Why I Love Cross Border Shopping

So I was in Niagara for the weekend and thought I would share a deal I got with the few of you who read my blog.

This was on the front of the Tops flyer. I could hardly believe it, all I had to do was buy the beef and I get all those groceries free? Well I needed to have my trusty Tops Savings Card, but I got that a couple years ago when they had a good sale on chips.

The beef was a little more expensive then I would usually pay but it was better quality then I usually buy.

So what was the total for all that?

$18.79. Plus 5cent deposit on the pop bottle, but I get that back when I go back and recycle it at Tops. A total savings of $22.30.

I saved so much that I went to Walmart down the street and bought Hersey's Bliss White Chocolate Hot Chocolate and Pumpkin Spice marshmallows (that bills came to a whopping $3.75).

PS. I am aware that you aren't suppose to bring meat back over the border unless it is frozen. But it was a good deal and I am using it for personal consumption so I think its ok.

PPS. Tops Friendly Markets is located at 7200 Niagara Falls Blvd Niagara Falls,NY 14304.

PPPS. Also filled up at Smokin Joe's for 91.9 cents a liter.

The Boat Show Theory

Mamaz always says that the ladies with problems always have a sob story where "Daddy never took me to the boat show".

Luckily my daddy did take me to the boat show. A cold snowy day, dragging 2 kids around, I am sure he did his share of grumping. That is until a security guard seen him getting in line with 2 small kids and ushered us all inside "because it was too cold for kids".

So why do I share this? Well I have spent Saturday mornings up early for markets and caught a couple of conversations between females leaving my neighbors apartment. These chats make me fear for the future society, though I am not sure that is right as these girls are probably my age.

#1

Girl calling the group of guys outside to call her phone. A few minutes later she reminds them to call. She comes out a third time angry they haven't called, which they had, and she replies "Oh. This isn't my phone. I lost my phone. Who's phone is this?".

Wow, regular brain trust over there I see. I expect Mensa to come any day now and take them away.

#2

2 girls (walking barefoot I might add, I guess those shoes are with girl #1's cell?) were talking outside of my door as I am putting my shoes on. I might remind you it is 3am. The one says to the other "So do you think you would ever let a guy punch you in the face?".

Umm is that even a question? Really?

Birthday Ideas

So my 25th is coming up in December, which I realize isn't that close but I like to be prepared. So I have been thinking alot about what I would like for my birthday. Since it is my 25th I feel it is a special one and deserves special gifts. So here are some things I have picked out.

~A rocking chair, my Grandma gave me her old one before her house was sold. So I already got that.

~A grandfather clock. Odd I know but I just need one for my future house!

~A watch. I have been looking for this forever and still have yet to pick one I really like. But maybe this one.

~High thread count sheets. Except I have no idea how high is high, but I want them cream color, with varying stripes, like this.

~A white handkerchief with a purple L on it. With lace trim of course.

~A locket. Or a heart link necklace like this, but in yellow gold.

~An old timey apron.

~An owl cookie jar, because how classic is that?

~A china cup and saucer set for Sunday tea.

The grandfather clock I found in the Sears Wish Book. Isn't that sad?!?! I can still remember it wasn't that long ago that all I looked at was the toys. Now it is the dresses and housewares.

NYC

So K-Bot's shut down week has come and gone. NYC was a great way to spend time off work.

We took the bus from Buffalo down to NYC. It was to leave at 12:45am August 1st and we needed to be there 30 mins before hand to check in. We got there at midnight......the bus.....2am. I should have started this by saying we got up at 2am Saturday drove to Peterborough, worked till 1, went to Rice Lake and had dinner, then Mamaz and I went to the Jason McCoy concert till 10, got back to Rice Lake and drove back to Kitchener, got in at 1am Sunday morning, went to church at 9am, came back and packed and cleaned, drove to Niagara, waited till 11pm drove to Buffalo, waited in a bus terminal till 2, then finally sleep. But no we did not sleep. The bus driver was some sort of prison guard who barked out orders and then cranked the ac as high as possible and froze us out.

