What I don't Miss

All kidding aside about my grown up boys, but I don't miss bringing little kids into a store. There were a few toddlers missing their naps at TJ Maxx this afternoon. I was getting ready to cry myself!
Now when they're with me shopping, it's like shopping with a conscience that speaks..."You don't need that!" Should have had that voice with me today when I bought a case for my Iphone that I need to return, not protective enough.(But it was white so I could find it in my pocket book)

What a Difference in a Year- Shopping

Hi, my name is Jenny and I hate to shop. Really, I do and I only go when I absolutely have to. Today was one of those days, I did laundry this week and discovered that my youngest son's socks were gray and holey. Then on a phone call from #2 son, he asked if we could bring him some socks on a trip my husband is making down south next week. So off I went to JC Penny's where there was a lot of room to walk around the racks and shelves. Last year we were there to buy winter coats and there was hardly any room to walk. This year I had all kind of space and there was even a greeter at the door. The plus side to the downturn in the economy is the increase of customer service. I love good customer service, so please, come right on up and ask me if I need help and if I don't, I will thank you nicely. Let's hope that when the economy starts improving that stores will realize that shoppers like being able to move around a store and that we love customer service. All it takes is a smile and a willingness to help the customer. I ended up not hating my shopping excursion and even bought a dress shirt and tie along with the socks. It wasn't the end of the world.

Shopping and Hoarding- In with the new and out with the old

Today turned out to be the girl's day out for a big sale. My friend R and I were at the point that the clothes we have been wearing for years just weren't cutting it anymore for work. Both of us have jobs that require us to look and act professional most of the time. Some of the time we are just at our desks taking care of paperwork and can get away with the khaki pants sweaters and clogs, but today we were on the hunt for professional/career clothes.

However, after watching Oprah's show yesterday on hoarding, ( check out Balancing Motherhood for a good blog post about the show), I now have another task. With the two pairs of shoes and one pair of boots that I bought, I have to take two- three pairs of shoes that I haven't worn in a year or more and donate them. For the couple of shirts that I picked up, there are a few in the closet that are going on over 10 years old, time to move em on out.

Have any of you ever tried this method of equalizing what comes in, with what goes out? With an impending move within five years, I am become more aware of the stuff in my house by the day.

A Shopping Alternative for the Best Deals for the Holidays

Still on the Christmas shopping theme because here's an on line site to save time and money. Have you ever done the whole getting up early and racing from one mall to the next the day after Thanksgiving to get all the "Black Friday" Bargains? The reason why it's called Black Friday is because retailers would show big profits and go into the black during the holiday shopping season for which the Friday after Thanksgiving is considered to be the beginning. So for stores to make a lot of money, they need a lot of people in the stores. That's where on-line sites such as Black-Friday.net has 2007 thanksgiving specials where you can skip the stores on Black Friday and do all your shopping from home.

If there is an item like an extra memory card for a camera that you have your eye on, you can sign up in advance for email alerts to find out which store has the best deal. Currently, Staples and Best Buy are already listed and the geek that I am, I will be checking out those ads to see what I can order on line once the stores start releasing their ads. Give me my laptop, a hot cup of coffee and the ability to compare video games' prices from the on-line stores listed on www.black-friday.net and I think I will skip out of standing in lines on Black Friday. Running around on one Black Friday was enough for me!

Christmas is only 104 days away

I know, how can I mention Christmas in September? Easy, I just called my husband and he was at Kohl's hitting up a white sale for some gifts for the boys. It's easy for him to shop since he works near a mall and goes by plenty of stores on his way home. I hate to shop and would rather do online shopping if I find deals. Today I checked out Coupon Chief where there are online coupons galore for various on line shopping discounts. Personally, I am going to use the Best Buy and Target coupons to get started on my shopping. I have a few birthdays also that I need to buy gifts for and if I can save time by shopping online with coupons, then I think it's worth checking out Coupon Chief. I do shop online frequently and love the idea of having coupons and discount codes.