So, I’m not the personal finance blogger who will tell you don’t shop on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. First of all, it will be hypocritical, second of all, as long as you shop for items you need, I see nothing wrong with shopping on Black Friday. Especially if you determined the prices on these items are better. I’m using Fat Wallet to check out all the leaked ads. This is not a paid link! Totally recommending their website.
We’re planning on moving into our new to us home in mid-December. I already know we need a few things.
- Refrigerator – After looking at refrigerator prices, I really wish we had negotiated the fridge into the contract. We should have at least tried. I didn’t like the color of the fridge (black) because it contrasted with the rest of the appliances (white), but who cares about color when you don’t have to fork out a few hundred dollars for a basic fridge (minimum). You live and learn, right? We’re not going to be buying anything fancy. Actually, we are going to be buying the most basic model. Our fridge in our apartment is fairly new, works great, and is basic. So I looked for the same model, wala, it turns out its affordable. I have been price shopping between Lowe’s and Home Depot. Right now, I’m going to try Lowe’s to price match Home Depot’s price. If they price match it, I’m going to then use 10% off from a moving coupon I got at the USPS store. Then, I’m going to use a gift card to pay for the fridge. I’m going to redeem my Discover cash back points. This is great because it doesn’t come out of the budget. If Lowe’s doesn’t price match it, I will have to buy the fridge on Home Depot, and then, get 10% cash back through Discover.
- Security Surveillance system – I want to be able to check our home while we are away. Looks like I want to get a Q See model from Tiger Direct. It’s part of their Black Friday special. It’s cheap. But we could also fork out for a slightly better system from Revo America. From what I have read, these lower end cameras have pretty much the same specs. I’m still doing research.
- Vacuum – This whole being an adult and spending hundreds of dollars on things we need is overrated. My little vacuum I bought to vacuum my little dorm bedroom cannot handle our current apartment’s size (700 sq. feet). It’s on its last leg, and the motor is dying. I think I bought it for $50 at Lowe’s in 2008 when I was getting everything ready for college. I have been price shopping for Dyson’s. All the big retail chains will have Dyson’s 25% off regular price. I found a better deal on Sam’s club. So I will be buying our Dyson on Friday.
- Xbox 12 month Live Membership – Time to buy another 12 month subscription. Looks like it’s going to be Best Buy. The plan is to buy it online through the Discover portal (5% cash back!), and then, I’m going to use a $5 coupon I have from Best Buy (My Rewards Points).
- Shower head – The master bedroom in our new to us house needs a new showerhead. I found a Kohler shower at Bed Bath and Beyond. BBY is handing out 20% off coupons at their stores. So, I’m planning to go grab one, and use the 20% coupon to buy the shower head.
This is the main list. I still have a couple other items I have to research. It’s a short list, but you would be surprised the amount of hours and research that have gone into compiling this list! Good thing is I find it fun. I’m trying to minimize our expenses as much as possible.
Is it just me, or are the costs for buying a home adding up really quickly? We haven’t even forked out the money for the down payment or closing costs. A house is not an investment you get money out of, unless you’re turning it into a rental. It’s a roof over your head that you are paying for at the end of the day.
