Previously, I mentioned that I was working towards a $500 Christmas holiday. I’ve mentioned that our family (on both sides) has chosen not to get rid of gifts. Rather, we share ideas, needs and wants, and go from there. Gifts range in price from a few dollars on up. I buy for thirteen adults, my son and my daughter and four nieces and nephews ranging from toddlerhood (you read that right) to college age.
Here we are at the beginning of November. I refuse to celebrate Christmas before we’ve seen Thanksgiving. As my son would say, I prefer to celebrate the national holiday and make if not equally as important, at least important in its own right. However, I feel that by planning ahead (sometimes year around), I also free up myself to enjoy both the religious and other aspects of Christmas at my leisure. My original estimate had included hosting a family meal for one side of the family, so I believe that I will come in much, much lower (standing rib roast lives in a place all of its own in terms of price).
How I’m doing this is really not so amazing. I’ve combined deals, free items (not talking samples here), and loss leader shopping. I’ve also used my skills to make some original gifts and decorations. While I’ve not yet done my final total, and still have gifts to organize, I thought I would share some of my gifts and where they came from to make this goal come to fruition.
Some items I’ve gotten by deal shopping or being a “favored customer” Two years ago I signed up as an email customer with Vera Bradley purses. Each year in my birth month, they send me a gift card for twenty dollars off anything they sell. This wristlet was on sale for 19.99 and became a completely free gift to one niece (the one who has twenty purses and dresses up). If I have extra gift cards that I’ve earned, I’ll add a small five dollar gift card to the mix. By doing the same thing with Victoria’s secret I’ve earned a free panty for every month and free bra (stocking stuffers for my daughter). My son is six foot six inches tall. As a result we are registered online and in store as customers to get advance awards of deals. A few times a year we get one that is good for twenty five dollars off anything in the store, and I go to the outlet store and get sale items for free. I’ve also taken advantage of other deals, including those ever appearing ten dollars of ten dollars at JC Penney coupons. I’ve used these for scarves, shawls, individual pieces of jewelry and kitchen towels.
Some of my free low cost gifts have come through earnings and rewards. I’ve earned gift cards from CVS, Penny’s and Amazon (as well as gas cards) through debit card rewards. By using Swag bucks, I’ve earned many many dollars in Amazon cards. These will be used towards gift certificates for members with kindles such as my in-laws (who sure do appreciate the adjustable print sizing).
Another big way I meet my gift giving goal is using my skills and or items already on hand to make gifts (whether those gifts are things or promises of time). While it’s true that I am a quilter (with a large stash of fabric), I do have a few other non-crafty skills that come into play as well. While I don’t enjoy cooking per se, I enjoy baking, and creating various sauces, condiments and such. I enjoy experimenting with flavor combinations. To that end, I’ve four separate barbecue sauces that I will can and give as sets. I’ll also be making such items as pickled cranberries and flavored ice cream toppings. These homemade foods will go into thrift shopped baskets with decorative napkins and a couple other items (thrift shopped ice cream bowls for example), and be made into gifts. Since I buy both canning supplies and pantry items from tomatoes on up at loss leader prices, the cost for these baskets will be a couple dollars.
Since I enjoy writing on occasion, I’ve done my own version of “scrapbooking”. I’ve begun writing down some memories of early times in my kid’s lives or even before. I type this up in nice script on nice paper and mount it. I may add a photo or memento afterwards. These are presented individually rather than in a scrapbook so that they can be framed. I buy the paper with rewards points from my office paper purchases, and may have the additional cost of scanning a photo.
I would be remiss if I didn’t add the crafty quilty items as well. Quilted coasters, sewn spa bags, kindle and ipad covers and baby quilts are all items that will be added to the gift pile. Since I work with fabric on hand, my out of pocket costs will me almost nothing. I do however, keep track labor costs for my own information. Still, these items will cost more than a traditional (often prefab and throwaway gift)
Thrown into this mix will be homemade cookies and candies and other items as yet unnamed. Sometime in the next few weeks, I‘ll figure exact expenses, check my gift list and see where I am in my quest. Meanwhile, I’ve been fortunate to make a big dent, with very little mone
Showing posts with label discount shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discount shopping. Show all posts
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Living Richly In Retirement: Getting the Good Stuff-Used!
