ArcaMax

4. I tear out pages that have things I am interested in. I mark the item and note who I think it might work for. All of those pages make it into my folder.

5. I might not buy that item from the catalog. I often do, but I might decide to get it locally or get something very similar locally. The catalog page then acts like my reminder.

6. I never go looking for deals but sometimes they “come to me”. When I am taking my ideas to the local stores, sometimes I find out what I am after is on sale. That’s a bonus. That’s a reason that I have about a half dozen favorite stores on my shopping route and early in the process I might find out things on my inspiration list are available locally and I can wait for a bit to see if they go on sale. By starting my process before Thanksgiving I’m ready.

7. I have two main shopping days. One is when I do all of my catalog ordering and the other is when I go out in my car. That doesn’t mean I don’t have other shopping to do, but I try to be organized enough that I can get most of it done in a couple of days.

8. I always shop alone. No distractions from chatting with anyone else.

9. Okay, so when I do my catalog shopping I do it by computer and by phone. I get each thing ordered and check them off. Oh, how good it feels to have all of those items checked off my list.

10. By ordering I also know I will always have a box to wrap it in. And so many places do free shipping now so I’m not really spending extra money.

11. My husband’s hint is Tuesday evening. He does all of his shopping Tuesday evenings. That’s when the fewest people are in the stores.

12. For the Saturday shopping I’m going to do, I go to bed early Friday and I’m up and out the door when the stores open.

13. I map out my route. I do. I figure out what store order I am going to go in so I can make an efficient trip.

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