Hi everyone,
I am new to the forum and have read lots of great info from many folks. I wanted to share my tip for this holiday season. Living in Maine, rural and cold!, we are getting hit for both gas and heating. I also do contract work for the state, and their new January '05 computer installation has yielded a now 9 month delay in my income. We are also trying to funnel some donations to the south for the hurricane. Because of the state snafu, we did not go to WDW last year, and despite still not having my usual income (it is eventually coming, but cash flow is tight and there is little room for extras right now) AI decided I could not bear another year without going to the World. So as the fall began to set in, and the long winter began inching closer, I bid on a DVC on ebay which I got for a super price. I also cashed in our frequent flyer miles and booked 2 weeks in orlando and new smyrna in feb '06.
Then it hit me. How will we pay for XMas this year? We have 3 darling kiddos age 3, 5, and 6. They have lots of toys, but have gotten bored, since their birthdays and Xmas are really the only time they get much new. I also have wonderful memories of my parents spoiling us as kids and love to be an elf. But given the economy, the disaster and the need to give money to those two and four legged affected by this, and our impending trip to WDW, I wondered if our kids and family would have much of a Christmas this year.
Well, within a few weeks, I got all my Christmas shopping done, and not only for our kids, but also our nieces and nephews and I spent a third of what I usually spend! (which is usually several hundred per child, I am ashamed to admit, but I like quality toys...).
My tip is the Toy Outlet at
Amazon/Toysrus. I shopped from the toy outlet for most of the kids items and got incredible deals! An $80 mega blocks castle set for $30, a $40 interactive strawberry shortcake for $10, $50 Graco doll accessory set for $30, an $80 karaoke machine for $10, 4 great leap pad books/cartridges for $14 total. These are just a few of the fantastic deals, and nearly everything was free shipping. When I first went online my shipping was going to be hundreds, and that first night I only ordered the free shipping items. I left everything in my shopping cart that didn't have free shipping. I then visited the site a few times a week, and low and behold, one by one, the items I had in my basket began becoming eligible for free shipping. There are always a few buy2G1f deals and they change the items very frequently. I searched the top 100 selling items first and found what was hot. I also used their reviews and did not order something if it seemed like a poor item. I am really thrilled and spent just a little over $100 for about $250- $300 worth of toys per child. I really saved a ton, and feel that most of the toys will be big winners for my sweeties. I did break down and buy a few full price toys at
walmart including a furby ( I had wanted one as and adult when they first came out! Ha!) and some imaginext sets which my sons and their friends play with for hours on end!
So, I was able to get lots of great $5, $10, $15 dollar items that are just super and those prices do not buy much when you shop full price. So no one is getting the hot Darth Vader voice changer or the new Barbie movie items, but I know they'll be thrilled Xmas morning and have no idea that mommy was such a bargain hunter.
Now we are working to save up our spending money for our fabulous week at OKW. I took the advice of one of you to collect change and am already up to $400 including our Disney dollars. I just can't wait! But in truth, am in no hurry to get there because half the fun of WDW is the aniticipation!
Bye for now and take a visit to the Cyber Toy Outlet at Toysrus! Who knows what bargains will be there tonight! One more tip, I am going to buy a few of their $5.29 deals now to have on hand for birthday parties, school elves, etc. They have things like $20 My little pony sets for $5 and $30 fast lane remote cars for $7! Again, alot for the money! Hope you all have the luck and fun I had shopping online this year.
Horsegirl
Contemporary '72 & '80
Poly '74 & '77
Dolphin '90
Peabody '91
Pop '03
132 days for my kids 2nd visit to wWDW!
Today I went to Target to look @ the Go Go TV...I got it for 50% off. 
It was regularly 59.99 and I got it for 29.98. 
Also, I purchased the Wack A Mole Game it was regularly 19.99...the clearance tag said 13.98, but I then scanned it and it was 8.98. 
So, if you are looking to purchase Go Go Tv check out your local Targets. I'm going to keep my eye out to see if it will go down in price. 