One of my favorite bloggers on the frugal side is Katie over at the Non-Consumer Advocate. Katie is great at showing how you can live on less and not be “deprived”. Katie is also a member of the Compact. This means that she has agreed to buy nothing new, with a few specific exceptions. The pictures that she shows of her home and then things she’s found, purchased use or gotten free are amazing.
I also try to buy as many things used as I can, for both economic and ecological reasons. Admittedly, my “can’t buy used list” is a tad larger than Katy’s (although not by much-see below). Although I am by no means the queen of buying used, I do have some skill and expertise in this general area. In other words I get lots of seriously good stuff for pennies and dollars. Unfortunately, lots of misconceptions about buying used, as well as buying strategies abound. While I’m not necessarily looking for converts, I do believe that most of us can increase income as well as help the planet when we shop used.
When I shop used, I don’t shop in a single place. I go to yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores. I also search websites such as Craigslist and EBay (see my comments about the safety of this technique below. Most of the “techniques" I use in second hand shopping are the same ones that a typically frugal shopper uses all on a regular basis. These techniques have (recently) allowed me to buy my son like new Tommy Hilfiger and other brand name polos for a couple bucks. They’ve allowed me to buy like new and classic items from Longaberger baskets and Coach purses to furniture and household items. My church youth are having a huge garage sale this weekend and I will get a good, working tiller for five dollars to assist with my landscaping project.
I don’t wait to buy something until I need it. If I do that, it’s always more expensive. This is generally true of food, socks, or anything else. I have a good sense of what I want and need. Birthdays and Christmas come every year. I’ve known for some time that I was going to replace my crepe pan, and since I am continually losing weight, I keep my eyes out for cheap but good quality smaller sizes.
I’m willing to wait for almost anything. Even if my pan no longer cooks crepes, I would wait to find a used one, even if it took a few weeks. The reward is huge and I know I will find the item eventually. I also don’t buy something just because it’s a buck (for the most part). However, there are occasions when I can take a risk on a buck or two that I would not take on ten or twenty.
Most importantly when it comes to sale and freebie shopping, I make it simply a part of my routine. Rarely do I make it a “special effort”. As part of my errand days, I stop at a thrift shop (occasionally two), depending on my route. I used to be slower at perusing; now I have a pretty good eye and pass over much (I also, by nature, scan quickly). Admittedly, garage sale shopping can be time consuming. The question is whether the time is worth the reward in terms of working hours, payback time or anything else. It ALWAYS was when I had kids at home, now the answer is “sometimes”. Shopping through craigslist is obviously the least time consuming choice.
I don’t buy something that’s cheap just because it’s cheap (for the most part). There are occasions when I will risk a purchase knowing that it may be a loss, but that’s much easier to do with a two dollar item than a twenty dollar item. Because I have yucky knees for example, I don’t try on bottoms in the stores. Sure, occasionally I kiss a few frogs. However, I’ve also acquired designer jeans for less than five dollars.
How do I deal with second hand discrimination? Well, first of all I really don’t worry about it. But seriously, if you do, who has to know where you got something? When my kids were high school fashion plates and they got asked where they got their outfits, the stock answer was “I don’t know, mom got it for me”. If someone compliments me, I simply say “thank you”. If they ask where I got it and I’m not comfortable admitting it was used, I may say something such as “Thanks, I got it in Austin”, and leave it at that. Very few people I know as for the genealogical background on things I bought. Most of my family and friends know and admire my scrounging ability. At the moment, I have about twenty designer style Christmas plates of different sizes. These were all bought for pennies, and will be given with home goodies at the holidays. The recipients will know where I got the plates, and be thrilled.
Everyone has to use their own level of frugality. If you have needs or want that are not being met through your budget, or if you are just a bargain hound, used shopping is the way to go. There are things I buy new on occasion and do not feel guilty doing so. But If I’ve only got five bucks, I would MUCH rather get the l
Land’s End top at the thrift store for five bucks than the Target or Wal-Mart thingy for the same price. But hey, that’s just me.
