Thursday, November 1, 2012

Take 2: It's that time again!

The last few years have been a complete blur with my husband's school, his many changes up the career path, four moves, a disastrous renter situation, selling our house, buying a new house, and on and on... Needless to say, I've been neglecting my love of all things free & cheap. We are finally settled, and although the hubster is still finishing his MBA (go him!) and our schedule is filling up by the hour, I'm itching for another FREE CHRISTMAS.

This year will be a little different than the last Free Christmas. Since we got rid of everything we don't need in the process of 4 moves, we won't be selling useless treasure for cash. Instead, I'm working off deals for FREEBIES or super-spectacular discounts and will be sharing all my fabulous finds with you all. Also, I encourage you to share any deals and codes (either via e-mail or in the comment section) that I could post here for others.

In the spirit of reality, I'm hoping to gather at least half of our list for free. Adult gifts are much easier to find for free, so if I only have to spend cash on toys (which are hard to find for free, but discounts this season are all over the place), I'll be happy.

Are you with me?

First things first, make your list. I have a "must buy" list (immediate family, exchanges, the kids, teachers, etc...) and a "maybe buy" list (extended family, friends, coworkers, etc...) for the ones that you might or might not see, or those you aren't sure about yet, and whose gifts might be small if you do get them. Obviously, the "must buy" list gets done first, but keep the "maybe" list in your back pocket just in case you run across those small "free with purchase" items or something that just won't fit anyone on your "must" list. It's always nice to pick up a free small item here and there to keep in the closet for last-minute gifts.

**An admission**
I love the hunt. There's something exhilarating about searching and searching for that one popular toy everybody wants. Yes, it's a racket and yeah, the kids don't usually care nearly as much as the grown-ups who obsess over it - but it's FUN! Unfortunately, it's also expensive and conducive to insanity (the crazy part I don't mind so much). Take that same compulsive need to hunt, and transfer it to thoughtful gifts you can find for free, and you have a beautifully full under-the-tree area, happy recipients, a stress-free wallet, and zero January-credit-card-bill-induced depression. PLUS you still get to enjoy the hunt - or if you don't like that part, keep your jammies on and shop the Internet deals. I'll be taking part in both the online and in-store variety of shopping.

See this post of you want to know what started this 3 years ago.

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