I am-was- am trying not to be?

A Target post in the shopping forum- about not finding certain deals at your local store- made me realize what a deal chaser I was. It's so frustrating to go to a store and not find what you thought was going to be a great bargain. I have probably wasted more time and gas money chasing deals than I would have saved on the deal itself. So I'm trying just to enjoy great deals as I find them, not go running after them. It's hard- I love the thrill of the hunt- but slowly I'm doing better.

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

I thought I was a deal chaser, but I guess not. I guess I'm more of a hunter. I have my routine at different stores, but I don't make a special trip just because someone told me about a super deal, unless I can get a rain check!

I do love the thrill of the hunt and the thrill of victory!

Oh yeah - that's so me! I went to three Target stores looking for the Buzz Lightyear figures they just clearanced out a few weeks ago. I had been watching for them to go to 75% off for a solid month then they went from 30 to 75% off one Friday and I missed it! I was so upset since that was the one thing I was watching for (I wanted to get one to go with the Buzz Lightyear spaceship I found on clearance at Target for $5 in January! I had been watching them ALL YEAR!). I finally found some at the third Target so I got two at $1.50 each. It was such an exhilirating feeling when I found them (the only reason I did find them is because they were still marked at 30% off at that particular Target). Man I need to get a life.

Incidentally, my husband and I just did the same thing this week because a protein drink he likes was buy one get one free (an insanely good deal) at Safeway. We didn't catch that one before it went off sale though.

I really do like the thrill of the hunt though.

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8-27-2003), Ian (9-28-2005), & Baby #3 (EDD 11-9-2008)

I am too! I am much better than I was last year, probably due to gas prices and now having to drive with three....Jenna doesn't like to shop so I've scaled back alot!

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I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something. I must not fail to do the something that I can do. -Edward Hale

Yeah, I love the thrill of the hunt. I know where almost every clearance area is in every store I shop in. However, lately I've been re-evaluating my shopping habits and therefore my spending habits. I'm not in the mood to "chase" down deals as much as I used to. Now I feel I sit and wait it out until I know for sure that not only is the price right, but do I actually really absolutely need that item I am "chasing". I guess I am in more of a "purge out" mode than a" hunt and bring back to the cave" mode!!:D

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Debbie

"Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves." --Benjamin Franklin

I had to laugh when I read this one.... I did the same thing a few months ago. Our Target had the Ryan's Room Fire Station at 30% off. I knew ds would love it, so I was going back every few days to "visit" them and see if they would go down further. I finally got one for 75% off (they were $75 new) but that was one of the things that made me wake up and realize I had to get a life that didn't revolve around shopping.

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I don't believe in miracles; I depend on them

OMG Jenn, I was hunting for that fire station too! I went constantly but it sold out before it went down anymore (past 30%). I didn't go to other targets though, I got sick of going everyday waiting for that thing to go down more....I watched it for almost a month and it didn't go down. I was so mad!!

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I am only one, but I am one. I can not do everything, but I can do something. I must not fail to do the something that I can do. -Edward Hale

I look for great deals, but I refuse to make special trips or run all over. Gas prices are too high and I would loose money if I did that!

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~Happiness is a large family~

Ya know, I was just thinking today what a deal hunter I was! I went to Piggly Wiggly today and realized that I must have written down the wrong price on tortillas, ( I wrote down
$.69 when they were really $.89) and I was so disappointed and agravated to see that I was wrong. I mean, it made me mad and this is only $.20! My heart gets thumping when I know I've got a deal, and then I get cranky when I have to pay full price for something! I know, I need to get a life!

I am sort-of-a-deal-chaser. I plan as much of it ahead as I can. F'rinstance, there are 4 main supermarket chains in my area, plus SWM and Sav-a-Lot. Every week when the ads come out, I sit down and make a shopping list of what's on sale at each. I write the list on an envelope and mark anything that I have a coupon for with a (C) and put the coupons in the envelope. Now over the course of the week, I know I am going to be going to Winn-Dixie, which is nearby, so I'm not taking a special trip for that. Dh is going up to Home Depot which is near Albertson's? I hand him the envelope. Getting a haircut in the same shopping center as Publix? Stop and pick up what's on sale there, please. This saves on gas.

I don't buy what I need because I need it, I buy what's on sale/with coupons and stockpile it. When boneless chicken breasts are $1.69 lb, when catfish nuggets are 99¢ lb, when cheese is 99¢ for 8 oz, when italian sausage is $1.60/lb, that's when I stock up and freeze. When vidalia onions and peppers are on sale, stock up, dice 'em up, and freeze. Now Pilgrim's Pride frozen ground turkey I like is $1.06 for a 1# chub at SuperWalMart, and I can get 55¢ coupons for it, so I accumulate the coupons and buy 15-20# of it at a time. I don't like to shop at SuperWalMart if I can avoid it, but the turkey is just too much of a bargain to pass up!

I won't go to Food Lion all the way on the other side of town for one item unless I am headed that way anyway. Not with gas prices as they are now!

Careful planning is the trick. If you're going to have to pick up milk or bread during the week anyway, go to one of the other stores to hit THEIR sale.

Rani