Summer Spending Slide

We picked strawberries!

The calendar says summer, though in the midwest it is wet, foggy and cold.  I have polar fleece and wool socks on, for real!  The temperature doesn’t feel like summer but the spending does!  It’s week 2 of being home with my daughter, and things feel a little more financially disorganized than usual.   Exhibit A:  unplanned trip to Michaels Crafts today = 15.00.  Now, on one hand, I am happy to do it as my daughter has been working tirelessly in her room on “world crafts.”  On the other hand, too many days of living it up will show up in the ol’ budget at the end of the week.

Last summer I had the purse-strings cinched a little tighter as we had an expensive vacation to Santa Fe and the need to save for our exterior renovation project.  This year we have many smaller items we are budgeting for, but nothing forcing us to really push hard and save like mad.  Honestly, we have spent so many years pushing hard on big goals, that it feels kind of strange to be without them. So this summer I am trying to find that balance between spending money on worthwhile, fun outings while not getting to the point of ‘I forgot to make a meal plan so we have to go out to eat…’

Last summer I also struggled a bit in the transition to being home full-time.  See ‘Summer Time, Is the Living too Easy?’    Curiously, I wrote that almost a year ago exactly!  This confusing state seems part and parcel of adapting to summer vacation.   For today, I have my crafting kid singing away in her bedroom (with a sack of feathers and beads from Michaels…) and I am off to prepare dinner at home using ingredients on hand.  That’s the balance we strike for today.

Trying to balance spendy days with cheap fun days…

 

 

Report from Wilmot American Girl Warehouse Sale, Day 2

Last year we hit the American Girl Warehouse sale on the first day of the sale, and it was grueling.  This year we tried the sale on Day 2, with no idea of what to expect, only hoping the lines would be shorter.  We set out on the open road after our traditional stop at Dunkin Donuts.

Saige in Julie’s dress.

We arrived at 9:58 am, and were shocked to find the parking lot comparatively empty, and only a handful of ladies waiting to get in when the doors opened at 10 am.  We walked right in.  Mind boggling!

They restock the sale overnight, and there was plenty of merchandise, both Bitty Baby and American Girl.  Also some Corolle dolls.  Note the Warehouse sale does not have dolls except for the mini historical dolls, which were $ 8.00.  You need to go to the Madison Children’s Museum Benefit for the regular dolls.

Not our bags, but this is a small purchase by Warehouse sale standards!!

The sales staff wear t-shirts displaying stick figures hauling huge bags around. True!

There are always plenty of AG pets for 8.00 – 10.00

Lots of items for last year’s GOTY.

This one came home with us!

There were accessory kits for Addy, Julie, and Ivy.  Also a shawl for Rebecca.

Like I said, plenty of merchandise, and easy to find.

A favorite item: McKenna’s Warm-Up Outfit. Those are some cute shoes! $12.00 for the whole outfit.

This year there was only 1 historical doll outfit, Cecile’s yellow summer dress and bonnet.  Lots of MYAG outfits including a soccer outfit, cheerleading outfit, ski set, tennis outfit, a cello (!), and two Halloween outfits for dolls.

Alluring, yes. Enough money in the budget, No!

We were stunned to be out of the sale by 11:15.  We decided to have our picnic lunch outside the warehouse, for old-time’s sake.

Saige, Addy, and a Webkinz along for the ride.

After last year’s sale we started saving $10.00 from each of my paychecks for future AG adventures.  When it came time for the sale my daughter knew exactly how much was in the AG budget!  We were happily surprised, though, that Grandma chipped in as a way to celebrate our school year.  Thanks Grandma!

Update:  We will be blogging about future Wilmot sales at our new blog “The Dolls Between Us”, so follow us there!

American Girl Outlet Sale, 2014

 

Josefina, wearing a dress for babies 0-3 mo from Carters. Rummage sale purchase for 1.00.

I knew something was up with the American Girl Warehouse Sale because suddenly my blog was getting heaps of searches about the Wilmot Warehouse Sale.  I was shocked to find that the sale is running right now – about 2 months earlier than last year.

You can read about our odyssey to the Wilmot Warehouse sale last year here.  To tell you the truth I had to go back and re-read my blog post to give myself a reality check about what the sale is really like!   My first instinct was to skip it this year.  We just got out of school today!  The other half of me said, “You won’t be going to this sale forever.  Carpe Diem!”

So, we are gearing up to go tomorrow morning, which will be day 2 of the sale.  I called the Mattel outlet store which is on the grounds of the American Girl sale and the clerk confirmed that people have been camping out in tents for two days prior to the sale starting today!  These are the Ebay-ers who make a living reselling the items.  People arrive with uHaul trucks from all over the midwest.  No kidding!

Here’s how to prepare for the sale:

1. Leave husbands and small children at home.  The warehouse can be crowded, hot, and the wait to check out can literally be an hour or more.
2. Pack a lunch with plenty of cold drinks and candy to pass the time.  There is one gas station in town, and one cafe, which is small and is cash only.
3. Bathroom… you can use the bathroom in the Mattel outlet (a separate building from the warehouse sale).
4. Bring a blanket to sit on.
5. When you arrive you get a number and you can do whatever you like in the meanwhile.  No need to stand in line.
6. Definitely bring a doll… they may want to get acquainted with other dolls!
7. How about a book to read?  My daughter is reading Kaya’s books and I am starting Julie’s because, “Mom, it’s from your time in history!”  #feelingancient
8. There is ample room to play catch or throw a football while you wait.

So tomorrow morning we will pack lunch, stop at Dunkin Donuts, and hit the road.  I have no idea what mayhem to expect on Day 2 of the sale.  Hopefully a tad more sane than day 1 last year.  I really hope to find Addy’s nightgown.  My daughter will be looking for items for Saige and Julie. I will give you the full report!