Saving - Rummage Sales This Week!

If you have a rummage sale this week that you would like to tell us about, please post in the comments below.  Be sure to include address, hours of sale and items on the sale. 

Also if you run across a sale that is noteworthy, feel free to share that as well.

Happy Rummaging!

Saving - Rummage Sales Post This Week!

If you have a rummage sale this week that you would like to tell us about, please post in the comments below.  Be sure to include address, hours of sale and items on the sale. 

Also if you run across a sale that is noteworthy, feel free to share that as well.

Happy Rummaging!

Saving - Rummage Sales This Week! Post Yours Here!

If you have a rummage sale this week that you would like to tell us about, please post in the comments below.  Be sure to include address, hours of sale and items on the sale. 

Also if you run across a sale that is noteworthy, feel free to share that as well.

Happy Rummaging!

Saving - Rummage Sale Tips!

The following article was originally written by me for our Mother's of Preschoolers newsletter.  I thought I would share with all my blog readers as well.  Feel free to leave your tips in the comments!

Another Woman’s Treasure

One of the many (many, many) reasons I look forward to Spring is the start of Rummage Sale Season.  And yes, when you live in South Dakota, there is truly a “season”.  Growing up, I recall several Saturday mornings roaming through garages with my Mom.  I quickly learned how fantastic it was and often enthusiastically crawled out of bed before she did; just waiting (and hoping) for her to ask me if I wanted to go along with her!

Whether you call it a Rummage Sale or a Garage Sale, you are sure to find some fantastic bargains and maybe even a few treasures along the way.  You know what they say, ‘another woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure.’

We did it!  We shopped our first rummage sale of the season this weekend.  Ahhh.  Seriously, love it!  My top finds this weekend included picking up a small dresser to fit in my four year old’s closet for $20 and several level 1, 2 & 3 reading books, chapter books and hard cover books in great shape for a whopping $.25 each!  I honestly wish I had picked out a few more, but I had to pat myself on the back for exhibiting self control. Tee-hee.  Sometimes I just have to laugh at myself.

Needless to say, I think shopping garage sales is a fantastic way to save money in the family budget!  Many times you can find new or very close to new items at a mere fraction of the cost at a store.  And there are plenty of used items in nice condition.  Each one of the level reading books I purchased would have easily cost about $3-4 a piece in a store, so I was able to get 12 books for the price of one! 

If you have never rummaged before or have and questioned its greatness, I have a few tips and ideas to get you going.

Before Heading Out:

*Make a list of items you need to purchase (clothes, swimming suit, baking dishes, etc).  Be sure to include sizes of clothing for each person and the number of certain pieces needed, such as 2 shirts, 4 shorts, etc. 

*Consider the cost of each item if you were to purchase it new.  When rummaging, try to avoid overpaying for the item.  If you would pay $3 for a new t-shirt, you don’t want to buy a used one for $3, do you?  My goal is to never pay more than 50% of the orginal cost of an item.  Of course, I try to spend a lot less, but this is my maximum goal. If it is more than that, I move on to the next sale.  You may have a difference in opinion on the percentage and that is fine, just be sure you have considered your goal before heading out to shop!

*Make a list of rummage sales you would like to go to.  It is great when you can find neighborhood rummage sales so that they are grouped nearby and you can walk.  There are several Sioux Falls communities that do this, along with surrounding towns like Brandon, Tea, Garretson, etc.  You just might find unlisted sales along the way too.  Some nice places to find rummage sale listings are:

            - Argusleader.com (also in print)

            - sfshoppingnews.com (also in print)

            - craigslist.org

            - live-laugh-save.blogspot.com

*If you do not have a GPS in your vehicle or an app on your phone, be sure to map out any addresses you are not familiar with.

*Carry small bills and change.  If you can help it, don’t hand over a $20 bill to pay for something that costs just $.25. 

*Bring along a reusable bag.  This is really nice to have when you are shopping multiple sales at a time.

*If you are going to be out for a while, be sure to pack snacks and bottled water.  Nothing worse than spending twice as much on a bottle of water at a gas station when you are out trying to ‘save’ money!

*Don’t forget comfy shoes, sunglasses and sun lotion.

While Rummaging:

*Be sure that you are in good lighting when purchasing clothing to avoid buying items with stains.  Also be sure to try all zippers, buttons, etc.

 
*If purchasing something that runs on batteries or electricity be sure it works.  If it needs new batteries, ask if you can borrow some just to see if it works.  Same goes for electrical items, ask for an outlet!

*If you are teetering on purchasing an item due to the price, you may offer the seller the price that you are willing to pay or ask them if they would consider less.  This comes in handy even more so when you are there towards the end of their sale.  Many times sellers really just want to get rid of their items and would definitely take less.  Be sure not to offend by offering them much less (offering $5 for something they have priced $50).

*Keep your eyes peeled for items that can be upcycled!  This is one of my favorite things to do while rummaging.  Let’s say I need a flower pot.  There are several things that can be repurposed into a flower pot or garden art (pots, cowboy boots, rain boots, buckets, etc)!  Or those that have dogs may consider stuffed animals for dog toys.  Pinterest is a whirlwind of creativity for upcycling items, in case you need a little help.

