Here’s an example of how I have used the “buy ahead principle” for purchasing my daughter’s Christmas gifts.

• bath robe – regularly $20, after Christmas sale in Feb for $5
• two-wheel scooter – regularly $17, Black Friday sale for $5
• Hanna Montana doll set – regularly $28-32?, after Christmas sale in Feb for $7-8
• guitar purse – regularly $8-9, clearance for $2-3
• Barbie Advent calendar – regularly $20, after Christmas sale for $5
• Pet Shop bubble bath – regularly $10, clearance for $2.50
• High School Musical umbrella – regularly $8, clearance for $2
• Pet Shop electronic game – regularly $13, clerance for $3.24

This is approximately $125 in gifts for the bargain price of about $35.  My daughter will have a nice selection of toys under the tree this year, and all things that she likes.

Those of you with older children may find buying ahead more difficult, however, it is not impossible.  Try picking up just a few things that you’ll know they’ll like, even if it’s just stocking stuffers or dvds.  Every little bit saved helps.

Did you shop all year for Christmas?

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

1)  Avoid gift buying guilt.  Make a list and set a spending limit for each gift.  Don’t give in to the temptation of spending more or buying for extra people.  If you need extra gifts, decide to make money on Craigslist, cutting back on other expenses, or make homemade gifts.

2)  Keep your receipts.  Save someone the embarrassment of asking for the receipt by getting a gift receipt.  Be sure to ask for them at the check out before the end of the transaction.  Also, save your receipt because many times items will go on sale before Christmas.  A few dollars may not be worth your time and gas, but if the item gets drastically reduced you’ll need your receipt to get a price adjustment.

3) Budget for extra expenses.  Many people budget for gifts, but they forget to budget for things such as Christmas cards, stamps, shipping, travel, decorations, and entertaining. 

4)  Avoid credit cards.  Don’t be left with buyer’s remorse after Christmas.  Pay cash for your purchases.

5)  Do your research.  Before making expensive purchases, search the internet for product reviews.  Check Consumer Reports as well.  An hour of work can save you hundreds of dollars. 

What Christmas tips can you offer?

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Build-A-Bear Workshop – CyBear Monday Savings (online only)
select 5 animals will be $5 each
limit 5 $5 animals per person
Plus, free shipping on orders of $35 or more. Enter code 94620 at checkout.

Kmart
6 qt stainless steel roaster with porcelain cookwell $29.99 (reg $54.99)
extra 10% off diamond jewelry already 70% off
50% off 20 pc gold or platinum banded dinnerware set, $14.99 sale
free standard shipping on orders of $29 or more
Other online specials available.

Family Christian Stores
Take an additional $5 off any purchase of $50 or more with promotional code 1268629.
The Flow Show Creates a Buzz dvd $5 (reg $14.99)
The One Minute Collection $7.49 (reg $14.99)
The Bible Experience – audio $81.24 (reg $124.99)
Believe cd from 33 Miles $6.97 (reg $9.99)
Abe and the Amazing Promise from VeggieTales $5 (reg $14.99)
God’s Green Earth dvd $5 (reg $9.99)
More Cyber Monday sales available at FamilyChristian.com.
Also $.99 shipping available.

Kohls
Take an extra 15% off everything. Enter code CYBER15 at checkout. OR
Spend $75, take an extra 15% off plus free shipping. Enter code CYBER15. OR
Spend $100, take 20% off, plus free shipping. Enter code CYBER20 at checkout.
Other sales available.

Have you found any other great Cyber Monday sales?

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With only one grocery store in town, I was left with the option of shopping there or driving 30 minutes each way.  My grocery bill had jumped 30% and something needed to be done.  It took me a few months to develop a system for saving money, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.

Here are some tips for saving money in a small town.

1)  Talk to friends and neighbors.  Let them know that you’re trying to find the best deals.  They may have suggestions for certain grocery stores or they may know of some discount grocery stores in the area.  Now that my friends know that I’m looking for deals, they sometimes email me to let me know of good sales.

2)  Stock up on deals when they have them.  I’ve mentioned the stockpiling/buying ahead principle before.  If something that you use is at a rock bottom price, stockpile that item while you can.  My husband doesn’t understand why I bought 15 cans of tuna last month.  It was 3/$1.  We won’t be needing tuna for a while and now it won’t cost me $1/can.

3)  Comparison price online.  Subscribe to grocery store weekly sales that are within 30 minutes of your home. 

4)  Shop in the city on occasion.  After comparison shopping online, plan to take part of your day to shop in the city.  Plan your route with your sale information to save money and time.

5)  Check your town’s website.  Some towns have their own website which includes information about free events, coupons to businesses, and promotions in the area.

Do you have any tips for saving money in a small town?

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I was pretty pleased with the jeans and so were my kids.  Here are some reasons that I like thrift stores.

