The aim is to make the customer feel like a million bucks even if she's just spent $50 and to soften her up for the hard-sell of treatment packages.
But if you're adept at saying 'no', there's nothing stopping you from hitting a new place each week as a serial first-timer. Until a skilled therapist gets you to commit, that is.
At Ayuthaya Spa (www.ayuthayaspa.com), first-timers get 30 per cent off all a la carte treatments. An hour-long Thai massage will cost you $90, down from $128. Visit www.ayuthayaspa.com
At Spa Sauvignon (www.spasauvignon.com.sg), a wine-themed spa, first-timers can sample its offerings for $199 for two hours. It includes a full-body massage, scrub and hydrotherapy bath treatment. The normal price: $281.90.
At Wheelock Place, Jurlique Day Spa offers a weekday discount for first-timers. The 30-minute back massage and 60-minute aromatherapy facial will cost $120. Regulars pay $170.
Spa manager Andrea Wu says the deal has converted first-timers into fans of the famed Australian brand: 'More than half of them become returning customers.'
Heartland massage joint Wan Yang Health Products and Foot Reflexology Centre is also in on the first-time discount act. At its 14 outlets nationwide, your virgin foot massage will cost $32, down from $40.
12. Sew hip
DO AS trendy youth are doing today: Raid your parents' wardrobes, thrift stores or those piles of hand-me-downs that relatives pass around.
Musty old closets can be a treasure trove, if you look hard enough, says undergraduate Lee Wei Fen (right), 21.
In an attempt to shop less, she started ransacking her mother's piles of discards a year ago and unearthed some lovely silk blouses and long printed skirts.
She cinched her mother's old skirts with a belt and wore them as tube dresses. 'I also removed those ugly shoulder pads from my Mum's interesting old jackets and wore them with casuals,' she adds.
The trick, she says, is to wear neutral colours with retro patterns. For example, she tops a striking vintage dress or shirt with a plain cardigan, and updates the vintage ensemble with leggings, which are all the rage now. Don't forget to accessorise with headbands, long necklaces or a mix of bracelets.
So far, the third-year South Asian major has received rave reviews for her retro look from peers and passers-by. Emboldened by success, she has started digging into her Dad's stash.
'I mainly use my Dad's working shirts as dresses, or his singlets to layer on for that slouchy feel,' she says.
She puts on a belt to make loose pieces fit. But to go the whole hog, try designing and making your own outfits.
First, dust off your old sewing machine. Next, invest in a good sewing guide like Sew U: Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin (available at Kinokuniya Books for $43.40) which is a step-by-step starter on fabrics and sewing patterns.
Then, take a walk around People's Park Complex for fabric bargains. With $5, you can get at least a metre of good cotton or linen.
If you're too lazy for all that, visit international fashion blogs like The Sartorialist (http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com) or Face Hunter (http://facehunter.blogspot.com) for ideas, and then start reorganising your wardrobe.
Ms Emily Mallare, 21, a video editor, has been visiting such sites for ideas over the last few years. 'I especially like to see street styles from Europe or Scandinavia. They give you an idea of how other youth are dressing.'
A handy tip from her: Sort your clothes into two piles - those you wear constantly and those you don't.
Try out different combinations from clothes in both piles, like layering singlets together, or tops of different lengths.
Mixing and matching and layering are clever ways of appearing like you have many outfits.
13. Cut-price haircuts
A HAIRCUT at Toni & Guy can cost up to $200. But it's free if you opt for one of its aspiring student-stylists. Toni & Guy Academy in Tan Quee Lan Street offers complimentary haircuts to anyone who comes in with a voucher printed from www.toniandguy.com.sg
Alternatively, just pay $8 for a wash and cut. Classic perms start from $25, while colouring starts at $18, depending on hair length. Call 6334-4883 to book.
Undergraduate Reema Jagtiani, 21, who has tried the hair academy a few times, says: 'They give decent haircuts, though obviously this depends on which student you get. It can take extremely long though. I once spent three hours getting my hair trimmed.'
There are at least 20 hair training academies here, which are worth considering if you've a tight budget, but plenty of time to spare.
Jean Yip Academy at United Square in Thomson Road, open daily from 11am to 5pm, offers haircuts starting at $10 for ladies and $8 for men. Colouring services start at $28 for ladies and $22 for men, while perms, both classic and digital, are $28 and $130 respectively. Call 6355-0920 to book at least a day in advance.
At Kimarie Hair and Beauty Training Centre in Tanjong Pagar Road, haircuts start at $8, colouring at $36 and perms at $48. There is an ongoing 'buy one, get one free' hair promotion. Appointments are walk-in only, from 10am to 5pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and 10am to 9pm on other days.
Home hairstylists are another cheap bet. Their opening hours are more flexible and they tend to lavish more attention on customers.
Mrs Fiona Wong, 50, an experienced hairstylist of 25 years who has trained in London and Hong Kong, has worked from her Whampoa HDB flat for the past 14 years. She charges $17 for haircuts, $55 for perms and $65 for colouring, depending on hair length. She works every day from 10am to 8pm. Bookings can be made on 6353-0186.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 5, 2008.
