point nine nine



Maybe if we fancy up its name people won't be so put off by it. Remember when Tarjay used to be known as Target? So instead of the .99 store, Point Nine Nine?  Truth be told, I know a few people who should be shopping here but wouldn't be caught dead inside. I'm not exaggerating when I say there is a lot of stigma attached to this store. I personally don't get the reluctance, but I don't get a lot of things these days. Sounding so old.

What's not to love?  Super clean, well lit, 3x the aisle width of Trader Joe's, everything under the sun, fresh nutritious food, friendly staff and everything (except eggs and milk, which I never buy anyway) is .99 or Less.  The food is the same food that regular supermarkets carry, in fact most of it comes from orders that those regular markets have cancelled.  It's other markets mistakes in ordering that the .99 store capitalizes on.  When I'm there shopping I feel as if I'm in the middle of the best kept secret ever.





We average 2 loads of laundry a week.  This bottle of detergent will last between 3 and 4 months.  Get in my basket now.  I've used it and it is good.  Although I am not trying to get out grass stained knees any longer but I think with a little pre-wash scrubbing or soaking it'd be fine.






Beauty and health products galore.








It's so handy that they are open 9 days a week.






These are just a few snaps I took on my last visit.  There is so much more...housewares, hardware, office supplies, toys.  Anyway, I thought you'd like a peep into my Point Nine Nine store and I hope you guys have a better idea of what it looks like and how it is run.

It's Wednesday right?  Make it good.




94 comments

  1. Good morning. The store near me in Riverside in not quite as tidy, but it does sell milk and eggs. I bought my Christmas poinsettias there too and they're still alive.

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  2. Sad to say my .99 store looks NOTHING like yours.....wish it did, I for one have no problem saving money. Definately nothing fresh in that store.

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  3. Crikey I'd be there like a shot. We have Aldi and Lidl which are cheaper than the main supermarkets and I have no problem shopping there and saving money. Why people are so up themselves and won't shop at these places is beyond me too.

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  4. "our" Aldi - named Hofer - used to have a bad image. Not any more! You find DINKS arriving with their Audis and BMWs.
    The aisles seem so empty!

    And let me guess: no music, right?
    I love no music. One more reason why I enjoy shopping at Hofer. :-D

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    1. +1 on the no music. Why does there have to be music everywhere you go and even worse - TV?

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    2. From "Pipedown" ~ The campaign for freedom from piped music

      "Pipedown has been formed to counter one of the under-recognised scourges of contemporary life: PIPED MUSIC.

      Also called muzak, muzac, acoustic wallpaper, elevator music or canned music, piped music is made possible by systems which allow a constant supply throughout a building or other public place.

      It is the misuse of this in public areas (and only this) which Pipedown has been formed to fight, encouraging and giving a voice to millions of people who hate piped music but at present often feel totally powerless to do anything about it.

      Piped music does not refer to any particular type of music but to music piped or relayed around a building or room which people have not chosen and which they may not be able to escape. In short, it is involuntary music, forced on listeners.

      More people hate piped music than like it
      Musicians of all sorts hate piped music
      There are important health aspects to piped music

      Pipedown campaigns tirelessly against piped music."

      Visit Pipedown here:
      http://www.pipedown.info/

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  5. amazing! we don't have anything like that here. I would shop there for sure! I just paid 4$ for deodorant the other day at target

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  6. If we had a.99 shop in Blighty I'd be there! Like Fiona above I shop at the Aldi and Lidl stores which offer very good products at reasonable prices. A neighbour in my village was aghast at the thought - she only shops at Waitrose. More fool her!

    I'm following your example and am aiming to buy no new clothing this year. It's early days but we shall see! (I've promised myself that if I do succumb to something special then I shall have to get rid of two items from my wardrobe to compensate.)

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  7. Hi I promote great health products http://www.joytolive.net/productstodetox will you consider selling ad space on your site?

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  8. I always loved the 99 cent store but now the closest discount store is The Dollar Store which is not even close to as good. No fresh produce and most items are seriously just junk. I'm loving all the money you are saving by shopping there!

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  9. That's amazing that your dollar store sells food. Looks like a great place to shop! And yes, definitely think they need to change the name to point nine nine;)
    hope you are well... xxoj.

