Errands, Sales, And Gift Cards Result In A Retail Hangover

With only one day this past weekend free from commitments, my wife and I spent the entirety of Sunday running errands. Some were overdue and now on a ticking clock, others were the result of the baby shower the day before, and some were just errands of opportunity. By the time we got home in the early evening we were tired and ready for another weekend.

The first trip was to the old apartment to pick up the cable boxes that I had forgotten to put in the car numerous times. I had gotten a call from Comcast last week and I really didn’t want to see another bill from them in the coming weeks. Now that this is done, it shouldn’t take much longer before our previous residence is finally a thing of the past.

From there we drove to Staples where I spent the next hour of my life scanning, formatting, and confirming the order for new lodge dues cards and address stamps. This is why I have been putting off this trip for so long. Of course, while we were there, it took the opportunity to restock on a few essentials (i.e. ink, envelopes, etc.). Between rewards dollars and coupons we did pretty well.

After swinging by my parent’s house and picking up a few baby shower gifts that got lost in the shuffle, we drove back west. On our way to drop off the aforementioned Comcast boxes (they don’t really have many convenient locations), and because I took a slightly longer route, we drove by the local Office Max which, turns out, is closing and was in the midst of clearing out the store. So, with the drop off taken care of, we circled back and slowly walked through the store. Got to love saving nearly 70% on items that you had been looking to pick up when the price was right.

By this point we were starting to slow down but we were only 5 minutes away from Babies R Us and we had both coupons and gift cards in hand (both from the gifts we brought home the night before and some that were in envelopes in the trunk that we had just retrieved). Needless to say, we decided to check a few more items off the registry and cherry pick the clearance racks and shelves. Even with a cart load of baby items, we actually still have some funds left to round things out a little later. Of course, there is still a lot of stuff on the registry too.

After a quick dinner (Bob Evans doesn’t mix well with pregnancy) we finally headed home for the day. While tiring we did manage to get a lot done that won’t muck up a future weekend. With that said, the retail hangover this morning was something that I don’t look forward to experiencing again.

Date Night

About halfway through the day I had enough and needed to take a break from the work, the cleaning, and sitting around the apartment in general. While I was being productive and getting plenty of things done, some long overdue, I was feeling a little bit of Jack Nicholson rattling around in there. Once I found a good place to stop I knew it was time for us to get up and out. There were a few things we had to get done, a few last minute gifts to pick up, and a few items to return so there was a productive motive to our trip but that was by no means the major motivator.

First stop… Wal-Mart. I know, such an exciting and exotic place to visit. After returning a few purchases from our Black Friday trip (we picked up/out too many DVD’s) we walked around store and picked up a few essentials (windshield wiper blades) and a gift. We were going to pick up a second gift at the ammo counter but there are two major problems in trying to do that. First, ammo is still in limited supply and, second, no one is ever at the ammo counter to help and employees seem to get lost on their way there when you request assistance (a third common problem is the fact that no one at Wal-Mart knows what you’re talking about beyond pointing at specific boxes).

Second Stop… Staples. I know, calm down, don’t be jealous of our exciting life. While we found an extra gift in the clearance section, along with a few other items, the main objective was to pick up ink for our photo printer (we’re only about two months behind in picking this up). The nice thing with Staples which I have mentioned before, I can utilize coupons and other discounts. After handing in all the coupons and taking off a little bit with some rewards dollars, the total cost was the equivalent of us simply coming in and buying the ink cartridge as full price. Not a bad trip.

With the handful of errands now completed, it was time to just be together and have a little bit of a date night so we headed off to do something that we haven’t done in a long time (probably about a year and a half), we went to watch a movie at the AMC in Plymouth Meeting. It was an optimal time to head to the movies as many factors were working in our favor: we had a Fandango gift card to cover the tickets, we both needed to take a break, there was a movie out we could agree on, and we have been long overdue for a date night. Sodas and popcorn in hand, we climbed the stairs and got settled in for the next two plus hours.
 

