How Often Do You Shop?

Q: I was wondering how much time a week you spend on finding bargains in stores, on ebay, garage sales, etc ?...Do you have a certain day you go out or do you go out daily to find deals? Do you only shop certain stores?

A: I have to be honest because my brother apparently reads this blog! To tell the truth, I am always on the lookout for a bargain.

This "discount radar" is now so ingrained that I automatically scan new places for coupons, clearances, and the best value for my money. However, I don't make special trips to bargain hunt every day.

Gas prices have really forced me to streamline recreational shopping. I almost never shop online because I can't stand the shipping.

One day of the week I do groceries--having studied the ads the day before, I stop at the one or two stores with the best loss leaders. I pick another morning of the week for my "fun time"--in warm weather, this means yard sales on Saturday mornings; in the winter, I go to Salvation Army's half price clothing Wednesday sale.

Over time I have learned which stores give me the best prices.

I do reserve the right to stop in unusual places if I'm already in the neighborhood. For instance, when we visit the science museum, I go to the Habitat Homestore down the street. When we go to the zoo, I run in Aldi and the salvage grocery.

When my mom watches Andrew, my husband and I might take our gift cards and stroll through Dillard's clearance before having a bite to eat. When we travel out of town, I would rather browse the local Junior League thrift shop than a mega-mall or souvenir alley.

We just make it a habit to watch for bargains wherever we go!