How To Minimize Grocery Store Visits

Everyone has to eat, but many people view buying groceries as a necessary but dreaded chore. You make a long list and then you head to the store, hoping that you don't forget anything crucial. The errand may take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on how much you need to buy and how busy the store is. The good news is that there are ways to streamline your grocery habits so you can make fewer and shorter trips to the market or maybe even eliminate them altogether. This is especially true in these days of social distancing. The fewer trips we all have to make to the grocery store, the better.

• Buy in Bulk - There are many practical reasons to buy in bulk. It's more cost-effective, and it's more environmentally friendly. Another great benefit of making bulk purchases of the pantry staples and household products your family uses often is that it saves you extra trips to the store. As long as you have adequate storage space, you can relieve your worry about running out without having to go to the supermarket every weekend.  (see note below)
• Order Online - If you don't have a lot of storage space, you can still shave time off your grocery trips by ordering online. You can get your favorite gourmet coffee Los Angeles CA, and a lot of your staples by arranging regular shipments to be delivered directly to your home. With a few clicks, you can set up subscriptions and choose payment options to automate the delivery of the items you use frequently.
• Use Delivery Services - You may find that you like ordering groceries online so much that you make it a regular habit. There is probably at least one grocery delivery service in your area. You order from a participating store, and a personal shopper makes the trip for you. You can get all your shopping done without leaving your house.

Getting groceries for your family doesn't have to be a huge ordeal. You can always find ways to simplify and outsource this errand.

Please note that buying in bulk when it comes to regular shopping and stocking your pantry looks nothing like the crazy panic over-buying some people indulged in as this COVID-19 nonsense began. If those people had known how to shop in the first place, they would have already had enough toilet paper and other necessities in their homes to survive a few weeks - even if they couldn't get to the grocery store.

That'll Teach Them to Steal Packages!

Glitter is evil. It's exactly what those people deserved.


Have you ever had a package stolen off your porch? Thankfully I'm usually home, and our porch is shielded from view, so we haven't had that problem. But, wow - I would really want to do something to the people who would dare to do something like that.

I've also seen the posts going around that recommend putting some of your old junk into Amazon boxes and putting them out on the front porch for the porch pirates. Might be a convenient way to get rid of some stuff you don't want...

Update

I mentioned a while back my issue at the grocery store - when the girl at the Service Desk told me I had to buy 2 items to get the sale price. The day after I sent an email to customer service, I got a phone call. The lady I talked to was really nice. No, they haven't changed the sale policy, and I did not have to buy 2 to get the sale price. She said she had already let the store manager there know so they can cover it with their people. Hopefully, it won't be an issue for anyone else in the future.

And, she credited my account with 500 Fuel Points, which is 50¢ off per gallon. Every little bit helps, right? Especially with the cost of gas these days. And I never spend enough to save that much. Occasionally, with the added points from surveys, I get up to 30¢ off per gallon - and we think that's pretty good. This month, with the bonus, we can actually save 70¢ off per gallon.

All I was really asking for was my missing 50¢ - and that the store employees understand how the sales work so they don't give other people the wrong information too. But saving a bit extra on gas is nice, too.

When You Really Need the Survey Link

I went to the grocery store today. I've been putting it off as long as possible because I just got back from Camp Outreach on the 1st - and there is enough shopping leading up to and during Camp that I just don't want to do it again until I absolutely have to. But sometimes you just need food in the house, so I loaded digital coupons to my account, made my list, and went to my local Pay-Less grocery store. (Not that we actually didn't have food in the house; we just needed some of the basics like eggs and bread and lettuce. We could probably eat for several months, just maybe not exactly what we might want.)

Sometimes my receipts include a link to fill out a survey. I don't always do them, and often they're a bit annoying, asking me why I didn't rate my visit as Highly Satisfactory. I guess they got tired of me saying that it was just an ordinary shopping trip - nothing to get all excited about but nothing to complain about either - because I haven't gotten a survey link in a while.

Today I was really hoping for one. Though I wouldn't have rated them Highly Satisfactory today, either...

I bought a 32 oz. carton of Simple Truth plain yogurt today. The sign said the yogurt was on sale 2/$5.00 or $2.50 each, and there was the additional digital coupon for 50¢ off, which I could have used 5 times in that transaction, but I only needed the one carton. When I checked my receipt after checkout, the yogurt had rung up for $5.79. I found the yogurt in the ad while waiting at the service desk, and wondered if perhaps I had grabbed the wrong type of yogurt - Greek as opposed to regular. When Alise (the young lady at the service desk) came to help me, I told her that I thought maybe I'd just grabbed the wrong kind, but she glanced at the ad, told me that it was the right yogurt, but I had to buy 2 of them to get the sale price.

Ummm, since when?

I told her that No, it has never worked that way; I can buy any quantity and get the sale price - unless it's a special sale where it is specifically advertised that way. I went back to the department and took a picture of the shelf tag stating that the sale price was 2/$5.00 or $2.50 each.

BUT...