For the record, a not necessarily inclusive list of items I will not buy used includes; underwear and socks, pillows and mattresses, stuffed furniture, shoes (I know people who have had success, but I need a specific brand), quilting fabric and supplies, some craft supplies, and obviously food and health/beauty items. Should I make any improvements to the house, I would probably look at my used options and then move to new.
I also try to buy as many things used as I can, for both economic and ecological reasons. Admittedly, my “can’t buy used list” is a tad larger than Katy’s (although not by much-see below). Although I am by no means the queen of buying used, I do have some skill and expertise in this general area. In other words I get lots of seriously good stuff for pennies and dollars. Unfortunately, lots of misconceptions about buying used, as well as buying strategies abound. While I’m not necessarily looking for converts, I do believe that most of us can increase income as well as help the planet when we shop used.
When I shop used, I don’t shop in a single place. I go to yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores. I also search websites such as Craigslist and EBay (see my comments about the safety of this technique below. Most of the “techniques" I use in second hand shopping are the same ones that a typically frugal shopper uses all on a regular basis. These techniques have (recently) allowed me to buy my son like new Tommy Hilfiger and other brand name polos for a couple bucks. They’ve allowed me to buy like new and classic items from Longaberger baskets and Coach purses to furniture and household items. My church youth are having a huge garage sale this weekend and I will get a good, working tiller for five dollars to assist with my landscaping project.
I don’t wait to buy something until I need it. If I do that, it’s always more expensive. This is generally true of food, socks, or anything else. I have a good sense of what I want and need. Birthdays and Christmas come every year. I’ve known for some time that I was going to replace my crepe pan, and since I am continually losing weight, I keep my eyes out for cheap but good quality smaller sizes.
I’m willing to wait for almost anything. Even if my pan no longer cooks crepes, I would wait to find a used one, even if it took a few weeks. The reward is huge and I know I will find the item eventually. I also don’t buy something just because it’s a buck (for the most part). However, there are occasions when I can take a risk on a buck or two that I would not take on ten or twenty.
Most importantly when it comes to sale and freebie shopping, I make it simply a part of my routine. Rarely do I make it a “special effort”. As part of my errand days, I stop at a thrift shop (occasionally two), depending on my route. I used to be slower at perusing; now I have a pretty good eye and pass over much (I also, by nature, scan quickly). Admittedly, garage sale shopping can be time consuming. The question is whether the time is worth the reward in terms of working hours, payback time or anything else. It ALWAYS was when I had kids at home, now the answer is “sometimes”. Shopping through craigslist is obviously the least time consuming choice.
I don’t buy something that’s cheap just because it’s cheap (for the most part). There are occasions when I will risk a purchase knowing that it may be a loss, but that’s much easier to do with a two dollar item than a twenty dollar item. Because I have yucky knees for example, I don’t try on bottoms in the stores. Sure, occasionally I kiss a few frogs. However, I’ve also acquired designer jeans for less than five dollars.
How do I deal with second hand discrimination? Well, first of all I really don’t worry about it. But seriously, if you do, who has to know where you got something? When my kids were high school fashion plates and they got asked where they got their outfits, the stock answer was “I don’t know, mom got it for me”. If someone compliments me, I simply say “thank you”. If they ask where I got it and I’m not comfortable admitting it was used, I may say something such as “Thanks, I got it in Austin”, and leave it at that. Very few people I know as for the genealogical background on things I bought. Most of my family and friends know and admire my scrounging ability. At the moment, I have about twenty designer style Christmas plates of different sizes. These were all bought for pennies, and will be given with home goodies at the holidays. The recipients will know where I got the plates, and be thrilled.
Everyone has to use their own level of frugality. If you have needs or want that are not being met through your budget, or if you are just a bargain hound, used shopping is the way to go. There are things I buy new on occasion and do not feel guilty doing so. But If I’ve only got five bucks, I would MUCH rather get the l
Land’s End top at the thrift store for five bucks than the Target or Wal-Mart thingy for the same price. But hey, that’s just me.