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  10. Wow! I don't have one here in South Carolina. We have Dollar General and Dollar Tree. They pale in comparison.
    I love that you call your photos 'snaps'.

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  11. Hi Janet! I think the photos will help people understand better. Whenever we hear $l.00 or $.99 many of us (myself included) think of a junk store with poor quality stuff/clutter! This store looks better than the grocery stores I shop at and I'm amazed the bag of potatoes is 99. I think you are right on "point" with the "Point Nine Nine" label! lol I don't know why more of these stores don't pop up around the country. Maybe with your posts they will?! Have a great day - jeannette

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  12. "Point nine nine" that's great. I just went there yesterday to pick up some valentine's day party decorations, they had quite a bit of cute stuff. I also indulged in that very chocolate bar you have in the photo: the plain german drk. chocolate.

    The woman in front of me at the check out had a ton of stuff she was buying and then the total came, it was about $40 for all of it. I couldn't believe it, and it was all fairly good quality items like food, glass and ceramic vases, toiletries, etc… amazing.

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  13. I don't get it either...I (we) so love the 99 store. In fact one of my daughter's (28) is excited to be in that part of town today so she can pick up foods and needed items there...it's so fun! I even like the music my 99 store plays; cute oldies, it just adds to the fun experience! So far on the 'Sun' products? I've noticed they are not tested on animals so that is an extra perk as well for us.

    That chocolate looks so nice, perfect for giving. Even if someone's store isn't quite as nice, the prices make up for it by far. My daughter and I on a recent visit picked up a pretty little pot of mums and dropped them off as a surprise to a widow neighbor with a little note. For 99 cents? The surprise for her was worth a million and blessed us too.

    Great series. Blessings!

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  14. Hi Janet - I have a question - Does your city have dollar stores too in addition to the .99 stores? For instance - we have them named "Family Dollar" "Honks" "The Dollar store". Have you every shopped in actual dollar stores too in you city?

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    1. there are other ones, the dollar tree comes to mind but it is nothing like the .99 store.:)

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    2. Dollar Stores and Dollar Tree don't have food:)

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  15. I love your blog and am really enjoying your posts about your grocery shopping. I live in Kentucky and we don't have these stores like yours. We have the Dollar Tree but they don't have produce, dairy or bread products. I wonder how we could inquire about the possibility of getting those in our area? You really are an inspiration. I don't know how you get by with the small amount of food that you buy, but I am impressed.

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  16. You stated "open 9 days a week......cute:)

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    1. That's their motto. Writing is on the wall.

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    2. seriously???? How uneducated:) Maybe that's why some people don't want to shop there......

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    3. i think it's cute. they often have .99 campaigns such as congratulating the Dodgers on their 99th lose and joan rivers on her 99th face lift. it's just a joke.:)

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    4. It definitely made me stop and think........9 days a week:) .99 cent campaign does sound cute though:)

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  17. I shop at SaveALot, prices are cheaper than the chain grocery stores. When my children were younger, they would not go in the store with me. They did not want anyone to see them in the "poor" store! lol Now, my children are grown and on their own, guess what store they shop at? It's different now spending their own money!!

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  18. I guarantee the dollar stores in my town look NOTHING like your store. You are LUCKY!!!

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  19. Sooo jealous! We have nothing like that here in Clearwater, Florida, but I am working on it!

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  20. Betty Dollar Tree, while not carrying fresh foods, still offers a lot of useful items. I actually did a post on the topic today.

    Janet, thanks so much for posting your post. I know first hand how awkward it can be snapping photos in such an environment, with everyone wondering what the heck you are doing :-)

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  21. Hi Janet,
    It's funny, because the Dollar stores in VA were junky, dark, dirty dumps that you went to for things like kids party supplies or plastic buckets. You would NEVER buy consumables there. Here in London I've discovered Poundland which looks much more like what you have in CA. I've now made it a weekly outings to get my cleaning supplies, all kinds of household items, paper products, batteries, lightbulbs and snack foods (i.e. junk food- including the big Toblerone candy bars). It has all the same products as the regular stores for £1. I love it!

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  22. Janet, can I just shoot something in here quickly that doesn't have anything to do with this long-awaited (by me) post about the dollar stores; thanks for doing it. It does look like a tidy store. Possibilities; variety!