Alise still insisted that I had to buy 2 to get the sale price. I really only needed one, but I told her to go ahead and ring up two - better to pay $5.00 for 2 cartons than $5.79 for only 1 - and I would go back and grab the second one before leaving the store. I also told her I wanted to be sure I could use the second 50¢ coupon that I would have had taken off if I'd bought both together. So, she rang it up and gave me 79¢ cents back. When I questioned the amount - $5.00 for 2 cartons of yogurt minus $1.00 in coupons should equal $4.00. So, since I paid $5.29 - $5.79 minus 50¢ - for the original carton, the difference should have been $1.29 NOT 79¢. When I questioned it, she printed out the adjustment receipt - $5.29 credit, 2 cartons of yogurt at $2.50 each, minus a 50¢ coupon - equals 79¢. Which seems to work, but I actually lost 50¢ somewhere in there... 

Now, perhaps the store has recently changed things so that we actually do have to buy things in the quantities advertised, but I haven't seen anything letting me know of this change. Alise said that she's worked at this store for over a year, AND she had asked a fellow employee, who also said that I should have had to buy 2 to get the sale price. What she couldn't tell me was WHEN this became effective. If the sales really do work this way now, I'd really like to know. Otherwise, somebody needs to let the employees know that just because something is advertised as 2/$5.00 (or 10/$10), doesn't mean we have to buy in those exact quantities - unless otherwise specified. There are some sales that work that way, but those are always clearly marked.

Also, when I went to grab my 2nd carton of yogurt, I realized that YES, I had grabbed the wrong type - the Greek yogurt was in the wrong place right behind the sign. The Greek yogurt was on sale for $5.79. The regular yogurt was on sale for $2.50 per carton. So, I put the Greek yogurt in its place and pulled 2 of the regular, from the back of the case, since that is what I paid for.

And I sent an email to Kroger customer service.

Not Good Enough

It really bothers me when people are too lazy to put their shopping carts away when they're done using them. Not only is it annoying to attempt to pull into a parking spot only to find it blocked by a cart - or two or three, because once someone does it, others are sure to follow along - but it can cause damage to cars in the parking lot. It only happened to me once, but take it from me, those rogue carts can come barreling across the parking lot and run right into your vehicle on a windy day!

What bothers me just about as much (OK, as much) is when people sort of put the carts where they belong, but they're too lazy to actually do it right. How much extra effort would it really take to push that cart forward so that there's room for other people's carts behind it? An extra shove, a couple steps...

But, NO, I guess they figure just getting it there, sort of almost into the cart containment area is good enough. Who cares about those who come later? Or if the cart even stays where it was parked?

Sorry, not good enough! I always try to push my cart as far forward as possible and move the carts in front forward if I can, but if the first person didn't even bother and there are several behind it, there's only so much I can do. Those carts get heavy and very hard to push.

But seriously, why? Am I the only person who thinks that if you're gonna do something, just do it right? And doing some things - like putting your shopping cart away at the end of your shopping trip - really aren't optional. So just give that extra shove or take that extra step of two. You already made it to the shopping cart area...

Well, That Was Stupid

I think I've lost my shopping mojo.

Stupidly I got sucked into an ad on Facebook - not that they're all bad; I got some really good deals right around Thanksgiving. I saw this video for a very cool looking notebook that is reusable - up to 500 times. And, the pages can be easily scanned and saved online. Or so they say; I guess we'll see.

I clicked the link where they told me the notebook wasn't available anywhere else, was 75% off, and almost sold out - and I stupidly fell for it. Normally I look and research and read reviews, but this time I just went ahead and grabbed one. It wasn't until later that night when I actually got on my computer instead of my phone and started looking for more information. That's when I found the exact same notebook on eBay, for much less. But I figured that was OK because all those were coming from China, and I'd have to wait longer to get it. Jason loves drawing and can quickly fill up a notebook, and since he (and his mom and sister) are coming to visit over spring break, I figured it would be nicer to get it sooner so we can play with it together. So, I didn't try to cancel the order. (not sure I could have anyway)

Then I got notification my order had shipped.  It took a couple days to actually get any info on the tracking, but when the information finally updated I found out that the notebook I ordered is coming from China. Seriously? The site says they ship from the US, unless the stock runs out, and then they may ship from their warehouse in Asia. So, since they told me the notebook I was ordering was in stock (though there were only a few left), it appeared that they were actually in stock and should have been coming from the States. Nope. So now I don't know if it will be here in time for me and Jason to try it out together...

Of course, I could always order one from Amazon (yes, they have them too), pay less, and get it here in two days. But then, I don't want to spend even more before I've even had a chance to try it out.

Oh, and speaking of Amazon - I got a delivery from Amazon today. Except I didn't order anything from Amazon. Nope - I ordered some pens for this new notebook. From eBay. They were lots cheaper than the pens offered on the site - even with that use-within-48-hours special 15% off discount code they sent me after I ordered the notebook. Why do stores do that? A discount code after I just bought something from you does me absolutely no good. So, I ordered the pens after I got the shipment notification for the notebook - but before I realized it was coming all the way from China. Two days later I have pens - shipped straight from Amazon. That's right, they're cheaper on Amazon. Apparently, this seller takes orders for things he or she can get cheaper on Amazon and then has Amazon ship them directly to the buyer - pocketing the price difference. It's a dollar or two, but if you 'sell' enough things I'm sure it adds up.