For the record, a not necessarily inclusive list of items I will not buy used includes; underwear and socks, pillows and mattresses, stuffed furniture, shoes (I know people who have had success, but I need a specific brand), quilting fabric and supplies, some craft supplies, and obviously food and health/beauty items. Should I make any improvements to the house, I would probably look at my used options and then move to new.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Living Richly in Retirement-Taking Advantage of Discounts and Deals
Life is meant to be lived richly. For those of us on fixed incomes, or who have less retirement savings than we had hoped, this can be a challenge. In the long term, there are three things we can do to reach our goals. The first is to cut those expenses that are less than important to us. The second thing that can be done is to increase income, if we are able. The final thing that we can do is find a way to do and purchase those things we need and love for much less.
I had originally meant to write about time versus money in retirement. However, my experiences the last couple of days have me writing in a slightly different direction. An advantage of living a“competitive” economy is that deals and discounts about, from all sources. The advantage of living in the age of technology is the ability to know about and take advantage of those offers, because we are aware of them almost instantly.
Christmas is upon us, and along with it a few minor financial challenges for many. I fully appreciate the “reason for the season” as the saying goes. I also appreciate the food, exchanging presents with sixteen family members and other close friends, holiday travel, and the concerts and festivals that are part of the season. Imagine if I had grandchildren to spoil as well! Because of my limited budget, I need to have a plan, or I would be unable to do afford those things. One part of my plan is to take advantages of discounts, freebies, deals and favored customer offers that are available to me. This is an area that so many people simply ignore. By spending just a little bit of time (of which I have an abundance), I save money in large amounts.
This past weekend was just one excellent example of using discounts to afford things that might not be in my budget. Frugality does not have to be deprivation. Last weekend, in between quilting and college football, I made a brief trip to my local shopping plaza. In the space of about an hour and a half, I managed to get a group of Christmas gifts for more than fifty percent off. I purchased two fifty dollar ITunes cards for $35.00. Then I bought five Hasbro games ($35.00 value) for about a dollar and a half a game. Finally, I bought $50.00 in borders gift certificates and received an extra $20.00 in gift cards. The total value of my purchases was approximately $205.00 and my out of pocket expenses were a little over $100. All that for about an hour of shopping time and another fifteen minutes of perusing a couple online sites to check on deals available (done while watching LSU and Alabama).
Deals like this abound. I may allow only $20.00 a month for eating out, and a few dollars for so called entertainment. But because I find discounts and specials online, I’m able to do all the things that I like to do at little or no cost. It’s not the whole solution for living on a fixed income, but it makes the difference between deprivation and enjoyment, on a regular basis.
I had originally meant to write about time versus money in retirement. However, my experiences the last couple of days have me writing in a slightly different direction. An advantage of living a“competitive” economy is that deals and discounts about, from all sources. The advantage of living in the age of technology is the ability to know about and take advantage of those offers, because we are aware of them almost instantly.
Christmas is upon us, and along with it a few minor financial challenges for many. I fully appreciate the “reason for the season” as the saying goes. I also appreciate the food, exchanging presents with sixteen family members and other close friends, holiday travel, and the concerts and festivals that are part of the season. Imagine if I had grandchildren to spoil as well! Because of my limited budget, I need to have a plan, or I would be unable to do afford those things. One part of my plan is to take advantages of discounts, freebies, deals and favored customer offers that are available to me. This is an area that so many people simply ignore. By spending just a little bit of time (of which I have an abundance), I save money in large amounts.
This past weekend was just one excellent example of using discounts to afford things that might not be in my budget. Frugality does not have to be deprivation. Last weekend, in between quilting and college football, I made a brief trip to my local shopping plaza. In the space of about an hour and a half, I managed to get a group of Christmas gifts for more than fifty percent off. I purchased two fifty dollar ITunes cards for $35.00. Then I bought five Hasbro games ($35.00 value) for about a dollar and a half a game. Finally, I bought $50.00 in borders gift certificates and received an extra $20.00 in gift cards. The total value of my purchases was approximately $205.00 and my out of pocket expenses were a little over $100. All that for about an hour of shopping time and another fifteen minutes of perusing a couple online sites to check on deals available (done while watching LSU and Alabama).