We get into the city at 11am Monday morning, cold, and having only a few winks of sleep. But hey it is NYC so nothing can get us down. The first day was great, we got tired early (because after all that who wouldn't be tired) and decided to go to the hotel at 6. Well that WAS the plan. We get to the train and there is some sort of problem and the lines have been down for 2 hours. Hundreds of commuters all waiting to leave the city. Finally at 7:45 not our train but the train to take us to Jamaica where a rescue train waited to take us farther left. When we got off at Jamaica some guy ahead of us got bumped and yelled that he had a gun. Cops came and arrested him and we crammed into the rescue train like sardines. It is a 35 minute train ride from the city to our stop. 1 hour and 15 minutes later, our stop. K-Bot had decided that we would go to the Italian restaurant for dinner, well we got there and it is closed. So we head to the hotel, check in, drop off the bags, and walk across to the grocery store. When we got back to our room we ate dinner and watched Shark Week (because what's a vacation without sharks?).

The second day was full of sites and shopping. And more Shark Week, but this time dinner was White Castle. Nothing real eventful.

The last day was making out to be uneventful. But then it came time to close out the trip. It started pouring rain at 4, we didn't catch the bus til 6:50 (the bus would leave at 7:20). So we walked around some shops hoping the rain would stop, but no such luck so at 6 we started the trip to the bus. But in all the rain we get lost. We have no idea where to find the subway we are looking for, we asked a friendly nypd officer, and he doesn't even know. I am now crying in the rain in times square. But then we find it. We get to the bus with 10 minutes to spare. But that isn't our bus. Our bus is running late. 30 minutes late. So we stand in the rain in line to get on the bus. Luckily when we do we have 2 great drivers. The first drives till Pennsylvania and when the second starts driving he turns down all the lights and turns on some soft classical music till we are asleep and then turns it off and drives us all quietly back to Buffalo. We paid for our parking ($18 for 3 days) and drove back through New York state to Niagara Falls to fill up at Smokin Joe's (gas there was 91cents a liter) before heading back across the boarder to Mamaz & Fajaz house. We got in and unpacked and changed into jim-jams at 4am Thursday morning.

When we got back here to Kitchener I totalled up our trip. Grand total for a 3 day NYC trip, including hotel stay for 2 nights, shopping, and all transportation???

$880.78.

1,000,000 memories from our first vacation together???

Priceless.

LONG Weekend

So this past weekend was a long weekend for us, K-Bot had 4 days off. It felt like the weekend dragged on.

Saturday was our first market day, so that already can make a weekend feel long. We got up at 2 and I drove to Peterborough. We left at 12:20 and had pretty good traffic. However when we got back into Kitchener we had to get groceries, by that time I was cross eyed from being SO tired.

We got to bed a little later than I had wanted to Sunday night, especially since I had every intention of being up at 8 to bike to the mall and back. However that was not to be.

At 2am I was laying awake in bed and heard a familiar noise. I thought it was fireworks a bit too close so I got up to check. And to my surprise (and a little anger) there was a guy in my car going through my stuff. I woke up K-Bot who talked WAY too loud near the window as I called 911. K-Bot being loud must have scared the guy off as by the time the operator came on the line the man was gone. However in just a few minutes we had 8 cruisers here with the dogs and everything. We gave our statements (all be it mine wasn't that great I seen the guy for a split second before waking K-Bot and then leaving the room to make the call). Fortunately we have some great neighbors (a fact I didn't know till that night/morning), one even came out and chatted with us for a while, trying to make us feel better. So after an hour of questions and looking around the police left and we went back upstairs. I didn't sleep at all, how could I? My car was open for anyone to go in now (however we don't ever keep anything in our car, all that was in there was garbage and flyers). At 8 I went out and swept the parking lot and got as much glass as I could out from the car. K-Bot made calls about getting it fixed (so long kobo dreams, hello needing a new window).

I decided that I NEEDED a nap in the afternoon, but once again that wasn't meant to be. I wasn't asleep long when there was a loud knock on the door. I heard a voice I didn't know and got up to see what was going on. Yet another police officer here to ask questions. Seems someone else called about their car being broken into in our parking lot that night and he seen ours and decided to come talk to us. We told him what we seen and what we were told by the police officer earlier that morning. I didn't sleep much again Monday night as my car was still open, K-Bot said what more could anyone do to the car, ummm well steal it of course. However it is morning and it is still there. The glass guy that K-Bot called is suppose to be coming to fix it today.