Have you ever heard of such a thing? Not something that had ever occurred to me, anyway. And apparently, it didn't occur to me to check Amazon for these pens. Yep, I'm losing it.

Hopefully, Jason and I will enjoy the notebook. Eventually...

I Love a Good Deal!

Last time I went to the grocery store, I noticed some fish and seafood that had been marked down. Way down. It was in a corner of a freezer that I had never looked at closely before, so I'm not sure what caught my eye, but there was quite a bit. It was probably those bright yellow tags; I'm kind of drawn to those tags.

I was especially interested in some salmon filets that had been marked down to 99¢ - for 2 filets which is just perfect for the two of us. They were already seasoned with a 'Stout Spiked BBQ' that sounded interesting. I wasn't sure how they would actually taste but figured for 99¢ I couldn't go wrong. So I grabbed 3 packages. There were at least a couple more, but since we'd never tried them I was afraid to grab them all. Of course, I still would have spent less than buying 1 lb. of salmon at the usual price, so maybe I should have...

When I got home, I went through the cash back apps on my phone - Ibotta and Checkout51 - and found that Checkout51 had a $2.00 rebate on that brand of seafood. So, of course, I uploaded my receipt for that - and got $2.00 credit for spending $2.97 on salmon.  Now that's a good deal!

The salmon tasted pretty good, too.

I will definitely be checking that little corner of that freezer from now on to see what else I can find.

Do you know where to find the marked down items in your store? What kind of great deals have you found?

Are You Really Getting a Good Deal?

Anybody who knows me at all knows that I love a good deal. Paying full price for anything is practically against my religion! I believe in combining sales, coupons, rebates, and whatever else I can in order to get the best price possible on whatever I buy. Clearance is one of my favorite words! I especially love when things are marked 80-90% off regular price. Just 25-30% clearance isn't really good enough.

Just because something is 'on sale' does not necessarily mean that you are getting a good deal. It's important to have at least a general idea of the regular prices of items you normally buy. This is especially true of groceries. Many times I have seen a sale price advertised in the grocery ad for an item that I bought at a cheaper price the week before. But, if you don't know what the regular price is for that item, you might think you're getting a good deal - because it's on sale, right? Knowing the regular price will help you know when you do see a good deal, and that's when you buy. If it's something you use on a regular basis, buy several when you get it at a good price. The idea is to buy enough when something is on sale so that you won't run out and have to buy more before it goes on sale again.

Combine sale prices with coupons and rebates using cash back apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51, and the savings can really add up. Just remember - if you don't need it, all the coupons and cash back rebates in the world don't necessarily make it a good deal. Unless it's free. Free is always a good deal.  (at least in my opinion) If it's something you don't really need, consider donating it to someone who can use it.

A money-saving option that I haven't really explored is renting items that you may only need for a short time. Of course, this doesn't apply to groceries, but renting sports equipment for things you only do occasionally is often the best option - at least until you decide to take up that sport on a regular basis. And f you're planning to welcome a baby into your family, you may want to check out baby gear rental Florida for baby items that will only be used for a short period of time.  Renting tools from the local home improvement store for that one-time project instead of buying a tool you're never going to use again is also a good idea. Invest in items you can use for a significant period of time, and have room to store when you're not using them, and rent other items. Just be sure to do your research first. Find out how much it would cost to purchase the item then compare that to the cost of renting that item for the time you need it.

The bottom line is - arm yourself with knowledge. The more you know about how much something should cost or will cost over the time you will use it, the better equipped you will be to know if you are indeed getting a good deal. Remember your smartphone (most of us have those nowadays) and look up prices on Amazon or other retailers - yes, even when you're in the store - to see if you can get cheaper somewhere else. Some stores will even match those online prices, so don't be afraid to ask.

Walmart Doesn't Ad Match Anymore. What?

One of Walmart's most positive features has always been the fact that they will match competitor's ads. Why run all over town to do your shopping when you can just get everything (for the best prices) under one roof?

Imagine my surprise when I get to the checkout at my local Walmart last night to find out that they are no longer matching ads at the cash register. Seriously? When did that happen? Only last month according to our cashier, but still I guess I haven't been doing much shopping recently (I haven't) because I had no idea this was even coming.

We went to Menard's last night to pick up a couple toilet seats, because a couple of ours just broke - of course not last week when Menard's was running their 11% rebate on everything, or any one of those many previous weeks of 11% on everything. (Did anyone else think Menard's was just going to do the 11% back rebate from now on? It certainly seemed like it for a bit.) But, anyway, our toilet seats wait until there's no sale and no rebate, and then they break.

Since we were out anyway, I figured it was a good chance to grab a few things we needed and not have to go out another day. Meijer had some produce in their ad that I really wanted to get, and since Meijer is right by Menard's it just made sense. But I needed to go to Walmart too to grab some Borax and baking soda for the laundry (because Walmart always has the best price on those), so I decided that it would save time if I just took the Meijer ad to Walmart. I could grab the Borax and baking soda and the produce - and only have to go to one store. Which, in the past, would have worked perfectly - but now Walmart doesn't match competitor's ads.

