13 hacks for an easier life in Hong Kong
Wet market deals
Pick up a few Cantonese phrases and shop for groceries at wet markets without worry. Here, you can enjoy slashed prices on vegetables, fruits, meat and fish while supporting local shop owners. Nearly every district in Hong Kong will have one, whether it’s in a municipal building or it’s composed of stalls on the street.
Computer centres
If you’ve got a device that needs fixing, save yourself a boatload of money and head to the Mong Kok or Wan Chai computer centres. With numerous stalls staffed by pretty handy tech guys, you’ll get your phone, laptop, camera or hard drive fixed in a matter of a few hours for much less than anywhere else.
Where: Mong Kok: 8 Nelson Street. Wan Chai: 130 Hennessy Road.
Typhoon season
Keep your umbrella handy throughout the summer months as Hong Kong’s weather tends to be temperamental with showers, storms and the occasional typhoon. Download the Hong Kong Observatory App (MyObservatory) to keep up to date with current conditions.
Typoon Signals
Symbol 1 – Standby
Symbol 3 – Strong wind
Symbol 8 – Gale or storm
Symbol 9 – Increased gale or storm
Symbol 10 – Hurricane
Schools and businesses will close if a Signal 8 or above is raised by The Hong Kong Observatory.
Pier 3 Beer Bay
Situated on the water’s edge of Hong Kong island in Central, Pier 3 is the Discovery Bay ferry pier but it is more commonly known as a popular spot for after-work drinks. Here, there is a stall that sells very affordable cocktails, ciders, wines and beers on tap. You have the option to get any drink in a cup the size of a pint. Otherwise, head up to the upper floor for alfresco drinks at a sit-down bar – where prices are still very reasonable.
Transport fare subsidy
The recently-introduced public transport fare subsidy scheme allows anyone with public transport expenses exceeding $400 per month a subsidy of 25 percent of the total expenses, subject to a maximum of $300 per month. Get some money back on your Octopus card by redeeming your subsidy at any of the collection points located in MTR stations and some ferry piers.
Octopus app
Top up your Octopus cards (including Octopus on iPhone or Apple Watch, and Smart Octopus in Samsung Pay) with money in your Octopus Wallet, or from your bank account through the Faster Payment System (FPS), without touching any cash. You can also check and collect the Public Transport Fare Subsidies, purchase MTR, KMB and Sun Ferry monthly passes and review your daily spending through the app.
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Buy, swap and sell Facebook groups
Before you run out to buy a brand new sofa, check out Hong Kong’s vast selection of buy, swap and sell groups. You can pick up new and nearly new items at a fraction of the cost (sometimes even free). Hire a GoGoVan to deal with transport. Not only will you save a ton of money, but you can avoid the dreaded IKEA crowds.
Ladies drink for free
On Thursday nights in Hong Kong, several bars and clubs offer ladies night promotions, where you can head out with your gal pals and have drinks on the house. Many bars in Lan Kwai Fong have free standard cocktails for ladies until 9pm or 10pm, depending on the establishment. Sorry, fellas!
Cheap lunch boxes
Hong Kong is famous for their meat-and-rice lunch boxes. The standard is white jasmine rice, a few bits of vegetable as a garnish and a meat of your choice. Options typically include honey barbecue pork, soy chicken or duck. From local shops, where the chef chops the meat in front of you with a giant cleaver, these lunch boxes are usually anywhere from $18 to $40.
yuu Rewards Club
With a yuu Rewards membership, you can earn points at their partners’ stores including Mannings, 7Eleven, IKEA and over 2000 other outlets. The more points you earn, the more daily savings you make. You can also redeem points through the yuu Rewards app with discounts, gifts and more.
Taxi translation app
No more flustered conversations with cab drivers. Download the Hong Kong Taxi Cards App which translates addresses from English into Chinese and phonetic Cantonese. Just show the Chinese flash card to the driver, and voila – language problem solved. App: Hong Kong Taxi Cards
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Klook
Klook is an app that has exclusive discounted prices for restaurants, accommodation, transport, attractions (like Disneyland and museums) and more. If you want to book something in advance, check Klook first to see if they have any deals or promotions.
HKTVMall
Think of HKTVMall as Hong Kong’s very own Amazon-esque online shop. You can get virtually anything from this e-commerce website, from electrical appliances to hair and skincare products, all at reasonable prices. If there’s anything you need, browse through their app first to see if you can snag it for cheaper than an in-store price.
