Posts Tagged ‘deals’

Today marks the first post of my new weekly series, Thrift Store Thursday. It’s great timing, considering yesterday was National Thrift Store Day. Each week I’ll share a thrift store find, usually my own, but I might highlight someone else’s treasures from time to time.

You’re invited to participate as well! Just leave a comment about your latest bargain so we can all ooh and aah with you. If you have a blog, feel free to share a link to your post.

Here’s my latest “steal.” I got these pillowcases for just $0.75 total at The Clothes Rack in Richmond. Look at all that sweet lace!

Does anyone know what type of flowers these are?

Your turn! What fabulous bargains did you find recently?

 

I know I don’t usually post about deals here, but since this one is for handmade items (primarily from Etsy stores), I thought y’all might find it interesting.

It seems there are daily deals sites popping up all over the place these days. Groupon, Living Social, Eversave, Beyond the Rack, No More Rack, Moo La La, Rue La La, the list goes on and on. They all function in the same manner and most of them have the same basic rewards system. Some even seem to have the same deals.

Today I discovered a new site for daily deals, but with one very big distinguishing feature, as well as a few couple smaller ones.

Heartsy is a daily deals site launched earlier this year and they sell handmade/homemade/homegrown items. Today’s offerings include organic heirloom seeds, handmade children’s clothes, handmade silver jewelry, printable homekeeping/home organization sheets, and more than 10 other deals.

As a buyer, you can also influence which vendors they team up with. They have a system for their buyers to rate potential vendors and, if they offer a deal you voted for, you could get a discount. The full details are on their site.

 

{Yep, that’s my referral link up there. If you don’t want to sign-up under me, you probably don’t want to use that link.}

My post on Monday (the reeaally long one), was about how I spent my birthday. But who says birthday celebrations can only last one day?

Checkout Line Take 1:

Sunday we dropped our car off at my mother-in-law’s and picked up her mini-van, then took off for IKEA. When we arrived, we picked up a loveseat and a slipcover for Bonnie and three long pieces of butcher block countertop for our kitchen, as well as three extra cushion covers for our new sofas . . . from the as-is section because they were missing the rest of the set.

Third Twine’s the Charm:

Outside, we began loading the van. And that’s when we discovered the bucket seats in the middle weren’t removable (the back seat had been taken out before we left). As it began to rain, Michael finagled everything around until the loveseat and counters stuck out just an inch or two. He opened the box of twine on the loading dock. Empty. Down the dock he went, to the next box. Empty. I saw him come walking back empty-handed and directed him to a third box I saw on the other side. Eureka!

Pop! Goes the Vehicle:

Twine in hand at last, he commenced tying down the trunk. He pulled down the trunk and then . . . pop! Back up it went. he pulled it down again and . . . pop! The same thing. His mom’s “smart” van sensed obstacles in the way and wouldn’t close. Finally Michael managed to get it to stay down and got it secured, while he got soaking wet. Then we hopped in the van to drive it into the parking garage. The “door ajar” alarm began to beep. And beep. And beep. sigh.

{image via}

Happy Birthday:

Inside IKEA again, and out of the rain, we headed first to the return counter to return the slipcover we had just purchased – since it was the wrong one! (At least we realized it before we left the premises.) Then we met up with my parents and one of my sisters at the marketplace restaurant. I helped my sister polish of her Swedish meatballs and then my mom bought chocolate cake for all of us. Mmmm. They all sang “Happy Birthday” to me in hushed whispers and we enjoyed my birthday cake and getting to see each other. Then we headed to the marketplace while my parents and sister went to the showroom.