6)  I don’t have the guilt.  I can’t force myself to pay $10-15 for clothing. And even if I did, there would be some major guilt.

7)  Thrift stores usually give back to the community.  The thrift store where I shop helps others in need with food and other necessary items.

8)  No worries about wear and tear.  I told my daughter this week that I don’t like to buy her new clothes.  The reason is because she stains just about everything she wears.  I can’t tell you the number of times I have put something new on her and been so upset because she permanently stained it.  When I pay $1 for something, I don’t get so upset about stains.

9)  I am able to give to others.  When you’re only paying $1 for clothing items, it’s easy to purchase a few extra things for others.  Since you’re already searching the racks, many times you’ll come across items that others you know can use.  I try to remember the sizes that my younger cousins wear or my friend’s children.  When I was shopping this week, I remembered to look for athletic pants for my friend’s son.  She had mentioned duing an earlier conversation that he needed them.

10)  Sometimes you get your money back.  When I shop for used clothing items, many times I can get my money back for them when we’re done.  Sometimes I can sell them at my yard sale or local consignment store for close to what we paid for them.  It’s also easy to give them away since you don’t have much money invested.

Do you shop at thrift stores?

Please check out part 1 of 10 Reasons I Like Thrift Stores.

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You never know what you’ll find at a thrift store.  This week, I was blessed with some bargains.  I found 12 pairs of pants for my kids for only $12!  That’s $1 per pair.

I enjoy shopping at thrift stores.  Here’s some reasons I like them so much.

1)  Shopping at a thrift store is like going on a treasure hunt. You never know what you’ll find.  Sometimes you’re really surprised.

2)  The items are unique.  You don’t have to worry about seeing five other people at school wearing the same shirt.

3)  You can find name brand clothing.  I’m not one to sport a big name brand across the front of my shirt, but it is true that some brands hold up better than others.  Some of the pants I found this week were from Old Navy, Gap, Children’s Place, and JCPenney. 

4)  It helps the environment.  Shopping thrift stores keeps products from landfills.

5)  Shopping thrift stores usually saves so much money!  This is probably my favorite reason!

Do you shop at thrift stores?

Stay tuned for part 2 of 10 Reasons I Like Thrift Stores.

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Little did I realize that I had become patterned in my buying again and was no longer conscientious of egg prices.  Finally, this week when the price of large eggs went up once again, I looked around the shelves.  To my surprise, I noticed that extra large eggs were only four cents more!

I am a person that is constantly comparing prices so I was surprised that I had unawarely become a shopper of habit.  If this can happen to me, it can happen to you too.  How many times do we buy something out of habit without even realizing the cost?

My challenge to you this week is to get out of your shopping rut. Look around on the shelves before you buy.  Make sure you’re getting the best deals.

Are you a shopper of habit?

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While many items are still good for a while past their best by date, it’s important to get fresh products so that they’ll last longer and taste better.  If you like to stockpile groceries while they’re at rock bottom prices (or buy ahead), it’s especially important that you pay attention to the dates.  It doesn’t really help to save money if the products you buy go out of date before you can use them.

One way to get the best date is to look around on the shelves.  If you find an item that’s soon to expire, move the items around and look towards the back of the shelf.  Stores put the newer items at the back so that they can sell the older items first.

Honestly, there are some products that I don’t check the dates on.  These items are usually things with a long shelf life such as cereal, cookies, and canned goods. 

Items you should definitely check the dates on are:

• mayonnaise/Miracle Whip
• salad dressing
• cheese
• coffee creamers
• coffee
• premade foods
• medicines
• meat
• dairy products

Do you check the dates on the food while in the stores?

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The fee allegedly covers issues like the time it takes to check the box for missing parts, missing instructions, or for making replacements. With the holidays coming up, it’s wise to pay close attention to restock fees because they can up the price of your holiday purchases.

You can avoid these restocking fees by…

• Not opening the box if you’re not keeping the item, for example, if the item was a gift.
• Not buying stuff without carefully thinking it over first.
• Knowing before hand, or when you purchase, if a company has a restock fee policy in place and what that policy is.
• Shop locally not online for big purchase – Smart Money notes that you’re more likely to encounter a restocking fee at an online store vs. a bricks and mortar store.

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Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Clothing accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, protective equipment, wallets, furniture, items used in a trade or business, and rentals are not covered by the exemption and will be subject to the applicable tax.  For more information on exempt items, visit the North Carolina Department of Revenue tax free weekend page.

Tax free weekend is a great way to save on all of those needed back to school items.  Stores also offer tremendous savings and specials as a way to lure you in.  If you can handle the traffic and crowds, there are great deals to be found.

There are many other states participating in the tax free weekend.  To find out if your state is participating visit the tax adminstration’s site, which has a helpful chart with the states, dates, and a link for more information.  Alabama, Louisiana, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia also have tax free sales this weekend.

Have you ever shopped during your state’s tax free weekend?

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