11/25 Expressions

Frugal deeds for the day:  Mail call - Starbucks gift card and rebate check from credit card companies.  Yes, I  did some "Black Friday" shopping with my daughter this a.m.  I have not shopped it for years - but today happened to be my "off" Friday - so, I gave my husband a break and headed out at 4:30 this morning.  We really didn't encounter crowds - a good thing.  I got my dad a discounted Nook for his gift this year.  My daughter got some great discounts - 50% off clearance items at Anthropologie to round out her winter clothing wardrobe.  I got my beloved Wallflower refills at Bath and Body Works and they let me use the $10 off $30 coupon - and still get the $20 tote w/products even though it brought my balance before the tote under $40.  We got a free accessory (scratch card) at one store, free muffins and hot apple cider at another - Anthropologie gave out treats while we were in the check-out line.  Then to Steinmart - we mainly got household items - heavily discounted and used a coupon on top of the discount.  Then to Brueggers - got the $25 gift card, get $5 free bakery items.  Got a half a dozen fresh bagels.  No crowds, no pushing.  So, either the media was wrong about record crowds, or we went to the "wrong" places - but it wasn't bad at all.  Oh, my daughter really wanted a $55 cologne for $10 at Sephora - she got it.  Last night I shopped at J C Penney.  I got a luggage set shipped for free to my brother - one for us for this summer's trip to France, and a donut maker ($9.99 after rebate - for my dad).  The luggage sets were $39 for a 4 piece set.  Our's are torn-up and the freecycle ones I got are too heavy.