*Come back on the last day.  This is great if you are hoping for better deals on multiple items.  If they remain on the last day of the sale, the seller may be more willing to or have already reduced their prices.

 *Mark down addresses of rummage sales that you found to be excellent.  Then keep your eyes peeled for future sales at the same address.  I have one that I go back to year after year because the gal does such a nice job of setting up her sale, has clean, quality clothing at a fair price for my son.  It’s perfect because her son is a size ahead of mine!

*Keep an eye out for items for close friends and family.  If I find something that a friend may be looking for I call them, send them a picture on my phone and purchase it for them if they say to go for it.  In return, you will have a great support system keeping their eyes open for you as well!

*Have fun!

Saving - Formula 409 & Clorox Just $.50 At HyVee!

In a special "Clean Sweep" cleaning supply ad at HyVee (can view online), Formula 409 and Clorox cleaner are $2.50 each.  Plus when you buy 2, you can save $1 with a HyVee in-ad coupon making each bottle $2.  This ad is good through 4/24/13.

Head on over here quick (before prints are gone) and watch a short video and share to be able to print a manufacturer coupon good for $1.50 off per bottle!  Stack the in-ad coupon and this coupon and get each bottle for just $.50 each!

If you choose not to share, you can still grab a $1 off coupon.  Still a nice deal at $1 per bottle!

There is also a $1/2 Formula 409 coupon here.

Saving - HyVee: Cheap Cereal & Lunchables Ends Tuesday!

There are some deals at HyVee this week that I have been meaning to share with you, in case you didn't catch them.  These deals are good through tomorrow (or today for Yankton).

Cereal
Purchase 4 select General Mills cereals, receive $4 with in-ad coupon AND a catalina coupon for $4 on your next order. 

Combine this deal with some manufacturer coupons and you have some nice deals, depending on the price of your cereal.

I was able to find some of your basic kids cereals and Fiber One for as low as $2.98.  So the deal would look like this:

Purchase 4 cereals at $2.98
Use $4 off in-ad coupon
Use 2 $1/2 here check database for addtl coupons
= $5.92
Receive $4 catalina
= like paying $1.92 or $.48 for each box

Lunchables
Purchase 5 lunchables, receive $5 off with in-ad coupon.

The Uploaded and w/Smoothie Lunchables are on sale for $2.99.  I found peelie coupons on the Uploaded packages for $1/1 and you can grab a $1/1 w/Smoothie coupon from the 2/24 SS insert!

The deal would look like this:

Purchase 5 Lunchables at $2.99
Use in-ad $5 off coupon
Plus use 5 $1/1 manufacturer coupons
= $4.95 or $.99 each!

Saving - Michael's $5 Off $10 Purchase Coupon!

Woot!  If you are signed up for emails from Michael's Craft Stores, be sure to check your email in hopes for this *hot* coupon!  I just received a coupon for $5 off a $10 purchase!

Great opportunity to save on Easter basket gifts or just some fun crafting goodies!

Nice, nice, nice.  Now do I practice restraint or go for it?! :-)

Saving - Easter Baskets & Filler Ideas On A Budget!

Buckets from Dollar Tree decorated

The article below was originally written by me for my MOPS group newsletter.  If you are still looking for ways to save on your Easter goodies, here are a few ideas.

Non-Candy Egg Fillers:
Also, check out this article from last year and this article from a couple years ago to see non-candy egg filler ideas!  Another idea we are doing this year is to put papers valid for one "free" app for their Kindles!  They are always begging, so here is their chance. 

Feel free to leave your ideas in the comments.

Fill Your “Basket” For Less

With Easter just around the corner, we are in full swing of planning family get-togethers, gearing up for Easter egg dying and so many more fun things that come with this blessed holiday!

There are several opportunities to be thrifty at Easter.  Do you get tired of purchasing a new basket each year only for you to have to turn around and find a way to get rid of it later?  Part of being thrifty is thinking ahead about how you can repurpose something.  This will help your bucks go further.  Why spend $8-$12 on a basket you will never use again when you can spend the same or even less on something you can put to use throughout the year?

Combine a few of the suggestions below with your Easter shopping and you will reap savings rewards!  You may incur more cost now; however by planning for items that have a practical use you will save money on what would have been future expenses.

Basket

*Look for a container to use in place of a basket that you can see another purpose for!  For example:  If you buy a sand pail with a shovel, you could simply put your normal goodies inside and the pail becomes part of the gift.  They can later use the pail at the beach, at the park or even in your own backyard picking up sticks and bugs!  You can often times find the pails at the Dollar Tree or other dollar stores.  Add a fun bow to it if you want to make it more festive!  Some other container ideas:

- Large Popcorn Bowl found at a dollar store (nice for the older kids too), consider filling it with things like popcorn, movies, movie rental certificate, movie theatre tickets, etc.

