6/24/09

Rockin' the Recession

Have you seen those Target commercials on TV, where a woman is applying self-tanner in her bathroom and the tagline is: “the new vacation”? Or a shot of home-baked cookies reads: “the new bakery.” I like them. The ad campaign taps into the current state of the economy while still encouraging consumers to buy stuff. Very clever, Target!

This got me thinking about the ways we’ve readjusted our spending in our family. First, I traded in the Beemer and curtailed my Jimmy Choo habit … KIDDING!!! Please, don’t you know me well enough by now to know that a splurge for me is a pair of Pumas that were “only” 25% off?

But seriously, as Suze Orman is constantly pointing out, you can always cut back. (Aside: I once saw her go to town on this poor unemployed couple for their cable TV and $10/mo. makeup expenditures. Come ON, Suze!! They’ve lost their jobs and now you’re going to take away their ESPN and drugstore lipstick?! That’s just cruel.)

So here’s what our recent belt-tightening looked like. You can hum the Target theme song in your head if you like:

The new date night. C. and I took a friend up on her generous offer to babysit and went to a matinee using the ticket vouchers we’d been holding onto since the last time we tried to go see a movie. The only thing we paid for was popcorn.

The new Saturday shopping trip. I don’t even go to the mall anymore. Why be tempted? Instead, I scored a $7 cardigan that was 75% off at an outlet store and a cute pair of bronze flip-flops for $8 at Kohl’s. For kids’ stuff, I’ve recently become a consignment store convert. $4 Spider-Man PJs with the tags still on! Brand-new bibs for $1!

The new spa getaway. My gym has just started offering a 20-minute menu of spa services. For $20, I got a facial that included massage, aromatherapy, and relaxation in a quiet, soothing environment. Plus, I can make use of the on-site childcare. (See below.)

The new childcare. Why pay a sitter upwards of $10/hour when you can drop off the kids at your gym’s childcare center for next to nothing? My gym charges $25/mo. for the first kid and $10/mo. for the second or $5 per kid per visit. For that, I get 2 hrs. sans kids and added incentive to exercise, since the more I go, the cheaper it is. The only catch is that I can’t leave the gym. Believe me, I’ve considered bringing my laptop and catching up on work in the locker room, but that might get me some funny looks.

The new dinner out. We love to eat at restaurants. That’s one thing we’ll never stop doing. But now we check out the hot new bistro when my parents are in town (read: footing the bill). During the week, I sometimes meet a mommy friend at Chick-fil-A on Weds. nights. Kids eat free, get a free toy or balloon, and can burn off their energy in the play area. And I get a night off from playing short-order cook in my own kitchen.

Money worries are no fun. But once you get into the spirit of things, I think it IS actually kind of fun to hunt for bargains. Now I’ve just got to work on my 3-year-old son’s consumerist attitude. Whenever he breaks something – which is often – he says, “We can buy a new one at Target.” Thanks a lot, Target!!

TIPS O’ THE WEEK: Follow @MomsWhoSave on Twitter for deals and steals.

Also, I just read in O magazine that the store Buy Buy Baby is now owned by the same company as Bed Bath & Beyond (They must have a thing for B’s). So you can use those ubiquitous 20% off BBB coupons at either store.

7 comments:

April said...

GET OUT. I knew BBB was owned by Bed Bath but it never occured to me to use the coupons there. we have one opening just up the road soon! Awesome. And I am a HUGE FAN of the consignment shops for kids. We have Once Upon A Child here and I love it. It is very rare for me to buy my son new clothes. VERY.

Anonymous said...

I love the Chic-fil-a idea! I may put that to use real soon!

Melinda Leigh said...

I think the only issue with the coupons is that Buy Buy Baby won't let you use expired ones, whereas Bed, Bath will let you use as many expired ones at a time as you want. I made a trip recently and had a very accomodating cashier who figured out the best way to apply all of my coupons- ended up getting $100 off my purchases (was making a bunch of new house purchases). LOVE coupons!

RunLikeMama said...

just wanted to let you know how much i enjoy reading your blog. we have more in common than just our kids (me? two girls, just turned three and a 2-month old) and i live right up the road, too! anyway, i took christina's class "writing the short stuff" (really enjoyed it) but think i'd feel more at home in your personal essay course. in light of your blog about cutting spending, i'm trying to justify putting up the money...though judging from how well you write, i know it will be money well spent!-maureen

Mom2Miles said...

That's awesome, Melinda. Score!

Hi, Maureen! Of course I think you should take my class. :) If it helps any, every time I've taken a writing class I've sold an article that more than paid for it. That's the truth!

My essay from WPSS just appeared in American Baby. Only took 2 yrs, but that's another story...

Unknown said...

Thanks for the mention about my twitter deals! You can also visit my website at http://www.MomsWhoSave.com where I have more deals posted and the blog at http://MomsWhoSave.blogspot.com (freebies and giveaways) Thanks again!

Jenni said...

My new best friend for clothes (and even prints for decorating the walls): Value Village. Love it. Also, check out http://www.savingwithshellie.com/
Shellie is the deal queen (and my cousin).

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