So, instead of saving time, it actually took more time because we had to drive back to Meijer to get the stuff I thought I could get at Walmart.

When I asked the cashier about the new policy, he said that Walmart wants people to use their Savings Catcher. I've been using that for a while. If something I buy happens to be on sale at another store, Walmart lets me know and gives me a credit. Nice, huh? Except that there are a lot things that aren't included, produce being one of them. (and quite a few other things I've price matched in the past)

Savings Catcher currently does NOT apply to:

• Any food, consumables, or health & wellness items that do not meet the eligibility criteria above (See section “Does Savings Catcher compare all items on my receipt?”)
• Items purchased and paid for with WIC benefits
• Produce
• Items sold in the Bakery department
• Fresh or variable weight meat
• Items sold in the Deli department
• Seafood
• General merchandise items including, but not limited to, outdoor living consumables (such as such as fertilizer and bug spray), office supplies, apparel, DVD’s, electronics, CD and gaming media, toys, housewares, small appliances, sporting goods, home décor, bedding, books and magazines, shoes, jewelry, furniture and seasonal products
• Non-branded items
• Tobacco, alcohol, firearms, gasoline, tires, prescription drugs, optical and photo products and services, or products that require a service agreement such as wireless, automotive or financial products

Source: Savings Catcher FAQs

I did a bit of research today to see if I could find any info on this annoying policy change. It looks like not all Walmarts have stopped ad matching, but that doesn't mean they won't all soon follow. The Penny Hoarder has a list of Walmart stores who have stopped ad-matching along with a request for readers to let them know if their local Walmarts have changed policy. (I submitted mine!)

Is your Walmart on the list? If so, how annoyed are you?

Sometimes You Gotta Spend More to Spend Less

We love shopping at Kohl's. Of course, the fun is in the savings and not really the shopping itself. I don't understand people who actually enjoy shopping for the sake of shopping. But when I can stack savings on top of savings, then I'm having a bit of fun.

Last weekend we stopped into Kohl's because we had some Kohl's Cash ($7.84) from an earlier return, and we needed to spend it before it expired. Combined with the 20% discount we had, we figured it was a good time to find something we needed. I ended up finding a quilt/bedspread - originally priced at $219.99 but marked down to $43.99. Since we had been looking for something just like that, we decided to grab it and go, which is the best kind of shopping trip - in and out without wasting a lot of time.

1st rule of shopping: Start with the clearance racks.

I can't actually imagine that anyone would spend $220 on this bedspread because the 2nd rule of shopping is to never pay full price. Of course, that's similar to the first rule but can also include sale prices. I personally think sale prices are usually too high, which is why I wait for things to go on clearance, and even then I usually wait for 70%, 80%, or 90% off before I'm willing to buy.

So, we got a nice quilt/bedspread for a total cost of $30.94, which was a pretty good deal - until I realized that we had a coupon for $10 off a $50 purchase for Mother's Day. I was thinking women's clothing, jewelry, purses and accessories, etc. and didn't realize it also included items from the Home department - which would include the quilt. No, we didn't spend $50, but we did spend $43.99 (before discounts and Kohl's Cash), which meant that all we had to do was spend an additional $6.01 to be able to use the coupon and save $10. If we had bought something else that cost exactly $6.01, using the same Kohl's Cash and the same 20% discount, we would have spent $27.53, saving $3.41 - and getting an additional item. More merchandise for less money. Who can argue with that?

It gets even better, though. We didn't make it back to Kohl's until this past Sunday. I asked if they could re-ring my purchase if I found something else so that I could use the coupon - because I would have if I'd realized it applied. They said sure, so I found a blouse I liked - not exactly $6.01 but close. It was on clearance for $8 (80% off). After 'returning' the quilt and then re-ringing the transaction with both the quilt and the blouse - with the 30% discount we now have - the total cost was $25.57, a savings of $5.37. (and remember, I got a blouse, in addition to the quilt I originally bought)

Of course, when we have a 30% discount we do like to see what we can find, so we did a bit more shopping the clearance racks. I found some more tops, some dresses, pants, etc. - enough to use the coupon again - and Jeffrey found some golf shirts and t-shirts. We spent enough that we got $10 Kohl's Cash, and when I added the receipt from the quilt and blouse I bought first, we had enough for another $10 Kohl's Cash.

This, of course, means that we have to go shopping again next week when the Kohl's Cash is valid. And if we wait until Thursday, there's a coupon for $10 off a $25 purchase. That means if we find something(s) worth $30, we can use the coupon to save $10 and then pay the difference with our $20 Kohl's Cash, and actually pay absolutely nothing.

Note: Kohl's Cash is only valid during specific dates. If you can't find something you actually need or want, just buy something, anything. Hold onto the receipt, and next time you go to Kohl's, return whatever it was you grabbed. They'll give you Kohl's Cash (good for 30 days) to spend then when you're ready.

Be sure to start with the clearance racks.

Do You Think I Got My Money's Worth?

I ordered new flip flops today. I have a pair of black ones that I've worn for quite a few years, but they're not quite as comfortable as they once were. Oh, I can still wear them, but I wouldn't want to walk a mile in them. Not anymore, but I definitely used to walk miles in these flip flops because they are the most comfortable ones I've ever had. I would gladly buy another pair just like them, but of course, they are not available anymore. Why does that always happen when I find something I like?

