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by Mary K. Morgan
Early holiday shopping is not out of the question when a bargain seems to magically appear out of nowhere. I’m referring to J.K. Rowling’s books, Tales of Beedle the Bard. An imaginative collection of five original fairy tales, this collection was just released from the Hogwarts Headmasters’ Archives, with special permission from Professor Albus Dumbledore. Translated from ancient runes by Hermione Granger, it would be the perfect gift for Harry Potter fans, young and old. Each tale comes with commentary from Professor Dumbledore, as well as the original illustrations by J.K. Rowling.
Wherein lays the bargain? Originally, there were only seven hand-written copies of Beedle in existence. Last year, Amazon bought the charity copy at auction at Sotheby’s for $4 million. It is through their generosity, along with Scholastic and Bloomsbury’s, that the collection will be published and all of the proceeds will go to the Children’s High Level Group, a charity for institutionalized children. Amazon will publish 100,000 collectors’ editions for $100 a copy. Bloomsbury and Scholastic will print their editions and sell them for $12.99 each. All editions go on sale December 4, 2008. The real bargain comes into play at Borders. It is pre-selling the Tales of Beedle the Bard at 40 percent off the $12.99 price. That's $7.79 for those of you without their calculator handy. What a wonderful way to get some shopping done very early, donate to a worthy cause and put some magic into the hands of a loved one. Projected proceeds from the book sales are $8 million!
Are you a rehabber who is working with a tight budget? Have you been to Habitat for Humanity’s Re-Store lately? It’s mission statement says it all — “Our mission is to provide financial support for the St. Louis affiliate of Habitat for Humanity. We enable people to purchase building materials at substantial savings, and serve as an outlet for reusable but otherwise discarded items.”
St. Louis is fortunate to have two Re-Store shops in the area – the original is located at 3763 Forest Park Avenue in mid-town and the latest is located at 130 Trade Center Drive in St. Charles. Both stores are brimming with bargains. On a recent visit, I found unopened Pella windows, Anderson products, Thermadore stoves and refrigeration equipment, new kitchen cabinets and way too much to mention here. A great way to get the feel of the store is to visit their web site www.habitatstl.org/restore/and take the virtual tour. The stock changes hourly, so if you want it, buy it right away. He who hesitates loses out.
Again, your purchases are helping a charitable organization, Habitat for Humanity. Their vision is much broader than just making affordable building materials available to the community. By buying materials at a Re-Store, you are saving money, helping the environment by re-using discarded items and supporting a very worthy cause. That’s a real bargain!
Another great place in town for reasonably priced, new building materials is Hood’s. There are several new stores in the area, so you’ll have to consult the phone book for their locations. It is billed as a “discount home center” and is very competitive in it’s pricing. It’s worth taking a look if you are doing some remodeling.
Classroom supplies? If you’ve already purchased back-to-school supplies, consider stocking up for next year, as well as for items needed throughout the year. Buy a Sunday paper and carefully read all of the circulars. The stores are so anxious to get you in the door that they are offering loss leaders to do it. Glue sticks, book-covers, markers, highlighters, notebooks, pens, pencil and paper are at rock-bottom prices. The trick is to buy all that you need for the whole year. Buying in quantity may mean making several trips during the sale period, since some stores limit quantities on the low priced items. Trading with friends is another way to cut the trips to the stores. This translates into, “You get the markers and I’ll pick up plenty of glue sticks.”
Need school shoes? Try Steve & Barry’s Starbury’s (www.starbury.com), inspired by basketball star Steve Marbury. The kids love them. For some reason they are “in” even though they sport a low price tag. Take advantage of their popularity and save. View the complete line on the web site. Payless is another good option we have for shoes here in St. Louis.
Fall school clothes? It’s still hot out there – wait until the weather changes to buy fall clothing. Why not do a big try-on and trade session with select family and friends? Invitation only, this event should be a fun time. Serve snacks and drinks, play some modeling background music, have some portable “dressing rooms” made from sheets and have a great time swapping last year’s duds. Everyone should bring their offerings on hangers to make it easy to hang them in the closet before the wrinkles set in. Personally, I prefer this type of event to re-sale shops and garage sale excursions when clothing is involved. It’s nice to know the “history” of the clothes.
School lunches? Easiest of all, create your own. Forget your memories of home-cooked school lunches prepared by kindly, elderly women in hairnets. Those days are long gone. Most items are pre-package or pre-prepared offerings that are not necessarily a bargain nutritionally or financially. You can do better! Be a well-informed bargain shopper. Shop the ads, buy fresh fruit, bake cookies, make wraps with tortillas, be creative and make preparing lunches a joint venture. Shopping, preparing food, baking and planning are all wonderful learning opportunities for children. Take advantage of the situation and make it fun. Do let the children select their own lunch bags/boxes. This is very important to the success of the whole project.
Enjoy saving some cash this month. Brag about your triumphs if you like, but be sure to pass on your tips to others who are trying to cut costs.
| September Featured Stories |
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Coffee Break with the Barista
Creating Mind, Body & Spirit Health — One Peace at a Time, by Milan Galan, Ph.D.
Waking Up to the Truth About Sleep, by Jessica Wilson
The Power of Sound, by Marian Rein
Health Myths & Facts, by Pamela Kramer Childress
Mind, Body & Spirit Health at Midlife and Menopause by Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D.
Age – It’s Simply A Number, by Milan Galan, Ph.D.
Physical and Mental Well-Being Combining Body, Mind & Spirit, by Jill Barrett
Getting Better With Age: A Healthy Perspective, by Phylis Clay Sparks
A Piece of Kitchen Nostalgia Returns — Retro Appliance Comes to the Aid of Busy Families, by Mary K. Morgan
The Healthy Side of Your Morning Brew, by Marian Rein
Todd Lewis If you make a list, it will come by Pamela Kramer Childress
Toby’s Tale — More About Toby by Jessica Wilson
Live Large Spend Small by Mary K. Morgan - September 2008
Java Journal Movie Morsels by Mary Morgan - September 2008
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