A Banner Day for Bargains (Yahoo!)

Today did not start well.

I was literally so exhausted from a busy week that I slept from 8 pm last night until 10:30 am this morning. What did we do this week? Swimming, library, hike, swimming, family pictures (which reminded me why I never get formal portraits done), father-daughter kickball game, candy factory tour (oooh, fresh taffy!), swimming, and lots of managing children to do their chores. Whew!

So Doug was in charge this morning. The kids seem to really push his buttons, and this week he is especially touchy (might have been the family pictures that set him off). By the time I had finally gotten up and showered (around 11:30 am), he was grunting instead of talking. Not a good sign. So I made him take me out for lunch. We both needed a serious break from children.

After lunch, we were a little more relaxed and ready to shop. Harbor Freight Tools was our first stop. There we found a kit that Doug needed and staples to further my reupholstering project (yes, I'm still working on it!). Better yet: on the way to lunch, I had found a 20% off coupon for Harbor Freight, so Doug's $90 kit (that was already on sale) was only $55! Ah, love a good deal.

Then we split up. He went to look at machinery. Just to look. At a store where most of the used stuff sells for near or at the price for new versions of The Same Thing. Why do stores do that? Because they can get away with it, I guess. Anyway, he found a gem tucked away in the back corner: a Rockwell joiner for $140. Then he talked the guy down to $125. Sweeeet!

Testing out the new joiner once we got home

Me? I was in Deseret Industries, sort of a Goodwill in the western states. Where I found...a couch in need of reupholstering. I know, I know. What am I, a glutton for punishment? Why, yes. Yes, I am. It has taken almost a year to get one chair almost finished. However! This is the perfect silhouette for the front room. For about six months now, I've been wondering where I could find a slightly rounded, smaller couch.

The behemoth that is currently in state in our front room really needs to be deep-sixed, but we'll leave that for another day.

So the couch I found fit the bill. Perfectly. Especially considering that it was only $25. Sold.

And there I sat, wondering when Doug was going to join me. Eventually, he did, and we paid for the new couch. And Doug gave me a tag for something else, which cost $30. Seriously, something that cost more than my couch? How were we going to fit the couch and this other thing in the car? Doug just gave me a sheepish look and refused to tell me what it was.

We pulled the car around to get the couch, and as I opened the back of the car, I was met by...the joiner. Doug gave me another sheepish look, and told me the story. After rejoicing with him, I said, "Okay, but I really don't know what a joiner does."

Bless him for not giving me any sort of look as he explained that a joiner makes a straight edge. When you buy boards from the store, they aren't necessarily straight. A table saw will perpetuate whatever edge it has - so if you want it straight, you either use a hand planer (lots of time and energy, especially on long boards) or a joiner (easy and perfect edges). Which means: Doug can make furniture much more easily now. Serious rejoicing ensued.

Back to the couch, we moved it on top of the joiner. They fit (amazingly enough) and I worriedly wondered about that other, $30 item. Doug went in to get it, leaving me to stew.

Finally, they came out with...lathe tools. Mind you, we don't actually own a lathe. However, these are professional-grade tools, a complete set, for...$30. Yes, I know I already said that. Doug was thrilled - because he didn't just grab them after we paid (which is what we were supposed to do), and waited until after the couch was loaded, one of the guys helping us remembered that there was another piece that was supposed to go with the set. The set Doug bought had six pieces, but we left with seven.

Ah, the gods of shopping were looking out for us today!


Anyone else have a fabulous shopping adventure lately? Share, share!