When Handed Lemons....

So a couple weeks ago K-Bot came home with some rather bad news. They have too many people working too many hours and not enough customers to buy projectors so they have a full storage and will need to shut down operations for a while. Exactly 3 days. Exactly 3 days after the August long weekend. Making it exactly 10 days K-Bot will be off. Day 1 and 8 will be spent at markets as it is summer time. So what to do with all the others in between?

First we thought about going to my parents and just spending all day every day at the beach. We haven't been to the beach since we got married. However that plan wasn't the best as they don't have air conditioning and Gunner breathes a lot of hot air on you.

Second we thought about Algonquin, but that is expensive and we didn't want to have to sit on an island just the two of us. I don't think we love each other enough for that to happen.

So then what are we doing???

We are going to New York! We found great bus tickets leaving Sunday July 31st and coming back Thursday August 4th. We looked at hostels but all the good ones were booked (obviously) so we opted for the same hotel I stayed at last year when I went. I am over the moon excited. We were planning on trying to get down there in October for our anniversary but then K-Bot would have had to take days off which we didn't want to have to do. So this whole thing was so perfect. We have a list of like 100 things we have to do. To be honest I just want to go so I can get a new purse as my one from last year is starting to crack.

Also as a note this will be our first vacation together alone. Yes I know, almost 5 years in and we haven't vacationed alone, CRAZY. Our honeymoon was only 2 days.

Gas Savings

So K-Bot and I have been visiting Niagara a lot lately, and the reason being to save money.

Tickets for a show at Shea's Preforming Arts Center are cheaper than most shows in Toronto. Plus parking is $4 all day in Buffalo (if you find the right lot), and Toronto....well....it is not.

Groceries are cheaper too. And if you shop at Tops Friendly Markets they allow Canadians to hold their savings club card so it is even cheaper to shop. I am sure you know club cards from Extreme Couponing, except you don't have to load this card, it is an automatic savings. Just go to the customer service desk before you start shopping to start saving that day.

The dollar has been decent so that also helps.

But I am sure you are saying, Laura your blog says GAS SAVINGS. Well my friend I am getting to that.

If you cross the Queenston Lewiston Bridge, which if you are going to the outlet mall you will do unless you take the worst possible way there, you can take Robert Moses Parkway to Upper Mountain Road. Then go all the way down, do be alarmed that you are leaving the State, you are just entering the Reservation. Go down Indian Hill Road to Smokin Joes. I love this gas place.

Monday we went over and gas places were showing 3.91/Gallon. We did our shopping and stopped for gas on the way home. Smokin Joes was 3.74/Gallon, already cheaper. Then if you pay cash they take 5cents off per gallon. 3.69/Gallon. For those out there keeping score that's 97cents/Litre. I haven't noticed gas prices here in a while but I am sure they aren't that low. A whole $37 to fill our car on Monday.

Just remember a couple things:

~the earlier you can get to the bridge the shorter your wait time, best before 9am. Walmart is open 24 hours there and if you get to the outlet mall before it opens you can save yourself the headache of trying to find a parking spot (ps Walmart is right beside the mall so park at the mall and walk over).

~you typically won't get pulled over to pay duty if you spend less than $50 per person for 1 day. However if that $50 is on tobacco or alcohol then you probably will get pulled over.

~keep this number on hand, 1-800-715-6722, it is the boarder wait time number. they will tell you what the wait time is at each bridge.

Too Good To Be True

I love a good deal, that's no secret. I have a bunch of sites that I visit daily to see the newest and best deals. Some are too good to be true and I just ignore them (which turns out for the best sometimes). But then there is that time where you are so excited that you go out on a limb.

