Good buys

Had a little shopping therapy over the weekend, and you know it was at one of my favorite stores, Kohl's. I only went (really!) because I had a free $10 coupon I had to either use or lose.  So I couldn't pass up another opportunity to see what all I could get for as little as possible.
I found a designer pair of trousers (that actually fit), two big soup mugs (which I had been looking for), a hand towel AND a cute pair of earrings...all for ONLY $9.64!!! Total saved: $81.04!  SO MUCH FUN!!!

Thrift Store Finds

If you've never shopped at a thrift store before, you really must try it. It's amazing what bargains you can find.  A lot of people love to shop for clothes, since they have anything from shorts to suits to evening wear, and often items are barely worn. They also have electronics, books, toys and furniture.The only thing to know is that the merchandise can vary greatly since stores get donations in all the time and once an item is sold, you may never see another one like it.
I went to an opening of a new store today, and didn't need a thing. But I wanted to support them so I looked around and hoped to buy something. I found the cutest, most unusual little bank, and I love banks...why, I don't know. This one looks like a little carousel with painted animals on it, and was only $3. But they also had a 50% off sale going on for the store opening. So I bought it for $1.50!!!  I got it home and took the price tag off of it, only to notice the stamp on the bottom said that it is LENOX!!! If you don't know what that is, Lenox is one of the best and most popular makers of expensive bone china items! So I am thrilled! You just never know what you might find if you take the time to look.

A Cute Little Sweater

I received a $10 reward certificate from JCP, so I went shopping to see what I could find. It has been cold outside lately, so I found a nice $45 Liz Claiborne sweater on sale. It was marked down to only $14.99. So with the sale and the certificate, it was ONLY $4.99! Total with tax, ONLY $5.39!!! A savings of $40.01!!!

 

Such a Deal

I love the stores which offer coupons and specials, and it's even better when the store lets you COMBINE them! For instance, one of the reasons I love and shop at Kohl's is because they allow you to do just that. I truly don't know how they make any money, but that's not my concern. 
When you shop, you might consider looking for sales to begin with, because you need not spend more than you have to for an item. When you have the store credit card, they send you emails with offers, like percentages off merchandise.  Also, when you look at their website, there are often coupons you can use for a dollar amount off your purchase.  And, of course, Kohl's offers their famous "Kohl's CASH" when you spend a certain amount, such as $10 for every $50 spent.  Other stores are starting to take notice and offer this as well now. Stores also often offer free shipping online when a certain amount is purchased.  So you just have to know what to look for when shopping.

We had recently done some holiday shopping at Kohl's and had spent a little and saved a whole lot.  So we received the Kohl's cash to spend for our next purchase.  On Christmas Day, I received an email from Kohl's saying they were offering and extra 20% off any purchases that day, but that the offer ended at midnight.  So I went to the website to browse, and my husband suggested we buy a new vacuum.  While I was on the website, I saw a coupon for an extra $10 off any purchase over $30.
So we found a great $219.99 vacuum on sale for $159.99. Then by using my Kohl's cash, the $10 coupon and the extra 20% off, plus the FREE shipping, we saved a total of $174.95, and our grand total for a brand new vacuum cleaner was only $69.11!

Same Products, Better Prices

When I first met my husband, he bought EVERYTHING at the grocery store.  I know a lot of people do that to save time, which is exactly why stores offer sundries of various kinds, only at inflated prices.  But it doesn't take too much effort to find the same products at reduced prices, especially with the variety of larger, more warehouse type stores available now. 
Depending on what you need, some items can even found CHEAPER at the dollar type stores.  Of course, you may still want to purchase certain kinds of brand name items for a little extra, such as shampoos, pet foods, canned items, etc. but for some things, why would you want to pay more?
Especially around the holidays, you can find cards, tinsel, ornaments and all kinds of things for $1 that might cost you $2-3 at another store.  You should look closely at the item or the wrapper just to see if you're getting what appears to be similar, since often an item might be half the size as at another store.  Or the quality might indeed be a lot better at another store. But if you know what to watch for, you can get some items for less money, and those savings add up!

Super Discounts

There is nothing else like the sales you can find on Black Friday, except those maybe on Cyber Monday. Some people love to shop and plan for it weeks ahead, while others avoid it like the plague.  But one thing is for sure, if there is something specific you are looking to purchase, usually you can save a lot of money.
It takes a bit of a certain mindset if you do go out to stores. It can be stressful if you do not enjoy crowds. But it can also be fun if you take your time and enjoy the hunt. You can also shop online, especially with ads coming out several days before the sales actually start, along with stores opening as early as Thanksgiving night. I definitely have my favorite stores, but it is well worth your time to compare prices.
So no matter what you might be looking for, whether you love new shoes, electronics, power tools or educational trainings (my big win this year), you can find some amazing deals.  I personally made out like a bandit online this year in the comfort of my own home, and estimate I saved almost $1500.  Woohooooo!  And Monday isn't even here yet!

Call Around

I used to go to the corner drug store to have my prescriptions filled.  It was fairly quick and convenient.  But as I've gotten older, and with the changes in health insurances, I've found that some medications can be extremely expensive and very little is covered on some of them.  So I decided to make a few phone calls and check prices.
While it may take a few minutes of your time, it can really be worth it to at least call and ask. Prices can fluctuate a LOT, depending on the store. Just because one store has cheaper prices on some things doesn't mean medications there will be the same.
I called several pharmacies, including drug stores, warehouse type stores and even grocery stores.  Surprisingly, the prices were different at all of them, and the price for just one prescription varied between $12 and $78!!!
Of course, I saved the extra $78 and got a coupon for $25 off my next shopping trip at that store for transferring my prescription!  Was it worth it to me to have to drive a little further? You bet!

They Must Know I'm Coming

Our stop this time at Kohl's was too much fun, just like always.  I had a $10 free money certificate to spend from a previous shopping experience.  I also had the free $10 coupon to use that Kohl's sent in the mail.  Plus, I had a coupon for 20% off my purchase.
We truly had only planned on spending the free $20 and to see what we could find with that. But, as usual, we found some bargains too good to pass up.  So with all the discounts, we got:

2 pairs of jeans
1 purse 
3 pairs of shoes

all for only $35.56!!!

We saved $303.04 off of retail prices!  Hard to believe, but see for yourself!

Again?

Kohl's was so kind to send me ANOTHER $10 coupon for something free. :))

Check Both Options

Often shopping websites offer reduced shipping prices when you spend certain amounts. There was one in particular recently where I was shopping, and I could save $4 if I spent $30 or more.  So I was happy about that (since spending $30 was easy to do). So with tax and the reduced shipping, my total was about $34.75. 

 

But at the last minute, I remembered I had received a 20% discount coupon in the mail for that website.  So just to be certain, I put in that coupon code and although I had to pay the full shipping price, my total was about $2.50 less!!!  And anybody who knows me knows that I'll pay as little as possible.  So it's worth seeing which option offers the best deal!