Sale Success

I can't show you everything we bought, they are gifts and I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone!

Hannah and I left home at 7.30 this morning to head to a near-by shopping centre for the Boxing Day sales.

We left home with our lists, our money and a plan to divide and conquer and we came home with everything on our lists (yay!), money in our purses, smiles on our faces and sore feet.

When we arrived at the shops Hannah went one way and I headed off to wait for Kmart to open. I knew exactly what I wanted and I was hoping I'd be able to find them. I'd tried to get them on Christmas Eve at our local Kmart and they were sold out so I was a little anxious as I had my heart set on these things.

While I was waiting for the store to open, I chatted to two lovely women, both waiting with lists and ideas of what they wanted to buy. Like me, they were shopping ahead for wrapping paper, decorations and next year's birthday and Christmas gifts. When the door opened we parted ways, and I know one of the women managed to get all her things because I bumped into her later on.

I picked up birthday gifts for family and friends. The 2015 Christmas list has shrunk too, with gifts for two thirds of the list crossed off.  And I've wrapped and labelled the presents and stashed them safely in the box in my wardrobe.

I'll be honest and say shopping hasn't excited me this much in ages. Everything I bought was at least 50% off, some things even more.  I picked up stocking stuffers and some small gifts for the kids and Wayne for next year. Nothing cost more than $17, and that was one specific item I had budgeted for. Everything else was $7 or under! It was so much fun finding the things on the list and crossing them off, making a note of how much I didn't spend. I left home with $300 in my purse and I came home with $187.30. More than half my gift list for birthdays, Christmas and other things for 2015 has been crossed off. Woo hoo! I even managed to pick up the decorations I've had my eye on for months and a new every day handbag for me (now I can retire the old one that is well past it's use by date). The leftover money has already been moved across to the slush fund.

Morning tea was courtesy of a gift card I was given for  Christmas, a real treat for us and we both enjoyed the chance to sit down and review our lists. Hannah was thrilled with her shopping too. She had gift cards for JB Hi-Fi and a list of DVDs she particularly wanted. She was able to get them all, on sale, and still have credit on her gift cards to use later.

We had a wonderful 3 hours. The shops were crowded but everyone was happy and relaxed, no pushing or shoving or whining. The queues were long but again, everyone was happy and relaxed.

Now we're home, the shopping has been put away and the house tidied up once more. Wayne and AJ have gone to trains. Tom is busy with friends and Hannah and I are about to settle down and watch a movie (or two) and relax.

Did you tackle the Boxing Day sales?
Did you have a list of things to buy?
Did you buy ahead for 2015? Did you cross them off your list?
And have you moved the money you saved over to your slush fund or your emergency fund or to pay down a debt?