Monday, October 16, 2017

Oh, Hallmark

The trip to Hallmark didn't go the way I'd planned today.   Instead of spending $30 or so in coupons and about that much in cash, it ended up being $80 plus cash and $3 in coupons. 

I've been finding all my old Rewards coupons roaming the house, sticking them all on the fridge as I went, so I wouldn't lose them again.  I need cheap birthday cards this week, so I thought I'd go spend my coupons, get my ornaments for the year, and hit the 99cent card racks. 

Turns out, the local store isn't accepting expired coupons anymore.  I can send them back to Hallmark and they'll re-deposit the points, maybe, and IF they're less than a year old.  Ha.  I found a coupon that expired in 2011.  Also, the 99-cent coupon rack is now 20% 99-cent cards, and the rest is 2/$4 "bargain" cards.  The 99-cent cards are mostly for kids, too.  So, off to Dollar Tree this week for the 2/$1 cards.  For a bonus, the store was out of the free-gift item I had a card for, and I didn't have the card for the one they did have in stock.  Le Sigh.

So.  Came home with 4 cards, 3 ornaments, and this year's singing snowman.  I got the Trek ship, Spotlight on Snoopy #20, and the blue Beauty of Birds ornament.  Still haven't bought this year's Pony for Christmas, and there's an anniversary Spotlight on Snoopy, too.  And, for pete's sake, a new Peanuts Band set that I hadn't seen yet.  Which I WILL resist - I've already got the Peanuts Band set and the Tree Caroling set.  And I can't afford, or justify, the cost of another 5-piece set at $15.95 per piece, plus the other item you have to buy to get the $15.95 price.  Plus tax. 

It's time to reconsider the Hallmark ornament collection.  Most of them never hang on the tree lately, since they're boxed and not with the decorations.  I hate to think how much I've spent on the silly things over the years.  Too depressing.  Definitely need to focus on a few series and skip the rest.  Doing the summer pre-order option that the local store offers might be a good idea, at least as far as cutting down on impulse buying.  But then I'd miss out on the extra points scattered through the fall, plus the free gifts and such.

Preliminary series list to focus on:

  • Beauty of Birds - just started a few years ago, gorgeous, but I'll never have the early ones unless I run across them at a yard sale
  • Pony for Christmas
  • Spotlight on Snoopy
  • Star Trek ships (because I've got all of these back to the first one)
  • Star Wars characters - have most of these, but honestly, why?
  • Rocking Horses - series is closed, but I have most of them
I need to haul them all out one of these days and cull the herd.  Some of my older ones may bring enough money to be worth selling on eBay.