outnumbered

I don't mind selling on ebay but I don't have the money to buy a bunch of stuff upfront and then resell...the only selling I've done has been of stuff I already had, like kids' stuff they don't need anymore. So I doubt I'll be reselling anything I get on BF.

She posted here that it was in last week's newspaper ad. Argh, I didn't see it or save the ad.

Argh, I didn't see that one...and that newspaper has already gone out to the recycling. And trash day was Thurs. It's gone.

Yeah...my budget does vary depending on what they want. This year Christopher is dying for something like Brian's Leapster. I don't want to have two of the exact same toy, so I am getting the Pixter for him. It seems more up his alley anyway--it's focused more on creativity and he'd love the little games and drawing activities. But the price of that is more than I spend on him for Santa and "mommy and daddy" gifts combined. The boys also have to get the same number of presents, or close to it, because they don't notice prices but do notice if one of them got a lot more than the other. I couldn't get C just one thing and have B get 4 or 5 (smaller, lower priced) gifts. So...not sure what I'm doing here LOL. I can't afford to spend $100+ per kid. But they can't get just one gift apiece, either.

My budget is around $75 per child (that includes gifts from dh and I, from Santa, and the stocking stuffers), something worth $100 or so but on sale for much less for dh and I LOL, and everyone else about $20 each.

I was going to, but I can't not take advantage of these B1G1 offers. I got the Matchbox one yesterday and I'm going to go back today and get the Little Tikes one, since the selection is better in the store.

Welcome! :)

Where is the $10 off $50 coupon? LOL I'm going to be loaded with coupons... My TRU doesn't open till noon on Sundays. Nothing out here does.

Online offer details: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/579829

It was cold. In the 20s, probably. I remember my feet were hurting by the time we were allowed inside.

Because nobody wants to go with me. Back home and before kids, I wasn't there at the stores' opening times, I just showed up whenever, and I just didn't tend to do that with people. I don't remember that part of my life that well anymore LOL. After having kids and moving out here, I'm more concerned with finding someone to watch the kids than finding someone to go with me. Last year dh was home, so he was with the kids, and none of my friends/neighbors wanted to leave with me at 3:30 am. This year, all the guys are deployed again, so I'll be lucky to even find a babysitter at a decent hour.

I like snow...as long as I don't have to drive in it. The whole star trek warp speed effect freaks me out. (snow coming at you as you are driving through it...looks like you are shooting through space or something) And ice on the road makes me really nervous. I'm not used to that at all. It was only last year that I even got behind the wheel if there was snow on the ground. This year I am not going to have the option of staying home though LOL.

I'll turn and look if I get hit...if it was totally accidental and the person sincerely apologizes, that's ok. If it was iffy, or if the person doesn't say sorry or says it in a really obnoxious way, I glare.

I listen to whatever is on the radio. This Christmas season I will get to change that and download some good stuff to put on my new mp3 player. :) Like Bad Religion's "Silent Night"--I love that version.

I'm still kinda new to the concept of a white Christmas and I just love it when it happens. :)

I've never gone with anyone--ever.

Hmm, true. I bought it thinking it was their 90 day return policy...but on electronics it's 45 days, and stupid TRU considers Pixter "electronics." Found that out while ringing it up. Oh well--I can always return it and re-buy it, just to get the new receipt.

Mine are the birthday ones and don't expire till Dec 31...all 3 of my kids are on their birthday list, so they get a $1 gift card, and a mailer with a $5 off coupon, when it's their birthday..and crap! I forgot to take DS and it was just his birthday. I think you have to be there in person to get the $1 gift card. Oh well--he would have insisted on spending it then and there, and it wouldn't have saved me any money--it would have cost me more.

You know...I am so focused on what I am buying and getting in and out of the store...I don't even notice whether the people around me are nice or not. Well, if they are nice, I wind up talking to them or whatever, but at the end of the day, I don't remember. I just remember how much I saved.

LOL--I have two coupons already. Didn't use them today but honestly, that's ok, because I have a TON more to buy and will be making more than two more purchases. I just hope the price comes down so I can get some money back. If I've spent $90 on one gift for him--that is Santa's gift plus gifts from dh and I, plus stocking stuffers, and even then I've exceeded my budget. Argh.

I don't know that they're really merchandising that show yet. (LOL I have to add that I absolutely HATE that show...but I understand how it is, if your kids like it, you wind up buying the toys.) I'm in a similar situation with Go, Diego, Go! from Nick Jr. My kids have been begging for a rescue pack ever since that show started. Too bad they don't make any yet!

Oh, a funny little aside...the TRU worker himself didn't know the difference between price matching and price adjusting. I asked him how long the return window was for price adjusting purposes, and he said "Oh, we don't price adjust anymore...we stopped doing that months ago, I'm sorry." Then later he told me that if it went on sale there, at TRU, I could bring the receipt in and they'd do an adjustment. LOL, he meant price match the first time...not price adjust. He threw me off there for a minute. Made me think they didn't price adjust anymore--now that would have been a shock!

I have a folder in my file cabinet for the important (big-ticket item) ones...the smaller purchase receipts just stay in my wallet or purse for 3 months till I clean it out. Must remember not to clean out purse for 45 days....

...all they have to do is lower the price on what I bought, LOL. I've been looking for a Pixter Color for my 4-year-old for Christmas. Found out about Circuit City's clearance of them too late, none in stock, and everyplace else either has them full price or not in stock. So I thought I'd buy one at TRU for the full price and then just price adjust if they go on sale/clearance. The guy working there said as long as I was within the 45-day window on electronics, there'd be no problem. So...then I started looking more at the other stuff there--like the multimedia one--and wound up getting suckered in. I got the package deal that comes with the Multimedia pixter, the case, and the Spongebob game. The game was a $20 value and the case was a $13 value, and that bundle only cost $10 more than the Color one that I was going to get. Now, this may only go on a $10 off sale, but there's no guarantee the Pixter Color will go on clearance. He said they'd sell them till they ran out, and they only had a few models there. So I think overall this is the best plan. And if it turns out I'm wrong, and they do have the Pixter Color for like $40 at BF time...well, heck, I'm still within that 45-day return window. I'll just return what I got now and go for the cheap one. Now all I have to do is not lose the receipt!

LOL. Mine thought I was absolutely crazy last year for voluntarily getting up at 3 am, especially after working so hard the day before to make a big Thanksgiving dinner. But he sure didn't mind the money I saved.