Thanksgiving is over and Christmas merchandising is in full swing. I tend to get a little overwhelmed this time of year. This year is shaping up to be the same as usual. So, I am going to share with you some of the things that I am going to try to see if I can't keep my sanity and keep my bank account intact.
The first I will be sharing with you Tuesday night at enrichment night. It is a spiritual advent calendar. I will post it here, for those not in our ward on Wednesday. It will hopefully help me to find more spiritual strength to find peace in the chaos.
Next, here are some tips I found in an article by Martin Lindstrom in today's paper -- "Buyer Beware. What to know before you shop".
1.Leave the kids at home. Studies have shown consumers to buy 40% more items when accompanied by their kids. I know this is not always possible. But, be aware if you are shopping with the kids.
2. Watch out for fake bargains. "$2.50" or "2 for $5" (same price, but at 2 for $5, they sell more). Limit 8 per customer (must be a good deal, huh?). Also, watch what you pay at the register. Make sure you are getting the great deal you think you are. If you are not good at mailing in rebates, don't count on that additional discount.
3. Avoid BIG carts. If you are going to WalMart for a couple items, get the basket, otherwise you will be tempted to fill the cart. Reach has shown that people buy 30% more items when they shop with a big cart. Make a list and stick to it.
4. Don't Sniff. Or don't shop on an empty stomach. This is self explanatory.
5. Beware of Shopaholism. Beware of the credit cards especially this time of year. There are super deals to be found, but are they what we need or even want. Shopping and getting that great deal can bring a rush for those of us addicted to shopping. Before you buy, think about what really brings happiness. The average American household has an average of $10,000 in credit card debt. This debt can take years to dig yourself out from. Not such a happy event.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Confessions of a Penny Pincher
12/1/08
Here are a couple of new tips.
>White vinegar: For inexpensive window cleaner, use 1 part water to 1 part window cleaner. White vinegar is an excellant cleaner for hard water. It works better than anything I have purchased for cleaning the shower head. Also, when cleaning windows and mirrors, use newspaper rather than paper towels. It actually works better and it's FREE!
>Printer: To save money on ink, set your printer to print in draft mode, unless you really need a super clean copy. Draft usually looks pretty good. Also, recycle your paper, use the backs of your paper if it is not something that matters.
>Dryer sheets: Cut them in half for smaller loads of laundry. Also, I have heard, but not tried, used dryer sheets make great swiffer sweeper cloths. I don't have a swiffer, but this makes sense. Let me know if this one works. Maybe I'll buy a swiffer if I don't have to buy the cloths.
>Do you get coupons in the mail for $10 off a $10 purchase? I get these for Office Max, Kohls, JC Penny, Famous Footware, and Fashion Bug. I used to use these to try to time a good shopping trip. Sometimes this works, but sometimes I don't need anything or don't have the time to search for a good deal. $10 doesn't go very far, except for socks. So now these $10 coupons mean "free sock time", except the Office Max coupon. I can always think of a $10 need at the office supply store. BTW, I use the Office Max coupon at Office Depot because Office Depot is in my neighborhood. They accept it with no problem.
>Albertsons and rainchecks. This has changed. The rainchecks are only good for 30 days! One of my favorite tricks is to buy the rest of whatever is on sale off the shelf and then ask for a raincheck for a lot of the item. This way I can fill my shelf now and can fill it again later at a super low price. Sometimes I will go back a couple times and get more rainchecks if they are still out so I can fill my shelf a couple of times.
>I seldom buy a drink when I eat out. Lately I've figured out a trick that is pretty nice. I get water with lemon. I squeeze the lemon into the water and add Splenda (or sugar), and walaa!, freash lemonaide. This is also great because it is rare that a restaurant has diet anything with no caffeine. Yesterday, I did this at Baja Fresh, they have limes, so limeaide, yumm!
>WalMart price matches anything. You need to bring some proof of the price, like the ad from the paper. This is particularly worth while at back the school time when every store has a great ad, and you feel like you have to visit them all to get the best deal.
>Deseret Book also price matches, even with Distribution. So, if you want to buy something that you could get through Distribution at Deseret Book, just let them know that you want the Distribution Price and they are very happy to look up the price for you, and you get the points toward your book club, if you have one. Pretty cool deal. You don't have to prove to them that WalMart or Costco has a better price, they generally know and will take your word for it.
Here are a couple of new tips.
>White vinegar: For inexpensive window cleaner, use 1 part water to 1 part window cleaner. White vinegar is an excellant cleaner for hard water. It works better than anything I have purchased for cleaning the shower head. Also, when cleaning windows and mirrors, use newspaper rather than paper towels. It actually works better and it's FREE!
>Printer: To save money on ink, set your printer to print in draft mode, unless you really need a super clean copy. Draft usually looks pretty good. Also, recycle your paper, use the backs of your paper if it is not something that matters.