While “The Book Thief” is an excellent movie and I highly recommend watching, be prepared to be a little depressed. There is a deep sadness throughout the film (no surprise for a story that takes place in Nazi Germany) which can catch you off guard at times. Wonderful performances all around and a pace that is perfect for the subject matter and the mood of the film. It is a movie that you should allow yourself to get lost in and a story that should be wrapped around you like a new and slightly uncomfortable and unfamiliar blanket. It is for these reasons that I will not go into the details of the film and let you explore it for yourself.

 

After the afternoon movie, we stopped by the mall for a quick sit down dinner (a lighter meal after all the popcorn and soda) and soon after headed back to the apartment and back to work. Now that I have gotten a few more things taken care of I am now sitting down, talking to you, and drinking some fresh tea in an infuser cup I gave to my wife at the beginning of the day. Nothing like fresh, loose tea to end the day and calm you down from a work filled weekend. Time to head off to bed to rest up for a short work week but hectic week overall.

Party Time!

Thursday was the first holiday party with my new company and I was late to the office gathering. Fortunately, I had a darn good reason for my tardiness as I was staffing an interview which led me to arrive about 45 minutes after everyone had gotten to the bowling alley. That’s right, we had a bowling party. With the exception of walking around and exploring the old two lanes in the basement of my lodge a few months ago, this was the first time that I had set foot in a bowling alley in about ten years (maybe longer).

It was an interesting experience walking in the doors as the memories of grade school birthday parties flooded my mind as the familiar scent wafted across my nose. This is one of those places that while the technology and the décor may change over time, the atmosphere remains the same. Those pleasant reminiscences only added to the festive night and the great time that we all had, awkward techniques and all.  

However, when you get a group of coworkers together with any type of game or sport as the activity and there is inevitably going to be come competition. While I thought that my competitive nature had long since faded into the past, that night it had a bit of a resurgence as we split into teams of two and started watching the scores add up. What started as simply a fun time for me quickly transitioned to not wanting to finish last and then to wanting to win.

As the night progressed the fire built up as I was not hitting my spots and doing as well as I wanted to. The frustration was a little intense as most of the time I knew whether or not I made the shot as soon as the ball was about five feet down the lane. While it was by no means a great score I still managed to break a hundred in both games and ended the night of rolling having finished second overall. More importantly, my team won by 50 pins.

After a couple of games with dinner interspersed between turns and frames we all headed over to the pool tables where I played a couple of poor games. Still finished 1-1 on the night but completely unacceptable knowing how I used to run the table in a game of nine ball. However, billiards was secondary as we all continued to relax and began exchanging holiday gifts. “Secret Santa” is something that I can’t remember the last time I had the opportunity to participate and even though many of us are still getting to know one another around the office everyone gave considerable thought to the gifts they gave and appreciated the gifts they received.

I gave a gift that I took the time to think about and make sure that it would be enjoyed. Actually, because I am a firm proponent of coupons, I gave a whole bag of gifts while remaining within the predetermined $25 budget. On the flip side of things, I was given a gift that fit me perfectly and something that I have already put to good use (you’ve got to love it when someone gets you the right gift card).

At that point, the conversations continued and we all enjoyed the company of friends, not just coworkers. With hugs and holiday wishes shared by all, we set out on the road knowing that we would see one another early the next morning. Our office is a family, one where we hold one another accountable and make sure we working to our potential (clichéd but true), and that is a rare privilege that I will continue to appreciate each and every day I walk through the door. It’s amazing how a great job can make the holiday season so much better.

Psycho Cyber Monday

Over the last couple of days I have done a bit of online shopping to fill out the rest of the gifts my wife and I have been meaning to pick up for the holidays. It was also a good time to pick up the Secret Santa (or as I call it the Hidden Hanukkah Harry) gift for the person in my office whose name I picked out of a bowl last week. While we were limited in our gift giving last year and we still are this year as well it seems as though the discounts are significantly steeper this year than in any other year I can remember.

Between general coupons and sale prices on specific items the prices seemed to have been at least 50% below the usual cost. Some items were around 90% off. Maybe they were last year’s style or a step behind in the evolution of technology but it doesn’t bother me and you really can’t tell unless you study the products over and over again. So while we may have gone into this shopping season thinking that we were going to spend a bit more, it looks like the budget will remain relatively the same.