Checkout Line Take 2:

Michael and I made a purposeful, yet not-too-quick jaunt through the marketplace, picking up the chandelier I wanted, as well as a few packs of batteries (IKEA sells batteries at an awesome price), a drawer organizer, a few storage boxes, a pair of curtains, the correct slipcover for his mom’s loveseat, and a kitchen sink. (Yes, really. We bought a kitchen sink.) Back outside we  took everything out of the car, folded the seats down instead of up (thanks to a brainstorming session with my parents), and managed to get everything into the car and the trunk closed. Then my mom called. “Did you remember to get the oil for your countertop?” she asked. Of course not. Why would we have remembered that? Guess we had to go in again.

Checkout Line Take 3:

Mom had told me exactly where the counter oil was, so we were able to walk right in and grab it. We passed my family on the way, so we stopped for a few more hugs then headed on towards the kitchen section. Oil in hand, Michael looked at me and laughed, “Is there anything else we want while we’re here?” I shook my head and we kept on until we got to the next-to-last section of the marketplace . . . the candles. We both spotted a chandelier that we loved, so we picked it up, along with the tapers that went with it. Then we grabbed a few lanterns and a bag of 100 tealights to go with those. Then we made our way to the checkout. Again.

{image via}

My Wonderful Memory:

About half an hour down the interstate, finally on our way towards home, I turned to look at Michael. “We were supposed to get your mom two slipcovers!” Oh well. I guess we’ll have to make another trip sometime.

I should really be a novelist, not a blogger. About four paragraphs into this, I realized it was really getting ridiculously long. But I kept going.

If you want the quick summary, skip down to the end. If you enjoy reading lengthy details about someone else’s life, start here . . .

This past Saturday was my birthday, and Michael had our day sketched out several weeks ago. We had planned to go yard sale-ing in the morning, but we both slept in after staying up late the night before playing “musical cabinets.” (More about that in a later post.)

When we finally got up, we drove down the road and had breakfast brunch at the diner. Biscuits and gravy . . . our favorite. Then we made the trip into town, where we caught a couple yard sales before they closed down, but didn’t find much worthwhile, except the delicious freshly-squeezed organic lemonade we bought from a young entrepreneur.

Finally we hit the thrift stores, consignment shops, and antiques mall. There was one particular consignment shop that I’ve recently heard lots about and I really wanted to stop there, so Michael drove to that part of town and we spotted it . . . and the completely full parking lot. We drove down the road a bit and then turned around and checked again. Still full.

Since there was another shop across the street, Michael suggested we check that one out first and then come back. So we browsed around for about half an hour and then looked across the road at Consignment Connection’s parking lot. Three available spaces! But before we could cross the street, all three spots were snatched up!

I was disappointed, but we still had time to come back later. We went further down the road and stopped in at another thrift store, where I could have spent three days just browsing their book section. Then it was time for a quick stop at Wendy’s for a Frosty before making one last pass by Consignment Connection. I scanned the parking lot and saw one space . . . and watched as someone pulled in right before us.

We gave up on Consignment Connection and drove back towards his mom’s house, stopping at an antiques mall and several thrift stores on the way. We didn’t buy anything till the last shop, where I purchased three pairs of children’s tap shoes, a board game, a belt, and this:

The cashier asked me if I had a hideous light up right now that I was going to be replacing with this. When I told her that I was going to be painting it, she seemed a bit relieved, as well as intrigued (she asked me to bring in a picture when it’s finished). Now I just have to decide whether I want to hang it in the kitchen, the living room, or my craft nook.

This thrift store was our last stop, but the day wasn’t over yet. We stopped by my mother-in-law’s house and convinced both her and my brother-in-law to join us for a round of putt-putt. I lost, as usual (I’m horrible at it, but it’s still fun), but made up for it when I putted my ball into the return and hit the “free game” slot. Now Michael and I can go back another time and just pay for one admission.

After mini-golf my mother-in-law took us out to eat, then Michael and I headed home, with one last stop to make. This time it was to the grocery store, so he could get me a birthday cake (and I could close my eyes and pretend not to see when he bought trick candles ). There’s one particular brand of frozen pizza that I really like and love to have as a snack so, since we were planning to watch a movie when we got home, we went ahead and grabbed one of those as well.

