Sometimes a good sale is just too hard to pass up.  As I get older and “wiser” though I am finding I am more careful to not buy stuff just because it is a good deal.  Even though I LOVE a good sale, a good price doesn’t mean you need it.  Here’s how I have learned to navigate a good sale; I’ll use a recent Target trip as an example.  I was at my favorite store a few weeks ago and it happened to be about a week and a half after Valentine’s Day.  I was minding my own business when I saw the signs – 70% off candy and 90% (yes 90%) off everything else Valentine’s Day related.  My heart started racing, I told you I love a good sale!  So I took a deep breath and headed down the aisle.  Now this markdown must have just happened because it was not picked over at all.  Here’s what I got and what I passed on and why:

Here’s what I passed on:

• Boxes of kid’s valentines, valentine making kits, etc- I am not sure what my kids will be into a month from now let alone a year from now so this was an easy pass for me.
• Most of the candy – our house was already stacked with Valentine candy and although it was a super good deal, I have no willpower when candy is in the house so I avoided buying lots (I did buy some, see below).
• Heart-shaped dishes, stuffed animals, clothes, gifts that were specific for only Valentine’s Day.

Here’s what I bought:

• Gift bags!  Sets of 8 for only 30 cents!  That’s less than 4 cents a bag!  They are a good size and don’t have to be used for Valentine’s.  In fact, Ella just used one the other day for a get-well gift for her teacher.
• 2 sets of Opal House mugs that say “I love you” and “I love you more”.  These were $1.00.  It was kind of an impulse buy but they were so cute!  I gave one set to my mom and dad and am saving the other set for a gift for a wedding, anniversary, etc.
• A tin of Altoids.  I needed mints for my car anyway, and because these were considered “Valentine” they were like 30 cents. Score.
• Now for the candy that I DID buy – Ghirardelli milk chocolate wafers, hello chocolate fondue night with the kids!  These were $1.00 a bag.  I also bought three bags of Hershey kisses for less than $1.00 each.  The colors of the kisses will be perfect for Easter eggs and the rest can be used to make this super easy, yummy cookie recipe!

I was proud of my purchases and know I will get good use out of them.  I was even more proud of my restraint in not buying the whole aisle!  Small victories!!