#3 - SALES

Something new
that I've started in 2010

is marking on my calendar when

the stores I frequent are having

their big sales.  

One that I remember from previous experience is that the cheapest time to buy paint (like Behr) is Memorial Day.  I've also commented that the last week of January, Hallmark usually marks their Christmas cards to 90% off.

But I wanna do SO MUCH BETTER than that.

I already have signed up online for emails from the stores I frequent the most.  I've been getting those emails for the last year or two at least.  But - I'm wanting to be more purposeful in shopping when an item's already on sale.  Why should I pay full price???  I'm a stay-at-home mom.  Aaron's job is to earn the money - one of my jobs is to save it as I spend it.

So - I've started marking on my calendar when stores are having their big sales.  There is absolutely NO reason for me to pay full price for anti-bacterial hand soap from Bath & Body Works this week if in two more weeks they're going to have their semi-annual sale where it's basically Buy One Get Three Free.  Right???  It makes MUCH more sense financially to stock up twice a year there (at prices which will then rival Soft Soap) during the big sale.  Or why in the world should I pay full price for furniture from Ethan Allen to fill our empty basement in January - when perhaps their "everything is 80% off" sale is in March?  For the most part stores are pretty regular when it comes to sales - and I'm gonna be ready for them.

Some things are obvious - or at least I think they're obvious.  I ALWAYS buy decorations AFTER the season is over.  I currently own ZERO Valentine decorations - 2 spring decorations - and only a handful of summer ones.  Our budget hasn't been determined yet to know if I'll start adding to those seasons this year, or wait one more.  But I'm pretty good for Fall and Christmas.

I also ALWAYS buy clothing after the season's over.  For example - last week I went to Kohls and Target and got almost all of Alex's clothes for next fall/winter.  I don't think anything I got was more than 20% of the original price (at least 80% off).  Those prices equalled consignment and thrift store prices.  And they're NEW - they'll definitely hold up for two kids to use them. (Except for the jeans and socks - Alex has started to wear holes in his this year for the first time ever).

One of my New Year's Resolutions (if you can call them that) is to change how I spend money.  It's not really that I plan to spend LESS - I've got a house (that's more than double the size of our previous one) to decorate.  But I will be spending more wisely.  Aaron has been blessed with a job that doesn't require us to do all of our shopping at the thrift store.  BUT - I WILL NOT PAY FULL PRICE!  For the better part of a year (as we were preparing to relocate) we were able to live off one paycheck and save the other one each month.  Well, our current mortgage is bigger than our previous one. So is our electric bill - and we suddenly have a gas bill too. BUT - by June we should be able to do that once again.  And our current budget allows for our 30 year mortgage to be paid off in 15 years.  Who knows what the future holds for any of us ... we REFUSE to live "at or beyond" our means.

Anywho... this post was about sales.  I just wanted to share with you that one more "trick" I've picked up is to mark when your favorite stores are having their biggest sales - so you'll be able to buy what you really want and only pay a fraction of the price.

 It IS possible to live the lifestyle 

without paying through the nose.