really 'great' shopping 'fix'....

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-19-2009, 11:54 AM

i have been an extremely 'dedicated frugaler' for the past 4 weeks...i have not 'shopped' for anything since jan 17....and i have not 'bought' anything (other than a few fill-in groceries) coz we are eating out of our house at the moment....

so tues i was out and stopped at wal-mart (not my favorite store...) anyway....i picked up 4 clearanced toys (all reg $30-40 each) for $10-13 each....i now have my x-mas shopping for neices and nephews DONE for 2009 !.......YEA ME!!!!!!! and i got some REALLY cool stuff...(well in their eyes...needless/worthless/over-priced junk to me) oh dear...look what you have done to me..lol....AND the best part...i paid cash...its done....

then i went off to st. vinny's (for MYSELF of course)...for $5 i got a veggie steamer (have one...but for $2 i will put away coz i do tend to use them so much i burn them out)...2-timers at $1 each (so the last remaining items that i haven't 'killed' yet can move to a timer....) and a giant water jug thing that is flat (like for a cooler or something) for $1 (it went in my freezer against the wall..perfect fit)...

so all-in all it was a great shopping day...no wasteful purchases (alright...maybe it was ALL wasteful...but there IS stuff you still gotta have to function normally)...i would love to cut out the gift-giving but i can hear it now..."you just say that coz your kid is grown"...but in all reality...we are even on that score...my kid may be grown but at least i only had ONE....i can't help it you all keep re-producing...but as far as i'm concerned we're TIED.... somehow i don't think they are going to be seeing the same way....lol....

so now....i had a 'fix'...and i feel good about it and i can stay out of the stores for another month....yea me......

**mhope** · 02-19-2009, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by sabrelvssammy

so all-in all it was a great shopping day...no wasteful purchases (alright...maybe it was ALL wasteful...but there IS stuff you still gotta have to function normally)...i would love to cut out the gift-giving but i can hear it now..."you just say that coz your kid is grown"...but in all reality...we are even on that score...my kid may be grown but at least i only had ONE....i can't help it you all keep re-producing...but as far as i'm concerned we're TIED.... somehow i don't think they are going to be seeing the same way....lol....

I hope you were just joking.

**Jayne** · 02-19-2009, 12:05 PM

WTG

..And less shopping to do for next Christmas!!

**Early Bird** · 02-19-2009, 12:09 PM

A few years ago, I waited till March (so no one would think I was slighting their gift), and then suggested that we drop extended family gifts. It has made my life so much easier!

**Milly** · 02-19-2009, 12:14 PM

Do we go to the same WalMart? I found the same sale, but I bought the Ponyville and Littlest Pet Shop Advent calendars for my grand-daughters for next year. They were a third of the original price at $5 each.

I'm soooo happy! I wanted to get them for the kids this past Christmas, but they were way too expensive. Now I'm glad I waited.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-19-2009, 12:49 PM

milly- probably...i got the hannah montana dance studio thing (reg $40- now $13)...a hot wheels racing kit ($37-$12)...a barbie ($25-$9) and electronic 'operation' game ($29-$12)....

they had TONS of stuff...but i didn't need anymore....i would have bought stuff for their b-days thru the year but i have ALREADY done that at the last good sale....

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-19-2009, 12:50 PM

mhope- joking about which part....not wanting to give presents or the fact that they will throw up to me that we aren't close to being 'even'??

**mhope** · 02-19-2009, 01:06 PM

you just say that coz your kid is grown"...but in all reality...we are even on that score...my kid may be grown but at least i only had ONE....i can't help it you all keep re-producing...but as far as i'm concerned we're TIED...

