My goodies

I bet yall minds are so in the gutter right now. LMAO



I am talking about my goodies box. It's something I created this a few days ago and I thought I would share it with you all.

I received a few gift cards for Christmas and I also received some very nice coupons and gift receipts from a few of my favorite retailers for my birthday. Now I am overflowing with all these goodies and have no clue what to do with them. Well I actually DO have a clue I just don't want to spend them on frivolous unneeded things. I want to use them wisely. I had some other goodies lying around the house so I put them all together in a diskette box I had. I used index cards as dividers and separated all my goodies into different categories. Here is the current inventory:

CLOTHING:

• -$25 Macy's gift card
  
• -$10 Macy's gift certificate
• -$25 Old Navy gift card
• -$10 Old Navy gift certificate
  
• -$15 off $50 Macy's coupon (expires 1/31/08)
• -$10 Avenue gift certificate (expires 3/31/08)
• -40% off one item Avenue coupon (expires 2/29/08)

FOOD:

• -Free Dessert @ Smokey Bones (no purchase needed) (expires 1/26/08)
  
• -Free appetizer @ Bennigans (no purchase needed) (expires 1/31/08)
  
• -$5 off $20 @ Dollar General market (expires 1/15/08)
• -CVS rain check for Kashi cereal @ $1.99 each (2) (no expiration)

MISC:

• -$50 AmEx gift card
  
• -$10 Lowe's gift card
• -$40 Staples gift card
  
• -$25 Wachovia referral coupon
• -Gift certificate for a 1 hour massage @ Oasis Massage
• -Gift certificate for a free box of contacts

I have my inventory written on an index card that I taped to the top of the box. The whole concept of my goodies box is to try and not spend any of my own money on things I purchase. This will then allow me to have more money to pay off my debt. Before, I would have put all those gift cards and certificates in my wallet and wind up impulse shopping just because I new I had them. Doing things this way ensures that I don't spend them right away. For example:

If I am out and I think about going to Macy's shop I will have three options:

1. 1. Either spend my own money that is already budgeted out.
2. 2. Go home and get my Macy's credit card and accrue more debt.
3. 3. Go home and get my Macy's gift cards and certificates.

Option 1 is out of the question. My lazy azz will not drive home and then BACK to Macy's so the last two options are a no-go also. Hence Dimples spends no money.


Here are the following things that I really need right now:

• A good winter coat (all I have are Old Navy fleeces and they did not work against the cold weather we have been experiencing this past week)
• Jeans for Sweet Pea
• Pajamas for Sweet Pea

I am heading out of town today to go fetch my daughter. I am going to take the Old Navy gift card and gift certificate and find myself a nice coat at the Old Navy down south. I am also going to use the $50 AmEx card for gas. I am going to hold off on getting pajamas and jeans for my daughter because I think my mom and sisters may have taken care of this already. (That child is so spoiled!!!). If they have, then I won't need to use my Macy's goodies.

I know some of you all probably came into a good number of gift cards so this might help yall keep track of them and actually put them to good use on your road to financial freedom. If you have your own way of doing things then feel free to share.

Dimps Out