One of the interesting things that came about this season is the announcement byAmazon.com regarding the future use of drones for thirty minute delivery. While it is interesting to hear grand ideas being proposed, some would even say a little nuts, it make you wonder if these people have really given enough thought as to the logistics of such a project. In this particular instance, beyond the FAA, regulation, and security issues surrounding such a drone program what is the communications network going to look like to support this endeavor? Based on my experience, this is something that would need a kinetic mesh network (look it up, it is the best option).

It’s the same mentality that overcomes many people during this holiday season when people head into the retail trenches with grand ideas of getting the best possible gift while spending as little money as possible. Inevitably, somewhere along the line, if the right systems and limitations are not in place all those good intentions seem to evaporate. The timing has to be right, the mentality has to be ardent, and the finances have to make sense.

But, if everything is in place, and the right steps are taken, these kinds of grandiose endeavors can be successful and tremendously profitable. Think about the meeting of these two worlds. Image sitting on the train on your way home. You place an order for an ink cartridge you need to get some work done that night. You select the 30 minutes delivery option and by the time you get home you are ready to go. With such a sharp increase in the success of online and mobile sales, the hyper-expedited shipping option could be a game changer in future holiday shopping seasons.

However, I worry. Essentially, the greatest beneficiary of such a program would be the consumer while the greatest liability to such a program is the consumer. If someone is willing to tase a fellow human being in a store I doubt they would have any issue with taking out a drone.

Friends With Benefits

When trying to keep a budget and cut costs there is a small group of friends that are always there to help me out… membership cards and coupon. Whether its groceries or office supplies, oil changes or admission fees, I am always looking for ways to reduce the price of items and services. Sometimes I am able to save a little, sometimes I save a lot, and occasionally I can either get something for free or make money purchasing it.

No, I am not one of those extreme coupon people on TLC although I do get a kick out of watch that show. I simply take about 20 minutes each week and go through the circulars, mailings, and emails that I get, clip or copy them, and put them in an envelope. That’s it. It doesn’t take much effort at all and that basic process, combined with the free membership cards, usually averages about a thirty percent savings at the super market every week.

Over the course of the year, with regard to total dollars, that is the most significant chunk of my savings. However, there are other areas where I can save a significant amount at a much higher percentage. The most common of which are office supplies. Thanks to Staples, I am able to save anywhere between 50-75% on anything ranging from printers to paper to bottled water. This is also the place where they have paid me to buy supplies.

Again, this is very simple and requires minimal effort. What usually happens is that they will promote a 100% rebate offer for a product (most recently it happened to be 4x6 photo paper). So, if you are willing to wait a month for reimbursement they will essentially give you the product for free and credit your rewards account for the purchase. But you can take it a step further. By utilizing a coupon that takes a percentage off your total purchase (rebate items are not sale items so they are not exempt) you can essentially get a rebate back for more than you paid for the product.

Of course, as I have previously written about, sometimes I come across free items and free contests. If it’s free, and I don’t have to set aside time to do it, I am definitely interested. No time, money, or effort is a great, and rare, combination.

The other side to this cost saving equation is where some effort is definitely required. Usually, this is when you are looking for a specific item or brand and you have to shop around to find the best price. There is a simple way to ensure success: know the price match policies. You can look around and think you found the best price but, sometimes, you may forget to check a certain store or maybe that item goes on sale the following week. It’s a great safety net that can put money back into your pocket.

One last thing to remember is that while the savings on any given day or on any particular item may not seem like much it really adds up. Keep track, a rough estimate is fine, on how much money is left in your pocket by taking the time to pay attention to prices and using the system to your advantage. You would be surprised how quickly the dollars add up by simply investing a little effort and even less time. Or think about it this way… how much are you saving during an average week? How much time are you putting into this? With those two figures in hand, what is the hourly rate you are getting paid?

Let me, and all who happen to read this, know of your experiences. How do you save money? Where do you find the best deals? What is the best deal you have ever gotten on an item?