Never mind that it's been 7 years since I bought them. 7 years! I just found the order confirmation email because I knew it had been at least 5 years, but I wasn't exactly sure. And, since I tend to keep everything and never delete the email that I should delete, I found the email when I went searching for it. On June 9, 2010 I spent $12.74 on a pair of Crocs flip flops - the most I'd ever spent on a pair - and I've been wearing those flip flops every summer since then.

So, even though they don't have the same style anymore (Wake - another thing I learned from the order confirmation email), I thought I'd see if I could find some more Crocs to replace them.  I'm not usually worried about brand names, but since my current ones have been so good, I'm hoping some new ones will be as good. 

Today was the day because several styles on the Crocs website are 30% off right now, and you know how I like saving money. I grabbed a couple pair at 30% off and then added another coupon code (EXTRA10) for an additional 10% off, and got two pairs for about $27 including tax, which is not much more per pair than what I spent 7 years ago. I just had to buy two pairs because shipping is free on orders $24.99 and over, and who wants to pay for shipping when you don't have to?

I wonder if these two will last another 7 years. Each. Which would be 14 years.

But first I need to get them and see how they fit and feel. I hope they're as comfortable as my old pair.

I Don't Always Steal Cereal...

...but when I do, I take it back.

A few weeks ago, I bought a couple boxes of granola. At least I thought I had bought some granola, until I wanted to open a box and have some for breakfast. And then I could not find that granola anywhere. I checked the shelf I normally put cereal on; I checked the top shelf where I store the extra cereal when I have too much for the regular shelf; and then I checked again. Then I checked my van, just in case I had somehow left a bag in there. And I checked again. No granola. It just was not in my house.

I started wondering if I had actually bought the granola, or maybe I just thought about buying it and then decided against it. Then I dug out my receipt and checked. Yep, I definitely bought granola.

So I called the store - even though it had been almost two weeks - just to see if perhaps they kept a record of any items left behind at the registers. Nope, no record. They keep things for about a week and then put them back. But, Kyle said that wasn't a problem, and they'd be happy to replace my two boxes of granola. So I wrote his name on the top of my receipt, and finally got back to the store about a week later. They were indeed happy to give me two new boxes of granola to replace the two I couldn't find. No questions asked.

I took my new boxes home and placed them in my cabinet. Then a few days later I moved some oatmeal boxes - and found my original boxes of granola behind them.

Which means next time I was out, I took those replacement boxes back to the store. The lady behind the customer service desk just smiled.

Rules of the Aisles

I don't like shopping very much at any time, but it's particularly crazy this time of year.  There are so many people in the stores.  It's practically impossible to get from Point A to Point B, grab the things I need and get out of there.

So now's as good a time as any - probably a really good time - to ask:

When you meet up with someone in the store aisle, which way do you move so that you can get past each other?

To me it seems obvious - move to the right. The same way you'd move if you were on the road driving. I asked this question the other day and had at least one person wondering if that's a rule in the store aisles.  Is it?  Does it need to be an actual rule? What about common sense and trying to help traffic flow through the store so that we can all get in, get our shopping done, and get on with our lives? While avoiding that awkward dance where both parties move in the same direction, and then in the other direction - back and forth until someone finally stops or makes a dash for it.

But why do they seem to always choose to move to the left first? Isn't it ingrained in those of us who drive to move to the right? In my mind, these are the same people who always insist on walking on the right-hand side of the road with the traffic, but somehow that doesn't follow them into the store.

Mostly I just avoid the awkward dance. I move to the right - because that's the only logical thing to do, and I can't do otherwise - and then just stay put until the other person goes around me.  And I do a lot of extra walking - looking for the empty aisles to walk down instead of fighting through the people-clogged aisles if I don't need anything in those particular aisles and am just trying to get from one side of the store to the other. If there are any unclogged aisles...

There's nothing as frustrating as not being able to move. Or get where I need to go. So many of these people seem to be in no hurry whatsoever, and they really seem absolutely unaware that there is anyone else in the store with them. The question of which way to move probably never even crossed their minds, because why would they ever need to move over. Or move forward at anything greater than a snail's pace?

I think I'll just stay home until this insane season is over. Or forever. Aren't there services that deliver groceries now? Or at least bring them to your car after you order them online.  That sounds nice. Maybe I'll check that out...

Holiday Shopping with Less Stress

I used to work retail, so maybe that's why I don't really like shopping.  Any time.  At this time of year I especially want to avoid stores at any cost and only go out if I absolutely need something.  You know I like to save money, but are any of those holiday sales actually worth braving the crowds?

