Kids Exchange Day 1

Last night I decided to that I would try going to the Kids Exchange this morning... with Jude. I had a few things in mind and a very tight budget. I brought $20 cash and wanted to look for diaper covers, mom books and toys. I spent a little more time than I wanted but less money so I guess we'll call it even. I didn't find any great deals on diaper covers but that was sort of a long shot to begin with. However, I did get 2 great breastfeeding books, Little People Noah's Ark Set and a Luke Skywalker action figure for toddlers.

I'm still debating as to weather or not I will go back for 1/2 price day on Sunday. 

Super Secret Birthday Trip

This past Saturday, after my yard sale excursion, Joe took me on a Secret Birthday Day-Trip. (Well it wasn't that secret since he told me about a few days in advance so I could plan.) We drove to Charlotte to visit the new IKEA.
Before we got married Joe and I took a big trip to the IKEA in Virginia (which was the closest location at the time) to buy furnishing for our new apartment. Since then they built one in Charlotte and we constructed a list of additional things we needed. So my for my birthday we put aside a little money and went shopping!

We mostly got small things but a few larger items came home with us... thanks to the Bonchaks who called us while laying on the beach in Charleston to ask if we could buy a 6ft Lack Wall Shelf. (We are good friends!)

So here's what we got...
Hannes Computer Unit w/Drawer
4 Vagen Curtain Rod Sets w/ 1 additional Double Rod wall hardware
3yds of Fredrika Fabric (the blue on blue print)
Ikea 365+ Garlic Press
Lattsam Potty in Blue
Barslig baby spoons
Kalas bowl set
Tripp tin set
Sy sewing Kit
Mula Bead Roller Coaster
4 Nyttja Frames
2 Granat Cushions
Charm Funnel Set (Blue)
3 Bars of Chocolate
1 box Kakor Chokladflarn (Double Chocolate Cookies)

We also ate at the Resturant and Bistro:
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Fries
Mac n Cheese
Ligonberry Soda
and
$1 Ice Cream to finish the day.

After our 4+ hour visit to IKEA we met Joe's friend Metal Mike at Akropolis Cafe for dinner and then let Jude play in the kids section of Barnes and Noble. Jude was great the whole trip! It was a great day spent with my family. Joe thought he was giving me a shopping trip but he gave me so much more.... all the things I love: Family, Road trips, Shopping, Deals, Chocolate, Greek Food and the perfect day!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Tips for Perimeter Perusing at Target

This is a repost from a blog, http://www.wisebread.com/
I love shopping at Target so I thought I would share this information!

Want a deal on a Dyson, a jogging stroller, or a jewelry armoire? What if I told you that it could be on sale at your local Target for 75% off, and there is little chance anyone else knows about it? In addition to the fantastic finds on the end caps of most aisles of your local Target store, there are fabulous hidden deals to be had for those of us who really want them.

Save Big Money - Target has a crazy system of marking down their merchandise. Those that are familiar can get some really great deals before anyone else even knows that they are on sale. Clearance items at Target are usually marked with a red sticker in the upper right-hand corner of the packaging. Sometimes, however, the stickers don’t display the full discount, or there may be no sticker at all.

Secret Deals - Regular Target deal hunters know that it can really be a hit or miss type of deal. Some parts of the country have fantastic deals on high-end items, with no hint of the discount from their sticker price. Other areas never mark these same items down. The only way to really know if an item is on “secret clearance” is to scan it, made handy by the self-scanning stations placed throughout most stores. In order to get an idea of what might be on secret clearance, it is often necessary to browse message boards and web forums of those shoppers that do this regularly. (For a great resource for getting awesome Target deals, do a search for “Target Perimeter Perusing” and see what you may find!)

Daily Markdowns – In addition to the odd lot items that may be lurking among the regular merchandise and could be haphazardly stashed at the end caps, Target has a system for marking down their merchandise weekly:

Monday - Electronics, Kids Clothing and Stationary (Cards, GiftWrap, etc.)
Tuesday - Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets and Market (food items)
Wednesday - Men's Clothing, Toys, Lawn & Garden, Health and Beauty
Thursday - House Wares, Lingerie, Sporting Goods, Shoes, Music / Movies, Books, Decor and Luggage
Friday - Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, and Jewelry

By closely following the markdown schedule, and hitting the stores early in the morning, it is possible to get what you want before anyone else knows about it. (We often hit the food items on Tuesday morning and come home with armloads of canned goods, boxed dinner kits, and gourmet juices for pennies!)

Holiday Deals – Target participates in a generous markdown after major holidays, as well. Clothing is at a fabulous price during their after-holiday clearance, with many Valentines or Independence Day t-shirts for under a buck. (By picking some generic prints and designs, they can be worn year-round.) Their holiday markdown schedule is usually as follows (with the exception of Christmas, which can vary):

50% off the day after holiday for three days
75% off the fourth day after holiday for three days
90% off the seventh day after holiday for 1-2 days.

Some additional points to note about Target shopping:

If you find an item at 75% off, and you want it, don’t let it get away! They rarely mark down non-holiday items below this discount.

If it the price ends in the number 4, you may be looking at your last chance to buy.

Check to be sure that an item marked “As Is” is worth purchasing. I have been duped on a few occasions by unscrupulous customers who opened a package and swapped out the contents with a knock-off or broken merchandise. Target will not honor returns on “As Is” merchandise. That being said, I have also gotten some great deals on a Graco Pack N’ Play and a car seat simply because they were ordered online and returned to the store. There may not be anything wrong with the item at all!

Don’t buy just to buy. Unless you are planning on reselling merchandise, or need the item anyway, don’t get tempted into buying for the thrill of it. Every penny you spend is that much more work you will have to do to earn it back. Play the game, but don’t lose at it.

The Target shopping game can be very competitive, and there will be others out there trying to get the same deals as you. Get there early, get what you want, and get out. You’ll save a bundle, and maybe even have some fun!

Jumping on the Coupon Bandwagon

I've been watching others have much success with grocery store coupons. I never thought it would be something I would excel at but I've decided to give it a try. With the upcoming expensive of a new baby we need to save all the pennies we can. So after a bit of internet research I discovered this great site that helps keep me informed of all the upcoming sales and triple coupon days!
http://www.savvydollar.org/
Savvy Dollar is the brainchild of Dan Griffin local business man and thrift spender. The site boasts great forum topics from upcoming grocery store sales to freebie websites that actually work!
Check out Dan's blogs:
http://slowwealth.blogspot.com/
and
http://savvydollar.blogspot.com/

I'm looking forward to the savings!