REI Garage Sale

I keep promising that I am "back and will be posting more regularly." Still hoping that will be true. We are back from our one summer vacation, and with 3 weeks before school starts for my boys, I hope things settle down a bit.

I did want to mention some of the great deals that can be found at REI's Garage Sale, which happens a couple of times a year, and is a smorgasbord of merchandise at true bargain-basement prices. A good portion of them are customer returns, but there are bargains to be had. My friend got a bike attachment for her 3 1/2-year-old daughter that essentially attaches her little bike to the back of a full-size bike. Regular price was $199, and they got it "slightly and very gently used" for $69 at the most recent REI Garage Sale.

If you have an REI in your area, check them out!

I Love IKEA!

My sons are away at Scout Camp this week, making for a very quiet empty nest. I took advantage of this opportunity and attacked the disaster area that passes for my 13-year-old's bedroom. It is the smallest bedroom in the house (with the biggest closet--go figure), and he did not get ANY organizational skills. It was knee-deep in sweatshirts, musical instruments (two trombones), Legos, Magic cards, etc. I decided that one thing I wanted to find for his room was a chest bed, or some sort of bed with storage under it.

I looked on Craigslist and didn't see anything that floated my boat, so I checked the website for IKEA. I saw this bed, the Mörrum, listed for $249.00. The open shelving on the ends, and the fact that there was no footboard (he is 5'7" and growing like nuts) appealed to me, so my hubby and I decided to drive out there to see how it looked in person.

I just about had a coronary when we actually made our way through the IKEA maze and found the floor model. It was marked down from $299 to $49. That is not a typo: $49!!! Holy cow! Were they kidding? It is made of metal tubes and particleboard, and really only has to last two years, as Mr. 13-Year-Old has his eye on Mr. 16-Year-Old's super single waterbed in a couple of years when Mr. 16 is off to college. What we had hoped were drawers in the middle were actually doors, that opened to two large compartments. That works. Especially for $49.

We grabbed the bed, the wooden slats (in lieu of box springs), and a rack for hanging neckties for his closet (on sale for $1), all for a total of $76.65 after tax. Hubby and I still can't believe it. We'll set it up Wednesday or Thursday evening, in plenty of time to surprise Mr. 13.

I felt like I was in that IKEA commercial where the lady runs out of the store, calling to her husband to start the car because she got such great deals on her stuff. Check out an IKEA near you!

Getting Back to Frugal Business

Wow, with Christmas and being snowbound for more than a week, things have really gotten away from me, but now that the snow is melting away and the hubby is back at work, it's time to get back into gear. I'm not looking forward to my next heating bill, as we were all at home running the heat at our standard 67 degrees during the very bitter cold and the snowstorms (vs. being at work or school--the kids missed FIVE days--with our furnace set at 63 while we were gone). The snowstorms also forced me to do my grocery shopping at a store that I don't normally shop at, but which was easier to get to (no hills), and boy, did I notice the difference. Talk about sticker shock! I can't wait to get back to Albertson's and Safeway tomorrow.

I'm pleased to report that we spent about $30 less on Christmas this year than we did last year (hey, it's better than spending more). I did a ton of shopping, especially for my hubby, on amazon.com this year. One thing I learned about that is if you see a good sale price on amazon, you have to grab it right then and there, or risk the price going up next time you are out on the website.

I'm finding the after-Christmas sales to be good, and I hope you are too. I've picked up lots of wrapping paper, gift tags, gift bags, wrapping paper, ornaments, small gifts for next year, etc., at prices 50-75% off normal. My best bargain so far has been 6 strings of 25 C9 outdoor lights (red and white ceramic lights) and 12 packages of 4 green C9 replacement bulbs for $19.37 after tax.

Look for more posts from me in the new year as we all try to make our way for as little money as possible in the new economic environment.

Happy New Year!