For those of you with mile-long gift lists, the question is - Is it possible to still get something for everyone on your list, without actually having to brave the insanity of holiday shopping?  Nowadays the answer is a great big YES!   Here are some ways to get all of your holiday shopping done with as little stress as possible:
 

• Shop online.  I know this is probably the most obvious one, but oh, what did we do before we had the Internet?  Not only can you shop at the obvious online retailers like Amazon and Rakuten (formerly Buy.com), you can also order online from most of your favorite stores.  While you're shopping, be sure to check for extra savings, like extra savings with an online coupon code and cash back on your purchase, and you can get an even better deal than you would have if you'd gone to the store.  Most retailers will ship your order for free, whether to you or to your recipient, if your order is over a certain dollar amount, or you can order online and pick it up in the store.  A lot of stores have special parking for customers who order online, and all you'll have to do is run in and get your order.  An advantage to ordering from a physical store is that, should your recipient need to return or exchange the gift, they can do it right at their local store.  No messing with shipping it back and waiting.
• Make something.  In my case I'd probably bake something.  My daughter Beth loves to crochet, and people love getting a handmade blanket, hat, or scarf.  The key is to use your talents and skills to give someone something they can't, or won't, actually make themselves.  If you're looking for inspiration, Pinterest is a great place to look, and if your gift recipient is also on Pinterest, check to see what he or she is pinning to get an idea of what they might like or want.  I personally pin lots of things I like but would never be able to make myself, and I have a friend who has made me several of them!  There are also sites like Etsy where you can buy handmade items online.  If you don't have the skills or time to make something yourself, you can still give a unique gift, and support the real people who make the things they sell.
• Buy gift cards.  This may sound a bit impersonal, but as long as you know what restaurant your gift recipient likes to eat in or what store he shops at, you have a gift that is guaranteed to please, and you won't have to brave the crowded retail stores.  Right now many places are offering some special bonuses when you buy gift cards, so not only will you get a gift to give, you'll also get a little something for yourself.  Olive Garden and Steak & Shake are two restaurants that are giving an extra $5 or $10 to you when you buy a certain dollar amount in gift cards.  Our local grocery store sells many different gift cards, and they're giving 4x the fuel points on gift card purchases now, making it really easy to save extra money on gas when purchasing gifts.  There aren't a lot of people buying holiday gifts at the grocery store, so it's pretty safe.

Those are just a few ideas for surviving the holiday shopping season.  I'm sure you have some of your own, so feel free to share.  You might have just the suggestion someone is looking for.  Of course, if you love shopping and the crush of crowds, feel free to disregard all of this and Carry On!

I'll Just Stick with the Coffee

I went shopping last week, back when the weather was a bit more pleasant.  Seriously, it was a nice day - snowed in the morning, and then the sun came out and it was practically balmy.  That isn't the point, but what's better than talking about the weather?  It's practically the only thing anyone talks about these days.  Cold, cold, cold.

Anyway, shopping.  I usually look over my receipts before I leave the store, just to be sure everything rang up right.  It just seems to be that, if I look at it in the store, everything will be fine, and if I don't, something will be wrong.  Not always, but looking at the receipt in the store means I can take care of any problems right then, while I'm there.  This time I did look it over, but not well enough, I guess.  That evening I noticed that the broccoli crowns I bought had been rung up as just regular broccoli.  So instead of paying 99¢ per pound for approximately 1 pound of broccoli, I paid $1.99 each for 2 bunches of broccoli, or $3.98.

If I still lived in Wisconsin and had to drive 15 minutes to get to the store, I'd probably have let it go or called the store to see if there was anything I could do about it the next time I got to the store (probably not for 2 or 3 weeks).  But, since the store is only 5 minutes or so away, I decided I'd run back to the store the next morning and get it taken care of. And, since they recently opened a Starbucks in the store, I thought I'd treat myself to a salted caramel mocha from Starbucks.

So, I did.  I ended up getting the broccoli for free, and I grabbed a few things I forgot to grab the day before.  They were things we could have lived without, but since I was there...

Next time (because there will probably be a next time, no matter how careful I am) I'm just going to skip the coffee.  I'll make coffee at home.  I got $4 back from the broccoli and spent $5 on stupid coffee.  Do people really do that all the time?  (Obviously they do; just search Starbucks on Flickr.)  How?  Why?  I mean, it was good, but it just doesn't seem worth it.  I can buy an entire bag of coffee and make my coffee at home for weeks for that same $5.

I might buy a flavored syrup to use occasionally, should I want something a bit different.  I have been mixing my coffee up with some coconut oil and milk in the mornings - whir it up good in the Ninja so that it's foamy, and that's pretty yummy.  I bet a little syrup would be nice once in a while.  And not quite the waste of money Starbucks seems to be.

I Want My Sunday Ads

When we moved to Anderson, we wanted to subscribe to the Sunday paper - for the ads.  While I know you can access pretty much any store's ad online nowadays, we still like getting them in the paper.  We really don't read the paper, but we like to sit down on a Sunday morning with our coffee and the newspaper ads.

We'd been getting the Milwaukee paper in Wisconsin so we decided to subscribe to the Indianapolis Star instead of the local Anderson paper because we figured the big city newspaper would have more of the ads we wanted to see.  WRONG!  There really weren't very many ads in the paper at all.  Jeffrey even drove to the gas station a Sunday or two just to buy the Anderson paper so we could compare.  Every time, there were more ads in the Anderson paper.  So we canceled our Indy Star subscription before too long and subscribed to the Anderson Herald Bulletin.  It costs a bit more, because you can't get just Sunday but also have to get Friday and Saturday.  Still, definitely more ads.

