Just An Ordinary Girl

Photo By: Elin Chow

Hello guys! I am back again with another Taobao haul. Well, I am not sure how many people actually enjoy reading this kind of haul post, but anyway, I will still share about it just to keep track of all the items I have bought from Taobao so far.

This time, I am sharing the cost of shipping with my colleagues because they have bought quite a number of items too. Let's see what I bought from Taobao last month.

Collapsible Canvas Laundry Basket 
Price: RMB 9 | RM 5.47
Link: Collapsible Canvas Laundry Basket

I bought a collapsible canvas laundry basket to keep my newly washed clothes tidy and organized. I used to just dump them all over my sofa after wash and dry. But it was very messy, so I decided to get a cheap laundry basket to store the clothes when I do not have the time to fold them.


The laundry basket is made of durable canvas and waterproof PE. It is very lightweight and the soft fabric is foldable and can be stored easily when not in use to save space. It is available in two different sizes with a variety of different designs to choose from. Most importantly, it is very cheap!

Glass Water Bottle
Price: RMB 9.90 | RM 6.02
Link: Glass Water Bottle


I love this glass bottle so much. It is so pretty and the quality is so good. Made of high quality Borosilicate glass, it has high thermal shock resistance. You can add a pouch for just RMB 3 or RM 1.82. That is so cheap!

Comb
Price: RMB 13.80 | RM 8.39
Link: Comb

I got some comb as well and they comes in a set of two. There are a few combinations that you choose from, or you can also buy the comb individually. I feel that it is cheaper to get the combination set than individually.

Sport Shorts
Price: RMB 34 | RM 20.67
Link: Sport Shorts 1


I bought two sports shorts from Taobao too. The first one I got comes with a stretchy yet skin tight inner short leggings and  loose fitting exterior short with mesh panels. It is very lightweight and comfortable. The inner short leggings also helps to prevent any wardrobe malfunction.
Price: RMB 34 | RM 20.67
Link: Sport Shorts 2


The second one I bought also comes with an inner short leggings, but it is  slightly shorter and smaller than the first one. Both looks pretty trendy and the quality are really good. It is also so much cheaper to get these shorts on Taobao than any retail stores in Malaysia.

I got both of these shorts from the same seller and they look just exactly like the photos. The measurements provided by the seller are also accurate and the pants fit me nicely. Highly recommended! I would definitely repurchase from this seller again.

Lingerie Laundry Bags
Price: RMB 24.50 | RM 14.89 For 3
Link: Lingerie Laundry Bags

If you have an expensive bra, it will be best that you hand wash them in order for them to last longer. But seriously, how many people have the time to do that. If you are going to wash your bras in a washing machine instead of by hand, you need to use a laundry bag.


Lingerie laundry bags are a must have for women. I bought these to protect my delicate bras from damage caused by the washing machine. The laundry bags are made of breathable mesh fabric which allow water to flow through to ensure a thorough cleaning and rinsing. The fabric is pretty thick and
 is able keep the garments safely inside to protect them from snags and stretching.

Gym Gloves
Price: RMB 22.90 | RM 13.92
Link: Sports Gloves


I also bought a set of gym gloves for my husband. This pair of gloves I got is very lightweight and comfortable. It is suitable for both men and women. Even I can wear this as well.

Sea Grass Basket
Price: RMB 14.90 | RM 9.05
Link: Sea Grass Basket

I have a thing for these storage basket because they look really stylish and add a natural warm touch to the space. Each basket is woven by hand with natural sea grass and therefore is unique. It comes in a variety of sizes to suit different needs.

The one I bought was actually smaller than this one, but it went out of stock. The seller contacted me to check with me whether it was okay to sent me a bigger one without any additional charge. Of course, I was fine with that as the bigger one costs so much more than the small one.


The quality of the basket is really good. It is very lightweight and the workmanship is pretty good. There are natural imperfection and variations as it is hand woven. But they does not matter much to me. Anyway,  i bought this to store my onions, garlic and potatoes.

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Photo By: Elin Chow

My recent taobao loots finally arrived yesterday! The package weighed about 8 kg and is shipped via sea shipping, which took almost 3 weeks to arrive in Malaysia. My husband has been asking me when the package will arrive because most of the items in it actually belong to him. He bought mainly clothes because it was cheaper to buy on Taobao than local retail stores. To be honest, I have never bought any clothes on Taobao because I was skeptical about the product quality. But surprisingly, the quality surpassed our expectation!

As for me, I did not buy a lot stuffs this time round because I have used up my shopping budget for this month. I did buy a few clothings as well and still got a cart full of Taobao loots waiting for me to checkout. But I decided to wait for the Double 11 sales to make the purchase since I do not need the items urgently.

Soy Milk Maker

Price: 165 RMB | RM 102.60 + RM 13.33 (Shipping)
Link: Soy Milk Maker

This is probably the most expensive purchase I have made on Taobao so far. I have been wanting to get a soy milk maker for a long time as I would like to make my own soy milk instead of buying them. Homemade soy milk is definitely much more healthier since I can control the ingredients that goes into the milk. Of course, I can make my own soy milk by blending the soy beans in a blender and cook it on a stove, but I find the process really messy and time consuming. So I hope that this machine will help me to save some time.



