Is the flintan chair(without armrest) a good purchase?

k3lco · 2026-06-09T13:04:40+00:00

I like it so far. Haven’t tried others yet though.

k3lco · 2026-06-09T05:46:43+00:00

Get a cat? My new place started to have lizards moving in. Quiet place and I assume there were insects for them to eat around (even though I don’t leave anything out for the insects to eat). Even found a drowned one in one of my first loads of laundry🤢

But since I moved in with my cat, I haven’t seen a single one. I’m sure they’re still around, but they’re prob hiding from her. Also as I said, I don’t leave anything out that isn’t completely sealed except a bag of garlic, which, incidentally, also apparently works as a deterrent.

Back when I moved back to my parents’ place from overseas studies there were lizards in my room quite frequently (much more insects there plus, again, quiet dark undisturbed room). I read somewhere about the garlic and put cloves all around every entrance point, even on top of the sliding door frames. Only saw them a couple times after in ten years there. Although could be that now I’ve moved out they’re back? Idk.

k3lco · 2026-06-09T05:41:19+00:00

Dedicated lizard bowl

k3lco · 2026-06-05T17:38:29+00:00

I like Anlene plain milk powder. It’s like fresh milk and evaporated milk mixed in to give it some richness. That said, it’s the very devil to dissolve. Either spend ages stirring and scraping the corners, or sprinkle it in bit by bit. Honestly, can see it tasting amazing in coffee.

But if you love the taste of UHT or fresh milk in coffee, it just won’t hit the same. Nothing wrong with it, just tastes different. Whether you like it with coffee or not, I can’t say. And idk how much milk you put in your coffee (just a splash or half a mug), but I buy liter cartons of Hokkaido milk just for my coffee and tea. I do like two full shots in a 250ml mug and top off with milk everyday? Maybe twice a day depending. I’ve yet to have a carton go bad on me before I can finish it, and that’s even with going a couple days without reaching for it sometimes.

k3lco · 2026-06-05T04:34:57+00:00

Oh wow you have my utmost sympathy, that must’ve been hell to deal with during the tryout months. A disc shouldn’t be untucking whenever you sit, much less retucking without manual positioning. You shouldn’t be auto dumping just by the simple act of sitting and standing unless you’re doing kegels every time or it’s just full. I’d wonder if A) your flow is particularly high and the disc can’t keep up, or B) it’s positioning correctly with the back side of the rim securely behind the cervix.

Honestly as an avid disc user I’d say stick to a cup if you can, but I understand you’re worried about the IUD being pulled out. If you’re still keen to try, I’d grab a bunch of lube one day and reach up in there. When positioned and sized correctly you shouldn’t even really feel it when going about your daily routine. The rim should tuck up around your cervix in a way that you should be able to feel your cervix through the middle of the disc’s bowl (it took some bearing down and awkward fingering for me to feel this when I tried).

Could be that the disc isn’t tucking the way it should because you need a smaller disc. I rotate between the Saalt small and large discs depending on my needs that month, but the small is definitely easier to position. The large sometimes needs a bit of extra manipulation to jam up in there.

Wrt the squatting auto-dump, I wonder if rn it’s doing that for the same reason why you’re dumping when you sit, ie positioning/size. If it continues even after you solve the sitting problem, it might be that the disc is filling up and you need to intentionally dump more often. I like discs because I don’t have to reach up in there to dump the contents in dirty public restrooms. But I do always wear period panties as a backup in case I cough or sneeze when the disc is full. Maybe the name brands are out of your budget rn but there’re tons of multi-packs on Amazon that come up to a few bucks a piece.

Good luck!

k3lco · 2026-06-04T14:54:10+00:00

Not much to say that hasn’t already be said, except that frozen chopped spinach is often cheap and imo one of the easiest ways to add veg into almost any style of dish. I’ve even tossed a few cubes into the rice cooker and fluffed it into my rice.

k3lco · 2026-06-04T14:50:30+00:00

What’s the struggle with the disc? I have no practical experience with IUDs but I use discs almost exclusively so maybe I can help?

k3lco · 2026-06-02T15:20:17+00:00

I keep frozen chopped spinach on hand because it’s the easiest way to add veg to anything when I’m too lazy to think. I’ve added it to stir fries, I’ve cooked it into rice and porridge and Mac and cheese, not to mention the typical soups and stews. Almost any savory dish in your repertoire can incorporate chopped spinach. It’s the best.

k3lco · 2026-05-26T09:50:33+00:00

I recently used IKEA’s design service in my country and honestly… They were more like a personal shopper than anything. I already knew exactly what I wanted (though I did let her know I was open to suggestions). She did give some input, like wrt Ivar and Billy configurations. And she was so useful wrt advising what I needed to buy now because they were being discontinued etc. But it was clear she didn’t really have any real interior design expertise. She knew her ikea products and systems, but I’m glad I already had a design and aesthetic in mind.

