Do you refuse to pay full price for anything? Do you especially refuse in certain stores?? Well, this is me. I refuse to pay full price for ANYTHING in Hobby Lobby. If you're a regular Hobby Lobbier, you know that every single week a large ad flyer comes out and that every single week at least 10 departments have sales. This usually means 30% off calico fabrics, 50% off spools of ribbon, 50% off household decor, etc. Now, any given week those three things will not be on sale, but for the most part, they always are - which is why Hobby Lobby is one of my fave places to buy fabric ($4.20 a yd, yes, please!). Also, there is almost always a coupon for 40% off any one item. So, it's easy to walk in, find something you want and pay anywhere between 30-50% off for that item.
I've come to realize a few things about these sales:
1. The items they stock in their store could easily sell for more in specialty stores, but could also easily sell for less in a warehouse store like Hobby Lobby. Their scrapbooking papers had a huge price increase a while back and I'm not sure that was necessary. I think the prices they have on their items everyday are too high and that the sale prices more accurately reflect the appropriate pricing, so they are making excess profit on every day prices and a normal profit on sale prices. This is just my take.
2. If what you want isn't on sale, it will be within 2-4 weeks. The ads rotate pretty often. Things like fabric, ribbon and home decor are almost always on sale. If you go in to buy something in those departments and it's not on sale, you just need to wait 1-2 weeks, it WILL go on sale very soon.
3. The coupon. I love the coupon. The coupon gives me the ability to buy something at 40% off that normally doesn't go on sale, or that doesn't go on sale often. Party supplies very rarely go on sale. So this is a big help in that department. Baking supplies are also rarely on sale. Stationary, never on sale... kid's crafts, rarely on sale... get the idea?? The other GREAT thing about the coupon: you don't have to print it out anymore!! Hobby Lobby cashiers are trained to accept your coupon from your PHONE!! Have the internet on your phone? Get to the Coupon page, hold it up for the cashier and viola! 40% off. Technically, you can only use your coupon 1 time a day. Now, I've bent this rule before... usually at busy times of the year when I know the cashiers won't notice me - but I've not bent it often - I'm a wuss!!
OK, so why this long post about Hobby Lobby?! Mostly to inform you of their sale patterns and other ways to save, but to make this one particular point: DO NOT BUY IT IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING IT AT A GOOD DISCOUNT. Period.
I made a quick trip yesterday to get plastic eggs. The eggs come 8 to a package, for the jumbo eggs and the packages are $0.77 each, on sale 50% off. So you get 16 jumbo eggs for $0.77. I also bought some plastic grass for $0.50 and you know that project on my sidebar, the Cleaning box?! Yup - about to start it!! I bought an adorable note card organizer that came with dividers, $6.99 but %40 off, so that came to $4.20. I will probably add some decor to it, but I really love the colors (blue and brown). I really wanted to buy a board to start my Lost Sock board, but the wood was not on sale, and I really wanted to get my cleaning project kicked off before the sock project. I found the perfect board, now I'm just waiting for it to go 1/2 off and I will snatch it up! Another thing I REALLY need in my house... a key holder. Desperate for a key holder. We had one in Portland that I thought was really pitiful looking, but now I'd rather have that than nothing! So, I will make a key holder soon. I'd like one that can hold the mail as well, but that's the part I despised about our last one, so we shall see....
I'm hoping to get the cleaning box and the coupon holder knocked out while Reagan is at school tomorrow. I'll post pictures as soon as I finish. I will also be working on hairbows this week and an apron. I may also make Reagan's Easter shirt, so I'll update you on those projects and maybe do a tutorial on making the Easter shirt, would you guys like that??? Do I have any sewers out there? OK, pictures and instructions to come.
