Where I Draw the Line

I love a bargain like the next girl.  Alright, I concede I may love a bargain more than maybe anybody.  I get a rush out of spending a little and getting a lot.  For example:  on Monday, I went to Walgreens, Publix, and Walmart, spent $30.28, got 24 items (including big-ticket items like Tyson pre-cooked chicken, Downy Unstoppables and 2 Sara Lee pies), and saved $40.  That means I paid just a little over $1 for each item.  Heck yes, coupons and BOGOs!

All that to say,  I stinking LOVE a bargain.  This has made Black Friday a must in my past.  However, I was never one of those who would stand in line for hours, just to get the first of three TVs for half off, or whatever, and risk literally being trampled to death.  But I do enjoy going out with my mom and grabbing some cool loot for a cooler price.  Last year was particularly fun, as we were getting lots of clothes for my NYC honeymoon!

I found last year that we found sometimes even better deals the day before Thanksgiving (since we weren't looking for that season's most popular toy or overpriced electronics anyway), and then went out at a reasonable hour of the morning (read: not when it was still the pitch-black of night) and caught some good Black Friday deals, too.

One year, I tried to do the 5 a.m. thing.  Turns out I had bronchitis and never fell asleep the night before anyway.  Hband (who was my boyfriend at the time) didn't think I should go.  So instead I lay on my couch, visions of cheap vacuums that I wouldn't own, dancing in my head.

One year, I did do the 5 a.m. thing... with my dad.  Mom had broken her leg, and Dad said he wasn't going to let me go out alone and get killed by the crazies (like a 55 year-old man would be any match for those crazy Moms like the lady on the Target commercials?!).  So Dad and I got up early and headed for Walmart.  Then I fell in the middle of the street, tore up my knee, gave my dad a near- heart attack, didn't even bother with the line, and headed over to Target where it was crowded, but I'll admit... kind of fun.  Until we had to get in line.  That's where a tag-team comes in handy.  I kept a place in line and he ran around to find the items we needed.  That year I was looking specifically for an electric toothbrush (stop judging me!).  I got it, after rebates, for like, $25.  WORTH IT. 

But I've determined I don't really want to ever do that again.  What does it say about me, really, if I want something, nay, think I need something so badly that I'll get up when all decent people are sleeping, worry myself sick that I won't get it, and fight back the crowds like the greedy little buzzard I am to get what I want?  Maybe you do it more gracefully than that, but essentially, that's the game. 

And now, retailers have let their greed ooze right past their moral strongholds of all that is good and family and tradition, and have completely passed right over Thanksgiving.  It's not bad enough that they start playing Christmas commercials, Christmas music, and putting up Christmas decorations as soon as Halloween has said goodbye... I've felt for a while now that they're just skipping over Thanksgiving, probably because it only makes money for grocery stores.  Now, they are starting their big sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving evening.  That means, if you want in early, you have to be lined up all throughout your Thanksgiving dinnertime, or run (maybe waddle?) right out after eating it.  Forget about family time.  Forget about tryptophan (how in the world is that spelled)-induced naps.  Forget about yelling at the TV during a football game or playing a wild round of spoons (no?  Just my family?).  I take umbrage to that.  Leave Thanksgiving alone, and keep your grubby little greedy hands out of my pockets until the next day, when all heck can break loose.

Anyway, I'm not planning on doing the early morning Black Friday thing ever.  I'll do my Wednesday before and my normal time of day on Friday, and the Cyber Monday.  Leave the early morning hours and the Thanksgiving Day shopping to someone else.  I will be enjoying my family, my turkey, and my sleep.  That's where I draw the line.

xoxo, A

Tip for Tuesday: Gift List and Gift Cache

I have a budget.  One of the columns on that budget is labeled "gifts."  Since I really love giving gifts, there never seems to be enough money in that budget.

Or, suddenly it's someone's birthday and I have .754 seconds to get a thoughtful gift and find a card.  I hate when that happens.

Over the years, I have begun to start a gift cache.  Some of the things there are re-gifts (things that were lovely gifts but something I didn't need), some are things I got on super-sale and couldn't think of an immediate use but knew someone would love, and the rest is a collection of things I've gotten on sale for friends and family members throughout the year that I'm saving for an occasion.

