Monday, July 20, 2009

Bargain Hunting 101

Since so many people encouraged a bargain shopping post, I decided to do a 2-part installment. First, my rules and tips. Second installment, my favorite stores!


Bargain Hunting Rules


#1- Keep an open mind!


If you are setting out to find a perfect pair of jeans that makes your butt look oh-so-cute and legs long and lean and you would like to find them at less than 20% of their set retail price - your living in a dream land. Are those jeans out there? Probably. Are you going to find them on the one trip you NEED to find them? Probably not. You never know what your are going to find on the clearance racks!


Another factor about shopping the clearance racks is that sometimes clothes don't look good on hangers. They just hang there, lifeless. But once you try it on, you can see the potential. I think this is especially true of clearance rack clothes. Obviously there are shirts that are just bad. BAD bad bad. But there are lots of times that people just didn't have the vision or the patience to try it on! Think about it with an accessory, or perhaps a $5 tailor job.



#2- Shop off-season


This is probably the single most important rule, if nothing else, remember this! No it isn't fun to shop for sweaters in July, nor to think about my pasty white shoulders in strapless dress in January, but it IS cost effective. This summer I've purchased 4 long sleeved tops that I won't be able to wear until December or January (damn Texas heat), but I would never be able to buy them during the winter at such a great price. (Shirts that were regularly $50+, and I found them for less than $10.) It was in searching through those clearance racks and keeping an open mind (rule #1) that helped me to find them.



#3 - Don't be a snob



I've had more than one person turn up their nose to shopping at some of the stores I go to. But I've found some great, quality clothes in those places too. Sure you may have to shift through a lot of crap, but when you find a pair of Hale Bob velour pants for $8 in the clearance racks or a Lilly Pulitzer swim suit for $45, you might just change your mind. Also, the more you go to these places the better you'll start to know what brands they carry and who to keep an eye out for. I've also noticed that during this economic recession, one of the stores has started carrying some amazing stuff!


#4 - Know your stuff, do some research!


Lets say you're headed to the outlet mall this weekend. You know that this outlet mall has a GAP, Banana Rep., Crate & Barrel and Last Call Neiman Marcus you want to poke around in. Instead of just hitting the stores to see what's available, check out the online retailers to see what their major styles are and how they are priced. Knowledge is power!


I can't tell you how many times I've seen an outlet store advertise "a great price" when I know that the price in their real store is only a dollar or two more. And honestly, if I'm only going to save a dollar or two it isn't worth the effort.

Now some outlet stores don't sell the exact same stuff. Banana Rep. for instance. However their shoes, jewelry and most of their purses are the same as the full service retailers. Earlier this summer I purchased a $200 cream leather bag for $32 on clearance at the outlet. It is gorgeous! It has one itty bitty blue mark on the very bottom of the purse, but that is the only problem. And the blue mark is about the size of a pen tip. I knew that I had seen that exact same purse in the full Banana store just a few weeks prior so I snatched it up. I've received tons of compliments on it all summer!



#5 - Don't settle for cheap!


'Cheap' and 'bargain' are two very different things. At least when it comes to clothes...


I can buy cheap clothes at a multitude of places. I don't want cheap. What's the point in spending $10 on a shirt that I'm going to have to replace with another $10 shirt in 4 washes? If all you're looking for is cheap then I am not the right person to be talking to. Do I own "cheap" items? Yes. I think there is a time and a reason to buy cheap stuff. Halloween, super trendy stuff, things you aren't so sure about want to give it a try. But that's not what I'm really interested in. I want to find good, quality, cute clothes that will last.


This is why rule #4 is so important. I am not a fashionista AT ALL. In fact I'm mostly a jeans and t-shirt girl. But I do try to stay *somewhat* abreft of current trends, popular brand names, and what retailer is selling those brands. For instance at the Off Saks store I was at this weekend I fell in love with (and purchased) an super cute button down shirt. The brand was something I had never heard of before, but because I was in Saks, I trusted that it was quality. Had I found that exact same shirt at more discount retailer I may not even have tried it on because I didn't know if the brand is quality or not.

