Sometimes a good sale is just too hard to pass up. As I get older and “wiser” though I am finding I am more careful to not buy stuff just because it is a good deal. Even though I LOVE a good sale, a good price doesn’t mean you need it. Here’s how I have learned to navigate a good sale; I’ll use a recent Target trip as an example. I was at my favorite store a few weeks ago and it happened to be about a week and a half after Valentine's Day. I was minding my own business when I saw the signs - 70% off candy and 90% (yes 90%) off everything else Valentine's Day related. My heart started racing, I told you I love a good sale! So I took a deep breath and headed down the aisle. Now this markdown must have just happened because it was not picked over at all. Here’s what I got and what I passed on and why:
Here’s what I passed on:
- Boxes of kid’s valentines, valentine making kits, etc- I am not sure what my kids will be into a month from now let alone a year from now so this was an easy pass for me.
- Most of the candy - our house was already stacked with Valentine candy and although it was a super good deal, I have no willpower when candy is in the house so I avoided buying lots (I did buy some, see below).
- Heart-shaped dishes, stuffed animals, clothes, gifts that were specific for only Valentine’s Day.
Here’s what I bought:
- Gift bags! Sets of 8 for only 30 cents! That’s less than 4 cents a bag! They are a good size and don’t have to be used for Valentine's. In fact, Ella just used one the other day for a get-well gift for her teacher.
- 2 sets of Opal House mugs that say “I love you” and “I love you more”. These were $1.00. It was kind of an impulse buy but they were so cute! I gave one set to my mom and dad and am saving the other set for a gift for a wedding, anniversary, etc.
- A tin of Altoids. I needed mints for my car anyway, and because these were considered “Valentine” they were like 30 cents. Score.
- Now for the candy that I DID buy - Ghirardelli milk chocolate wafers, hello chocolate fondue night with the kids! These were $1.00 a bag. I also bought three bags of Hershey kisses for less than $1.00 each. The colors of the kisses will be perfect for Easter eggs and the rest can be used to make this super easy, yummy cookie recipe!
I was proud of my purchases and know I will get good use out of them. I was even more proud of my restraint in not buying the whole aisle! Small victories!!