7 best things to buy from the SAF eMart - online, The Chevrons and SAFRA Mount Faber & Punggol
PUBLISHED ONOctober 29, 2019 1:55 AMByEugenia Liew
Take it from me — a girl who’s never served National Service — you don’t need to be an NSF or NSman to know of the legendary SAF eMart.
Officially, it’s a “a kit replacement system that allows servicemen to purchase their personal equipment and expendable items”. Unofficially, it’s a heaven for super affordable (“free” if you redeem with credits) and super practical stuff.
From the SAF eMart credit allocation system to the most worth-it buys, here’s a guide to shopping at the SAF eMart.
SAF EMART- ONLINE VS OFFLINE
First of all, you can shop both on- and offline. For the former, you just need to log in the NS Portal.
SAF EMART VIA NS PORTAL
Sadly, members of the public (like myself) cannot shop via the NS Portal. It’s only for NSFs and NSmen. If you’re one of those, you can log into the SAF eMart through the NS Portal with your SingPass.
The NS portal payment modes are eMart credits, Visa, Master and DBS PayLah!. Your eMart credits will be deducted first (including delivery fees), and you’ll only need to pay the balance if you have insufficient credits.
You can choose to self-collect your items from the eMarts stores, eLockers, and/or mobile truck or opt for home delivery. The latter is chargeable though:
SAF eMart home delivery fees
- $8 for purchases under $100
- $5 for purchases $100 and up
- Redelivery fees apply (to be paid in cash)
- Takes 4 working days to process after order
SAF EMART STORES AT THE CHEVRONS AND SAFRA MOUNT FABER & PUNGGOL
Stingy to pay for delivery? There are 3 physical eMart stores (open to the public too):
1. SAF Chevron eMart Jurong
Address: 48 Boon Lay Way, Level 2, Singapore 609 961
Opening hours: 10.30am to 8.30pm, daily
2. SAF eMart SAFRA Mount Faber
Address: 2 Telok Blangah Way, Singapore 098 803
Opening hours: 10.30am to 8.30pm, daily
3. SAF eMart SAFRA Punggol
Address: 9 Sentul Cres, Singapore 828 654
Opening hours: 10.30am to 8.30pm, daily
SAF EMART CREDIT ALLOCATION
So basically, the main appeal of the eMart is that they sell “free” stuff that are useful even outside of military training. “Free” is in quote marks because (while they’re super cheap) they’re only actually free if you have SAF eMart credits to redeem them with.
This the eMart credit allocation system:
Army eMart credit credit allocation
| Army | Standard eMart credit allocation |
| Active combat vocations | 260 credits per year |
| Active non-combat vocations | 170 credits per year |
| Active permanent PES E NSF | 120 credits per year |
| Active NSmen | 113 credits every 2 years or 226 credits every 4 years |
| Active SAFVC volunteers | 50 credits for each year of service |
Airforce eMart credit credit allocation
| Airforce | Standard eMart credit allocation |
| Active combat vocations | 260 credits per year |
| Active non-combat vocations | 200 credits per year |
| Active permanent PES E NSF | 120 credits per year |
| Active NSmen | 115 credits every 2 years or 230 credits every 4 years |
| Active SAFVC volunteers | 50 credits for each year of service |
Navy eMart credit credit allocation
| Navy | Standard eMart credit allocation |
| Group A | 210 credits per year |
| Group B | 230 credits per year |
| Group C | 270 credits per year |
| Group D | 300 credits per year |
| Active NSmen | 115 credits every 2 years or 230 credits every 4 years |
| Active SAFVC volunteers | 50 credits for each year of service |
If you are still part of the National Service (yes, NSmen are counted too), then all unused credits will roll over to the next credit top-up period. They’ll expire the subsequent credit top-up date.
Also, it’s worthy to note that you don’t necessarily have to be “in the army” to get credits. If you’re an active SAFVC volunteer, you get them too.
7 BEST THINGS TO BUY FROM THE SAF EMART
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to the real deal — the best stuff you spend your precious credits on.
| Item | Price (cash/credit) |
| Socks | $1.65 |
| Insect repellent spray | $2.12 |
| Swimming trunks | $3.53 |
| Black half-finger gloves | $3.53 |
| Microfibre towel | $5.40 |
| Running shoes | $35.90 (Adidas) or $42.71 (New Balance) |
| Army no.3 shoes | $46.02 |
1. SOCKS - $1.65 PER PAIR
The sock is not a particularly expensive clothing item, but it’s dirt cheap at the SAF eMart. It costs $1.65, and the best part is that it’s plain with no logos or weird designs so nobody will know where it’s from.
You can get the white, PT ones for the gym and the black ones to go with your dress shoes for work.
2. INSECT REPELLENT SPRAY - $2.12 PER BOTTLE
I’m terrified of bugs, and whenever someone finds out, they recommend me the super “tok kong” army insect repellent.
I usually see the one in the tube and I know that one is so potent that it’s corrosive and shouldn’t be applied directly on skin or clothing, but I don’t know about this liquid spray ($2.12).
I assume it’s still pretty good stuff since it’s military grade.
3. SWIMMING TRUNKS - $3.53 EACH
A pair of Speedos can easily cost you $30+, and even a plain pair of swimming trunks cost $4.90 at Decathlon. The SAF eMart one is 1) completely plain and logo-free and 2) only $3.53. What a steal!
4. BLACK HALF-FINGER GLOVES - $3.53 EACH
I personally don’t use these, but while I was reading up on eMart shopping tips, some forum contributors also recommended buying gloves for gym-use.
The half-finger gloves are a cheap $3.53, and apparently, super comfortable as well.
5. MICROFIBRE BATHING TOWEL - $5.40 EACH
Don’t bother using anything else — the SAF eMart microfibre towel is literally the best towel in the world.
I’ve spent a lot of money on fancy towels from department stores ($20+ to $40+) because I don’t really like the shade of green — very superficial, I know — but I conclude that there is none as absorbent and fast-drying as this humble “Green Towel” ($5.40).
6. RUNNING SHOES - FROM $35.90 PER PAIR
Good running shoes usually cost a pretty penny — they’re typically over $100 at retail price, and at best $60+ on sale.
The SAF eMart is the only place you can snag a pair of Adidas and New Balance running shoes for just $35.90 and $42.71 respectively. Of course, the design and colours are not the trendiest, but at least they’re functional.
Exercise to stay fit, not look good, okay???
7. DRESS SHOES (NO. 3)- $46.02 PER PAIR
Lastly, a useful item to pick up is the No.3 shoes. Again, according to forum-ers, these are super comfortable and make really affordable dress shoes for work.
Buying a simple, comfy pair of leather shoes elsewhere can easily set you back $100+. This is literally half the price.
This article was first published in MoneySmart .