Now when I'm talking about household staples, cheap is usually good enough for me. My favorite thing to save on? Cleaning supplies. Yes, I know it's sad that I have a 'favorite' item to save money on, but I do. Seriously, it's just ridiculous how much they charge for a bottle of watered down bleach at Target. And cleaning supplies are basically all the same.


So remember; know the quality of brands, know the brands you like and don't settle for cheap!
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I know that a lot of this is basic knowledge. But in keeping with these rules, and shopping at some of the places I will talk about next time, I've scored some really great deals!

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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Double-Digits tomorrow!

100 days until we tie the knot!

Can you believe it? Tomorrow morning we will be into the double-digits of the wedding day count-down. I'm sure you guys are saying "thank the lord! I'm so sick of hearing about that darn wedding already!" but, sorry, still a few more months left.

Although with all of the changes coming (some in the very near future) I will have a lot of other things to blog about as well. Things like, my last day of work - job hunting at his new duty station, packing up our house, *R* leaving for SERE training, *R* leaving for other various training schools, me maybe moving back to Iowa for a few weeks before the wedding and our attempt to *HOPEFULLY* squeeze in a honeymoon!

I've had quite a few people asking where we are going. Well folks, we are moving to Georgia! I haven't decided if I want to broadcast exactly what base we will be at so I'm keeping mum until then. But I do plan on drinking sweet tea, and eating Brunswick stew and making fresh peach pie and mark my words, I WILL visit the Gone with the Wind museum and Paula Deens store/restaurant!

In essence, it's going to be a wild ride for the next 4 months! Can you believe it? 100 days!

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Busy Little Wedding Bee's

Thursday we head back to Omaha to get a jump on wedding stuff. Friday is going to be a very busy and food-filled day and I will probably end up going into some kind of heavenly sugar-filled coma. I can't wait.

Just a piece of advice for anyone in the future planning a wedding of this size from far away.
-Start accumulating your vacation days the DAY you get engaged. Seriously, you will need every single one of them between traveling back and forth, the wedding, honeymoon, etc.
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Friday

9:00 am -
Cake Tasting at The Cake Gallery

11:00 am -
Reception dinner tasting, decide on linens, rentals at The Magnolia
11:45 -
Florist will meet us at The Magnolia to see the venue and table setting options

1:00 pm -
Meet with Chaplain at Offutt AFB

3:30 pm -
Cake tasting with The Cake Specialists

Saturday

8:00 am -
Meet with florist at her shop to discuss flowers

10:00 am -
Lindley Clothing to pick out Tuxedo's for Groomsman

12:00 pm-
Go to Borsheims to pick out wedding rings, register, and look for wedding party gifts

2:00 pm -
Cake tasting with another bakery if the woman ever calls me back! (negative points)
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I'm so excited to get all of this stuff off my plate! And more so, to taste all of that delicious cakey goodness!

I did a level II spin class at the gym earlier this week to prepare for all of the eating and let me just say, NOT WORTH IT. I haven't been able to sit comfortably since then!

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

To clarify the assignment situation:

The "report no later than date" is technically 25 days after the wedding. However *R* would need to be there at least a week or two before that. Meaning we will be moving within 1-2 weeks of the wedding. That is IF he doesn't have to go to any training before we make the move.

This isn't just a regular PCS. *R* is retraining into a different career field so he will have to attend 3-4 training schools. From what we've been told he will probably have to go those schools prior to the move. Meaning, he could be "in training" over the weekend of our wedding.

Sadly there is still a significant chance that we might have to move the wedding date.

We will know more once the orders are "ripped". <--whatever that means.

In the mean time we're just going to go home to Omaha this weekend and continue making wedding plans. I didn't feel that stressed out about the whole thing yesterday, but this morning all of a sudden it's dawning on me. Oh well....things will all work out in the long run.

Thanks for everyone's support, I really appreciate it!

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Monday, July 13, 2009

We have confirmation!

*R* received an email notifying him of his upcoming assignment! Woo hoo!

The great, oh so lovely, thank the lord news?

We know where we are going! And for any of you keeping track it IS the base that we thought we were going to.
(So Sara and Jess...the celebration may now commence Can I get a "Hells Yeah!"?)

The not so great, oh crap news?

It's within 30 days of the wedding, which should make the already joyful and stress free process of moving even more super duper fun.
"Welcome to the military life, now bend over and....."

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