It's still Christmas

At least it is until all of the Christmas stuff is clearanced out at the stores. I couldn't help adding to my stash at 70% and 80% off. The veneers, buttons, washi tape, and journaling cards are going in my scrapbook stash. The ribbon is going in the gift wrap ribbon box (not the scrapbook ribbon boxes). The gift boxes and stickers are the only things being packed away with the Christmas stuff.

Happy Earth Day!

We spent our Earth Day morning at the chic French store, Tar-jay, where we picked up this adorable little tote for free. Mr. Fix-it was disappointed in the size of the bag (9.5 x 10.5 x 6.5), but I like the small size and think it will be useful. I also like all the samples that were included since some are items I'm considering buying.

If you hurry over to Target, they still might have some bags. The giveaway was posted on every deal/frugal site I subscribe to so I expect the stores to run out of bags quickly.

Bye-bye Borders

I wasn't planning on hitting Border's clearance sale, but we happened to be in the area a couple weeks ago so we stopped in. There wasn't much left, despite the prices not being that good. I don't think 20 to 30% off a bargain. I did have a handful of magazines (at 50% off) that tempted me, but ended up getting only these two (Mr. Fix-it was not thrilled about me bringing more magazines home).
If you're interested in where to shop after Border's closes, check these independent book stores.

Out with the old

Over the holiday break, I convinced Mr. Fix-it to take a few shopping trips so I could scout out some bargains. I didn't get a few things I wanted (a black belt, new coat, dress shoes and pants for work), but I get a few sweaters for work, two pairs of sneakers (mine are falling apart), three nightgowns (I don't really need them, but I couldn't resist since they were only $2 each), and nylons (yes, I still wear them).

In my quest to reduce the amount of crap in the house, I am trying to throw out something for every new item I bring in, so this means I needed to get rid of eight things (I'm not counting the nylons since they'll get thrown out eventually). In an ideal world, it would be one for one, but I couldn't bear to part with two pairs of shoes (I'm keeping my crappy sneakers for working in the yard). It was a struggle, but here's what is going into the giveaway box:Really, why am I keeping skirts that don't fit or blouses I don't like or a rose-colored suit that I haven't worn in 10 years? Who knows if anyone at Goodwill will want this stuff? All of it is still wearable (some of the tops have only been worn a few times), even if it isn't fashionable.

I did pick up another bargain, some of my favorite chocolate. I'm pretty sure the candy will taste just as good now as it would have before Christmas. It was only 40% off, but since the candy hardly ever goes on sale, I couldn't resist.

Crafty enabler alert!

Thanks to my friend Holly (there's a link to her blog on the right), I found out some awesome sales via Splitcoaststampers.com. Check it out!

http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/shophop

And here a code (SANTA25) for 25% off at your​scrapbookst​ash.com. That includes sale items.

We haven't hit the post holiday sales yet. I'm pretty sure by the time we get to the stores, we'll only find XSs and XLs left, neither of which fit us.

All shopped out

Maybe the reason we didn't shop this weekend is because I was tired of hunting for bargains after all the grocery shopping I did. In case you didn't know, the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas are great for stocking up on groceries. There are usually more coupons in the paper and there are also lots of sales. Combine the two and you can save lots of money on staples. I didn't do as well as I did during the great pasta stockpile of 2010 when I got everything for free or 50 cents/lb or less. But I did get salsa for free and chicken broth for 25 to 50 cents a can, and some canned soup for emergency meals (free). About half of that savings was coupons and the other half was store club member savings. I really dislike having to join store clubs just to save $, but if I don't join, I feel like I'm getting ripped off. I'm pretty sure I'm skewing their statistics because I buy my fruits and vegetables at other stores where the selection is better and cheaper.

My second trip to the store I didn't save quite as much, but on the other hand, I was running out of room in the pantry.
I'm sure there will be more great sales before Christmas so keep an eye out for the ads.

Recession, what recession

A couple weeks ago, we went to one of the high-end malls so I could check out this darling salt and pepper set. Let me present Mr. and Mrs. Chin:

They are from Alessi. The set is from a collaboration between the company and the National Palace Museum of Taiwan, which hold a special place in my heart. In addition to the salt/pepper set, you can buy magnets, an egg cup, and other items (I really want the timer too). But at $56, I decided that cute was too expensive. Hopefully, a certain someone will read this and add it to my Christmas wish list (given a choice between the two, I'd like the kitchen timer;) ).

