When A Great Deal Isn't Really.

Black Friday got me thinking about the way we spend money in a hurried frenzy when we think there is a great deal to be had. Example: Earlier in the week, before the rush and the hype of Black Friday, I was at Target and saw some scarves hanging up. They were plain, looked soft, and were marked at a regular price of $5. I thought, "Those look nice, and basic. Maybe I should buy a few. I wear scarves a lot. I'll think about it." There were plenty there, so I decided to wait. Fast forward to the Black Friday ad for Target- the same scarves were listed as some limited time, hot deal in the ad for...you guessed it...the low low price of $5! Wow! What a deal! When I went to Target around 6AM on Black Friday, that rack of scarves was down to bare bones, just a few color choices left. On Saturday, my husband and I went to Target again, to see if they had any games left in their Black Friday, 2 Day Only Sale. We found one marked down to a very good price, and decided to get that. We also saw Scrabble on sale for $9.99. It was "price cut" down from $9.89. We are easily deceived, aren't we?

Another thing I considered as we decided our money limit and what to buy was quality. Some of these fantastic deals are not scams, but they are not the items with the highest quality ratings either. Why is that? So that you need to buy the same items, again, at fantastic prices....next year on Black Friday. Towels, for instance, are always at a dirt cheap sale price on Black Friday. $2 or less. But are they ever the nice, plush, absorbent ones? No, they are the ones that you will be using as cleaning rags by next year. A towel of great quality and thickness could last you several years. The "great deals" usually won't. We considered the same principle with the great TV deals that were out there this year. The cheapest ones were either going to be incredibly limited in number, and would only go to the most die-hard shoppers that had been camping out since the week before, or they were brands we didn't recognize. We decided to wait for a pretty good sale over an unbelievable sale, and choose which television we actually want to own.

My point is definitely not that you have to pay with an arm and a leg to have anything worth owning. No way! I believe you can get great quality for less! My point is that we shouldn't buy things just because of the low price tag. That takes us from being savvy, to being a sucker. Consider you purchases carefully, and use wisdom with your money. That, I think, is the real secret to getting a great deal.

Black Friday: My Shopping Adventures!

I never used to go out shopping on Black Friday. My mom hates shopping, and so it wasn't something I grew up doing. Furthermore, we lived in New Jersey, and it is the official rudest state in America. You can imagine how much fun shopping there can be. I'm pretty sure all of those stories about people getting trampled to death on Black Friday happened at our local Walmart. (I'm kidding, but it's pretty close to being true.) I also worked retail, so usually ended up working, not shopping. It's been just within the last couple of years that I started hitting the sales at 6 am, like the rest of the crazy world. Last year, I was introduced to couponing and shopping the deals at drugstores on Black Friday, so now I am really hooked.

This year Michael and I were pretty excited about making a few larger purchases on Black Friday. We were able to really take stock of what we have, and what we still want after our wedding, and are working our way down our wishlist.

We really wanted a TV, and considered being one of the insane people who stand in line for hours at Best Buy to get the $200 flat screen, but decided against it. We figured we valued our rest and our holiday more, and that the chances of us being able to get one of those coveted deals were slim, since we weren't going to spend out Thanksgiving on a sidewalk. We would rather wait and maybe put one on layaway.

I was able to grab several good deals, so all in all I am pretty happy. Here what I got, and what I saved by braving the crowds. Besides the wonderful deals at CVS and Walgreens on Thanksgiving day, we got...

A bedding set at Walmart for $34.99 (not sure what the regular price was; I got the last one!)
A set of sheets at Walmart  for $6.88 (also the last one!)
A few DVD's for $1.96 each at Walmart
A few TV series DVD sets for $10 each at Walmart
A Rubbermaid set of containers for $6.88 at Walmart

*I braved Walmart at 9PM on Thanksgiving, and was surprised to be out of there by 10:30. I guess I picked just the right time, because later on I heard lots of Walmart horror stories from other shoppers when I was out and about at other places. I am not sure how much I saved at Walmart, because they don't mention the original prices in the Black Friday ad like some stores do. So that kind of stinks. I also got...

A printer at Staples for $60, regularly $149!
A pack of 100 blank CD's for $14.99, with a $10 Easy Rebate, regularly $34.99, I believe!

*This was the only deal I was willing to stand in line for. We really needed an updated printer, and with this Black Friday deal, we could afford to get something with more bells and whistles than I would normally want to pay for. Staples was an awesome store to shop at on Black Friday. The manager brought in coffee and donuts for all of us standing in line for 2 hours at 4 AM, and then the entire staff was super cheerful and friendly as they came in for work. Then the tech people came out to chat with people in line and answer any questions about what to buy. It was actually an enjoyable shopping experience! My final stop was Target. I originally thought about staying out all night and going to the midnight opening of Target after I got out of Walmart, but when I saw the line wrapped around the building at 10:30 PM, I decided to go home and go to bed to gear up for my Staples trip.  Besides, all I was after at Target were little things like towels, no deal that was worth going into that madness. I finally did go to Target around 6 AM after getting my printer, and it was already picked over and almost empty. So insane, right? I found all of the deals that I had come to Target for, still waiting for me...

A fire pit for my hubby for $30, regularly $60
The Michael Jackson "This is It" DVD for my hubby, for $3.99 (not sure about regular price)
New washcloths for $2 for an 8 pack (I think about $4.50 regular price?)


So there you have it, all of my adventures of saving money by braving the Black Friday crowd....until next year! :)

Catching up from the holiday weekend...

How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Ours was very fun and relaxing, and we enjoyed it being our first married holiday! I started the day off right, with come highly competitive coupon shopping. How is couponing competitive, you ask? :) When all of the local couponers are ready for a really fantastic sale and you are all lined up outside of CVS at 7:45 am, and there is a limited supply when they open those doors. That's how! :)

Luckily, the other ladies there to shop those deals were very friendly, and we all helped each other find things. Then we all headed over to Walgreens when it opened. One of my fellow couponers even offered to stick a few items in her cart for me since I was stuck in line at CVS. Couponing can be so fun when people are polite, don't clear shelves, and share the coupon love!!!

Last year on Black Friday was actually when I was introduced to the world of Extreme Couponing, and what we like to call "The Drugstore Game." My life has not been the same since! Happy Anniversary, my darling coupon binder!

Here is what I snagged during this great Thanksgiving sale:

I paid $37 and some change.....

And I saved....wait for it......$248.00.

I am thankful for coupons. And Register Rewards. And Extra Bucks. And friendly cashiers (especially them!).