Everyday items to bring from the US to Singapore

[HogHollow]

So the freight team for my move is coming over next Wednesday to load up my stuff to Singapore, and I'm trying to figure out what I should buy from the grocery store here in Austin, TX, that I wouldn't be able to find in Singapore.

I've already bought some dayquil/nyquil, claritin, Advil, and Tylenol. Is it easy to get trail mix or any other types of healthy snacks in Singapore?

Are there any other suggestions on what additional items I should bring over to Singapore? I'm debating whether to get some Tide laundry pods, but I'm not sure if the washer in my apartment there will take then.

Thanks in advance!

[Lisafuller]

Make sure to get plenty of aspirin, its much cheaper there. Also, most specialty snacks aren’t available here, only the more popular items like cheetos can be found in mainstream grocery stores. If you’re looking for trail mix, your best bet would be to visit a whole foods retailer (scoop wholefoods comes to mind) and make your own.

[malcontent]

This is going to vary greatly from person to person, but here goes…

NyQuil is always on my list. No sleep aids are sold over the counter here (people here think sleeping meds are only used for suicide, thanks to Asian soap operas).

I always pick up a bottle of Aspirin as well, but not Tylenol or Advil (these are sold as Panadol and Nurofen here). Aspirin is supposed to be a common thing, but not here.

We always get a tube of Neosporin. There is no commonly available equivalent here.

I also pick up a few packs of Halls cough drops and keep them in the fridge - although they sell Halls brand here, it’s not the same stuff (it is even referred to as candy) and it does not work for coughs. Haven’t needed these in a long time!

I get a few rolls of chewable antacid tablets like Tums or Rolaids, but these have to be kept in the dry cabinet or they turn to crumbs. Antacids are not so common here, but you can get liquid Mylanta and they now have chewable Gaviscon, but it’s not cheap.

If you take multi-vitamins or any other supplements, they will be at least double or triple the price here… you’ve been warned.

I usually buy personal care items. Over the years I’ve probably bought almost every single personal care item that I use at various times, except for toothpaste and toothbrushes (but do note they don’t carry Crest here). Everything from bar soap to contact lens solution, dental floss to shampoo, hair gel to shaving cream, I have brought it over. I also keep track of my usage rates so I know how much to buy each time for a 2-3 year supply.

I usually fill a printer paper box with canned food each time, only my favorites… any canned food with beef won’t be available here due to the mad cow scare years ago. Beef Stew is an example.

Seasoning and seasoning packets is another one - they only have a limited selection here and they are expensive, if available. These are easy to pack and last a long time. For example, I usually buy a half dozen of the cream gravy mix, to make biscuits & gravy or country fried steak. Another one I like to buy is “mint” flavoring - they only have peppermint here and it is not a substitute at all. I mainly use this to make shamrock shakes around Saint Patrick’s Day, the kids love it.

[MOCHS]

They sell the Japanese equivalent of Tide Pods called “Ka” laundry capsules. My husband is American (I’m a local Singaporean) and said it works well from the samples we got. Though we usually use liquid detergent and it’s sufficient. The Tide brand is available here but in liquid form.

Bring a universal travel adapter and a US extension wire if you are bringing your gadgets over. They are the most common things people forget. Hubby brought over his PS4 and gaming laptop ‘cos he can’t live without gaming lol.

The supermarket in Raffles City does sell some specialty snacks imported from various countries but not a whole lot. Range is adequate enough for husband’s cravings.

Bring one decent jacket, air-conditioning is cold indoors even if it’s hot and humid outside. I’ve got researchers from UK, Russia, and Michigan who wear parkas (no joke) in the lab ‘cos the AC can be freezing. My husband finds AC cold as well and doesn’t sleep in it, we use a fan instead. You don’t need to bring a windbreaker or parka, just a decent enough jacket/sweater would do.

[x9200]

With Aspirin is sort of interesting... Bayer has a flagship store under Lazada, but they do not sell any Aspirin there. Still it ca be purchased from other sellers as imported from the States or Geramny. Not sure how much is the price inflated.

[malcontent]

The other piece of advice is to shop around… not for the lowest price, but for the longest expiry date. I’m still using stuff that I bought on my last trip from June 2019 because I paid attention to those dates.

[HogHollow]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!

Neosporin is definitely something that I'll need to get, in addition to aspirin, Tums, and Hall's. I didn't realize that multivitamins are so much more expensive in Singapore, so I'll be sure to stock up on Centrium, and also to note the expiration dates.

