Beyond meals: Here's where else you can spend your CDC vouchers

SINGAPORE — Christmas and Chinese New Year may be over, but the gifts keep rolling in.  

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget speech in Parliament on Feb 16 that some 1.4 million Singaporean households will receive an additional $600 in CDC vouchers starting end-June.

But before you grab your grocery bag and start eating your way through another tranche of support, consider this: You do not have to use the vouchers on food only. 

From dental care to kiddy toys, here are some other ways to spend your CDC vouchers. For the full list of merchants, go to this website.

Care for your teeth, eyes and joints

Consider this a cue to finally purchase a new pair of retainers or get that niggling toothache checked out. 

Several dental clinics have joined the CDC voucher scheme. Royce Dental Group, for instance, has participating clinics in Bishan, Clementi, Bukit Batok, Sembawang, Yishun, Tampines and more.

It says that around 30 patients pay using CDC vouchers each month, spending anywhere from $20 to $250 each. There are no restrictions on the type of treatment patients can spend their vouchers on. 

Opticians such as The Lens Men in Marine Parade Central have also hopped on the bandwagon, embracing the scheme as "a heartland badge of honour", as third-generation group manager Desiree Koh, 46, puts it. 

Customers can redeem their vouchers virtually without having to head down to the store. Products — such as contact lenses — can be mailed to them. 

Other opticians on the scheme include Optics Mall in Lavender, Opticsense in Woodlands and Optics Excellence & Trading in Clementi. 

Need a fix for aches and pains elsewhere? Try traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments at places such as Jin TCM Clinic in Ubi, Hanmin TCM Clinic in Jurong East, Xing Jian TCM Clinic in Sengkang and Envision TCM Clinic in Telok Blangah. 

Furnish your home 

Perhaps there is an empty corner in your home that you have been meaning to fill.

Turn it into a cosy study corner with a new bookshelf or desk from neighbourhood stores such as Hoover Furniture in Ang Mo Kio, Best Choice Furniture Design Studio in Tampines or Siang Mu Furniture in Woodlands.

Westies can check out Hui Teck Furniture in Choa Chu Kang, where you can score a rattan rocking chair for $98 or a 1.8m-tall cabinet for $238. 

If you have green fingers, you might want to jazz your space up with some plants instead.

CDC vouchers are accepted at Ban Nee Chen Nursery — which has outlets in Sixth Avenue, Jurong West, Yishun Ring Road, Haig Road and Toa Payoh Central — and Oh Heng Huat Nursery in Yishun. Prices start at $4.50 for a small potted houseplant (fittonia) at Ban Nee Chen, and can soar well over $100 for a bonsai. 

Entertain your family 

Still, there is only so much fun you can glean from sitting in your new rocking chair and staring at your lush plant. 

Throw in some music to set the mood - JBL's Flip 6 speakers retail for $159 at Well Mobile in Upper Aljunied. It also sells mobile phones ($388 for a Samsung Galaxy A54) and mobile accessories (from $15 for a case), and does repairs.

Similar shops are scattered throughout the country: Phone Gallery in Toa Payoh Central, Mister Mobile in Woodlands, Pacific Mobile & Trading in Pasir Ris and Gadgetbox in Clementi.

For children, Kiddy Palace in Toa Payoh is a sprawling plasticky wonderland sure to thrill any child and terrorise any parent. There are rows of plushies, accessories, gadgets and games, as far as the eye can see.

You could get a drawing board from $9.90, or — if you are feeling indulgent — use the vouchers to offset a birthday present, say, the Cra-Z-Art Shimmer 'N Sparkle Light Up Beauty Studio ($74.90) or a Discovery Mindblown microscope set ($119.90). 

Beautify yourself 

Treat yourself to a haircut. Or take the chance to try out a new hairstyle or treatment — say, a perm or a different hair colour.

Emerald Hair Studio, which operates out of Sengkang West, has observed that customers find it easier to sign up for additional services such as hair treatments when paying with vouchers. Haircuts at the salon start at $20 and a lotion perm at $78, while treatments range from $58 to $288. 

If you live elsewhere, you could consider Kataomo Hair Studio, which has an outlet in Sembawang; Salon 23 in Choa Chu Kang; Colour Image Salon in Telok Blangah; or Forest Salon in Bedok. 

Alternatively, show your nails some love with a manicure at The Nail Place in Tampines; Diva Queen Khatib Nail Salon in Yishun; Epitome Nail and Beauty in Jurong; W Hair & Nails in Bukit Merah; or Dawn Stars Nail Spa in Bishan.

ALSO READ: CDC vouchers 2024: How to claim, merchant list, and more

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.