After canceling the Indy paper, I would periodically get phone calls trying to get me to re-subscribe.  Every time I told them exactly why I'd canceled the subscription - not enough Sunday ads.  Each time I was assured that they had added more ads, or that the holiday season was coming up so there would definitely be more ads.  I was even offered a Sunday only subscription for only $6/month.  My cheap frugal little heart really wanted to grab that one, but I said NO.

But in July I got another call offering me three months for the price of one, and I was again assured that there were more ads in the Sunday paper and several ads in the Thursday paper, which was also included in my subscription.  So I decided to give them another try.  It had been almost a year since I first canceled the subscription so maybe they really had changed.  We also kept our subscription to the Anderson paper, so I kept track of the ads every week in this Sunday newspaper ad comparison.

The results were pretty interesting - The Indianapolis paper usually contained about half the number of total ads compared to the Anderson paper, and there were usually more coupons in my Anderson paper, too.  One week the  Indianapolis Star only had 3 ads.  Three! Talk about ridiculous.  And that Thursday paper they told me had ads only contained a Kroger ad - which I get in the mail either Wednesday or Thursday anyway - and sometimes an ad for a weekend sale at Kohl's.

Needless to say, I have again canceled that subscription, and I have no intention of ever subscribing again. If you live in the Anderson, Indiana area and you like your Sunday ads, avoid the Indy Star.  The 'big city' paper really has nothing on our local paper here in Anderson.

Anybody else look forward to their Sunday morning ads?  And comics!

This Kohl's Store is a Disgrace

Every time I walk into our local Kohl's store here in Anderson, IN I am absolutely appalled.  And embarrassed.  I haven't worked for Kohl's in years, but it still bothers me seeing one of 'our' stores looking the way this one does.  It is an absolute mess.  I have never seen a Kohl's store look this bad, or any store for that matter.  Either customers around here are even bigger slobs than customers anywhere else, or the associates in this store have never heard of recovery - or they just don't care and the manager lets them get away with it.  I'm thinking it's the latter, because even the Kmart here in town looks neater than the Kohl's store.

The first time I was there this fall, I thought maybe someone had been sick or they'd had a really big sale and just hadn't had time to get caught up.  Not that either of those would have been legitimate excuses for the place looking like this:

If it was just a rack or two, that would have been one thing, but it was basically every single rack and fixture in the Men's department, and most of the fixtures in the other departments, too.  We spent most of our time in Men's, so this is the department that really shocked me.  This is Kohl's, the store that had to get rid of shopping carts so they could carry Dockers - because a store with shopping carts is not high class enough for Dockers.  Oh yeah, well there are no carts here, but the Dockers are a huge mess.

Along with everything else.  Stuff on the floor, unfolded and tossed on the fixtures, and just a huge disorganized, disgraceful mess.

How did they let it get this bad?  I'm hoping things will get better and back up to Kohl's-like standards one of these days.  The last two times we were in there, I actually saw people straightening and organizing, which I had not seen before.  Maybe they got a new manager or someone from Corporate came in and told them they better straighten up.  I was going to post these pictures ages ago or send a note to Corporate after we first went in there, but I didn't right away.  I just kept putting it off, and then thinking that since I hadn't been there in a while maybe they'd improved, so I should wait and see.  Then I went back, and it was just as bad, and I still kept putting it off.  Just so you know, it's been bad since at least September. Pictures in this post are from September, November and December, and there was another time in there that I forgot my phone so I didn't get any pictures, but it was just as bad then.  I don't know about before September, but it had to get this way sometime.   And now, because they let everything get into such a mess, it is going to take a very concerted effort to get it back to the way it is supposed to be.

In the meantime, the Kohl's associates are going to need to keep on top of things, because the customers have obviously gotten used to the total mess of this store and see no reason to change their behavior.  Even racks or fixtures that have obviously been straightened recently had a few items thrown over the top or lying on the floor.  Customers as a rule seem to be pretty messy creatures, but I'm thinking they're more likely to at least try to leave things neat if they're already that way - but if they're already messy, why bother?

I used to work in those departments.  You spend your entire day roaming the department, straightening what needs straightened, picking things up, hanging things back up, etc.  (In between helping customers, setting ads, doing markdowns, putting out new merchandise, and all the other stuff that needs done)  And, when the store closes, everyone stays until all the departments are recovered. 

It never ends!  But, if you don't keep at it, it will get out of control.  Like this store.

A Prime Gift Idea

Give the gift of Prime

It's that time of year - the time when everybody is scrambling to find that perfect gift for everyone on their list.  I'll be honest with you.  I am extremely thankful that I don't have to get all caught up in that!  Shopping is just not my thing, and to have someone tell me that I must buy something for everyone, and I must have it all done by a certain time would just make me crazy.  I'd probably curl up in a corner with no idea how to even get started, let alone get it all done.

That being said, here's a gift idea even I could get behind - a gift of Amazon Prime.  First of all, this is a gift you can buy, and send (Amazon will send your gift recipient an email on the day you choose, along with redemption instructions) without ever leaving the comfort of your own home or having to fight the crowds.  Second, it's a gift that would definitely be useful.

