A great sleeper sofa in a neutral color and classic style. Crate and Barrel. Was $1899, now $1,199.

First off, I would like to congratulate our three winners of the “Make This Your Lucky Day” book!  Anastasia, Baba and Susan will soon be receiving their book and lucky coins and let me tell you, I am pretty sure those coins work.  The day I put them on my door, a few things started working in my favor, so they are staying put!  If you want to learn more about Ellen Whitehurst, please visit her website!

Now on to the Shopping!

No matter what you celebrate this time of year, today was the official kick off for GREAT DEALS!  Many stores started offering substantial discounts early to light the fire but now that Christmas has passed, you are going to be seeing a lot of awesome deals.  I have a few words of advice if you are searching the sales to deck out your digs:

• Think Big Ticket Items, Not Stocking Stuffers - If you need a new bed or sofa, now is the time to look.  There will be substantial discounts on these investment pieces as the manufacturers try to move the old stock out for the new January styles. If it squeaks or springs are shot, it’s time to replace.
• Neutral = Versatile - That gorgeous cabernet-colored sofa may be calling your name but you might not love it so much in a year or two.  Purchase the best quality pieces in neutral colors and I promise you won’t be sorry.  It’s easy to switch out draperies, new pillows or a throw to get your color groove on.
• Wheel and Deal- If you are shopping locally for furniture, chances are you can negotiate with the sales person, especially if you are buying more than once piece.  Ask if they are having any specials now or in the coming weeks and if they are, ask if you can buy now and delay delivery.  Also ask about free delivery.
• Do Your Research- Whether you buy online or offline, the Internet should be your lifeline.  You can shop for comparable items, check out prices and go to a local store and ask them to beat the price.  Chances are they will be willing to negotiate.

So have fun shopping the post-Christmas deals and remember to assess your wants AND needs before making that big purchase. 

Happy Shopping!

~Lorrie

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Tags: decorating tips

This entry was posted on Friday, December 26th, 2008 at 4:08 pm and is filed under decorating tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.