Category: The Frugal Balinist

*Tile Up! When redoing your bathroom, instead of buying non-slip ceramic tiles from a tile shop, pick up exceedingly attractive stone tiles from a stone yard which sell for about half the price of ceramic tiles. Obviously, they don’t come in pretty patterns and colors, but they’re definitely non-slip and look great. *Rough stone for […]

*Tech Heads-up. “Juice jacking” is a new way to infect your phone or laptop with malware when you are charging at airport or other public USB ports or by using USB cables. Once you plug in, you get hacked. Thieves can then read and export your data, including your passwords, and can even lock up […]

* Ride in style! Since airfares are triple what they were a year ago, buses are now an attractive option. More accurately described as “luxury coaches,” buses traveling west out of Bali have toilets, comfortable reclining airline-style seats and include snacks and meals. Every passenger is given a blanket and pillow. These coaches take the […]

* Jewelry making tips Almost every jewelry store employs jewelers who can resize rings and necklaces, set gemstones or gold plate jewelry by sending it out-of-house or have a ring, locket or necklace repaired. *When a Balinese couple (calon pengantin) gets married or engaged, they go to a Toko Emas to have their fingers measured […]

* Where is the flour? The quest for good quality flour never ends. Sriboga’s Double Zero Flour (Rp18,000/kg), one of Bali’s best, tends to be rare. Grand Lucky, Jl. Sunset Road. Bali Direct, Jl. Raya Tumbak bayuh Pererenan, Tumbak Bayuh Mengwi, tel. 0821 4470 6510, sells whole meal flour (Rp24,000/500 gr) and Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour […]

* Car insurance on Bali Since the vast majority of Bali’s population don’t have auto insurance (asuransi kendaraan bermotor), it’s essential that your car be fully covered. When you buy a new car it usually comes with a year’s extended insurance policy. After the policy expires, a new policy costs US$300-$500/year that provides comprehensive cover […]

* Custom order! To a certain extent you are able to special order signature Indonesian dishes even at lowly rolling food vendors (kaki lima) and warung (food stalls). If you don’t see MSG (ajinomoto or micin) in a container in the warung’s cooking area, it means that it has already been added to the broth […]

Free Internet calls Google Duo is a simple mobile app for Android and iOS which lets users make high-def video calls. This is computer to computer or smartphone to smartphone high quality telephone calling, different from WhatsApp and Skype because you don’t need a telephone number. You can also leave a video message if the […]

Back to school tips Be warned that stalls that set up on school grounds or on sidewalks outside schools hawk teh gelas, chocolates, puffed corn, rice snacks and sugary powder drinks with high levels of fat and sugars and zero nutritional value. Bali’s international schools have their own canteens which serve healthier fare. *From mid-June […]