I am a bit of a nerd, also not much of a secret. So I have been really thinking about going to see the new X-Men movie, but I kind of forget what happened in the first three (although not imperative too see this one). So I borrowed the DVD set from Mamaz. However I had been to Best Buy in Buffalo and seen that the blu ray version was very nice looking on the TVs they had out, so I looked at how much they wanted. It wasn't what I wanted to pay so I forgot about it. Well a couple weeks ago it gets posted on one of my deal blogs that the trilogy on blu ray is on sale for $15 at amazon.ca. This set can cost you up to $80, so what gives? A 9 disc blu ray set of a popular movie, $15? Too good to be true, but also WAY too good to pass. So I bought it. $1.99 shipping and all. Then the next day the item is pulled from amazon, but my order is still on there and good so I am happy to wait. After a couple days it isn't re posted, so I search on the web for an answer. Well I got it, it WAS too good to be true. Seems the ad was wrong and it is the DVD version on sale not blu ray, but it said blu ray on the site. People were mad that they were getting the DVD in the mail. Dang, I already have the DVD version sitting on my shelf. So I email amazon to see what is up and possibly cancel my order as I don't need DVDs (they really do suck). The response I got sent me over the moon with joy. It was their mistake and they will honor the $15 and send me the 9 disc blu ray set.

I got it in the mail yesterday, it was definitely a bright spot in a very bad couple of days. I can't wait till I can relax with K-Bot and watch them.

Squeaky Wheel

So they say the squeaky wheel gets the grease, but I am not one to squeak. Maybe sometimes I complain, but that is mainly only to K-Bot and never to the thing that has gotten me upset. But I think I have changed my tune.

So on one of my many adventures down to Niagara K-Bot said we could stop at the Book Depot Warehouse, I was so excited. We spent an hour in there looking around, and they have great deals. I was looking at a copy of The Outsiders, it was a hard cover and the cover price was $25. But the Book Depot price was $9.99. Also they have sales maybe once a year, fill a box for $30. Anyways I didn't find the one book I was looking for. However I noticed that they have a website, so I went to it. They have their warehouse online so you can order books that way. They have great prices, this I knew, but the shipping wasn't that terrible. The one option is pick up in store, which they only charge you $1 for processing your order. So I look and to my joy they have the book I want. $7.99 instead of the cover price $25. So I order it and say I will pick it up in store. Now I was currently reading said book as I had taken it out from the library, so I took it back thinking that I would have my own copy to read. Well I took it back Friday morning (yes I walked to the library in the rain) and Friday afternoon I get an email saying that there really wasn't any of those books in stock, even though the web page said 2. So I was angry, as anyone would be. So I sent off an angry email. Not like me, and I regretted it all weekend. I felt bad.

Monday morning I check my email and what is there???? A response, very apologetic. They feel bad for the mix up and so if I place another order for that book they will give me free shipping to my door. FREE shipping. Well that was very kind. I didn't demand anything, just maybe if they don't have supply don't advertise to the contrary. So I ordered the book, the shipping statement said I could expect it in 21 business days. YIKES. Oh well that's ok, free shipping. I ordered the book Monday night and it was here Thursday morning.

I am really impressed with this store now. They seem to really care about their customers and work with them to get them their books. I definitely recommend shopping with them, if for no other reason then they are SO much cheaper than Chapters. And I learned that sometimes you need to stand up and say something when you are upset. I guess it isn't just men who aren't mind readers (K-Bot tells me all the time men aren't mind readers so if I want something speak up and I can have it).

Date Night

So K-Bot and I had a date night today, early evening still counts as a date night right?

So I will just start by saying that we are naughty and bring our own snacks to the movies, tisk! Anyways so we brought orange juice boxes, which were free on a box of pop tarts. Then we bought chocolate bars, what's that? a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free? Yep! Then off to see Rango. It is cheap night so it is $5.50 each to get in, but, and here's the sneaky part, I found a buy 1 get 1 free movie pass in my cereal box, so $5.50. But we didn't even have to pay that because Mamaz gave us 2 gift cards to the movies.

So date night cost us $1.50.

I love coupons.

Next week we are going to see Paul. Same coupons but this time we are buying the chocolate bars at Walmart so it will cost us a whopping 58 cents for date night.

Take that Space Coyote.