From what I've learned from being me, I'm a sucker for good marketing. Or bad marketing...whatevs. If I see something I like, I want it. When I was a kid I used to fantasize about creating a device that would allow me to reach into the tv and literally just pull out anything I saw that I wanted. Especially Strawberry Shortcake dolls. Ahhh...Strawberry Shortcake. Last weekend I watched this and craved orange soda all night. It wasn't an ad for orange soda, and it wasn't even the first time I'd seen it, yet they talked about orange soda, and I wanted it.
Brett and I have been trying to be more thrifty lately, which means no more crazy shopping sprees or big orders from Sephora. Which has actually ended up being more than financially beneficial to us, because I've also realized just how little I can buy, and still feel like my normal self. It's also been great because it's taught me to appreciate all the nice things we already have and, when I DO buy new things, to really see them as special and new. Seriously...when I was working and we had all that disposable income, sometimes we'd go to the mall, come home with three or four shopping bags, and just leave the stuff sitting in the bag on the dining room table for a WEEK without touching it.
Since I've been at home we've had to make some changes, and some of them have been easier than others, but I've been really proud of our thriftiness. I think the thing I'm MOST proud of is that I feel like we've been able to spend less (WAY less) than before, but that we both feel like our quality of life has actually improved, rather than suffered. I'm also proud of the fact that much of our food, cleaning products, and health/beauty items are organic, and that we still manage to avoid doing business with companies whose practices we find unethical.
Admittedly, I don't know much about the business practices at Illuminations, but I've *tried* to learn more, and haven't been able to get any information, which is a good sign. I haven't been able to find them on any boycott lists for fair trade, gay rights, environmental damage, animal testing, etc., which makes me happy. Happy...that...I just screwed them...hmmm...
Whatever. They're still a big company, so they're still "The Man." I think. Either way, THEY offered the sales, and I just took advantage of what they were offering. Our Halloween party is in December again this year (xmasweenukah), so the fact that my order is scheduled to arrive between 10/28-11/01 doesn't bother me in the slightest. Check out my loot!:
| ITEM | ORIGINALLY | I PAID | Q. ORDERED |
| bat stake | 24.95 | 4.79 | 2 |
| bat stake | 24.95 | 4.80 | 1 |
| happy cat floating candles | 11.95 | 2.29 | 1 |
| happy pumpkin floating candles | 11.95 | 2.29 | 1 |
| owl lantern | 21.95 | 4.21 | 1 |
| halloween stake replacement votive cup | 2.00 | 0.38 | 3 |
| glass pumpkin scatter | 14.95 | 2.86 | 3 |
| haunted candelabra | 24.95 | 4.79 | 2 |
| haunted taper holder | 7.95 | 1.52 | 3 |
| set of 2 spider cylinder fill | 13.95 | 2.67 | 1 |
| subtotal | 259.25 | 49.70 | |
| shipping | 25.93 | 8.95 | |
| tax | 22.80 | 4.37 | |
| total | 307.97 | 63.02 |
I really have been good at avoiding buying unnecessary things this year, but in years past we've spent much more than this on holiday decorations, so I'm still proud of myself. I waited for the 75% off sale that Illuminations has on their Halloween stuff every year, and then I also used a $15 off of $60 or more coupon. Woo! :)
For more money saving inspiration, check out the links below.
People who've taken it to the extreme:
Six Weeks Without a Wash
Brown Dress Project
MSN Money articles:
Help! I can't afford my life
Save big with the flashback budget
Get off the spending treadmill
The secret to success in the middle class
6 (worthless) excuses for not saving money
Scraping by on $150,000 a year
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