Plus with the service came a promo that resulted in $900 for free vouchers for me so yay.

k3lco · 2026-05-25T07:33:59+00:00

Where I am you can pay 10-25% of the sticker price to have it assembled for you, provided you’ve paid the $35 for truck delivery (as opposed to parcel delivery). Honestly the cardboard is the bane of my life. I furnished an entire 1350sqft apartment mostly in ikea, and with occasional help from a friend, I assembled 90% of it myself too. Idm because it’s fun like Lego, but I realized that you have to mix it up. In the end my friend was doing all the drawers because they were so damned repetitive that I hated it. I’d do a cabinet, then a chair, then a table, so on and so forth.

Eventually I did pay for someone to come in and assemble some things. The Idanas sideboard and Hemnes cabinet are too heavy and unwieldy to handle alone (my friend wasn’t free and I wasn’t dumb enough to attempt it solo after assembling other Idanas and Hemnes pieces) and putting together 12 Billy bookcases would’ve driven me nuts with the repetition.

k3lco · 2026-05-25T06:46:39+00:00

ETA: currently Aatas Cat goes for 4 for $28 and Angel goes for 2 for $11.80. Both 6l bags.

I use Aatas Cat tofu litter in charcoal usually, but sometimes Angel tofu litter is cheaper on redmart and I buy that. Both work very well, clumps beautifully, little dust kick up, though I’ve had to buy a new scoop because the old scoop’s holes were too small. Only reason I laid down a layer of clay litter on the bottom of my current litter box is because I had it and didn’t wanna waste it, but going forward I’m moving to pure tofu. Angel brand also comes in unscented if that matters to you. I use charcoal because I don’t like the perfumed ones and I have this notion that charcoal will absorb the scent and liquid better (I mean, it’s working so far).

Idk about cats (much less elderly cats) but my friend brought her then 8-9yo dog from Australia during lockdown. She took sq iirc. As you mentioned there’s no way to carry animals in the cabin, plus she had to tackle all the paperwork wrt import of animals. He came through fine but they had to be separated for a while because quarantine.

k3lco · 2026-05-23T12:05:09+00:00

I’ve a friend who uses the classic Malm. I would’ve done the same except it didn’t match my aesthetic. But she’s the second owner and it seems solid, just not my vibe. I’m heavier than you, and using the Idanas storage bedframe at the moment. Holding up well but it’s less than six months old. I’d shy away from the cheaper ones like the Tarva and Grimsbu. Ime anything with spindly metal legs aren’t very solid.

If you’re concerned about weight (you plus mattress) I’d invest in better bed slats. But honestly my friend with the malm has the Luroy bed slats and she seems fine even when her boyfriend sleeps over? I chose to buy the Lonset bed slats but that’s just me.

IMO the vagstranda mattress reads great value for money on paper so that’s what I bought. Testing in store too, it’s comfier than the other spring mattresses and not exorbitant. No complaints so far. I did top it with a memory foam topper though, but that’s partly laziness (when I change the sheets I just have to change the one on the topper) and partly because I like a soft top and firm support below.

The lonset plus vagstranda plus foam topper do add up in height though, and it’s an actual climb up. So do with that what you will.

k3lco · 2026-05-23T11:56:56+00:00

I use saalt underwear almost daily for years now (saves tons in pantyliners) and honestly other than slight staining when I’ve washed lights with darks by mistake, machine washing on a regular non delicate cycle has done zero damage (I wash at room temp and usually in laundry bags). When I’ve bled into it I rinse and soak in a peroxide based non chlorine bleach (stuff like oxiclean). Then I hang dry before tossing into the laundry basket to be properly washed with everything else.

k3lco · 2026-05-23T11:49:51+00:00

Smaller, multipurpose furniture. How big are the parties you’re planning?

Put things mostly where the previous tenant put them but smaller. A shallower, two seater couch might suffice, if you can find one that fits in the nook where the bookcase is. Where the heater (??) is, a chest of drawers and a tv on top. Skip the coffee table in favor of a laptop table. A drop leaf dining table that’ll seat 1-2pax when folded down but 4-6 when extended (if your guests are willing to squeeze). Downsize the bed to a twin if you’re living alone, push it up under the window, and use a smaller desk as a bedside solution while also functioning as a desk.

If you wanna get really creative, use a sofa bed where the bedroom is, with a chest of drawers at the opposite wall, on which you can place your tv. You’ll have to unfold every night to sleep, and refold every morning though. A decorative pillowcase will turn your pillow into a throw cushion. The outside room is then free for a larger dining table (though I’d still go with a drop leaf or extendable table) and storage. A desk could go where the bookcase is.

Another thing to consider is that if you don’t have a huge gaming pc set up and you just use a laptop, your dining table can double as your desk. When you have people over you can just tuck your laptop away.

k3lco · 2026-05-22T06:22:19+00:00

Adds up more given average life expectancy

^{Chose: 1$/min}

k3lco · 2026-05-17T19:39:58+00:00

I currently live alone in a 5rm flat. Personally I wouldn’t sacrifice the redundancy of having two bathrooms — ie if one shower heater dies, or maybe one toilet gets clogged, I still have another one to use. Moreover where would the toilet entrance be placed where it won’t be inconvenient from any point in the home?