The machine is actually bigger that what I expected and comes with 6 different functions like grains milk, porridge, soup and juice. There are many brands of soy milk maker available in the market. The one I got is from a brand called "Joyoung".


With a 1.2 litre capacity, the machine makes a good amount of milk and perfect for a small family. I have not try the machine yet. If anyone is interested in a review post, please let me know.

Pyjamas

Price: 56 RMB | RM 34.82 + RM  1.38 (Shipping)
Link: Pyjamas 

I got myself a new set of pyjamas but honestly, I am not really satisfied with the quality. The fabric wrinkle easily and is a little thin.

High Waisted Denim Shorts

Price: 58 RMB | RM 36.06 + RM 3.72 (shipping) for 2 pieces
Link: High Waisted Denim Shorts
RM 40 for 2 pieces. Wow, that was really cheap! The denim shorts are sold in a pair, so you have to buy two at a time. I was worried that it would not fit me because I always heard that the clothes sold on Taobao are slightly smaller in size than the ones sold in local retail store.


This high waisted pair is sewn at the hem with holes. The quality is decent and there are two types to choose from - with or without holes. Both are available in 4 different colors - light blue, dark blue, black and white. I bought this in light and blue blue with holes. I love my denim shorts with holes

measurement provided by the seller is very accurate and the shorts fit me nicely.
But I do not really like the color of the light blue shorts

Shirt

Price: 69 RMB | RM 42.90 + RM 2.82 (Shipping)
Link: Shirt 

I was worried that this might be to big for my husband but I am glad that it fits him perfectly. The shirt is nicely packed in a box and wrapped in a plastic. The fabric of the shirt is a little thick but the material is pretty good.

Long Pants

Price: 89 RMB | RM 55.34 + RM 3.78 (Shipping) for 2 pieces
Link: Long Pants

RM 60 only for two pieces of Khaki long pants. This was so cheap! I bought this for my husband because he wanted to get some new pants. I actually read through tons of reviews before buying this because I am worried about the quality. But luckily, the quality of the pants turned out to be really good. It looks great and fit my husband nicely.


The pants comes in 6 different colors - Blue, Black Dark Grey, Khaki, Greenish-Blue and Maroon. I bought two pieces in grey and blue because it was cheaper to buy two than a single piece. A single piece will cost 69 RMB whereas it was only 89 RMB for two. The pants looks exactly like the picture and measurements are accurate.

Jogger Pants
Price: 69 RMB | RM 42.90 + RM 2.10 (Shipping)
Link: Casual Long Pants

I also bought a slightly more casual style Jogger pants for my husband. The quality of this is not as good as the other two that I bought.


The fabric is thinner than the previous ones but the material is slightly stretchy with half elastic waistband.

Leggings

Price: 41 RMB | RM 25.49 + RM 1.32 (Shipping)
Link: Leggings

Photo By: Elin Chow

Finally, I have time to sit down to write about my Taobao haul. I bought most of the items during the double 11 sales last year. Some of you guys actually requested for this post after I posted a photo of my purchases on Facebook. Sorry it took me so long to write because I have been so busy with my house renovation and I simply just do not have the time to take pictures of my purchases.

This is actually the first time I bought directly from Taobao without using any agents. It is definitely much more cheaper to buy directly than using an agent. You can avoid paying for agent fees as much as 10%. So I really recommend anyone to buy directly from Taobao if you can read Chinese.

My package from Taobao weighed about 10.33 kg and took about 3 weeks to arrive. I have chosen to use Lazada (Air) to ship my package because their price is the cheapest.  For 10.33 kg, I paid 193.87 RMB (RM 123.01) for shipping.

Most of the items I bought are household products for our new place, spending 291.68 RMB or RM 184.31 (100 RMB = RM 0.64) in total.

Chopstick
Price: 49 RMB (10 Sets) / RM 31.36 + RM 3.19
Link: Chopstick

I bought 10 sets of chopsticks. If I am not wrong, I believe they are made of porcelain ceramic. These chopsticks are very lightweight, smooth to the touch and have high temperature resistance.

Glass Cup

Silicone Pastry Mat
Price: 22.80 RMB / RM 14.60 + RM 4.61 (Shipping)
Link: Silicone Pastry Mat

Since I have my own space now, I would really like to learn to bake. That is also why I also bought quite a number of baking equipment from Taobao this time. One of the item I got is this silicone pastry mat because I want to protect the worktop. The price is not exactly cheap after including the shipping cost. But I guess it is still worthwhile because it comes with a free rolling pin.

Measuring Spoons
Price: 16.12 RMB (Per Set) / RM 10.32 + RM 3.90 (Shipping)
Link: Measuring Spoons

I also bought this 10 pieces measuring spoon set because it is so pretty. Measuring spoons are an essential in every kitchen and I believe getting such a colorful set will definitely lift my mood while baking. The good thing is it also comes with a free dough scraper and food bag sealer clips.