As we walked around the mall, we were struck by how many people had shopping bags and were waiting in line to buy more. All of the stores were busy, busy, busy. Maybe when you shop at the expensive mall, you don't need to worry about the recession?

On the way home, we stopped at the 99 Cents store and while the selection wasn't the same, boy, that place was rockin'! People had shopping carts full of stuff, mostly food. So maybe that store is a better indicator of the economy.

I was hoping to take advantage of President's Day sales and talked Mr. Fix-it into taking a drive to one of the outlet malls (that was my Valentine's Day present, lol). We got a late start and arrived about an hour after the mall opened. Bad idea since the parking lot was already full and people were circling for parking spaces. We lucked out and got a parking space in front. I couldn't believe that people were leaving already, and loaded down with bags. Maybe they're more efficient shoppers than I am. Unfortunately, we did not do our part to boost the economy. I was hoping to get a few pairs of shoes and some work clothes, but didn't have any success. While all the stores had sales, I guess I'm either built wrong for today's styles or I'm too cheap so I only ended up with one blouse. Unfortunately, it has been that way for a few years and I'm desperate for new clothes/shoes. Hopefully, I'll be able to boost the economy later, lol.

So much for after Christmas shopping

We braved the mall for a couple of hours and ended up not buying a thing, though we were in the minority. Not that there weren't things we needed (okay, that I needed. Like dress shoes and dress clothes for work. And heck, I could even use a couple dresses. I need a new LBD (little black dress) and I wouldn't mind some dresses for work. But the crowds really turned us off so we decided to not boost the economy. The parking lot was full and there were people waiting for our spot when we left, even though it was on the outskirts of the lot.

We ended up at Target where I finally remembered to look for these:
Can you believe I was going to pay FULL PRICE WITHOUT A COUPON for them? Not only that, but I bought two(!) packages. Must mean I was really excited to find them or was depressed that I didn't get any new clothes or maybe I didn't want to make another trip to the store. Lucky for me, they were on sale so I saved a couple of dimes on each package.

They aren't as good as I remembered. The one and only time I've had them was on our flight to (or was it from?) Hong Kong; they were the real thing, made by Arnott's. Maybe my memory is faulty. But I still like them. I think the milk chocolate version is better than the dark chocolate, even though I am a dark chocolate fan. If you're interested in trying Tim Tams, they're only available until March.

Photo 126/365 Got Cheez-its?

Yes, we have a few, lol. They're on sale through today, $1.99/box at Target. A good price, but not a great price. What makes the price great is you get a $5 gift card when you buy five. Mr. Fix-it usually doesn't like it when I buy in bulk, but since these are for him, he was pretty excited this time, lol. Although he did think that buying another five boxes would be overkill (hey, I could have used my $5 gift card and the next batch would have been free!)

Looking for a holiday gift?

Check out these etsy shops. They're all great artists (and friends of mine, tell 'em I sent you).

The Checkered Rabbit Cute cards, tags, other paper arts, other crafts.

Dusty Rose Designs Beautiful ceramic animals, shells, fruits, polymer animals too. She also does custom sculptures of your pets.

She's gone crafty Cute cards, albums, paper crafts.

Kristie's Kreations Amazing jewelry and county primitives

Photo 115/365 Mien, mi fun, you bing, ho yau, choy

We went grocery shopping at the Asian market today. I showed the sale flyer to Mr. Fix-it and asked if he saw anything he wanted. He handed it back and told me he didn't recognize anything, lol. (Sorry to mix Mandarin and Cantonese in the title, but that's how I know the names.)

Photo 112/365 Bargain of the day

I don't normally buy candles...I have dozens of Partylite tealights and votive candles in the closet...most of the scents are discontinued, they're so old. But I couldn't resist these since I'm interested in trying soy candles (why??? I hardly ever burn them). Resistance was futile since I got them for free with coupons, woo hoo!!

