Ok, it's April, but still gray and cold outside. I personally spend hours wandering around outside every week to keep my son entertained, and in so doing, have stumbled upon some less well-known places. For those of you who live in or around Provo, enjoy!
Part 1: Food and Clothing for LessSmith's Food and Drug (350 N Freedom) has a student fresh values card that takes 5% off every shopping order. Essentially, all of your food is tax free! Smith's also has 2
Redbox rental stations. Their weekly ad comes out every Wednesday and they participate in the
Shortcuts electronic coupon program.
Walmart (1355 Sandhill Rd, Orem). Never fails. Not the best shopping experience but the deals don't get any better. Bring store ads for all the local grocery and retail stores and Walmart will price match (if it's the exact brand and size). If you have the time and energy to spare, it's worth the haggle.
Honk's Dollar Store (650 N Freedom) offers good deals on basic cleansers, office supplies, stationary, gift bags, etc. Every Tuesday every dollar deal is reduced to 88 cents! My favorite buys: scented diaper disposal bags (a life saver for that between breastfeeding and pottytraining stage!) and knock-off teddy grahams.
Habitat for Humanity Re-Store (626 N Freedom--right next to Honk's). This place is amazing for several reasons.
1) You can drop off almost any extra building materials you don't want to store or dispose of.
2) You can buy supplies for a quick fix at insanely low prices--a gallon of oil based paint is only $1. Great for paintbrushes, wood stain, nails and screws, or odds and ends.
3) They offer monthly home maintenance classes for free.
4) They offer a tool-rental system just like a public library that lends tools for personal use free of cost.
5) This place keeps any kid entertained for at least 20 minutes because it is full of gadgets, gizmos, and interesting people!
Kid to Kid (
2250 N University Pky, #26--next to Cafe Rio in the Movies 8 complex). Kids grow way too fast to pay full price for clothes, shoes, socks, toys, strollers, etc. The provo store has a great selection of kids clothes in all sizes, as well as two racks of shoes, a variety of toys, and a surprisingly good selection of maternity clothes. All products are gently used, look brand new, and most are name brand. My favorites:
1) 3 pairs of socks for $0.99--and I get to try them on his wriggling feet to know how long they will last!2) Every Tuesday at the Provo location is grandparent's day. Simply show off a picture of your adorable grandchild and get 10% off your entire purchase. (I love to shop Tuesdays when my mom is in town visiting!)
3) A walled in kids zone full of toys to keep my monkey occupied while I browse.
4) If you really need to stock up, pick up a frequent shopper card to earn a free purchase. These cards are now accepted at any location.
Deseret Industries (1415 N State St) In addition to accepting donations and helping you recycle your used stuff, the DI has some great bargains. My favorites: cheap games (I've bought Racko for $1 and Scene It for $1.50) and kids shoes ($2-$3!)
Plato's Closet (592 E University Pkwy, Orem--just across from University Mall) Kid to Kid for moms :o) If you don't mind gently used clothing or want to spice up your wardrobe with something trendy, this is a great place to pick up fashion ideas or that perfect pair of jeans or shoes on the cheap. Also, if your wardrobe is "classy and trendy" enough, you can sell your gently used clothing and accessories for some easy cash.
Ross Dress for Less (222 W 1300 S, Orem). No shopping list of mine would be complete without Ross--I owe almost my entire wardrobe to this store, including my amazing red heels and all my favorite pairs of jeans. The Ross in Orem isn't the best ever, though their petite section is expanding and offers some great options for walking the fine line between forever teenaged and frumpy mom. If you ever need help finding something great, call me--I never fail.
