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.