Annual Gift to Myself

Every year after Christmas, I buy myself a snowman on sale for my collection. They are usually plush toys and only a few dollars at most. But this year, I went to a local thrift shop since there aren't many department stores where we live now. I found the cutest little set of salt and pepper shakers, and they were marked $3.00. But because it was after the holiday, they were 50% off. So the set was only $1.50! Aren't they fun?

Western Steal

I think I have mentioned using Facebook Marketplace before. I have used it to sell all our furniture and have found some great bargains on it too. It just depends on what you're looking for at any given time.
This week, I happened upon some amazing clothes for my husband, who is in a band which often plays country music. He sometimes looks for "costume" wear. A local gentleman (also a musician) was selling some clothes he had been given. The western style shirts sell new for $80-100 each, and he was selling them for only $10 each! And they had hardly been worn. The suede leather jacket sells new for $250-350, and he was selling it for only $20!

He got all these items (plus 3 other shirts!) for only $60!!! What a steal!

Bigger Isn't Always Better

You would think that a bigger company would serve you better than a no-name business. But that isn't always the case. Maybe in large corporate style stores you can find help and lower prices. But don't be afraid to check around.

When we were looking for a local company to build gates for us, we saw that there were two major companies in the area which did a lot of work. So we got bids from both of them.
Not only did they not call back with bids for several weeks, but by the time they did, we had found a local person who had his own company who did the job for HUNDREDS less than the bigger companies. Crazy, but true. And he did a really nice job.

Chalk one up for SMALL BUSINESS!!! YAY!

Cold Weather Hat

I was shopping and found a cute little hat on clearance. I don't really need another hat, but it was 90% off and perfect for where I live (it gets cold). It was a $28 hat for only $2.80, and I had a 20% off coupon bringing it down to only $2.25! It has ear flaps and is going to help keep me warm and be cute at the same time!

Essential Oils

I never have given much thought to the essential oil craze. I enjoy smelling them but never really used them. Not until recently anyway, when I was at the doctor's for an unwanted procedure and the nurse sprayed some lavender oil on a cotton ball and placed it by my pillow to help calm my nerves. It did help, only if to cause a distraction. But it did smell good too.


I've also heard that lavender can help calm dog nerves, which could be useful and helpful for my anxiety ridden pup. But whenever I've looked to buy any, they were fairly pricey.

But I was at the Dollar Tree store this week and found they had a selection of oils, which was quite a surprise. I found this little gem of lavender oil spray which is 100% pure and natural and manufactured in the USA, and it was only $1!

You never know what you might find, and I'm anxious to try this spray for my dog and myself.

Tiny Flowers

I was shopping the other day and happened to see this little tiny vase of (fake) flowers. It's so small...only about six inches tall. But it struck me as so cute and it made me happy. So I got one for my shelf to add some color in my room, and it only cost $1! I'm not sure why, but I love it.

More Shoes

I was at our local KMart (since that's the only big store we have close by), and they had some shoes on sale. They were marked down to $5. So I got a pair and when I got to the register, the cashier said they were only $4 and that I could get another pair for just $1. So I got these cuties and a pair of hi-tops, all for just $5!

Sleeping Comfortably

I've been looking for some flannel sheets on sale since it's Spring now. They usually are marked down after the holidays. But I haven't been able to find any at all.

But I was in Kohl's the other day, and I found ONE Queen set that originally was $89.99, marked down to $17.99. The only hesitation was that they were Star Wars sheets.

Who doesn't like Star Wars? My husband. He wasn't thrilled at the prospect of us having Star Wars sheets. But we SLEEP on our sheets anyway, right? And we cover them up with blankets. So I got them since they were such a great deal. (And I love Star Wars!)


I had a 30% off coupon too, so with the sale and the extra coupon, the sheets only cost $12.58!
May the Force Be With You!

Use That Free Cash

I often like to shop at Target and Walmart for cheaper prices, but since we moved, we've been shopping sometimes at KMart, since that's all that is close by. Like most stores, they also have a rewards program where you get points depending on your purchases. Those points are like dollars and can be redeemed as cash.

I didn't understand that at first and let several points expire. But then I realized that you can apply them to purchases just like cash. Once I figured that out, I didn't feel so bad about missing my other stores.


For instance, I had $5 free cash to use, so I found a $27 purse on sale for $6.99. I used the free cash toward my purchase, so the purse only cost me $2.14! YAY! for KMart!

Too Good to Leave Behind

I think I've mentioned before a little thrift store we often visit. It's called Dove's and they use the money they make for a domestic violence outreach. So not only do we find amazing bargains there, but we know our money goes to a great cause.

We happened in the other day, and I found this beautiful like-new LEATHER jacket. And what woman doesn't need a purple jacket? Especially a leather one to keep the cold out? It was inexpensive already, but it was Senior Day, offering a bonus 20% off (Getting older does have it's perks!). So this amazing jacket was only $9! SCORE!!!

Fresh Pizza

If you have a Your Pie store in your area, you must try it! They have fresh, made to order pizzas with your choice of toppings, paninis, salads, cheese sticks, gelato and wine and craft beer. It is so good!

It is a family friendly atmosphere, and although they aren't over-priced anyway, they have SPECIALS!

One day a year on 3/14, they have a #YourPieDay with almost everything discounted. But they also have regular nights when some items are discounted, so sign up for their emails and you won't miss out. This photo was our two pizzas and my glass of wine. :)

Last night in Indio, they had a special beer night where if you ordered a certain kind, you got to keep the glass. Plus, both beer and wine was only $3.14! They also had their yummy cheese sticks for only $3.14!! You can't beat that!

Prices in Arizona

If you're a Californian as I am, we all pretty much hate our cost of living with the constant tax hikes. Our latest one on gasoline is enough to make us truly consider moving to another state (although I doubt we ever would...but you never know.) That feeling was reinforced lately as we visited nearby Arizona. Where our gas prices are up well over $3.00 now, just look at these prices.
If you live outside of CA, count your blessings!

Hats

So if you follow me at all, most likely you know I love hats. I have many, many (too many) hats, and I wear baseball hats most of the time. I try not to wear logos or insignias unless they are meaningful to me, and I often wear a simple, plain hat.

Today I found the "mother load" of plain baseball style hats, all selling for just $.50 each. I had bought one before because it had been marked down to $2. I thought that was a great deal, but for $.50 each, I got one in every color! 

They were still marked $2 each. So it just goes to show that you can't necessarily trust the sticker and you should ask about the current price if interested in an item. It may be silly, but all six hats together were only $3!

Which one do you like best on me? :) 

FB Marketplace

I have tried many methods in the past ten years or so to sell belongings online, mostly unsuccessfully. First, it was eBay. Then, it was Craig's List. But right now, the hot place to try is the FaceBook Marketplace.

If you have a FB profile already, then you have access to the marketplace. The link to it is on your wall. Easy, peasy. You can list items which are seen by anyone searching for items, not just FB friends. It shows the town you're in, but does not give specifics or any additional information. It is perfect for local selling, with people coming to you (or you can choose to meet them somewhere if it's something small); however, it is not limited just to local people. We have had people make over a two hour drive to pick something up from us. You also have the opportunity to see their profile so you know who you're meeting.

I always ask for cash. Or I've had people pay me through PayPal if they couldn't come right away and wanted me to hold an item for them. In the past month, we've sold tables, chairs, lamps, a desk, a dog house and several other items which we're heavy and we did not want to have to move. So it definitely seems to be what is working right now.

Of course, be wary of strangers coming to your home and take precautions. But if you have things to sell, you don't have to wait for a garage sale. Try the FB Marketplace.