Photo 108/365 I think we're well stocked now

TP was on sale, had coupons, and got a $5 gift card for purchasing two mega packs. (Unfortunately, I didn't get it for free like you expert couponers/CVSers do.) Ran out of room to store all of this, lol.

Not helping the economy

I went to the mall after work today. Target was bustling, but the rest of the mall was dead. In fact, there were several shops that were closed. I couldn't tell if they were closed for good, closed early, closed for the season (one was an ice cream shop), or what. In any case, I figure that closed shops are not a good sign of the economy. I was there to return a couple of items and I had no intention of buying more stuff, but there was a shoe sale and I need new shoes. No, really I do. I need more dress shoes for work, both for wearing with dresses and pants. Lucky for my pocketbook, nothing fit or was available in my size. Not good for the store or the economy.

Mom's not helping the economy either. When I was home, she thanked me again for the pants I gave her...about 20 years ago. Honestly, I can't remember when I gave them her so I'm just guessing. (Hey J, do you remember?) Mom hasn't bought new clothes in years. She wears the hand-me-downs from anyone who'll give them to her, no matter how they fit, lol.

As for grocery shopping, we struggled to spend $20 so we could take advantage of the some of the loss leader coupons. I think the six-pack of water for me put us over the top. She's got a fridge/freezer full of food so I'm not sure where it all comes from. Basically, I'm just saying that as much as I like shopping, don't depend on us to stimulate the economy.

Photos 57-59/365

Before: March is Frozen Food month so last month I started using stuff to clear out space. Then last night I rearranged stuff in anticipation of today's shopping trip. I don't know if you can tell, but the third shelf is half empty.

After: It was a bit of an effort, but I fit almost everything in. I did have to take out some tamales, so we'll be having those for dinner later in the week.

$45.46 for 44 items. Enough food for about 25 breakfasts and 25 lunch/dinner entrees (not all of that is frozen foods, for example, there's yogurt in the fridge and oatmeal in the cupboard now). I still have to buy fresh fruit, veggies, and soy milk, but not bad, eh? Theoretically I saved $95, but it took quite a bit of time to check the ads, clip the coupons, and find the items in the store, so my savings/hour isn't as high as I would like.

Photo 21/365

I love Target clearance! I always browse the end caps for sale items and I found this KI kit, regularly $24.99. It was marked down to $17.48, not that great of a discount. It was the only one on the shelf, whereas before Christmas, two shelves on the end cap were filled with them. On a hunch, I took it over to the price scanner and almost started hyperventilating. Okay, that's an exaggeration. But at $6.24, I couldn't pass it up. Let's just ignore the fact that I've got waaaay too much stuff and I'm trying to destash. It's an addiction, I tell ya.

Fun times at the mall

I decided to brave the mall today. I ended up buying one last gift at a great price so it was worth the trip. I also bought a dress for my nephew's wedding, though I haven't decided if I'm going to keep it. Nothing like trying on a couple dozen dresses to make you feel like you have no style and no shape. I was desperate enough to browse the Junior dresses; not surprisingly, nothing caught my eye. But I am feeling desperate about what to wear to the wedding. Maybe I can lose five pounds in the next couple weeks and wear a dress I have the closet from a couple years ago.

The mall was crowded; people were circling for parking spaces. Almost everyone was carrying multiple bags and there were long lines at most registers so maybe people are finally shopping. Hope this bodes well for the economy.

What down economy?

I can't believe we braved the Black Friday crowds. Mr. Fix-it never shops on Black Friday and for the past few years, I've been lukewarm about it. After perusing the ads yesterday, we decided to go for it. I guess it would have been better if we had gotten up early, but I slept in...til 6:15, lol. Mr. Fix-it was already at Lowes picking up some tool thingie (that's the technical term) and then made a stop at Target (if I had known he was going to Target, I might have gotten up earlier). Then he came home to enjoy some coffee and pick me up for the next round: Walmart, the mall, and the grocery store. Yes, Walmart, please don't judge me. We can discuss the merits and problems of Walmart some other time.

Walmart had a full parking lot and was a zoo. I picked up some jeans for $8 and a crockpot for $15. Note to shoppers: If you fold the clothing up and put it back approximately where you got it, it would make shopping so much easier for the next person. I'm not asking for perfection. I just think it is rude for you to grab a pair of jeans, look at them, toss them randomly back on the shelf and then repeat the process several times. Walmart had one girl there just refolding jeans. She did that the entire time we were there (the jeans were the first thing I looked for and we passed her on the way to the checkstand).

