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Thursday, August 11, 2016

More gifty stuff, this time some bargain shopping

Yesterday was yet another one of those very busy days. The morning found me running errands for several hours. While I was out, I stopped by Kohl's to use my latest $10 off coupon.

Here's what I bought:


In the back, that's a candle lantern. It was originally $39.99.
To the left are 2 7-oz Lindt milk chocolate bunnies, originally $9.99.
And to the right is a lavender-colored pair of women's panties, originally in a package of 4 for $26, so $6.50 for the one pair.

After discounts and coupon applied:


The lantern became 70 cents, the Lindt bunnies became 9 cents each, and the pair of panties became 9 cents. What I love about the receipts, though, is this:


The lantern may become a gift at Christmas. With a candle inside, I think it would make a nice hostess gift. Or, I may use it in our own decor. The chocolate bunnies, I may keep as is, and use in Easter baskets next year, or I may use the chocolate in candy for gifting during the holidays (like on English toffee). At 18 cents for 14 ounces, that's a steal for good quality milk chocolate. A cheap 12-oz package of chocolate chips is about $2 in my area, on sale for $1.50, at best. And the panties -- I needed to spend 3 cents to reach my threshold to use the coupon. I decided a check on the lingerie clearance rack was in order. A dollar is a great price on a pair of undies. This pair will go into one of my daughters' stockings, at Christmas. The other daughter will get a pair of knee-hi socks I got on clearance a while back. All works out evenly.


Also while out, I stopped by Michael's to use my 40% off coupon. I bought the goats milk soap base that I plan on using for gift-making. It is regularly $9.99. With coupon, the price came down to $5.99, for 2 lbs. This is a better deal than Amazon for melt and pour goats milk soap, in every size package. So, if you plan on making soap, as I am, you could save a lot of money on the soap base by buying at Michael's or other local craft store, using a high value coupon, such as 40% off. Of course, check your prices against Amazon's, yourself.

That's the progress I made on gifts yesterday. I've got a couple more posts on gifts that I plan on making, that I'll share early next week. 

I hope you're having a lovely August week. The sun feels like it's shifting already, here. It's lovely.

18 comments:

  1. Hi Lili,
    Thank you for sharing your gift journey with us. I do wish I would receive those Kohl's and Penney's coupons!
    I can feel the sun shifting too, and fall is not so far down the road.
    Jo Ann

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jo Ann,
      I wish I knew what the secret was to those Kohl's and Penney's coupons. I am wondering if the Kohl's ones have anything to do with the emptiness of the Kohl's store in my area. Whether I have a coupon or not, Kohl's has some excellent prices on their clearance racks. I took one of my daughters back there last night so she could try on swimsuits. All were deeply discounted, and yet she found one she liked and in her favorite color.

      Have a great day, Jo Ann!

      Delete
  2. Wow! you got some great finds!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I comment every time about wanting those Kohl's coupons you get. However, I finally got one. I got a $10 one for my birthday which I got two allergy proof pillow covers. Didn't come out zero, but a pretty good deal.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi live and learn,
      Woo hoo! You got one of the coupons!!! I think you found just the right thing, too. Something useful, but still at a savings.

      And p.s. Happy Birthday!!!

      Delete
  4. I never think of checking Kohls but I should.
    Love the lantern!

    My progress was I pulled another project out to get started on for my sister in law. I guess making sure I had all the supplies counts as progress -- right? :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Busy Bee,
      Yep! That's definitely progress in my book. Just getting things set up or making sure I have everything needed, is one more step that I can no longer use to procrastinate.

      Our Kohl's has a really good clearance section in home decor. And especially so in the seasonal-looking stuff. Last time around with the coupons, I found a Christmas-y door mat, deeply discounted.

      Have a great day!

      Delete
  5. How fun! Great finds on the clearance. I saw a lantern
    similar with a terrarium in it. It was pricey. A candle
    would be lovely also good idea. I might check here to see if they have the melt and pour soap. Thanks for the heads up.
    Have a lovely day
    Patti

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Patti,
      Oh, a terrarium would be so pretty inside the lantern!
      Have a wonderful day, yourself!