Back home at last, we heated up the pizza and munched on it while watching Brian Regan. When the show was over, I was so tired and so full that we skipped the cake all together and just went to bed. It was a wonderful, happy birthday, even though my birthday cake is still sitting on the kitchen table, untouched.

Saturday was over but Sunday, and more birthday cake, were still to come.

The Summary

Saturday was my birthday. Michael took me out to brunch. Went to yard sales. Didn’t buy anything. Went to thrift stores, antiques mall, and consignment shop. Bought a chandelier to re-do. Played mini-golf with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law. Won a free game. Stopped at the store for a birthday cake. Not hungry for cake once we got home and ate. Had a wonderful day.

I’ve never purchased anything from The Body Shop before, but I’ve wandered through their store and oohed and aahed over all their goodies. So far I’ve not tried anything out because they’re rather pricey. But this deal was too good to pass up. I love the Orange Sapphire lotion at Bath & Body Works, so I’m hoping this body butter has a similar scent.

As stated in the ad above, when you make ANY purchase at The Body Shop, from now until December 5, 2010, you’ll receive a FREE full-sized Orange Jolly Body Butter (retail value of $20). It will be automatically added to your cart once you add something else. Anything else. And you’ll receive FREE SHIPPING as well!

To make this deal even better than it already is, sign up for Shop At Home and then go to The Body Shop via the Cyber Monday Weeklong Double Cashback Event page to get 20% cash back!

I purchased the Shea Soap to use this winter when my skin gets dry. I paid just $4.20 plus tax, and got the body butter free! All their soaps are $4 each (buy 3 and get 1 free), and they have several sponges and beauty tools for $3-$3.50 each.

After you shop, come on back and let me know what you got!

Thanks to the the Krazy Coupon Lady for the heads-up on this deal.

{That is my referral link to Shop at Home up there. If you don’t want to sign up under me, just visit www.shopathome.com to set-up your account.}

If you follow any coupon or frugalista blogs, you’ve probably already seen this deal today, but I’m going to share it anyway, on the off-chance that you might have missed it.

Groupon is offering a $50 Dormzy gift certificate for just $25 today (November 30, 2010). This is a decent deal, but it gets even better.

If you use the $50 to purchase select products, you can submit your receipt for a $20 rebate from P&G.

Plus, if you purchased your Groupon via Ebates, you’ll get 3% cash back. (And if you’re new to Ebates, you’ll receive a $5 sign-up bonus, which can make your entire purchase FREE after rebates!)

Here’s the breakdown:

• Sign-up for Groupon.
• Sign-up for Ebates.
• Search for Groupon via Ebates and click on the link.
• Locate the Lexington Groupon and purchase. It should be a $50 Dormzy gift certificate for just $25.
• On December 2, go to Dormzy and purchase qualifying rebate items (there seem to be four – Herbal Essence shampoo, Herbal Essence conditioner, Secret deodorant, and Olay body wash). Get whatever combination you want. You’ll receive free shipping because your order is over $49.
• In the message box on the checkout page, ask nicely for an itemized receipt with purchase prices, for rebate purposes. (Thanks for this tip, Prudent Patron!)
• When your package arrives, fill out and mail in the rebate form.

It seems complicated, but it’s really not. And there are no coupons to clip, or stores to rush to – you can do it from your sofa, desk, bed, or kitchen table.

You paid $25 OOP (out of pocket) for the initial Groupon, but got back $20 from the rebate and $0.75 from Ebates.com, which should bring your total somewhere in the ballpark of $5.00.

{Those are my referral links above. If you sign-up for Groupon or Ebates through my link, I will receive referral bonuses. If you don’t want to be a referral, just type in the url for the website and sign-up through their home page.}

1 bottle of Gain - $1/1 coupon used on $0.97 bottle at Wal-Mart. This is going to a friend getting married soon.

