Couponing to Disney

Hey there! Did you have a nice Easter? I hope you did.

Because now it’s time to get to the serious business of clearance chasing! It’s the first day, so most stores are looking at 30% off food stuffs, and 50% off merchandise. While availability and price will vary by region and store, we should see the drop to 50% off food and 70% off merchandise around Wednesday or Thursday.

Easter clearance is one of my favorite clearances because there are a lot of great Easter themed gifts that work for adults year round. You can find excellent decor, makeup, even kitchen goods as part of Easter clearance. Be sure to check the separate departments, since not all items make it to the specific clearance section.

And be sure you know the price of your items and are paying attention during checkout. During my trip today, I noticed that none of the Easter clearance goods were scanning at the correct price. I asked a friendly Red Shirt, and he told me that their system was still updating and to just let my cashier know what percentages were off which items.

When I got to checkout, I did just as he suggested, and things went swimmingly. Until we reached the lip glosses. There were a variety of lip products in the Easter clearance, and I grabbed some for various teacher/gift baskets. But my cashier was skeptical.

Me: These are also 50% off with Easter clearance.

Her: These lipglosses?

Me: Yes m’am.

Her: Are on Easter clearance?

Me: Yes.

Her: At 50% off?

Me: Yes.

Her: Where?

Me: In the Easter clearance.

Her: Where in the Easter clearance?

Me: On the aisle with the sign that says 50% Off.

Her: I don’t know about that.

(She calls over her supervisor. The Teacup starts to cry. The Frying Pan starts to sing. Supervisor arrives.)

Her: She says these are 50% off with Easter clearance.

(Supervisor scans with Magic Supervisor Scanner.)

Supervisor: Yup, they’re Easter lip glosses. 50% off. The system still hasn’t updated.

(Supervisor leaves. Cashier rings up lip glosses, astounded, shaking her head.)

Her: Well, I’m sorry, I just didn’t believe it. Nothing against you. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? That’s just a very good deal. Where did you say they were? Are there anymore?

I always respect someone for doing their due diligence, so no complaints from me. But know that if you go in the early days of the sale, make sure you’re scanning before you checkout. Sometimes non-non-clearance items end up in the clearance section as well, or there are toys that are not Easter specific that were moved to the Easter section and will be moved back to toys and never see a clearance sticker. If you’re not sure, ask.

When you get to checkout, if you run into a problem, stay calm, cool, and collected. These cashiers are just doing their jobs, and with prices fluctuating at a quick pace, there are bound to be some notices that fall through the cracks. You’ll get a lot more lip glosses with honey than vinegar.

Still lots of chocolate treats at 30% off. Doubtful these will last long.

Starburst, Jolly Ranchers, Jelly Beans a plenty. We’ll probably still see some of this at 50% off in a few days.

Smaller treats you can feel less guilty about snacking on by the handful! 30% off.

Fancy gourmet and egg shaped treats.

50% off small toys and basket stuffers. This seems kinda sparse. I was at my Target at opening this morning and they were closed yesterday. There just wasn’t that much left from the regular sale to put on clearance.

Fun home decor at 50% off, including some lovely pastel dinnerware that could be used year round.

I love these decorations. I do not decorate for Easter, but if I did, I would buy these.

Egg Hunt! Bunny wreaths! I die. 50% off.

All the baskets. This batch was $4, originally $8. I do need a new basket for the Teacup, but I think I’m safe waiting for the 70% drop.

Make sure you’re checking other departments. There were a bunch of clearance deals in toys, including this awesome fashion doll set of the Incredibles, originally $49.99, now $24.98.

Lego Friends small sets for $1.98, from originally $3.98. I grabbed two. It’s not part of my “Easter haul” but you know I’m not turning down cheap Legos.

Bullseye’s Playground (formerly the Dollar Spot) is also clearancing out some Spring/Easter things at 50%.

Look at that Carrot shaped chalkboard!

My Haul.

• Cadbury Egg Mini Dozen-$2.23, originally $3.19.
• Cadbury Egg 4 Pack-$2.79, originally 3.99.
• King Sized Reese’s Egg-$1.04, originally $1.49.
• Lego Duplo Duck Kit (2)-$3.48, originally $6.98 for both.
• Vaseline Lipgloss (8)-11.92, originally $23.92.

                                          Total Spent: $21.46

                                          Original Retail: $39.57

                                          Total Saved: $18.11

Not too shabby for a first trip. I’ll probably head up to the fancy Target on Thursday to see how the green the grass is there.

Have you started your Easter clearance shopping? Any great deals? Let me see them in the comments!

Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!