>Dryer sheets: Cut them in half for smaller loads of laundry. Also, I have heard, but not tried, used dryer sheets make great swiffer sweeper cloths. I don't have a swiffer, but this makes sense. Let me know if this one works. Maybe I'll buy a swiffer if I don't have to buy the cloths.
>Do you get coupons in the mail for $10 off a $10 purchase? I get these for Office Max, Kohls, JC Penny, Famous Footware, and Fashion Bug. I used to use these to try to time a good shopping trip. Sometimes this works, but sometimes I don't need anything or don't have the time to search for a good deal. $10 doesn't go very far, except for socks. So now these $10 coupons mean "free sock time", except the Office Max coupon. I can always think of a $10 need at the office supply store. BTW, I use the Office Max coupon at Office Depot because Office Depot is in my neighborhood. They accept it with no problem.
>Albertsons and rainchecks. This has changed. The rainchecks are only good for 30 days! One of my favorite tricks is to buy the rest of whatever is on sale off the shelf and then ask for a raincheck for a lot of the item. This way I can fill my shelf now and can fill it again later at a super low price. Sometimes I will go back a couple times and get more rainchecks if they are still out so I can fill my shelf a couple of times.
>I seldom buy a drink when I eat out. Lately I've figured out a trick that is pretty nice. I get water with lemon. I squeeze the lemon into the water and add Splenda (or sugar), and walaa!, freash lemonaide. This is also great because it is rare that a restaurant has diet anything with no caffeine. Yesterday, I did this at Baja Fresh, they have limes, so limeaide, yumm!
>WalMart price matches anything. You need to bring some proof of the price, like the ad from the paper. This is particularly worth while at back the school time when every store has a great ad, and you feel like you have to visit them all to get the best deal.
>Deseret Book also price matches, even with Distribution. So, if you want to buy something that you could get through Distribution at Deseret Book, just let them know that you want the Distribution Price and they are very happy to look up the price for you, and you get the points toward your book club, if you have one. Pretty cool deal. You don't have to prove to them that WalMart or Costco has a better price, they generally know and will take your word for it.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Deals of the Week 11/2/08
It's November! Can you believe it? The holidays are coming and we are about to get hit from every direction with messages that say we have to spend, spend, spend in order to make our holidays memorable and to show our love to our loved ones.
It is time to think now about what is important to us and not let those messages get to us. Think about the importance of peace in our lives and ways to achieve it during the busy season.
Now for the deals of the week.
Albertsons
General Mills Cereals including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios, and others, plus Better Crocker fruit snacks (Fruit by the foot, etc. ) 1.88 each (no minimum)
BOGO on several beef, chicken and pork items. Ok deals, but nothing to run to the store for in my opinion.
Winco
Last night was Winco shopping night. I forget how much I like Winco until I am there. I was out of a couple spices, so I got sage for .04, oregano for .10 and some curry for .32. Got to love those prices.
Here is some of what I found:
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Mint Bliss - Yummy! - individual squares in bulk .10
Green Giant canned Veggies .48
Tyson Chicken Breast b/s frozen 2.5 lbs 4.98
Green Giant frozen veggies 1.38 (with my $1 off coupon that was a great deal) net cost .38
Chex 2.38 (look on package for $3 off when you buy 3) net cost 1.38
Shopko
All sheets, blankets, electric blankets, etc. 50% off
Holiday dinnerware, table linens, flatware, dinnerware, glassware, bakeware, cutlery, etc. 40% off
It is time to think now about what is important to us and not let those messages get to us. Think about the importance of peace in our lives and ways to achieve it during the busy season.
Now for the deals of the week.
Albertsons
General Mills Cereals including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Honey Nut Cheerios, and others, plus Better Crocker fruit snacks (Fruit by the foot, etc. ) 1.88 each (no minimum)
BOGO on several beef, chicken and pork items. Ok deals, but nothing to run to the store for in my opinion.
Winco
Last night was Winco shopping night. I forget how much I like Winco until I am there. I was out of a couple spices, so I got sage for .04, oregano for .10 and some curry for .32. Got to love those prices.
Here is some of what I found:
Ghirardelli Intense Dark Mint Bliss - Yummy! - individual squares in bulk .10
Green Giant canned Veggies .48
Tyson Chicken Breast b/s frozen 2.5 lbs 4.98
Green Giant frozen veggies 1.38 (with my $1 off coupon that was a great deal) net cost .38
Chex 2.38 (look on package for $3 off when you buy 3) net cost 1.38
Shopko
All sheets, blankets, electric blankets, etc. 50% off
Holiday dinnerware, table linens, flatware, dinnerware, glassware, bakeware, cutlery, etc. 40% off
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