by Guest Blogger | Oct 18, 2017 | Clutter Free, Guest Blog |
If you’re a lover of the food court, impressed by ridiculously clean, smooth floors, and slightly addicted to samples… welcome to the Costco club.
It’s pretty much the only place where your shopping cart can contain a $45,000 diamond ring resting on top of a five-gallon jug of cooking oil.
It’s also the only place I’d like to be stuck/trapped/held captive in the event of an alien parking lot invasion. Think about it… grab a mattress, sheets, down comforter, scooch yourself to the middle aisles, bust open a pillow two-pack, choose some cozy jammies, slippers and a good book, plug in a heater and wait for the sample servers to come around with hors-d’oeuvres at five. Rotisserie chicken, bagged salad and artisan bread for dinner? I’ll grab the paper plates, napkins, and plastic silverware. Brownies or pumpkin pie for dessert? Yes.
Before we accidentally start planning this event, let’s get to the Costco secrets.
Disclaimer:
- I am not an employee of Costco.
- I am not a secret shopper with the ability to write Costco up for not letting me drive the floor squeegee/rider/thingy.
- I do not own Costco stock.
- I have only put one question in the suggestion box. (Why is cornbread seasonal?)
- I do not follow Costco on Twitter.
- I have never spent the night in Costco, though I’m not entirely opposed to the idea.
- I am not member FDIC, mostly because I do not know what that means.
The Secrets
1. Open, Open, Open
Most Costcos in the States open at 10:00 a.m., but if you live in Mexico… 9:00 a.m., baby! Once I arrived early to our Ensenada store thinking I had 15 minutes to wait. When what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a dude with a key and a smile just for me. In I went at 8:45, feeling like I had been given an extra chunk of time in my day. This happens in Temecula, CA, too!
2. Turnover Nights
Ever wonder why the display of rad, crazy-soft blankets moved from the front to the middle and then to the right? Marketing. Costco moves things around to make you take a different route and possibly see new products.
New products are stocked on Saturday during the night shift, so if you want to see the latest and greatest, shop Sunday. But first, go to church and pray for patience because there tends to be a bit of gridlock around the TVs and Nearly Naked Popcorn.
3. Some Prices Will Never Change
Behold, the all-American hotdog, and soda combo, alive and well in Baja, too. Same price since the day Costco opened… just a mere $1.50. Friendly reminder: just because something is super cheap and makes your mouth dance does not mean it’s healthy for your insides.
Did I just ruin it?
Sorry—I ruined it.
4. Costco Membership = Discounts on Cars, Vacations, and Coffins
Not much to explain here. If you plan on buying a car, going on a vacation or kicking the can soon, shop costco.com first.
5. For Real Bargains, Shop the Perimeter and Middle
According to Lifehacker, the middle area of the store is referred to as “action alley” because of the high traffic. “Makers and distributors often pay for the privilege of being there, and the prices are aggressive,” the site says. The flashy displays at the end of aisles, where lucrative samples are given, tend to be the worst bargains in Costco.
I love lucrative samples.
6. Price Adjustments
Besides having an amazing return policy, Costco also offers a 30-day price adjustment guarantee. If an item gets marked down within 30 days of when you bought it, take your receipt to customer service and get the difference reimbursed. Badda-bing, badda-boom.
7. Cheapest Prescription Drugs
A recent Consumer Reports survey found that, when it comes to generic prescription drugs, Costco’s pharmacy is the most affordable on the market.
Extra Bonus: Did you know Costco membership is not required for Costco Pharmacy purchases online or in the warehouses? Annnd… they offer home delivery. Ding-dong!
8. Ninety-Seven-Cent Tags are Your Friends
Most regular priced items end in .99¢, and sometimes .49¢, .79¢, and .89¢. But the real bargains end in .97¢. They’re the items that have been marked down to the lowest sales you’ll find. They’re throughout the whole store, even on food items. Score, score, score some more.
9. Asterisks Mean “Bye Bye”
If you see this symbol (*) in the top right corner of the price tag then you know the item will not be restocked. What you see is all they have, and it won’t be returning, so if it’s something you need, stock up. Exception: popular seasonal merchandise might be returning, but not for a year. Don’t panic though: Christmas decor now arrives in August. #sweatysanta
10. Think Outside the (Costco) Box
The clear, plastic container that holds a 12-pack or 14-pack of apples perfectly fits Christmas ornaments. Fa-la-la-la-la!
What’s your favorite Costco bargain?
Besides maybe pita and hummus, what do you think Jesus would buy at Costco?
Originally from the redwood forest of Mount Hermon, CA, Carrie lived in Baja, Mexico for the past 12 years. She and her husband, and two very white, bilingual boys just moved back to the States and are gradually adjusting to traffic and taco prices.
In the middle of a non-profit ministry and surrounded by dust and mud, she wrote a children’s book about bullying. She is now collaborating on a nonfiction book about loss, guilt and grace.
