October Deals & Steals

Happy Halloween! Tonight we are giving out candy to the trick-or-treaters but otherwise, we don't have anything special planned. Anyway, I thought I'd share some of the "deals & steals" I got this month. I must be one of those people that get a high off saving money. I'd say that's probably a good trait as long as I can keep it to things we need. Joe humors this part of my personality and I love him for that. I think I might have even rubbed off a little on him.

1. Yankee Candle BOGO. As I mentioned in a previous post, I stocked up on my fall favorites but at half the cost. I got 2 large jar candles (Pumpkin Spice and Autumn Wreath) for $25. This would have normally cost me $50, had they not been on sale. Sure, you can get no name candles for cheaper than $25 but we all know Yankee has some of the best. Autumn Wreath smells so good!
2. Boot frenzy. I have been feeling the boot trend this season but had been waiting for the right price. So far, I've added 2 pairs to my collection. First, a shorter black slouchy boot from shoebuy.com. They were listed for $36.99 but I got them for $26.63 plus free shipping. There was a one day promotion on the website plus I registered for the first time (well, the first time under this particular email address, haha) scoring an extra 10% off. I have since found the same brand on target.com for $29.99 but you have to spend $50 to get free shipping (they aren't in stores). So, overall I think I did very good!
I also got a taller pair of gray suede boots from oldnavy.com during a 30% off promo. They were originally $34.50 but I got them for $24.15 +tax with free shipping. In the same purchase I also picked up a sweater, scarf, and dress. All four items came out to a total of $68 - not too shabby! Sure, Old Navy is by no means high end but the beauty is, most of you never notice I'm wearing a $25 boot. The jokes on you. And why not when things go in and out of style so fast?
3. I got a pair of skinny crop jeans (perfect for tucking into boots) at the Gap for $5. Yup, $5. I have a Banana Republic credit card and I get rewards for the money I spend. So, I happened to have a $20 off reward with me and found the jeans on the sale rack for $25. They look very similar to the picture below, although these aren't the exact pair. Who can pull off that length? Yuck. I bought them for boots.

4. Restaurant.com is my new best friend. On 9/9/2009 restaurant.com had a 90% off sale. I purchased two $25 gift certificates to two different restaurants for $1 each (it would typically cost $10 each). Last night we used one for the first time and it worked like a charm. We ate dinner at the Chesapeake Grille and Deli (I love me some non-chain food) for $20 + $1 for the gift certificate. Joe got a ribeye steak and I got a crabcake platter. Our bill would have been $45. The beauty of this place is that you don't have to tip because you order when you come in and they only bring you your food. You refill your drinks yourself.
5. Diet Pepsi. The Guidos do not buy soda unless it's on sale. We know a good soda deal when we see one and we will go without before buying it at full price. So, needless to say, when I spotted 12 packs for $2 at Walmart this month, I was in soda buying heaven. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's about as good as it gets. Walmart typically sells them for $4.98 each. We usually buy them when the grocery stores offer 4 for $10 deals but most of the time you must buy all 4 to get the $2.50 price. What a steal!

Yeah, so I might be a little nerdy but I just can't help myself. Finding the best price takes some time and patience but it is worth it in the end. Have you gotten any good deals lately?