Friday, December 3, 2010

I love my Target, except for the $50 holiday light strands

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I love living so close to Target, one of my favorite stores.  Well, it is more of a love/hate relationship.
Love because I can get just about anything I need there including a fair share of my groceries.
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Hate because I sometimes end up buying a $50 light set.  Well to be fair with coupons it was only $41.19 for a string of 100 blue lights for my Christmas tree.
It started out innocently enough.
I got my tree out and discovered that half of the lights weren’t working.  I tried making sure that all of the bulbs were pushed in and got one set of lights to work.  I couldn’t get the last set of lights to work so I decided to make a quick trip to Target to get what I thought would be a $3.99 set of lights.
$41.19 later I’m leaving with a set of 100 lights.
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Well, that’s not the full story.
Here is what really happened.

~I make sure that I have my reusable bags and coupons – you never know….
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~A quick look in the dollar section – nothing I “need”.
~I try on a few pairs of sunglasses to replace the ones in the car that are peeling, missing a nose pad and oh yeah, half of the bow is broken.  No luck, I can’t decide on any that look good on me today.
~ I might as well head over to the clothes section and see if I can find $25 worth of Merona items since I have a $5 off $25 coupon.
~ I do find a couple Merona shirts on the clearance rack.  $4.24, $4.24 and a whopping $2.50.
~ Not near $25 so I better keep looking.
~ Check out the shoe department.  Nothing I need today.  See I do have some restraint.
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~ Head through the housewares, drool over some of the holiday items and add them to my wish list.
~ Head over to the holiday section.  After all I do have a $5 off coupon for a set of 50 Christmas bulbs and I don’t have as many blue bulbs as I thought I did.  Drat, they are not exactly the color I want and they are still $15.  Doesn’t Target know that I wanted them to be on sale today?
~ Ok time to head over to the Christmas lights.  It IS what I came here for.
~ Ah, there they are.  A set of 100 blue lights for $4.49.  Just what I was looking for.  Into the cart they go.
~ Are those Hershey’s Kisses I see?   Don’t I have a coupon for them?  Yep, $1 off.  I better grab a bag.
~ Oh, look Snyder Butter Snaps are on sale for $2.  Into the cart they go.
~ Look at all the sale tags on the chips.  I better stop and take a look.
~ Buy two Tostitos chips for $5 and get salsa or queso free.  Sold.  But wait, there is more.  There is a coupon on the chips for a free Pepsi 2 liter if I buy two bags of chips.  Even better.  Two bags of chips, salsa AND 2 liter of pop for $5.  Boy, I am saving lots of money!
~ Off to the pop isle to pick up my free 2 liter.
~ Wouldn’t you know it, Pepsi products are on sale.  Four 12 packs for $10, I better get two of them because I have a coupon for $1 off if I buy two.  Another thing in the cart to keep my lights from looking pathetic in the cart.
~ Oh look - $1.50 off pretzels if I buy Cheezits.  Hey I already have the pretzels so I better check out the Cheezits.  It is my lucky day, they are on sale for $2.54.  They were just begging to join the pretzels in the cart.  Who am I to deny them?
~ Gee, I have a coupon for Chex Mix, I better grab two bags.
~ I have a couple frozen item coupons, I better head over to the frozen food isle.
~ Free Market Pantry vegetable item if I buy a MP frozen chicken item AND $2.00 off if I buy MP frozen Chicken.  Well the chicken is on sale for $6 and my daughter liked the MP veggies we had last night.
~ MP boneless Asian chicken wings you have not been in my freezer for a while.  I better bring you home.
~ Don’t forget the veggies, they will keep the chicken from getting lonely.
~ Since I’m in the frozen food area I can’t forget to take a look at the ice cream.
~ Today it was Edy’s Caramel Delight that caught my eye.  Half the fat of something or another and a mere $3.19, no make that $2.19 since I have a coupon.

~ What, Klondike bars went up to $3.04 – they used to be $2.54.  Can you tell that we are long time friends?   $1.25 off two.  I pick them up but decide to put them back.  I don’t want to make Edy’s Caramel Delight jealous.  Plus I only have so much room in the freezer.
~ Oh, my daughter really like the soft french bread I picked up yesterday.  Since it is almost gone I better take a look at the bread today.
~ Still $1.39 a loaf.  Yep, you guessed it, into the cart.
~ Wow, pomegranates are only $1.49.  Since the stores around here usually only have them this time of year I better get one.  I think the last one I bought is just about gone.
~ What should I eat for lunch?   I better eat healthy since I’m feeling a bit guilty about all the snacks I bought.
~ One bag of lettuce.. check.
~Did I forget that this was suppose to be a quick trip?  After all I’m suppose to be working today checking emails for a friend.
~ Oops, at least I had my phone with me and there were no calls.
~ I better make a beeline for the cashier.
~ A quick side trip to the home fragrance isle can’t hurt, right?
~ What, $6.99 for the Glade reed diffusers?  I guess I got a good deal at the grocery store a couple weeks ago when they were clearing them out for $4.  Pair that with the buy one, get on coupon I had and I don’t feel bad at all that I bought two.
~ Seriously, I NEED to check out.
~ Plop two reusable bags on the counter. 
~ Maybe I need three.
~ Well, actually it looks like I need four.
~ Really, how can I need FOUR bags to carry out the set of lights that I came here to get?
~ And, don’t forget the two 12-packs of pop that don’t fit in the bags.
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So now you know why I spent $41.19 on a 100 light strand of blue Christmas lights.
It is a good thing I had a $50 bill along with the $5 bill I thought I would spend.
Well, at least I have a few things to show for it.
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After a healthy lunch of an Asian chicken salad I better try a cup of the Caramel Delight ice cream.  Doesn’t it look delicious?
It is.
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Ah, now I have the energy to string up the lights that started all of this.
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The tree isn’t decorated all the way yet but doesn’t it look like it is worth at least $41.19??
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You know, I really think I might ‘need’ those blue ornaments after all.
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You ever have one of those days??
 

1 comment:

  1. Haha! Target gets me every time. I swear I can't walk out of that place without spending at least $50!

    ReplyDelete

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