Interesting fact about looking at canned foods too. I usually don't partake it in here, but I'll take a gander at what I might miss. I'll also bring over a bunch of gumbo mix.

And it's pretty funny about needing a jacket indoors because of the AC being cold. I'll bring some warm clothing over with me because I still have to travel to America a few times a year for meetings.

Thanks again for the recommendations!

[unclechai]

Just to add, allergy meds like cetirizine, they’re a lot more expensive here. We haven’t found generics so far, it’s always brand names like Zyrtec that’s available so that’s usually something helpful we take over.

Definitely second the seasoning mixes—ranch, onion, etc.

[MOCHS]

We haven’t found generics so far

Generic loratadine (non-drowsy) and chlorphenamine (drowsy) for allergies is pretty cheap in the pharmacy compared to brand names Zyrtec/Claritin. It always less than $5 for me for about 40 tablets.

Don’t look for them on the shelves which always stocks brand names, you’ll have to go to the pharmacist counter themselves to get them.

[x9200]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!

Neosporin is definitely something that I'll need to get, in addition to aspirin, Tums, and Hall's. I didn't realize that multivitamins are so much more expensive in Singapore, so I'll be sure to stock up on Centrium, and also to note the expiration dates.

We buy all the supplements and many of other stuff from iHerb. It takes around 1 week to deliver and if I remember correctly above SGD50-60 the shipping is free.

[malcontent]

We haven’t found generics so far

Generic loratadine (non-drowsy) and chlorphenamine (drowsy) for allergies is pretty cheap in the pharmacy compared to brand names Zyrtec/Claritin. It always less than $5 for me for about 40 tablets.

Don’t look for them on the shelves which always stocks brand names, you’ll have to go to the pharmacist counter themselves to get them.

Yes, sometimes it pays to check with the pharmacy. For example, they do have the equivalent of Sudafed & Actifed, sold by the tablet, put into these little ziplock bags… and they are really cheap. But note that not all pharmacies carry the same stuff, even though they have the same name like Guardian or Watson. The bigger ones “in town” like orchard road tend to have a bigger selection.

Perhaps surprisingly, you can get codeine here over the counter, similar to Canada where Americans often pick up Tylenol III - - here it is sold as Panadeine. Just need to show your ID to the pharmacist and sign.

[MOCHS]

Pre-COVID, I got my allergy meds from the pharmacy in a government hospital. Their walk-in counter was open to the public so I did my purchases there. I worked nearby so it was convenient.

I did notice the smaller Guardians/Watsons stores don’t carry as much as the hospital. Ever since we wore masks, my nose doesn’t flare up anymore so my meds are able to tide me over for a while. Yes, I know there are expiration dates.

[Myasis Dragon]

Mustafa's is a pretty good place for pharmacist prescribed medications... like ibuprofen... still not near as cheap as Costco in the USA but not a budget buster, either.

[Lisafuller]

They sell the Japanese equivalent of Tide Pods called “Ka” laundry capsules. My husband is American (I’m a local Singaporean) and said it works well from the samples we got. Though we usually use liquid detergent and it’s sufficient. The Tide brand is available here but in liquid form.

Bring a universal travel adapter and a US extension wire if you are bringing your gadgets over. They are the most common things people forget. Hubby brought over his PS4 and gaming laptop ‘cos he can’t live without gaming lol.

The supermarket in Raffles City does sell some specialty snacks imported from various countries but not a whole lot. Range is adequate enough for husband’s cravings.

Bring one decent jacket, air-conditioning is cold indoors even if it’s hot and humid outside. I’ve got researchers from UK, Russia, and Michigan who wear parkas (no joke) in the lab ‘cos the AC can be freezing. My husband finds AC cold as well and doesn’t sleep in it, we use a fan instead. You don’t need to bring a windbreaker or parka, just a decent enough jacket/sweater would do.

Ka is a great alternative, I was just about to recommend it. So convenient, just toss one in the wash and never think about it again.

[Lisafuller]

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions!

Neosporin is definitely something that I'll need to get, in addition to aspirin, Tums, and Hall's. I didn't realize that multivitamins are so much more expensive in Singapore, so I'll be sure to stock up on Centrium, and also to note the expiration dates.

We buy all the supplements and many of other stuff from iHerb. It takes around 1 week to deliver and if I remember correctly above SGD50-60 the shipping is free.

iHerb is great, there are a ton of promotions and promo codes, shipping is so fast as well. Ive ordered from them at least 10 times, never been disappointed.