69 Shopping Days Until Christmas and Other Financial Crises

I started holiday shopping at around 100 days. THIS IS MY TIME TO SHINE. I'm like that lady in the commercials. I have a schedule, a timeline, a mental map of the store. I have coupons for days.

me.

We have nieces and nephews, little little cousins, god children, friends with babies, and a huge list of loved ones we buy for every year. The kids come priority and it's amazing how much I save when I start shopping early. 

A few weeks back the toy coupons started popping up. This is my green light. I usually find them here. For under $90, I picked up all of these goodies.

2 bags of candy, 2 bags of Halloween morsels, gift wrap, box of Duplex blocks (say that three times fast), Little People Disney Princess Castle, 3 Barbies, gift bag, 2 bottles of Canada Dry (not pictured, chillin in the fridge yo) and 2 awesome Halloween storage bins, which I have to admit, only one of them is filled with Halloween stuff. 

Target always does me justice. Between their Cartwheel App, manufacturers coupons, Target store coupons, mobile coupons and gift card offers (all of which are combinable), I usually save enough on one gift to purchase another. And the clearance section, my god. 

Do pay attention to the clearance stickers. Unless it's something you must absolutely have/want/need, leave it and come back next week. It will be marked down again. It goes 15, 30, 50, 75, and the rare 90% off. If you return and it's gone, it wasn't meant to be. You'll find another candle or decorative elephant to fill that hole in your soul, I promise. 

I made this little legend up, screen shot it in my phone, and that way I can cross reference my findings while out in the field. I usually only make it to Target once a week, Wednesdays to be exact, to prevent economic failure, but I'd make a return trip if something was worth it.

Luis thinks I'm crazy. But he brags of me to all of his friends. He knows what I'm doing is special.  

We are house hunting with a debt ceiling about to collapse and a government shutdown. I'll save when and where I can. If that calls for Christmas in July then so be it. I'll be at home baking cookies while all of the sleepers are out terrorizing the shelves. 

Now is the time for action. Who do you have on your list?