    In your work, are you noticing a desperation by women trying to look young? Desperation as opposed to just good self care? Is it a certain age group? Any men? (How can I expect you to answer this and not alienate a client.) I've been so annoyed lately by the youth-obsessed culture with, say, celebs....Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, Kevin Costner, Johnny Depp; guys in their 50s and 60s with the insanely toned/wrinkle-free/slender young women; having the second families. I think to myself, okay, if they're happy, why be judgmental? But I look at the photos and think, "Guys, you look a little silly, more like you're standing next to your daughters, not your wives; grandpas, not fathers of these toddlers." (I know it goes both ways; Madonna, Robin Wright, J-Lo...) Money, fame...c'mon. What does it say for the women closer to their age who were by their side in former years and raising their first families? Toss 'em out, they got older, got gray, maybe put on some pounds: "I'm tired of you; you're not good enough anymore." Obviously attracting or surrounding oneself with youth can almost make a person feel or believe they are young again. Just kinda wondered about your take on the subject since you're in the business of making people look and feel beautiful.

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    1. you would probably see more of that closer to hollywood/la. in my neck of the woods it isn't too bad. my clients just want to look and feel their best. i mean they all lay on the bed and say take away my wrinkles but they are smart, educated and women who know that a facial can't do that. i think most of them get facials for the emotional well-being part more than trying to look younger. i think it is sad when i see a beautiful actress go for so much plastic surgery instead of aging naturally but i suppose the business they are in demands it. too much pressure for me! :)

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    2. Thanks; interesting commentary. My 81-yr-old neighbor got a facial the other day; she does a lot to pamper herself. She's a divorcee who triumphed over a lot of adversity earlier in her life and totally made it on her own, so I think it's a case of allowing herself to deserve something and considering that she's worth it. But she kind of momentarily, with her guard down, looking a little vulnerable, asked me if I could tell she'd had the facial; I didn't know quite what to say...I mean, she IS 81...so I told her she glowed.

      And, yes, the plastic surgery epidemic...that Kim Kardashian is EVERYwhere (too much PR) and her face seems to keep changing. I'm, like, you're 30 or something, right? Just leave it alone! I really don't think I could do it even if I had the money. Surgery of any kind can have risks. My dad had to have his eyelids lifted when he got old but it was because it was impairing his vision and, I tell you, that surgery was no picnic.

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  23. I guess I need to make a visit to my Point Nine Nine store. I haven't been in a couple of years even if I go for nothing else but to see if they carry Epsom salts. I buy bags of the stuff off of Amazon for $6 a bag.
    Do you have Grocery Outlet in Southern California? They carry what I am assuming is canceled food orders for a fraction of the price and it's a huge grocery store. They even carry deeply discounted wine!

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    1. Adrienne,

      We have a Grocery Outlet 2 miles from our house. I get the ads every week in our mail and usually they go straight into the recycle. You definitely got my attention! That particular store got good reviews on Yelp so I guess I will have to check it out. Thanks for mentioning it!

      Linda

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  24. I was talking at work yesterday to my friends about this 99 c business. There is nothing like this here in Aust. I also remember you telling me that income tax was like 20% or something (which I would consider tax haven status) as opposed to 50%….so unbelievable Janet!! I often do 2 loads of laundry a DAY!!!!! a DAY!!

    I am still in shock over fruit in a pun net for less than a dollar.

    It is just so hard to fathom the difference in cost of living.

    Take care, xxxx

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    1. yes, but i kind of remember you saying that minimum wage there is $20 an hour. i guess it all evens out in the end?

      i remember the days of multiple loads of laundry every day. glad that part is over. :)

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  25. What great savings! Even if one was a bit reluctant to buy the fresh produce, I would stock up on the cleaning, laundry goods etc. The lavender epsom salts would be .99c worth of heaven.
    Linda C.

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  26. Sigh...I'm so jealous! On a number of levels. With regards to, "but I don't get a lot of things these days. Sounding so old." I'm right there with ya sista.
    xx

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  27. I can't be the only one wondering what other things you don't get nowadays...
    I like your attempts to rebrand the .99 store. I'm sure they're find of you as well!