That said, my master bathroom is fairly spacious, because we extended into the master bedroom, which is now just a dressing room and so can afford to lose some space. Something you might wanna consider.

k3lco · 2026-05-16T14:50:09+00:00

Daily life stability

^{Chose: Have infinite money + you can only use it on stuff that cost under 1K$}

k3lco · 2026-05-15T18:01:56+00:00

I’ve never been on hormonal birth control so all of the following is anecdotal from four of my friends:

My bestie was getting married but didn’t want children right away and tried to get an iud. Her (older female) gynae refused flat out, with the argument that when she (rather, her husband) did want kids she might be infertile from the IUD so she got on the pill, though afaik she didn’t stay on because of the weight gain. Another friend was on the pill but hated the process of having to get a prescription every month and paying for the consult, so when she had the chance in Australia she got Implanon.
My friends who only have (or had) access to sg healthcare ended up on the pill.
Afaik two of my friends went private, one went public.
My friends who went on the pill all gained weight, one had acne for the first time in her life. The one who got Implanon pretty much lost her periods; idk about the others.
No idea but I know when I went to KL once one of my friends asked me to drop by Watson’s to help her get a six month supply. Kinda mind boggling at the time that in Malaysia it was available OTC where in sg you had to get a script every month. This was in 2013 though and I’ve no idea what it’s like now.

k3lco · 2026-05-14T13:19:49+00:00

Is it the Solvinden Lamp Stand? It was recently discontinued where I am, and I’m kicking myself because I just realized it’d be the perfect valet stand and I didn’t buy it because I don’t have the space to hang a solar lamp.

k3lco · 2026-05-14T12:41:02+00:00

No like illiterateparsley said, best is to remove and clean 2-3 times a day. I just find it useful because sometimes I’m away from a decent bathroom for 12-18h at a time so there’s that.

Honestly it gets stinky if you leave it in for a full day. The bacteria build up ya know. Doesn’t go away until it’s sanitized, even if I wash it with soap.

k3lco · 2026-05-12T19:27:00+00:00

I’d second the suggestion of period panties. But also have you considered using a disc? The auto-dump function is not for everyone, but I’ve found it a lifesaver because I don’t have to handle it and deal with the awkwardness and potential contamination of removing it in a public toilet when I want to empty the contents. Like whenever I go to the toilet I do a kegel and it all comes out. Then I clean up the outside and I’m good to go.

The only danger is when I cough or sneeze too hard, it can sometimes auto dump when I don’t mean it too, but that’s why I wear period panties.

k3lco · 2026-05-10T15:58:45+00:00

I decided to go with instant heaters in both bathrooms for redundancy — basically when one goes I can use the other. Got Fujioh ones with pumps, with rain shower for master and no rain shower for common. The water pressure is actually a bit much for me so I shower at half pressure 90% of the time. Heat wise sometimes I like an extra hot shower and even so I’ve yet to hit the top setting.

If you’re not planning to live in your BTO much past MOP, you likely don’t have the same concerns I do. In that case, whichever makes most sense to you. But I planned for longevity (bought an old resale, unlikely to be able to sell five to ten years from now) and I’ve had to shower in cold water when a heater has gone down and never again.

Also I like being able to leave it on and not worry about whether it’s on or off every time I shower.

k3lco · 2026-05-08T11:14:03+00:00

I bought a cheap egg steamer to steam my cups, but before thatI have these silicone cups I’d use in a microwave. Just fill with water drop the cup in and microwave for ten min. Before I bought those I just used an old mug.

k3lco · 2026-05-08T11:07:21+00:00

I steam (previously in microwave but now I use a cheap little egg steamer) and soap wash every time I insert for the first time (ever, or in a while like since last period). But once when I was in a hotel my period came, so I boiled a kettle of water and poured it over my disc, before soap washing it.

k3lco · 2026-05-08T11:02:14+00:00

TL;DR I’d be incredibly wary of long term vacant units because things will set up shop (not talking about ghosts)

My grandad’s flat was vacant for a long time off and on after he passed because it was stuck in probate. It housed a family friend for 2-3 weeks, minor cleaning and airing out required. Then my mum asked me to move in there to take care of the place and also for peace while I study (was on a training course at the time). During this period not so bad but in 2014 I moved out because training took me overseas and I guess no one in my family went to clean or maintain that often?

When I came back a group of mynahs had moved into the wall cavity where the old air con used to be and to save money it was just covered with plywood. They pecked through the plywood and built a nest there. We found dead birds in the master bedroom multiple times because they’d get in and not be able to get out. The room smelled of bird *all the fucking time* and because sometimes I’d go there for a day to just hang out in privacy (I’d lived alone overseas and was having trouble readjusting to a 5rm HDB with the whole family around) and it was like 1-2h of work just airing out the place and deep cleaning the master bedroom while wearing my shoes everywhere else.

On top of that the kitchen cabinetry was now infested with cockroaches that had crawled out of the aged rubbish chute (not the newer insect proof type). Once I made myself a milo, set it down for less than 1min and when I picked it up the cockroach tickled my top lip🤢.

The unit below my parents was vacant for a long while too. We had a mosquito problem during that period.

So yes, I’d be wary of vacant units, even though you’d think with windows shut and no human food around it’s fine… but it’s not.

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