The mall wasn't any better. We were shocked at how full the parking lot was. On top of that, everyone had several shopping bags, though most were from toy stores and major retailers rather than independent or high-end stores. There were huge lines in all the stores we visited. All we ended up with was two pairs of shoes for me. $46 for two pairs, not bad. It was crazy trying to get out of the parking lot. We went out the "back" and drove several blocks to a different freeway onramp that was farther away, but ultimately, I think it probably saved us at least 15 minutes.

Our best deals were at the grocery store. As I suspected, there were lots of foods marked down half price (this particular store is famous for doing that and I figured it would be even better the day after a holiday) so we ended up with three bags of groceries. We'll still need to get some fresh stuff at the regular grocery store, but I'm happy with our haul.

The retail stores were just crazy! The grocery store was empty. I didn't attempt to go to Michaels, even though there's stuff I want. There's limits to Mr. Fix-it's patience, lol. Maybe I'll go tomorrow.

The bargin hunters

A couple weeks ago, we went out to breakfast and the department store next to the restaurant just happened to be having a clearance sale. I convinced Mr. Fix-it to make a stop and woo hoo! Jackpot! I got three skirts, two tops (of course, they don't match so I need to do some more shopping ;) ), and Mr. Fix-it got a pair of slacks and a nice shirt. All for $102. Not as cheap as I would like, but I really wanted to update my work wardrobe.

Then just a week later, I saw that the same store was having another clearance sale. So we went to a different location and I found a few more things. But what really caught my attention was the skirt I just bought was $6 less than the other skirts I had purchased (they were all the same price originally). So I asked the clerk if I could bring back the other items for a price adjustment, even though I bought them on clearance. Now, if it had been a few weeks, I probably wouldn't have thought about it, but it had only been a week (literally 7 days and two hours) since I purchased the original items. Mr. Fix-it wasn't too thrilled with more shopping and the returns so I went back myself and of course, did even more shopping, lol.

It turns out for the price adjustment, I had to return everything I bought and then repurchase them. Whatever works is okay with me. The new total? $53! So I saved $49; Mr. Fix-it was pretty impressed. Between the two shopping trips that day, I got four more things, which were way less than $49 so I'm still ahead. I'm pretty excited about my new purchases, can you tell?

Then today, we were grocery shopping and got a great deal on meat. The store called it a grill special: 4 hamburger patties, 4 Italian sausage, and 8 pieces of chicken for $4.99. We were going to have it for dinner tonight, but then we got invited to a BBQ tomorrow. Since the meat was such a good deal, we offered to bring the main course, lol.

Never send a man to do the grocery shopping

Yes, I know that's a sexist title, but it got your attention, right?

We didn't go grocery shopping this weekend so were running low on a few things. Plus there were some awesome sales on instant oatmeal and I had coupons. I was going to shop before work, but Mr. Fix-it wasn't working so I decided to send him instead.

First, a little background on the oatmeal. I'm not a huge oatmeal fan, but I've been eating it for breakfast because it is cheap and high in fiber. Normally, I use plain, regular oatmeal, you know, the kind you cook over the stove, except I cook it in the microwave at work. For convenience (and a flavor treat), I like to keep some of the instant oatmeal around. I found this awesome new multi-grain hot cereal by Quaker, Simple Harvest. Unfortunately, it is way more expensive than the regular instant oatmeal. For the sale, with my coupon, it would be free!!! Yahoo!

I only like certain instant oatmeal flavors: cinnamon, brown sugar, pecans, or combinations thereof. Sooo, what do he get? Vanilla almond. Yuck! (yes, I tried one and don't like it.) And reduced sugar brown sugar. Another yuck! Mr. Fix-it didn't realize he bought a reduced sugar version, which I refuse to eat. (Maybe I'll post about that later.) Luckily, I found a coworker who took the reduced sugar version off of my hands. Mr Fix-it will eat one package of the vanilla almond and will try to exchange the other. Grrrr, and I thought it was such a simple request.