Deals like this abound. I may allow only $20.00 a month for eating out, and a few dollars for so called entertainment. But because I find discounts and specials online, I’m able to do all the things that I like to do at little or no cost. It’s not the whole solution for living on a fixed income, but it makes the difference between deprivation and enjoyment, on a regular basis.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Christmas in July...er...August
So while I love giving gifts and would not change Christmas in any way, I have had to learn to be creative about acquiring gifts, as well as cutting down on gifts for my immediate family. Fortunately over the years I've been able to develop a few methods for doing this. First, I make many of my gifts, and secondly, I get gifts for pennies throughout the year. These are both things that anyone can do.
When it comes to how a acquire gifts for pennies, some of the methods I've mentioned here already, but I'll share them again. Also, although it is not my intention to ever turn into a coupon or deals site, occasionally I may mention a specific deal in the future just to share how easy it can be.
As I said before, I sign up online with all the stores and receive free gifts and high value coupons. Secondly, I shop yard sales. While many people think of yard sales for kids stuff, it's not necessarily true. My brother would love a boys life from the late sixties, when we lived in Hawaii (Something to do with mongoose trapping and the like). I take baskets and clean them and use them for gift baskets. And I can always use more canning jars. The third big thing I do is that I sign up for every single reward program there is. I shop mainly online and I do so through a portal that gives me cash back. I take every freebie offered (not the trial sized stuff, but everything else). In the past week I have gotten a free photo book, a free photo collage and a set of photo cards for nothing-and that includes shipping. The very last big thing I do to get good gifts for pennies is that I keep my eyes out for gift card deals. They usually appear mainly at Christmas. Last year, if I bought a hundred dollars in Barnes and Noble gift cards, I got a free 25.00 card. My in laws love to eat out, and last year I got a free $25.00 gift card for buying them a $50.00 gift card from Carrabas.
I need to say that doing these things do NOT take me a lot of time. I'm not tied to my computer all day long. I simply make it a part of my day, usually when I do emails morning and night to also visit a list of about five websites that regularly keep me updated about the deals of the day, and I take advantage of them or not as I see fit. Obviously, this kind of shopping requires a certain basic knowledge of the kinds of gifts that relative want, or at least the stores and restaurants they use. If it's a far away relative, you may have to hope that you have a hint from mom or dad or sister and wait later in the season to shop.
My other primary source for gifts is things I make. Let me say here right off the bat that although I am a quilter, not all of the gifts I give are quilted items, and there are many ways to make gifts. Nice gifts, gifts that your family will be happy to have. We all have skills of some kind that we can use to this purpose. And I don't man just painted magnets here. I am not a gourmet cook by any means. But in previous years I have made flavored sauces for ice cream (raspberry chocolate sauce made with liqueur and chocolate for example) and put them in a decorated basket with garage sale scrounged glasses. This year I am making different flavors of barbecue sauces and doing baskets. I am also not an accomplished scrapbooker, although I have some supplies. My children are going to get cookbooks with family recipes. The computer will be my friend. And as an experiment I am making one large picture frame collage with a map of all of Normandy and the beaches and pictures of our visit there for my son. I tell you these things only to show that these are the kinds of things that are appreciated, and that most anyone can make. You don't have to be "artistic" or "crafty" to make gifts.
My last source of gifts is one that usually gets only used with my children, and previously with my husband. That's the "coupon" or "permission gift". I've promised a child a gourmet dinner of their choosing (there are a few things I can cook!!). I've promised them a day doing something that we both like. When they were younger I gave promises of sleepovers and of staying up late. As for the permissions, for years my husband and I did not give each other gifts, but gave each other "permission" to buy something outside of our normal comfort range that we could not buy for the other person. I would never have been able to choose my husband's new ski boots, for example.
One of the benefit of acquiring gifts this way is obviously financial. My overall expenditure is much less for the same items that someone might purchase as gifts in November and December. The other advantage is peace, for lack of a better word. I don't have to go near a mall or a store after Thanksgiving unless I choose, as a rule. I love Christmas, and in fact I go to a holiday concert every year, as well as Christmas craft fairs and other events. But I choose the time and place, that place is never Walmart, Target or the mall.
Now, I'm off to look for recipes Hot Buttered Rum Mix!
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