Things I Only Buy On Sale, Part 1

There are certain things that I only buy when they are on sale. Here's some of the grocery items that are only on my list when there are deals to be had:

• Soda—has to be at least half-price. I've cut down on buying soda in general; my hubby and I have decided that even diet sodas are bad for watching weight, and I keep a little bit of root beer on hand for an occasional treat for the boys.
• Breakfast cereal—$1/box or less. Cereal goes on sale here frequently, thankfully.
• Butter and margarine—both of these freeze wonderfully (Imperial margarine seems to freeze the best). I have two entire rows in the door of my freezer of nothing but butter and margarine. I can't remember the last time I paid full price for it.
• Granola bars and fruit snacks—another category that I won't buy unless I can get it for at least half price.
• Ice cream—Safeway puts their Select brand on all the time. I don't bother with the national brands anymore, as they have really shrunk their carton sizes lately.
• Dishwasher detergent—anyone who has read about my grocery deals lately know that I have been scoring some great deals on diswasher detergent.

I'd love to hear some of the things you only buy on sale, and how often those deals tend to come up. In a future post, I plan to list some of the non-grocery items I only buy when they are on sale.

ShoeBuy.com

Wow, I have a new favorite website for shopping for shoes: Shoebuy.com. I went out there looking for some Brooks cross-trainers for the gym. My feet have been giving me trouble lately, so I didn't want to just get a pair of cheapies. I have a pair of Brooks walking shoes that I love, so I thought I would give these cross-trainers a try. They were originally $93.50, but ShoeBuy had them on sale for $62.45. Then, because I found an online coupon code on mycoupons.com, I got 15% off. Then, because I registered with them, I got another 10% off. AND because I accessed the website through my credit card's online shopping site, I will get 9% back in rewards points.

Oh, and it just keeps getting better. I was not charged for sales tax OR for shipping. My total bill was $47.77, less than half the original retail price. If I need to return the shoes, return shipping is also free. I can't wait to get my shoes and see how they fit.

I put a link off to the left if you would like to join my referral network. You will get a coupon for $10 off your order, and if you register you can get another 10% off. Plus, if I get at least 3 people to sign up through me and place an order, I'll get a $100 ShoeBuy.com gift certificate.

e.l.f. Makeup for $1

I just got an e-mail from a friend who turned me on to a sale at http://www.eyeslipsface.com. Apparently, Nordstrom has bought the e.l.f. line and will be rebranding these products with their own label. As a result, they are selling off just about everything with the e.l.f. label for $1.00, plus standard shipping of $6.95. I don't know what their regular prices are, but I figure for eye makeup remover pads, eye liner, eye brushes, eyeshadow applicators, concealer, mascara, lip color, and lip balm, I got a pretty good deal. There is also a coupon code, CAROLINA, that gives you up to $7.50 off your order (if your order is under $15, you get 50% off; you get $7.50 off orders over $15.00).

I ordered a total of 17 items, applied my coupon code, and ended up paying $16.45 including shipping (no tax was applied).

If you need to add a few makeup basics to your kit, check it out (some items, like gift sets, and minerals, are slightly higher in price but still a good deal).

JC Penney Clearance SALE!

If you have a JC Penney nearby, now is the time to go. They are having a clearance sale through Thursday (August 28) with prices up to 75% off. You can get an extra 15% off if you have a JC Penney card (which I don't). Here's what I got:

Long paisley skirt: $4.97, regular $40.00. Hot pink top: $4.97, regular $36.00.

Brown knit top: $4.97, regular $24.00; rose top: $4.97, regular $36.00.

Grand total including tax was $21.67. At original price, after tax, I would have paid $148.24. Well, no, I wouldn't--because I wouldn't have bought them at original price. I don't pay full price for clothes (especially when they are in a size that I am not particularly proud to be wearing again). The sale is storewide...definitely worth the trip if you've got the time in the next couple of days. Heck, I might even go back...I was kind of pressed for time when I was there today.