Prime includes:

• FREE Two-Day Shipping on millions of items
• No minimum order size
• Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video
• A Kindle book to borrow for free each month from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library

The gift of Prime is $79 for a one-year membership. If your recipient is already a Prime member, the gift can be exchanged for an Amazon.com Gift Card.  Either way, something everyone can appreciate.

Better Black Friday Shopping with Your Smartphone

Best Buy #281 - The Night Before 'Black Friday' (Photo credit: Croixboy)

It's about that time - Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year.  There is less than a week to go, and some people are even camping out at Best Buy as we speak.  I guess we all have our Thanksgiving slash holiday traditions...

Personally, I think it's crazy, and I usually avoid all stores on Black Friday and pretty much every day between Thanksgiving and a week or two after Christmas.  Can any deal really be worth all the waiting in lines and fighting the crowds?  I'd rather just stay home and shop online.  If I want to shop at all.  I worked retail for several years.  If I ever thought shopping was an enjoyable activity, which I sincerely doubt, that took care of that!

For those of you who wouldn't miss Black Friday shopping, and you know who you are, there are some great apps available for your smartphone that can help make this year's Black Friday shopping even better, whether you're shopping for the latest tech gifts like the iPhone 5s, 5c and iPad Air (now available at U.S. Cellular for the first time with a range of attractive data plans that will allow customers to connect to its fast 4G LTE network with speeds up to ten times faster than 3G.) or just that perfect toy for your adorable grandson.

• Black Friday App lets you browse "leaked" and "confirmed" ads from dozens of major retailers, create and organize shopping lists, compare prices, get notifications of the latest deals, and even shows you similar products that you can buy now at Black Friday-like prices.
• Use CardStar to import all those store savings cards to your phone. Lighten up your wallet or your keychain and never miss a reward or discount again. This is one of those apps that will come in handy all the time, not just on Black Friday.  Cashiers can scan the cards right from your phone, and you can get special savings, deals and coupons right through the app.
• and for people like me who would rather just stay home, there's Amazon Mobile, which lets you browse, search, compare prices, read reviews, and shop - right from the comfort of your own home.  (According to Mobile Commerce Daily, on Black Friday last year alone, mobile shopping accounted for 16 percent of online sales and that number is expected to exceed 20 percent this year, and a recent U.S. Cellular survey showed that 39 percent of their smartphone customers use their smartphones for shopping.) But if you are out shopping in some actual stores - on Black Friday or any other time - the app makes it easy to compare prices. Is that deal in the store really a good one, or can you get it cheaper on Amazon?  Now you'll always know.
• Insert your favorite app here.  Are there any apps you've found that you make shopping and scoring the best deals easier, faster, or better?  Please share!

So, if you really must grab some of those hard-to-resist Black Friday deals, be sure to check out the available smartphone apps that will make it easier to find the best deals and help you get your shopping done and get back to spending time with your family.  I suppose shopping together could be a way of spending time with the family... 

At the very least, if you have to split up to get those deals, you can use your phones to keep track of each other and be sure you can find each other at the end of the day!

Disclosure: I am being compensated for my participation in the U.S. Cellular Better Moments Blogger Brigade as well as receiving a new phone.  My experiences with and opinions of U.S. Cellular are 100% mine.

Something for Everyone in Las Vegas

Jeffrey and I went to Las Vegas three years ago.  We were only there for a few days, so we didn't get to see or do everything there is to do, but we certainly tried!  OK, maybe not, but we did do a lot of walking and tried to take in as many sights as we could.  We checked out the casinos, did a little gambling - which means I played the slots with the credit I got for signing up for a casino card until I lost it all, which took about 5 minutes, and Jeffrey played Blackjack a couple times.  We watched people, browsed some shops, saw Cher at the Coliseum, and wasted too much time with a stupid time-share outfit because they promised us Lion King tickets.  In the end we walked away from their stupid tour and purchased our own Lion King tickets - and it was awesome!  We enjoyed the fountains at the Bellagio, the Freemont Street experience, and the view from the Eiffel Tower at night.

There is certainly something for everyone.  Vegas is not just about gambling anymore.  Oh, sure there's plenty of that.  I personally don't see where the fun is in that, but there are lots of people who would disagree with me.  For thrill-seekers there is the roller coaster at New York-New York and the rides at Stratosphere.  Unfortunately we didn't get to those, but I definitely see the fun there!

There are shows of all kinds to see and restaurants, restaurants, restaurants.  For people who love antiques, there are victorian casino antiques to browse.  There are some pretty neat items available at the victorian casino auction  - coin-operated machines, slots, jukeboxes, arcade games, chip dispenser caddies, signs, etc. - that people who really love Vegas would love to collect and display in their own homes.   I personally think it would have been fun to look through everything just to see what they had and to live a little history of Vegas.  One thing I was really hoping to do while we were there was visit the Neon Museum and Boneyard where restored neon signs are on display.  Unfortunately, it was closed while we were there, but it would have been another great way to see some Las Vegas history.

Gambling, entertainment, food, history, adventure, and reasonably priced accommodations - there really is something for everyone in Vegas.  What's your favorite?