Let's save some money!

Whether you are looking to for supplies for your newest project, be it building, tiling, painting, sewing, crafting, gardening or you are shopping for something to wear, it’s always nice to find what you are looking for at a discount. I am a frugal shopper and tend to shop for what I need at Habitat, Overstock Builder’s Depot (in Spokane, WA) or a thrift store. It is especially rewarding when I find things that have been previously loved and I can put them back into use; it’s like finding a hidden treasure! The Reuse, Reduce, Recycle theme rings true to me.

Although I keep in mind ways to both save money and save our environment by not buying new, there are many times that buying new is needed. If you can’t find what you need 2nd hand or the quantity is too much to get at a place like Habitat or Overstock Builder’s Depot
(i.e. 700 pieces of subway tile), then buying new is the way to go.

Even though you may be faced with buying new supplies, that doesn’t always mean you need to pay full price for them. Savvy shoppers keep their eyes open for deals by seeking out discounts and coupons. Did you know that many stores will honor another store’s discounts? Do you take advantage of that practice? I find that after looking through the 2nd hand places, that I tend to forget that this service is offered.

I was reading Money magazine this morning, yes, I know, Really?? Yep, you read that correctly, reading a magazine! Actually, we subscribe to several magazines and I have quite the stack to catch up on which is why I surprised myself by actually looking through this magazine today. They featured an article that caught my eye.

The article is titled: 10 Big Chain Stores That Will Secretly Match Amazon’s Low Prices by Paul Schrodt. If you’d like to see all the stores featured in the article, I have linked it for your convenience. Did the word Secret catch my eye? Nope, what caught my eye was the list of stores highlighted at the bottom of the page as well as the picture of a man with some lumber that was obviously taken inside of Home Depot! This store is one of my very favorite places to wander through like a kid in a candy store, looking for goodies to feed my passion – home improvement! The stores listed at the bottom of the page included Home Depot, Lowes (another fav!), JoAnn’s (my go-to for all things sewing). The article focused on these, among other, retailers who will honor discounts from Amazon.

http://time.com/money/5331544/stores-that-match-amazon-prices/

Now, I LOVE Amazon! I’m even an Amazon Affiliate and you’ll find links to many of the supplies and tools I use for my various projects in my posts. Those links will lead you to Amazon for the item or tool that I am writing about or at least one that is very similar if the one I have is not available (usually because I have had that tool or goodie for many years and it’s out of date or production) as well as anything else you may be shopping for.

The main reasons I love Amazon so much

You can literally find almost everything you are looking for
Their prices are great
They offer a variety of options for your item
Lastly (until I think of other reasons), Amazon Prime 2 day shipping!!!
1. Don’t want to head to the store or just don’t have the time? Even if it’s midnight, you can get online and order what you need and it’ll be delivered to your doorstep!
2. You can grab a gift fairly last minute and ship it to your loved one. This is so important to me since I live away from a lot of my family. You don’t realize how good you have it when they are close by. Forget a gift or haven’t had time to shop for that special occasion? You can stop by the store on your way to the party. That luxury just isn’t available when you live over 1,000 away. But Amazon has your back!

While I love Amazon, there are some things that I just need to see, touch, try on in person. There are other things that one needs to buy in person — lumber, sheetrock, bark for the garden, plants, certain articles of clothing, etc. Then, there is the, ‘I need it NOW factor’ when you are in the middle of a project and find that you miscalculated (like that ever happens, right?!) and you run out of thinset or screws or your last sewing needle that you’ve been babying finally breaks. This is when it’s more convenient to hop in the car and head to the store.

After reading this article, we all now know the ‘secret’ matching of prices and will be better informed on how to snag a discount for the things we buy new. It’s always nice to get a deal whether you are shopping 2nd hand or buying new at a discount. What that boils down to is that you’ll have more $$$ for your upcoming projects!