Thankful for.... Disney Days!

There are so many things that I am grateful for in my life that if I started a list, I'm not sure I would ever stop. But I've recently discovered one more thing to add to that list: Build A Bear's Disney Days sale!

I'm just going to go ahead and say this now: I, a childless adult, am the proud mama of not one, but two Build A Bear stuffed animals. Both were a gift from my boyfriend, so it's not like I'm walking into the store alone and stuffing these bears solo. Having those two bears wouldn't be so strange if I didn't also have so many outfits for them that my boyfriend had good reason to get me a Build A Bear armoire so I could better organize all the clothes I have for them. I have Halloween outfits, Christmas outfits, some nice casual outfits, and graduation robes representing the two different years that my boyfriend and I graduated from our undergraduate careers. I got this armoire back in September, and I haven't purchased a single thing from Build A Bear since, and my wardrobe is already chock full of clothes! The drawers are filled to the brim, the accessory door can't take many more accessories, and I have to do some serious shoving and squeezing to add more outfits on the hanging rod. Between my boyfriend and myself, we have made enough trips to Build A Bear that we decided to go ahead and become a Stuff Fur Stuff member. We've purchased so much stuff that we have earned several gift cards because of all the points we easily rack up. Then I got an email from Build A Bear telling me all about Disney Days, their two-day sale on select Disney merchandise. Typically, I'm pretty skeptical of sales like this because sales usually fall into one of two categories: 

1) The sale is only a couple bucks off, which really just saves me the amount I would have paid in tax for that item; OR 

2) The sale is on an item that I don't particularly care to have anyway.

But when the email promised up to 60% off Disney merchandise, I couldn't help but at least check it out! 

Boy, am I ever glad that I did! 

For a little under $50, I had purchased two dresses, a Mickey tuxedo outfit, a Disney princess tiara, and a bedding set. This was all including tax. I really did save a ton on these items! I think I saved at least 50% on each item, a little more on some other items. I did the math comparing the amount I paid versus the full price, and I saved $24! That doesn't sound like much, but that is enough to buy two outfits at full price! I was thrilled! 

PLUS I didn't have to pay for shipping because I spent enough to qualify for free shipping. That's not all! The cherry on top of this whole thing: I used a $50 gift card my boss had given me a while back, so this purchase didn't cost me a dime! Without the Disney Days sale, I would have had to shell out an extra 24 bucks to get all that stuff. You guys, I'm a believer. I will always at least look at the items when Build A Bear promises things like the Disney Days sale! 

Lowering Your Craft Expenses

If you're anything like me where crafting and baking cool things is part of your daily cravings and actions, then you probably find yourself browsing through a craft store fairly often.

...

Or is it just me?

I promise A.C. Moore did not pay me to endorse them or advertise them. I just happen to live conveniently close to an A.C. Moore (seriously. The location is a 10 minute walk from my apartment. It doesn't get any more convenient than that, short of a taxi service from my front door to theirs). So I happen to be in there a lot. I find myself doing a lot of DIY projects, and most of those projects involve various materials that I simply do not have laying around. I'm also a pretty avid scrapbooker. My boyfriend and I started doing "adventure books" together -- scrapbooks filled with fun memories of things we've done together. This means I'm always looking for fun stickers and scrapbook paper. I'm also looking for material to work on my DIY projects. Needless to say, I'm always at this A.C. Moore.

When I first started out shopping at A.C. Moore, I constantly bemoaned the fact that I had to pay so much for stuff that probably could be found cheaper at other places. Then, on a whim, I decided to sign up for their rewards program. This ended up being a pretty great decision. If you're looking for a way to lower your A.C. Moore craft cost, definitely sign up for their rewards program.

I get emails every day with at least one coupon. Most days I get two. They're usually pretty good coupons, too. It's usually something like 50% off a regularly priced item. In fact, I've received so many coupons that I honestly don't get a chance to use most of them. I don't feel like I've missed out, though, because I always get a fresh coupon the next day.

Another great way to save at A.C. Moore is their receipts! This tends to get overlooked quite often. In fact, I overlooked it all the time for a while. But on their receipts, A.C. Moore usually has a coupon. It's usually something like a 50% off coupon that's valid about a week after your purchase. Having to wait before you can use the coupon can be a drag sometimes, but it comes in handy when you're at the store and need a coupon but don't feel like having to browse through your email on your phone to find the coupon.

Another thing on the receipt, in smaller print, is the opportunity to get a discount for taking a very quick and easy survey. If you go to acmoorecares.com and put in a few details about your purchase, you're asked to answer a series of questions that's essentially rating them on a scale of 1-5 on various aspects of your shopping experience. It's pretty easy and painless to complete. At the end of the survey, you get a validation code that you write on the receipt, Then on your next visit to an A.C. Moore store, you get a discount on your next single-item purchase. Like I said, super easy.

Now with all these new ways to save on your next purchase, go forth and shop!

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