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Last week as I’m setting the table for dinner, I tell my children to turn the TV off just as I hear something that catches my attention. “Wait!” I tell them as I listen to yet another 15 seconds of shameless begging for my back to school business. Office Max is selling a 24 count box of Crayola Crayons for 29 cents! 29 cents?? So I make a mental note and when I sit down to write my to-do list for the next day, I jot it down; along with Wal-Mart’s 20 cent folders , Target’s construction paper for only 88 cents, Walgreen notebooks at some insanely low price and several other local stores with ONE product at a price I can’t resist!
I get it, loss leaders strike again this back to school season; but with all of them using the same strategy it leaves me wondering if I can beat their system.
I get out the school supply lists for all three children. Back to school is an expensive time for me, so I start making a strategy list. I figure that I was going to have to go to multiple stores anyway, the store you go to first never has everything you need and you end up going to two or three to get the things teachers swear kids can’t live without. (Like the colored pencils I buy every year that NEVER get opened, but at least Wal-Mart has those on sale!) I drive myself crazy going back and forth about who needs what and what to buy where but, in the end, I’m quite proud of my money saving genius.
I continue to stay proud through the next morning and right up until I get to about the third store. It’s hot, I have a lot of other stuff to do and I’ve committed to trying to beat the marketing system by going into a store to get only the one item intended to lure me in there. It’s at this point that loss leaders get the best of me; ironically I’m at Office Max staring at 29 cent crayons. Rather than walking out with just the bait, I finish the list there wondering why I decided to try to pick a fight with marketers when I have so much more important things to think about! Office Max did have an added surprise for me, though, 1 cent folders in addition to the crayons!
Can you leave the store with only the super cheap items?
Graphic Credit:
Animationfactory.com
1. mamamarcy |Sep. 30, 2010 @ 8:13 PM
Girl, no one wants to go shopping at three different stores, if you find one store that has the deals, go with it. This year we purchased almost everything at Wal Mart, and the prices weren't bad. Our only travel was to buy a plastic expendable folder from Office Max. Although I wasn't happy about paying $10.00 for this folder, it was what was required for Brittney's classes. I laugh when you say there's things that never get opened, I haven't had that luck with my daughter yet, since in third grade she uses all that is required of her and more!