Save and spend

Trying to cut back on spending and then deciding to buy a large purchase - eegads! How stupid is that! We have been planning/wanting to get dh a nice desk for his den. For 3 years. It's one of the main rooms, right off the foyer, that is visible to us and anyone who comes in the house. Even with the doors shut, you can still see in there! It's french type doors. We just keep putting it off, for other things we have needed.

The den is a sad eyesore! First off is his "desk", which isn't even a desk, is just our old small oak dining table in one corner. To the left of the doors is an old small rolltop desk. I honestly have no idea why I ever bought that rolltop desk many many years ago, LOL. I told him we are getting rid of that! Maybe we can get a few dollars for it on marketplace. Then to the other side of the rolltop desk is our old tv cabinet (which I did try to get rid of on marketplace, but no luck). Then several stacked big plastic black bins with the yellow tops in the corner. And the closet still isn't closed up, so there is a big safe in there as well as more stacked bins. UGLY UGLY UGLY!  I am not over exaggerating. We gotta start somewhere on this room. So, I think desk it will be. That will be the *cheapest item. Eventually we want one of those bookcases that are really a door, to cover the closet/safe room. They are expensive. 

We want something quality and solid. So many of the desks I find aren't even made of real wood and they are still $500. Several months ago we found one we both liked. He wanted a corner type desk. I want it to fit our home's decor style. But, then he said he could probably just build something like he wants. Then he decided he couldn't because he wants some drawers. Then he decided he could build one, but no drawers. Then he decided not, but we decided to hold off while waiting for our new car and the down payment saving going on for that. Each visit to their website to look at the desk is an even longer wait. Now it's out to July....

The "collection" also carries other pieces - bookcases, bigger file cabinets, etc. Then I just noticed there is a page where all these pieces in this "collection" are available to purchase separately and create whatever combination of desk/office you want. The desk he wants works out to the same price, but buying individually, it's showing all the pieces are available to ship within 2 weeks! No idea why it would be different, but that's so much better. I got online to chat with someone on their website to make sure this was same desk and that the pieces I would order are correct. They are.

Then on to trying to save a little on it, if possible. There are no coupon codes, but supposedly you can create a registry for whatever reason suits your fancy. Put your items in the registry and anything left after your event date, you can purchase for 10% off. I see this morning that there is now the 10% off offer. Another way to save is to purchase discounted gift cards to the store that can be used for online purchase. I found them for 6% off face value. Rakuten also offers 1% cash back from purchasing gift cards from this site. I would also get 2% cash back using my rewards credit card. I'm a little nervous to purchase that large of e-gift cards from this site (raise.com) but I have used them before for smaller cards with no issues. But, overall all, if all these "tricks" work I'll save 16.2% on the desk.

I haven't pulled the trigger on any of it yet, but since I can and will pay cash for it (well, other than putting the discounted gifts cards on my credit card first to get the 2% cash back) and we really need to move forward on the things we still need to get done to finish this house, I think I probably will order it.

These are what we still want/need to do to the house and we have been at a standstill with not doing anything more for quite awhile, due to the medical bills and getting the new car (which we still don't hve yet, haha. Hoping for the weekend after this coming one):

Den (dh's computer room) furnished and hidden bookcase/door. I think it was over $3000 for one of those last we priced out (ugh) but something needs to cover it. In building this is what we had planned to put there, so it is also not a normal door sized opening, so now we just can't go buy a door for it :(

Master bedroom closets (2) - priced out a closet system and it would have been over $10k! So, closets are still not done.

Bonus room - needs carpeting (we already put leftover laminate down in the bar area). Needs bar countertop (dh making) and furnishings. 

Laundry room - a shelf (dh making) above/over the back of the washer and dryer. I don't know why he keeps procrastinating on this one. Probably the easiest and cheapest of any of the stuff left to do.

That's all we have left, but most of it is expensive stuff, so it keeps getting put to the last of spending list.