Carrie is dedicated to Jesus and avocados, and blogs regularly at carrietalbottink.com. She can also be found on Twitter @carrie_talbott and on Facebook at Carrie Talbott Ink.
by kathilipp | Oct 12, 2017 | Clutter Free, tips and ideas |
As always, I had an amazing time at MOMCON (MOPS International’s Convention). We had a booth this year, so I got to meet a lot of moms we may have missed in the past. My favorite part? Hearing their stories from Overwhelmed (I can’t believe how many of you are doing book studies on it!) and Clutter Free.
Clutter Free Kit
And with Clutter Free being part of the MOPS curriculum this year (HUZZAH), I wanted to share with you an amazing idea one group had for a Clutter Free meeting. After showing the Clutter Free video, the leaders gave each mom a kit:
- 3 bags:
– Bag 1 for garbage
– Bag 2 for recycling
– Bag 3 for things to bring into the house
- A package of Clorox wipes (These could easily be broken down into Ziploc sandwich bags to give each mom just a few wipes.)
- A package of Windex wipes (See above.)
- A lint roller
- A Glade Car freshener
Along with the kits, they also provided vacuums and Handi-vacs for the moms to use. Then each mom went to her car or minivan and spent twenty minutes cleaning it out. Awesome, right? The MOPS leaders who tried this idea told me all the moms said it was their favorite activity ever. (Because once you watch a video about decluttering, you want to go and do it NOW.) And the best part? Everyone went home with a sense of accomplishment and fewer French fries in their back seat. Win-win!
Want to clean out your car and get a mini-craft in at the same time?
Make your own car freshener!
All you need is:
- 1 Clothespin
- Essential Oils (Lemon or Peppermint are some great, fresh flavors depending on the time of year.)
Instructions:
1. Dab five drops of essential oil on each side of the clothespin (ten drops total).
2. Clip the clothespin onto the vent. It makes your car smell yummy and fresh without overpowering. I love it.
Clutter Free Events are Being Booked for 2018!
Friends, what sounds better than a girl’s night out? You and me and a few dozen, or hundreds, of your friends!? I would love to come and share the Clutter Free life with you. This is a great reach-out opportunity. To learn more and get your date on the calendar, shoot me an email at bookings@kathilipp.com.
by kathilipp | Oct 9, 2017 | Clutter Free, Overwhelmed |
Confession time. I have never been a morning person, until recently.
I realized that if I want to get stuff done in life, I need to get up before the rest of the world. But it’s still not easy to get going.
I really believe having a morning routine is one of the most powerful ways to not just change your day, but change your life, because we give ourselves more permission to go deeper in the morning than we do at any other time.
As the morning goes on, we can come up with more and more excuses about why we are not doing what we need to do.
Having a morning routine means deciding in advance what you’re going to do, so you can spend your mental energy focusing on what’s really important for the day.
Here are five steps to creating a routine for happy mornings.
1. Make a list of everything you do in the mornings.
Go into detail, and leave nothing out, no matter how small. Here is an idea of some things you’ll want to include:
• Brushing teeth
• Showering
• Making breakfast
• Finding car keys
• Getting kids ready
• Quiet time
• Making coffee
• Putting on makeup
• Laundry
• Getting dressed
• Eating breakfast
• Packing your computer bag
• Making lunches
2. Evaluate your list.
The next morning, if you remember things that aren’t on the list, write them down. I want you to get an accurate reflection of what you can accomplish and see where the stress is in the morning.
Are you a morning person? Awesome! Load up your mornings, but load it up with the most important stuff.
Are you a night owl? Do everything you can to prep the night before so you can get the rest you need. I could do a whole other blog post on having an evening routine, but the bottom line is…PREP, PREP, PREP.
If it’s not working, brainstorm ways to make it work. Maybe you need a longer prep list the night before, or you might even need to plan earlier in the week. Making a big pot of oats to heat up in the microwave or putting together your outfits for the week can make your mornings go more smoothly. I’m a big fan of a prep and plan day to set you up for success for the rest of the week.
3. Time yourself to see how long things actually take.
We are time optimists. We think it takes 5 minutes to put on makeup, but it really takes fifteen. Time yourself so you know where you can save time, and where to schedule more. You’ll have a realistic idea about how long your morning routine takes and reduce your stress level getting out the door.
4. Print out your list so it’s easy to follow.
Put it up in the kitchen, your bathroom, the bedroom, or wherever you’ll see it. Practice, practice, practice.
When I did this, I learned more efficient ways to get my list done faster. Since I normally eat oatmeal for breakfast, I got to where I could unload the dishwasher in the 3 minutes and 33 seconds it takes to cook.
The first couple of weeks are discovery. After that, it’s execution.
5. Adjust as you go.
By sheer accident, I discovered that my oatmeal turns out just as good if I only cook it for 3 minutes, so I had to think of new strategies to unload the dishwasher 33 seconds faster.
Sometimes you’ll have to change your routine as circumstances change, like for a new job or school schedule. Keep adjusting your routine so that it continues to work for you.
By the way, there’s one other thing that can keep us from a happy morning: Clutter! (You knew I had to go there on a Clutter Free Academy blog post.)
If you haven’t already joined our growing community on Facebook, follow the link to find an encouraging, shame-free place where you’ll get the support you need to get the clutter out of your house.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/clutterfreeacademy/
Peace is possible in the morning, I promise!
