Recommendations - Thrifty Hustler

Hi! I made this page to list my recommended services and products that I use.

Please be advised that this page contains affiliate links to products and service providers such as Amazon, Involve Asia, and other similar companies. I may receive a small commission for purchases made through these links at no extra cost to you. Kindly do your own diligence before making any purchases from the links on this blog.

Note to Readers: Please note that the information here and on the linked articles are valid as of the time of writing but may have been updated by the time you see/read this post. Please check the relevant product/service website to make sure that you are updated.

Photo by Štefan Štefančík on Unsplash

Blogging Resources

Hardware

MacBook Air: I use a MacBook Air. If you’re living in the US or other countries, you can buy a Macbook on Amazon. If you’re living in the Philippines, you can buy at one of the Authorized Apple Resellers in the country. You can also buy one via Lazada.

I’ve been a Windows user for the longest time. However, while walking at the mall one time, I saw this huge sale on a discontinued Macbook Air model and bought it. This is my first Mac and I really enjoy using it, especially for blogging. I’m thinking of upgrading in the future to the latest M1 chip MacBooks but I have to save some money first LOL!

Seagate Portable 2TB External Harddrive: I use this to save all my blogging files and also my online selling files. I have tons of pictures because of my online selling gig and I can’t save them all on my laptop. I also create a lot of Pinterest Pins and other graphics for this blog and I save them all on my external hard drive. It’s really worth getting one to avoid slowing down your laptop.

If you don’t have one yet, you can buy one at Amazon, Shopee, or Lazada.

Be sure to only buy from reputable online stores to ensure that you’re getting an awesome product.

Software and Internet Services

Hostinger: I moved to Hostinger to save money on Webhosting services and I’m so glad I did. It’s fast and efficient and very affordable. I linked my experience above so you can read it.

Namecheap: I bought my domain at Namecheap. If it’s your first time buying a domain, you can add a coupon on your checkout so you can save even further. I found the coupon online as well.

Unsplash: Almost all images that I use on this website are from Unsplash.

Pixabay: If I can’t find any suitable pictures on Unsplash, I use Pixabay. Both Unsplash and Pixabay are free to use.

Canva: I use Canva to create Pinterest Pins, blog images, and other images that I need for blogging and social media marketing. It’s a free service with a paid option.

Mailchimp: I use Mailchimp for my Email Subscription. It’s also free to use if you have less than 2,000 subscribers. When you go beyond that then you have to pay for the paid service.

Ezoic: Ezoic is the advertising platform that I use. It’s not just a monetization platform though but a whole lot more. I just wrote a review about my experience with Ezoic and you can read it by clicking on the link down below.

If you’re a new blogger with less than 10,000 sessions, I suggest that you also try Google Adsense.

My Blog Post About Blogging

I have quite a few blog posts about blogging and if you want to see the archives, click here. I will link below some of my blog posts that I think will help you a lot if you’re just starting out or if you don’t have a blog yet.

For now, I believe that these are the most important posts that will benefit new bloggers or those who have not started their blogs yet. I hope these articles help you in your blogging journey.

Photo by chrissie kremer on Unsplash

Online Selling Resources

I sell preloved goods online via eBay, Carousell, Instagram, and Grailed. I will be sharing here some tools and equipment that I use to run my online selling business. All of the links to these items are from Amazon so any readers from anywhere around the world can use this as a price reference (prices will vary of course, depending on where you are).

However, if you’re from the Philippines, feel free to check Shopee and Lazada for similar items.

Electric Dehumidifier: I live in a very humid place and humidity is bad (ugh! very bad!!!) for leather goods. I use electric dehumidifiers to minimize the humidity in the room where I place my leather merchandise.

Silica Gels: I put silica gels inside all the compartments of my bags. This is to ensure that all humidity in the interior will be absorbed. I used the reusable silica gels to save money. Humidity causes leather bags to develop a bad odor that’s why I make a lot of effort to ensure that all my leather goods especially bags are kept dry.

Shelves: All the leather bags are also placed on shelves. I don’t put them on top of each other because of the possibility of getting deformed and damaged.

Even if you don’t sell bags, I think you should put your bags on shelves to make them last longer.

Dust Bags: All of my bags are kept in dust bags too to help them stay clean.

Leather Cleaner and Conditioner: Since I buy mostly preloved items, I make sure that I clean them using a leather cleaner, and then I use a leather conditioner once they’re dry to help keep them soft and supple. I also use metal polisher creams/solutions to clean the hardware.

Be very careful in using these materials especially on light-colored leathers because it might cause darkening and possibly discoloration. If unsure, please consult a professional leather cleaner.

Ring Lights: My apartment does not receive ample natural light and lighting is the key for amazing product photos. I use a ring light with a stand to supplement my lighting needs. I believe this product is available in most countries.

Mannequin: I put the clothes on a mannequin to make them look good in pictures. Although to be honest, I don’t think it’s that necessary because I see a lot of other successful sellers that just hang their merchandise on a clothes hanger. It’s up to you I guess on how you want to present your product to your prospective buyers.

Storage Solutions: For clothes, I store them in large plastic bins, and for jackets, I hang them on a clothes rack. I also put most jackets, most especially the branded ones in garment bags to keep them clean.

Clothes Steamer: I don’t use flat irons anymore, well I used to years ago. But sometimes, they leave some markings on the fabric and it doesn’t look good on clothes. I use a clothes steamer instead. Using a clothes steamer, sped up my process of removing creases.

Clothes that don’t have any creases look good in pictures!

Plastic Packaging: All clothes in their respective bins are also inside plastic bags. They are individually packed to avoid the possibility of color transfer. I also use clear plastic packaging when shipping items to customers. I’m always looking for a better alternative, but for now, that’s what I use.

My Blog Post About Online Selling

I have a ton of articles about Online Selling and you can see it all here. I will link below some of my blog posts that I think will help you a lot if you’re just starting out or if you don’t have an online store yet.

Personal Finance Resources

I’m from the Philippines and the products and services I use concerning my finances are with local companies. Here are some of my posts about the products and services that I use. Again, please bear in mind that the information written on these posts may/may not be updated by the time you read these posts.

Please do your own due diligence in checking the most updated information by going directly to the relevant company websites. Thanks!

Photo by Mathieu Stern on Unsplash

Digital Banks/E-Wallets

Credit Cards

Photo by Jürg Kradolfer on Unsplash

Crypto

Binance: I use Binance to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies. Before you sign up with any cryptocurrency exchanges, please familiarize yourself with crypto and how to secure your cryptocurrencies. Also, be aware that this is a highly volatile market. Feel free to check my article about How to Use Binance – Beginner’s Guide.

Kucoin and Gate.io: I use Kucoin and Gate.io to buy cryptocurrencies that are not on Binance.

Crypto.com: I only signed up with Crypto.com to avail of their Visa card. (Update 6/3/2021: I just got the card and you can read here – How to Get a Crypto.com Visa Card if you also want to get one).

By the way, please don’t take this as financial advice but rather, just an information article on how to use the platform. For financial advice, please consult professional financial advisors.

That’s it for now! I’ll try to keep this page updated and add more products and services in the future. I’m currently trying out various crypto trading apps and I might write about them soon too. I will link them here once I’m done writing them.

Thank you for dropping by! Be sure to subscribe to keep yourselves updated with my latest posts.