I'm Spending My $5...
Dec. 19th, 2007 08:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebon too many office supplies!
It all started when I found about some deals on post-it notes. I've been thinking of using some to write the Spanish names of things all over the house. I printed out some coupons and headed for Target.
On the way, I stopped at Office Max to see what they had in case it was somehow better than what Target had. Then at Target I got one pad of Post-It notes (not four, like I'm noticing is talked about in the above link) for $1.19, minus a $1 coupon = $0.19. Score. These are the normal-size notes, which I don't really need to just write "el refrigerador" or whatever, but I can always cut them into smaller pieces. The small ones were available only in larger packs that cost way more.
We're also out of tape, so at first I was looking at the three-pack of invisible tape. Then I noticed some tape refills. I decided to check whether the refills were cheaper. The three-pack had about 1200 total inches in length of tape for three dollars and something. A two-pack with 1100 feet each was $4.19. So, yes, cheaper. And big rolls are better, too, because you don't run out so often. And buying refills wastes less plastic than buying the whole container every time.
There was only one problem. I don't have a tape dispenser. Make that didn't. For only $4.29 more I got one. It's nice and heavy, "for easy one-handed dispensing." Plus two other features I wasn't even looking for: "Non-skid pad safe for desktops" and my favorite: "attached tape hub can't be lost." An arm swings out when you want to change the roll.
(We won't talk about how much plastic was used to create the tape dispenser, or how much plastic it was packed in.)
The notes and dispenser came to $4.93. So maybe that's where my $5 went. Only maybe I would have bought the tape dispenser anyway.
Then I went back to Office Max, which had prices at least 25% higher than Target, but which had more variety. And I got a very elegant two-pack of black dispensers of red Post-it flags on clearance for $2.40. And I got a pad of 8-inch x 6-inch Post-it notes for 2.99. Then I used a $3.00-off-two-items coupon bringing my post-tax total down to $2.84. Added with the other stuff, I conclude that $5 let me buy a luxurious quantity of office supplies.
I'm planning to use sheets from that pad of giant Post-its for taking notes on books I'm reading. I'll just stick one on the front cover page so I can write down things I want to remember later. I guess normal-sized Post-it notes would be fine for keeping track of page numbers, so I can find quotes to share with you guys. The big sheets will be better for books with enough good ideas that I want to take notes but not so many good ideas that I'll want to buy the book.
Neither of my new pads were available in white, cream, any pastel color, or any other reasonable color (at least not in the size and quantity I wanted). I was forced to get a blindingly brilliant color. Fortunately, they had my favorite one, a bright sunshine yellow (not day-glo, and not as orangy as school buses, more of a Corvette yellow). I just love that color.
It all started when I found about some deals on post-it notes. I've been thinking of using some to write the Spanish names of things all over the house. I printed out some coupons and headed for Target.
On the way, I stopped at Office Max to see what they had in case it was somehow better than what Target had. Then at Target I got one pad of Post-It notes (not four, like I'm noticing is talked about in the above link) for $1.19, minus a $1 coupon = $0.19. Score. These are the normal-size notes, which I don't really need to just write "el refrigerador" or whatever, but I can always cut them into smaller pieces. The small ones were available only in larger packs that cost way more.
We're also out of tape, so at first I was looking at the three-pack of invisible tape. Then I noticed some tape refills. I decided to check whether the refills were cheaper. The three-pack had about 1200 total inches in length of tape for three dollars and something. A two-pack with 1100 feet each was $4.19. So, yes, cheaper. And big rolls are better, too, because you don't run out so often. And buying refills wastes less plastic than buying the whole container every time.
There was only one problem. I don't have a tape dispenser. Make that didn't. For only $4.29 more I got one. It's nice and heavy, "for easy one-handed dispensing." Plus two other features I wasn't even looking for: "Non-skid pad safe for desktops" and my favorite: "attached tape hub can't be lost." An arm swings out when you want to change the roll.
(We won't talk about how much plastic was used to create the tape dispenser, or how much plastic it was packed in.)
The notes and dispenser came to $4.93. So maybe that's where my $5 went. Only maybe I would have bought the tape dispenser anyway.
Then I went back to Office Max, which had prices at least 25% higher than Target, but which had more variety. And I got a very elegant two-pack of black dispensers of red Post-it flags on clearance for $2.40. And I got a pad of 8-inch x 6-inch Post-it notes for 2.99. Then I used a $3.00-off-two-items coupon bringing my post-tax total down to $2.84. Added with the other stuff, I conclude that $5 let me buy a luxurious quantity of office supplies.
I'm planning to use sheets from that pad of giant Post-its for taking notes on books I'm reading. I'll just stick one on the front cover page so I can write down things I want to remember later. I guess normal-sized Post-it notes would be fine for keeping track of page numbers, so I can find quotes to share with you guys. The big sheets will be better for books with enough good ideas that I want to take notes but not so many good ideas that I'll want to buy the book.
Neither of my new pads were available in white, cream, any pastel color, or any other reasonable color (at least not in the size and quantity I wanted). I was forced to get a blindingly brilliant color. Fortunately, they had my favorite one, a bright sunshine yellow (not day-glo, and not as orangy as school buses, more of a Corvette yellow). I just love that color.