3 Magic Erasers - These were on mark-down at Martin’s for $0.69 and I had 3 $0.50/1 coupons. Martin’s doubles coupons, so I got these free and they insisted they owed me the $0.90 overage, so I walked out of the store with 3 Magic Erasers and $0.90 in my pocket. One is going into a gift basket, two are going into my cleaning cupboard.

1 box U by Kotex pads - These were on clearance at Target for just $0.94 (from $3.89) and I had a coupon for $1/1, making them free. They’re going into my bathroom closet.

1 Colgate toothpaste & 1 box ornament hooks & 2 mini-highlighters & 3 packs of Mentos gum - The Colgate was $3.49, but I had a coupon for $1/1, which made it $2.49. I used a $2.60 RR to pay for it, but since I had to have at least $2.61 and as many items as coupons, I tossed in the mini-highlighters at $0.09 each, to get my total up that high. I also had a ready-to-expire $1 RR, so I got the ornament hooks. Since they were only $0.99, I couldn’t use the RR on them by themselves, so I paid for all this together. The Mentos gum was on sale (with an in-ad coupon) for $0.99. Since I had a bunch of $1/1 coupons, I got these free. The toothpaste will go in a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, as will some of the gum. The ornament hooks are for us, since this is our first Christmas as marrieds and we need them! The mini-highlighters are going in Christmas packages.

• $3.49 Colgate + $0.18 highlighters + $0.99 ornament hooks + $2.97 Mentos
• TOTAL – $7.63
• subtract $1/1 Colgate coupon, 3 $1/1 Mentos coupons, $1 RR, $2.60 RR
• NEW TOTAL – $0.03 + $0.30 tax. I paid for it with the overage from Martin’s.

And I got a $3.50 RR from buying the toothpaste!

2 20-load containers of Purex 3-in-1 & 1 Mentos pack & 3 3Muskeeteers truffle bars - The Purex was on sale at Walgreen’s, 2/$9. I had 2 $3/1 coupons, bringing my total down to $3 for both boxes. Remember that $3.50 RR from my last Walgreen’s transaction? Now was the time to use it. But this meant that I had three coupons and two items, and $0.50 too much RR. So I had to get at least one more item that was $0.50 or more. I scanned a couple of aisles and settled on a treat – the 3 Musketeers truffle bars were on clearance for $0.22 each. I grabbed three, which definitely covered my needed number of items, and got my total over the extra amount of the RR. I also got one more pack of Mentos gum, using my last coupon. The Mentos were for my husband. The candy bars were for both of us, but since he didn’t like them, I guess I get all three! I’ll probably keep both packages of Purex.

• $9 Purex + $0.99 Mentos + $0.66 candy
• TOTAL – $10.65
• subtract 2 $3/1 Purex coupons, $1/1 Mentos coupon, $3.50 RR
• NEW TOTAL – $0.15 + $0.49 tax = $0.64. The remaining overage from Martin’s covered all but $0.07.

And I got a $1 RR from buying the Purex.

RR – Walgreen’s Register Rewards.

Each week, certain products at Walgreen’s generate RR. For instance, the Colgate Sensitive had a $3.50 RR and the Purex 3-in-1 had a $1 RR. These are coupons good on your next shopping trip (or next transaction), as long as your total is more than the amount of the RR. However, they calculate your total before coupons, so they can be used to really bring down the amount you’re spending OOP (out of pocket).

I never count an item free if I pay for it OOP and then get back a RR for the whole amount, because the RR is a coupon with an expiration date good only at Walgreen’s, it not actually cash. However, if I buy something I wanted and I get a RR, then I use that RR to purchase something else, that second item is free! For example, the item I bought to get that initial $2.60 RR was a Blistex that I paid full price for. Because I’ll use it this winter, it was worth it to me. It wasn’t free, but the toothpaste and highlighters I got on my next trip were.