount of money that I'll end up spending. This is simply because most, if not all, the items in the store costs me eighty eight pesos. You'd be surprised by the sort of stuff that you'll get to see here. There are coat hangers, frying pans, chocolates, batteries, cases for gadgets, scissors, and so much more. I find this place a little bit funny in fact. To give you a better idea of what this place is like, think of it as a Japanese version of CD-R King except the things that it sells are non gadget related items. In fact, when I'm bored, I sometimes go here for the sake of finding something to spend my money on.

Ahhh, Japan Home Center, the land of the 3C's - cheap, cool and captivating. Cheap because…read moreeverything is P88 or P66...around $2 or less. That's a steal! Cool because you can literally find anything you'd ever need for your house, room, classes or work. Captivating because they sell a wide array of things that you would think is only a want but it's actually a need. I can't just go inside the store and not buy anything. Sometimes I buy a lot - pet accessories, neck ties, baking items, toys...but it never bothers me because I love everything I buy and again, they're so cheap! Also, a great tip if you're on a very tight budget for buying gifts on friendship day or gifts for any occasion really, is buying your presents here. Seriously, they may be cheap but a lot of the stuff don't look cheap. There was even this one time, I think I reached P1000+ on my purchases and they had this promo that if you reach 1k, you'd get a free vase or something in the lines of...a vase would be around half the price. Of course I accepted the promo with open arms. They had great vases! And my parents' anniversary was coming up so I got them a vase I thought they would like and they did! This my friends, is called smart shopping. Learn it, love it, live it. :)

I have a love hate relationship with this store…read more Their items go for cheap prices which I really love. And they always have something that I need. I have found kitchenware, bags, umbrellas, items for my pets and Hello Kitty things. There are times when they have book covers made out of cloth and liners for my shelves. The quality is rather okay considering the cheap prices. I mean, don't expect something that costs Php88 to last you for an eternity. It's my go to place when I need something right away and I don't have much money to splurge on the item. So why do I hate this store? Because the items are so cheap I end up buying things that I don't need. Not the store's fault really.

Oh Japan. The center of every little thing. From pretty to smart to just plain weird, they have it…read moreall. For every object we deem ordinary, Japan has a version of. They've turned cube trays to heart-shaped ones and cold metallic baking equipment to the most colorful tools. There are so many things to love about them and if there is a shop in Manila that somehow captures the quirkiness that we all have become fans of , then it's Daiso Japan Store. Basically, it's a bunch of Japanese inventions found in a neat little space. Everything is mostly sold at a low price of 88 pesos- a good price for products that was made out of the minds of the most peculiar and brilliant people in Asia. I go there every so often to look for something that could turn the most ordinary chore into a fun one.

This place is my dad's favorite store in the world! We literally have spent hours in just this one…read morestore. I guess its because it is a one-stop store with a whole variety of items up for sale, and yeah you can lose track of time looking through every aisle for what wonder it might hold on its shelves. Daiso is always are first stop whenever we are looking for anything. Before we move on to any other shop we make sure to check to have it here, because everything here is dirt cheap! You need a cupholder for your car? They got it! How about some false eyelashes for your next night out? Look no further! Or an organizer for your toiletries, they have it! Daiso is like an entire mall crammed into one store that has pretty much everything! And best of all, you get things cheap!

While the brand Daiso claims to be from Japan, most of the items found here are actually from…read moreChina. Not that I'm complaining, because where else will you be able to find kitchenware at 88 pesos apiece! I love how ramdom Daiso has always been and how you really never know what you can find once you step into the store. You can find something as simple as a tissue holder to something as random as a Hello Kitty alarm clock. I usually come here to buy a toy for my dog, stock up on tissue paper or get some liquid soap. You're always sure to get a great deal when you're here. A good tip to know is that some items are really sold higher than their actual value. Practice good judgement when buying and don't be fooled with wholesale prices.

I think Daiso was put on earth to be a plague to mankind, specifically to impulse shoppers like me…read more If you've ever wandered around in a Daiso, the first think you think is, "Wow, I could actually buy something here." But this isn't just a meandering musing, it's an omen of things to come, as when you stepped into Daiso you were already cursed to begin with. The Daiso in Galleria is one of the biggest cheapo stores I've been in (what would you call them? "dollar stores"? "88-peso stores"?) and it's easy to lose your time and money here, as they have everything and varieties of everything here: accouterments, kitchen supplies, toiletries, etc etc etc. If ever there were a zombie outbreak, you could probably hide in and live off of just this one Daiso and be set for a long time in waiting for someone else to save you, because as we all know you need guns or fire to kill zombies, and Daiso doesn't have those. But hey, they do have Japanese confectionery! Take that, zombies!

There are just some places that are pretty fun to roam around even if you don't necessarily buy…read moresomething. There are also places that you know you enter, you don't really plan on buying anything, but boom there you are 20 minutes later with a plastic water jug on hand. It's a place that kind of appeals to your hoarder tendencies and makes you think if hmmm, maybe I need a new toothbrush holder! Daiso is pretty much that for me. It's a Japanese store that sells pretty random items, but they have a lot assorted home and school items. What makes Daiso very compelling for me is the fact that the items they sell are cheap. Rarely do the items go above P100 bucks. And honestly, the items seem so useful at the time. I mean an organization tray always seem useful, and they have loads of that. Oh, my weaknesses.

Daiso has over 100,000 goods, wot?!!! Well not in this store, but all their hundreds of stores…read moreworldwide. Therefore you never really know what to expect here. You can't rely on the fact that if you buy something here, and you come back for some more, the items will still be there. That is not the case. It is really just a place you visit when you have a bit of cash left to spend and you are looking for some useful kitchen stuff or funny japanese items. Also if you are looking for something in specific e.g. a neck pillow, just start your search here and if they don't have it here move on. Daiso always surprises you, I guess that's the fun part. I don't like to be surprised at the check out counter though, so they should make the prices more clearly visible. This store is generally neat and well maintained, unlike other daiso outlets.