Spatula + Pastry Brush
Price: 27.60 RMB / RM 17.67 + RM 1.83 (Shipping)
Link: Spatula + Pastry Brush

Baby blue spatula and pastry brush! They are so pretty, aren't they? This is also the main reason why I have to buy them.

Washing Bags
Price: 30.50 RMB (7 Pieces) / RM 19.52 + RM 5 (Shipping)
Link: Washing Bags

I bought some washing bags to protect delicate garments during the machine wash cycle. The washing bags comes in 6 different sizes to fit different types of clothes. It also comes with a bra mesh bag to protect wired bras during washing.

There are two types of washing bags available: fine mesh or thick mesh. I bought the fine mesh bags because it is softer and more delicate. I used them during my weekly wash and they are fantastic. The zips stayed closed and there are no tangling. I am not sure whether they are durable in the long run, but anyway, they are so cheap.

Mixing Bowl
Price: 25.90 RMB / RM 16.58 + RM 11.11
Link: Mixing Bowl

Of course, not forgetting a mixing bowl too. Mixing bowl is definitely a must have kitchen item. The stainless steel bowl comes with silicone non-skid bottom that keeps it secured in place while mixing.


There are 3 different sizes available - Small (22 cm), Medium (24 cm) and Large (26 cm). I got a medium size one because I thought the large one will be too large.

The quality of the bowl is pretty good and it is easy to clean. It is big and deep, which is great for mixing ingredients together in.

Microfibre Rags
Price: 22.90 RMB / RM 14.66 (5 Pieces) + RM 2.48 (Shipping)
Link: Microfibre Rags

I got some microfibre rags for kitchen use. The rags are really good quality. They are very soft, lightweight, absorbent and fast drying. Most importantly, they are super cheap!

Food storage containers

Price: 35.60 RMB / RM 22.78 each  + RM 35.60 (Shipping for 3)
Link: Food Storage Containers

I always love food storage containers. This one is available in 4 different sizes - 800 ml, 1100 ml, 1700 ml and 2100 ml. If you buy 2, you will get a 800 ml one free. So I bought two 1700 ml containers and got a 800 ml one for free.

I am really glad that the glass containers arrived nice and good with no obvious scratches or crack. The containers are nicely wrapped with lots of bubble wrap for protection. I am always impressed by the way the Taobao sellers pack the items. But the bad thing is all the additional wrapping and packaging really adds to the weight of the package, which will cost more to ship.

Japanese Style Seasoning Jars
Price: 25 RMB  / RM 16 each + RM 20 (Shipping for 2)
Link: Japanese Style Seasoning Jars
I have been looking around for a nice seasoning jar to store my seasoning. It took me quite a while to find these on Taobao.


This one is available in 3 different sizes - small, medium and large. I bought two of it in medium size, which measures 13.6 cm in height, 10 cm in width and with a capacity of 750 ml. It is actually a little too big, but I guess big is better than small. The jars are made of ceramic and the quality is pretty good. It is nice and simple, but a little heavy.

Honestly, this seller do not have a lot of reviews, so I was skeptical about buying it. Furthermore, it is not exactly cheap at all. But eventually, I still decided to buy it because I really love the design of the jar and it is not easy to find a similar one on Taobao. Luckily it turns out just like the pictures.

Second Purchase

I recently made another purchase at Taobao again in February, right after Chinese New Year.  Initially I planned to separate my Taobao haul into two different posts, but at the end, I still decided to combine them together in a post.

I used sea shipping to ship my items this time. The package took almost 3 weeks to arrive, weighing about 9.6 kg. Yes, it took a longer time to arrive, but it cost much lesser to ship the items by sea. So I really recommend shipping by sea if you do not mind the longer waiting time.

100 RMB = RM 0.63

Boat Socks
Price: 2.70 RMB / RM 1.70 each + RM 0.26 (Shipping)
Link: Boat Socks
Seriously, these boat socks are so cheap! It costs less than RM 2 each. I think it is not impossible to find such cheap socks anywhere here in Malaysia! This is actually the second time I bought from this seller. I love their socks because they are thick and comfy. Most importantly, they are so cheap!

100% cotton Panties
Price: 39.90 RMB / RM 25.14 (5 Pieces) + RM 2.33 (Shipping)
Link: Panties

Yes, I got most of my panties from Taobao because it was very cheap. This is also the second time I bought from this seller.

These panties are sold in a set of 5 and for every set you buy, you will get 3 pieces for free. Sounds like a really good deal, isn't it? There are many different designs available for you to choose from too. Quality is good for the price I paid. The cotton is soft and comfortable, but not very durable. They tend to get loose after a few months, so I usually throw them away after half a year.

Chinese Tea Pot Set
Price: 39 RMB  / RM 24.57 + RM 5.86 (Shipping)
Link: Chinese Tea Pot Set