      Delete
  6. August was my favorite month when we lived in Portland, Oregon...wnen the days are cooler and the sun shifts, I remember the early evening hours were the most beautiful to behold, more beautiful than our evening sunsets. We don't have the marked shift of the sun near the equator, so the days are pretty same all year long, although I do notice the crisp air and different position of the sun in January. However, the change is ever so subtle and I can most appreciate it when I am in the garden.

    Nice boost to your gift collection there! I bought some nail polish, cheek blusher, and an assortment of back to school supplies for someone to use since I bought these all at such good prices....I usually don't make Christmas stockings or plan on any event gifts. I always give money because I think it is the most appreciated. Also for our grandkids, because they have too much toys in my opinion, and their interests change every time we see them. I feel I am not able to keep up with their wish lists ever, so money is the best. However, last year I stocked up on several wireless speakers and headsets (free after SYWR points), and our oldest grands went aper for it. Not always does this happen.

    Have a nice day!!

    YHF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi YHF,
      I've seen some truly beautiful evenings, here in the NW. One evening in early September,a few years ago, I was out in the back and looked up to see a large owl on a branch in a tree. The skies were becoming dim and the owl was a dark shadow. He turned his head around and looked at me, then turned back. It was a remarkable moment, something I never expected to ever see. Other evenings, the majestic evergreens are dark against the evening sky, almost like someone had painted a picture. Really beautiful. When I lived in California, it almost felt season-less. So I can really appreciate the changing seasons, here.

      It sounds like you hit the jackpot with your grandkids with those wireless speakers and headsets! I love when that happens!

      Have a great day, YHF!

      Delete
  7. Wow! I'm most impressed with the inexpensive chocolate price. Mmm, chocolate ... ;)

    I didn't do nearly as well as you today, but I did use my Penney's coupon for some clothing for my son. He is in the stage where he rapidly outgrows his clothing so I'm finding it harder than I used to to buy ahead for him and store clothing for later. And, at TJ Maxx, I found 2 bras for an excellent price, so I'm excited about that. Only problem--one of them is a favorite style of mine and I'm afraid, if TJ Maxx is stocking them, that means the style is being discontinued. I'll have to keep trolling there to see if I find more in my size and store them away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Those are great finds, Lili. The receipt is so much fun to see when scoring such great deals. I have been using the $10 Penney's coupons lately to replace our towels. I think I have the quantity I want now so I will move on to something else next time.
      Mary

      Delete
    2. Hi Kris,
      The chocolate is really tempting! I don't know how it lasted that long on clearance. Even if I didn't have a $10 off coupon, that clearance price would have been a good one, at 99 cents per bunny. But with only paying 9 cents out of pocket -- wow, couldn't pass that one up. Now, to just keep myself from eating it!!

      I think Penney's is on to me -- I haven't received one of their coupons since winter. Maybe the style change on the bra will be just a minor one, so the fit will still be the same, but maybe slightly different look. Or maybe TJ Maxx is stocking over-production stuff. Have you done a search online to see if it's being discontinued? If you found out from the manufacturer that it is, you could try to buy a back-up bra or two. And if you find out it's not being discontinued, you can rest easy on this issue.

      I think every woman feels for you on bra issues. Once we find the ONE bra that actually fits, supports and makes our bodies look good, it disappears from racks in the stores and we have to begin that hunt for the perfect bra, once again. Sigh

      Wishing you a happy day, Kris!

      Delete
    3. Hi Mary,
      Great idea on the towels, using your coupons one at a time, to replace a set. Some years, I've received several Penney's coupons, and could have easily bought an entire set of towels over the course of one year. I'll have to remember that! It would work well for accumulating an entire wedding gift of a set of towels. It does seem like there's always something I can use the $10 off coupons on.

      Have a great day, Mary!

      Delete
  8. I don't get any coupons either and I wish I would! My daughter's just have such different tastes than I do. I would wear that style underwear but if I gave it one of my girls they would have a fit as that is just not their style! I don't give clothing, lingerie or makeup (if and when we ever give gifts). It all has to be something they suggest or if I happen to overhear something or maybe something like the mango corer that you get knowing it might be returned! In my case it was a hit.

    I still might begin to scour around the discount racks and see if there is anything any of the kids could use. I'm thinking nail files, socks for my son,"safe" things.

    Alice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      Yeah, maybe you might find some items that no one could object to on clearance racks. Those very basic things, especially the necessities like socks, although not exciting, also are not the "wrong" style.

      Delete

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