This part sabrelvssammy.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-19-2009, 01:40 PM

okay...help me out here...is that offensive?

i once said to my brother lets not do the gift-giving stuff anymore...(it wasn't because i necessarily was too 'cheap' to buy his kids presents...i feel like the whole thing has gotten completely out of hand...there isn't much thought anymore to what's being bought...the whole idea behind gift-giving in the old days was it came from your heart...and usually by your own two hands....) now we are all in a rush to find something before the 'deadline' and we have to worry...will they like it ??? and my brother's kids would NEVER want something homemade...etc...

my brothers kids want for nothing...they get everything they want and anything i could possibly give them would never measure up to what they are used to (they are your typical 'privilaged' children as he is a very highly-paid cfo of a fortune 500 co....they live in a multi-million dollar mansion...bmw's/mercede's in the garage.... and my brother can and has paid cash for everything... he still IS my mother's son...he just has a HUGE bankroll to do it with)... so when 'auntie' gives her gifts ($40 item from wal-mart-that she of course got for $13) where most kids would be thrilled with the item...they tear thru them...shrug and toss them aside and move onto the next gift....i get no enjoyment watching the spectacal but i could never say anything about it....

so one day i approached the subject of let's just spend 'time' together...enjoy each others company and not worry about gifts (for any of us)....he took offense and that's when the comments started about 'sure-your kid is grown and i bought him presents...(which by the way were VERY sporadic...but he selectively chooses to not remember that...single guy...other things to do...) now that he has a family and kids...this is the way its going to be....presents for every occasion and everyone must participate....) he thinks that i 'owe' his children presents coz HE bought my son presents here and there.... however the being 'even' part comes in where i have one kid....if..IF he had bought presents each and every x-mas and b-day...(like i am supposed to do with all his kids) that would have been 18 b-days/18 x-mas'es.... so i said.."you have all these kids...i add up all the presents and i am 'even' within a few years.... i don't have to wait for them to grow up....

and the ONLY reason this all started is because of the 'behavior' of his spoiled-rotten kids.... i only have so much money to go around...i would much rather give a gift to some little kid that would appreciate it....but for every gift i buy them...that's one less that i can help someone else out with....

**zakity** · 02-19-2009, 01:54 PM

So, donate some money to a charity in their name and give the kid the card that comes with that. They won't appreciate that either, but at least some good will come of the money.

**tbs727** · 02-19-2009, 02:02 PM

What you said wasn't offensive, it's just that the context of your comment wasn't clear. You were obviously talking about your brother and his kids in your first post, but when someone just reads it, that isn't apparent. It sounded like you might have been talking about other village members having kids or something.

Thanks for typing out the clarification.

**Nana2two** · 02-19-2009, 02:05 PM

I have no problem with what Sabrel said. Infact im still a little confussed whats so offensive. When the kids in the family get to 18 cousins- nephews neices, we stop buying even though our children are 23 17 14 the kids don't exspect gifts. Some families have open minds and tight wallets thats us..

Glad you had a wonderful day shopping.

**mhope** · 02-19-2009, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by tbs727

What you said wasn't offensive, it's just that the context of your comment wasn't clear. You were obviously talking about your brother and his kids in your first post, but when someone just reads it, that isn't apparent. It sounded like you might have been talking about other village members having kids or something.

Thanks for typing out the clarification.

Thank You . That exactly what I got out of her first post.

**RaineyDaye** · 02-19-2009, 03:42 PM

my brothers kids want for nothing...they get everything they want and anything i could possibly give them would never measure up to what they are used to (they are your typical 'privilaged' children ... so when 'auntie' gives her gifts ($40 item from wal-mart-that she of course got for $13) where most kids would be thrilled with the item...they tear thru them...shrug and toss them aside and move onto the next gift....i get no enjoyment watching the spectacal but i could never say anything about it....

This is how it is with three of my grandchildren; they already have everything and it gets harder and harder to find a suitable, affordable gift. They are still very sweet kids, but they're being spoiled.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-19-2009, 05:06 PM

i'm sorry guys...i didn't mean YOU having kids...i meant HIM having the kids and then giving ME a hard time about buying them ALL presents...

i personally don't care how many he has...i have nothing against them (kids that is) i have one of my own....to each their own...have as many as you would like (but i do have a problem with people having them and then they can't afford them...re: NADIA !....) lol

and don't get me wrong...i love my neices and nephews....they are just 'spoiled rotten' and they are only getting worse thru the years... and of course i would NEVER make them feel bad about the 'show they put on with the presents'.... it's their parents fault....it is just a 'rift' that my brother and i can't seem to see eye to eye on....(my mother gets it though)....but i'm not looking for family members to pick sides....i just want to stop the 'waste'.....