I love it when I find items for this cache-- they're usually found on the kind of shopping trip where I call my mom saying, "I got such and such and such-- guess how much it cost?!"  And she responds in shock and awe!

{I learned from the best}

But that's nothing new; you probably have a gift cache too.  But the newest tip regarding the gift cache is the gift list.  One day, I decided to sit down and make a list of every single gift I would need to buy (forseeably)for the entire year.  It took a while.  I listed them by month-- each holiday, each birthday, and each name for Christmas.  Then I started filling in gift ideas.

It helps if you have Pinterest.  If you don't already, get an account on this site!  Seriously!  Do searches for DIY gifts, inexpensive gifts, baby gifts, whatever it is you're looking for, and then write down your ideas.  Another help was blogs.  I subscribe to a number of couponing/deal blogs, and daily deals show up on my blog feed several times throughout the day, giving me gift ideas.  Soon I had my list mostly filled up with DIY projects I'm going to try, or inexpensive gift ideas.  Each gift was probably $10 or less!  Now if I actually DO the DIY projects, then it will be a success.  Don't worry if you have a lot of empty spots.  Those will fill in as you shop throughout the year (see tips below), but at least now you have every event you could think of written down, so there will be no surprises!  I keep mine in my purse so that if I'm out and see something for a great price, I see who it could fit on my list. 

Another benefit is you can see who is going to need cards throughout the year, so if you have, for example, a $1 off coupon for three American Greeting cards at Target, you won't search for random cards you'll never send, but instead will know exactly what you need.  I recommend this site for purchasing cards online.  They have endless, personalize-able options, and they often run specials in which you can order and ship a card for completely free!  I love it! 

Now that you have your gift list, here are my tips for shopping for your gift cache:

Personal Shower: find a Victoria's Secret outlet and purchase cute lingerie for $10 each; get on Victoria Secret's mailing list, and you'll often get $10 off a purchase of $10 coupons, and even free underwear coupons.  Also, stores like Marshall's and Ross carry inexpensive lingerie.

Store Coupons: take advantage of the $10 off $10, or $10 off $25, or whatever combo is sent out, and find items that would fit people on your list.  It's like getting free money.  I find that JCPenney (well, maybe before their recent changes) and Kohls have been awesome with this. 

Magazine Subscriptions: if you check deal blogs like me, you'll see that at least once a week, magazine subscription deals pop up.  I have gotten subscriptions for as low as $5 a year in the past, and it's a gift that keeps giving, all year long!

Use Coupons: Subscribe to newsletters online and get weekly coupons for Michael's, JoAnn's, Target, etc.  These are great, especially the craft stores, for picking up not just craft supplies for your DIY projects, but also ready-made gifts, like picture frames, candles, vases, etc.  They send at least one 40% off a single item coupon per week, and sometimes 50%-- imagine how much money you could save if you buy one gift a week!

Freebies: Bath and Body Works is one of many stores that offer a freebie with a purchase.  So you want those 2 for $20 candles (my favorite, BTW)?  Get them when you have a coupon for a free Signature Collection item of your choice.  You can sometimes get up to $13 items for free!  You'll need to get on the mailing list and/or purchase something to get coupons.

Shop Smarter, not Harder: Don't run around to a thousand places if you can get stuff for the same price on Amazon and take advantage of free shipping.  Be sure to group as much as you can together so you don't have to pay for shipping on a smaller order later.  Similarly, if you're getting something from Kmart or Walmart or a store like that, buy it online and have it sent to the store for free pickup-- I suppose it doesn't really save money unless you count driving to the store only to find they don't have what you want in stock.  But it does make life easier when you can shop from your couch.

A word of warning: try to avoid giving gifts that don't really fit that person's taste, just because you have it.  Nobody wants to be "that girl," with the crappy gifts.  Put genuine thought into your list (you can even add notes or ideas about what they like).  Search Amazon and Etsy for ideas, and then use those ideas to find the best prices there or somewhere else at a later date.  DON'T give them the socks your grandma knit you unless you know they love homemade knit socks.  I don't, but you know, whatever. 

I think once you make that list, you'll breathe a sigh of relief that this silent burden is off your shoulders-- then happy shopping!

xoxo, A