- Containers decorated with character templates found on the Internet.  I did something like this for my son’s Angry Birds themed birthday party.  Simply Google the template you are looking for, print, cut and paste/tape it on to a coordinating container (I grabbed mine at a dollar store).  The kids love it!  And you have a fun and festive container to use in place of a basket.

- Watering cans make a fun and cute “basket” too!  My kids love to help me in the yard so having their own watering can would be so much fun.  Or you can buy a large watering can to fill and then have your child decorate it for you sometime after Easter!  They will find joy each time Mommy uses the watering can!

- Large Bowls that can be used for other purposes.

- Small laundry baskets.

- Upcycle an empty ice cream bucket.  Use nail polish remover to clean off the writing on the bucket.  Decorate with a ribbon or start a new tradition that your kids decorate their own bucket and set it out the night before!  If you don’t eat ice cream by the bucket full, ask your friends and family for their empty buckets!

Basket Fillers

*When it comes to filling your “baskets”, it helps to plan ahead and consider things that the child may need now or in the near future.  Consider sporting activities they will be in, activities you do on a daily/weekly basis and growth spurts!  By adding items that will fill these needs, you will avoid the additional expense in the future.  Here are a few ideas.

- Socks & Underwear – most kids need or will shortly need these items.  Pick fun patterns or characters to help make them more exciting when receiving them! (Update: Great clearance on boys and girls undies at Target!  Many packages less than $2.50!)

- Hand soap and hand sanitizer come in fun containers, including popular characters.  Imagine how excited your little one will feel about washing their hands with the special hand soap they received in their Easter basket!

- Band-aids make great gifts!  My kids love receiving character band-aids to stash away for those minor bumps and bruises they like to request band-aids for!

- Bubble bath and bath soap

- Toothbrushes and toothpaste!

- Glue, tape, paper or other things that will be used at art time

- Movie rental certificates, if you already have a weekly or bi-weekly family movie night, why not add a voucher for a movie rental!  Consider other family habits you have such as heading to McDonalds or Cherry Berry.  If you set aside a time for this, why not add a gift certificate to the basket as well!

- Homemade coupons for special outings like a trip to the park of their choosing.

- Bubbles.  We go through so many; it is a sure win in their baskets each year.

- Bypass the candy and include their favorite snacks or breakfast foods.  For example, my kids love the mini muffins that come prepackaged.  We don’t get these very often, however they would be excited to receive them in their basket and you can check breakfast off your grocery shopping list!

- Books cannot be left off the list.  Picking out a great book or two for the basket will reap rewards the whole year through.

Easter Egg Fillers
*Another great way to save at Easter is to fill Easter eggs with items that have a greater purpose than just candy.  I cannot tell you how much candy gets thrown out/donated at my house following holidays like Valentines and Easter.  Some non-candy ideas to fill your eggs:

            - Undies for the smaller kids can easily roll up and squeeze inside the eggs.

            - Hair clips, barrettes and ponytail holders.

            - Stickers, simply cut apart sheets of stickers into one or 2 to add to each egg.

            - Chuck E Cheese tokens (I snag some from our leftover stash- seriously!).

            - Coins that they can add to their piggy bank!

            - Favorite snacks (Fruit snacks, animal crackers, goldfish, yogurt covered raisins)

            - Lip balms/chapstick

            - Legos

            - Fishing lures

            - Hot wheels

            - Barbie outfits

            - Necklace

            - Earings

            - Puzzle pieces (add one or 2 to each egg to add up to the whole puzzle)!

            - Homemade coupons

Note:  You may be surprised to know that many items suggested above can be found at the Dollar Tree for $1!  Things from character hand soaps and hand sanitizers, Barbie and super-hero band-aids, watering cans, character toothbrushes, etc!

Saving - JC Penney Clearance PLUS Coupon!

Headed to JC Penney yesterday for some socks for the hubby and was excited to find some fantastic sales going on!  Not so sure my 4 year old felt the same, cause then Mom has to look around!

We found LOTS of things ranging from $1-$3!  This included items in infants, kids, womens and mens!

Some of the fun deals we found:
Hello Kitty purse $2
Long sleeve superhero and other printed boy t-shirts $1
Tablet sleeve $1
Neck ties $1
And so much more!

Coupon:
And to make it even better, head on over here to grab a coupon good for $10 off a $50 purchase!

Saving - Half Off Gregg's Sub Station! Woot!

If you haven't tried Gregg's Sub Station yet on 41st Street, you are missing out on some yummy subs!

For those of you that I know LOVE Gregg's just like me and for those that are ready to give them a try, I have a fantastic deal to share with you!

Head on over to DealChicken.com and grab today's Sioux Falls deal to score 50% off at Gregg's Sub Station.

For $20 you will receive 2 vouchers of $10 each.  Use them up before June 17th!

What a fantastic way to save on the family budget for some great food.  I know a lot of you have summer sports starting up soon with practices and games running from here to there.  Think of how convenient it would be to grab some subs for the road!

Tell us - have you tried Gregg's?