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  28. Oh my gosh, we have the Awesome laundry products here. Lets just say they're awesome!!!! We don't have that fantastic chocolate though. I should check some of the other Dollar stores. It gets confusing because there's several different ones. The shop here is very clean too. I wish they had produce. I have to say I live in a affluent area, we're not, but anyway all the people I know that live in their mc mansions around here don't hesitate shopping at the dollars stores haha. We run into each other at thrift stores all the time. College tuition takes a huge bite out of their income.
    Kathy

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    1. To Janet and Kathy:
      Does the Awesome Detergent have a fragrance? I can't wear clothes if they've been washed in regular detergent. I need soap to smell like nothing.

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    2. i'm pretty sure they have an unscented formula. :)

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    3. Thanks, I'll try it.

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  29. What a lovely clean store! Thanks for posting this photos -- really shows what can be found around the stores! :)

    I'll be checking out the Point Nine Nine (honestly - you really should trademark that idea!) next week ... so far ... been shopping at Aldis, cleaned out the fridge, cut veggies for the freezer and made chicken soup (added apple cider, lots of ginger, thyme and garlic) Around this area -- we do a lot of shopping at Big Lots!

    Love to hear from folks in other countries! Fascinating!

    Cheers! Jan at Rosemary Cottage

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  30. I wish I had a Point Nine Nine store around here like that! My stores only carry processed and frozen foods and we try as best we can to avoid dinner in a box.
    And they say California is expensive to live in.... :)

    P.S, I have been using olive oil as a moisturizer since I read your post and I am a convert. You never cease to amaze me Janet.

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    1. so glad you are loving the olive oil. :)

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    2. I have been using it too. My winter dry skin is nearly gone. I wish I had a photo of my hubs face when I told him why I needed such a large jar of olive oil. He too, was worried about the oil on the clothes and sheets. No problems.

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  31. nothing like this in my neck of the woods. there are dollar stores which do sell cleaning products or beauty items but only snack foods. otherwise supermarkets or really expensive supermarkets, the one sometimes referred to as "Whole Paycheck" there are Trader Joes in the area but not really convenient to me,a few towns over. in the Summer and Fall there are farmers markets. the farmers markets are not necessarily less expensive, but the fruits and veggies are so fresh and local.
    Darby

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  32. Let's pronounce it the French way though: Point Neuf Neuf. People will think you're really mixed up about the bridge in Paris though ....

    What about Point Quatre-Vingt-Dix-Neuf?

    Cheers,
    Marsi

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  33. Oh gosh. Okay I will check out and see if ours gets much in the way of foodstuff (know there is no produce). I am certainly searching out best prices these days thanks to you Janet!

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  34. If we had one in Cleveland, I'd be there in a minute ! I don't understand stigmas attached - especially in 2014. Is the place clean ? Is the food fresh ? I'm there !

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  35. Point Nine Nine--I love it! THanks for explaining how it works--I was trying to figure it out and that makes a lot of sense. Good to know those groceries aren't going to waste!

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  36. I could hardly believe the pictures. What a Store! What fun to shop and not have to look at prices,if maybe the item you wanted to buy is too expensive. Clean store and fresh produce. What more does anyone want? I wish we had a store like this, I'd make a point to shop here.

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  37. Wow these are wonderful pictures - wide aisles, no crowds and so clean. Also no heaps of boxes all along the bottoms of the racks where staff are stacking. Sometimes it can be difficult to get trolleys along the aisles in our local supermarket because they're doing so much shelf stacking. Wish we had these stores here in Oz. Just a couple of things I wonder about: does everything cost .99 or less? Also do they pack your groceries or do you need to do it yourself? I guess this isn't such a problem if you're only buying a few items. Also, don't understand why people are embarrassed to be seen shopping there. Nor do I understand why people feel the need to pronounce Target, Tarjay. Just seems silly really. Cheers, Pammie

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    1. pammie every single thing except eggs and milk is .99 or less!

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    2. Incredible! Wish it would catch on here! Pammie

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    3. And yes the checkout person does put the groceries into bags for us :-).

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  38. Point nine nine it is. I'm all over this!

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  39. I WISH we had a store like that! I would be there daily (cause I have teenage boys and whatever I buy is gone in two hours flat). I have no issue with saving a ton of money!

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  40. I believe you are a marketing genius! Point Nine Nine is fantastic. You should pitch them. They'd be crazy not to do it!

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  41. I love this! Point Nine Nine - upstate NY needs you! I should write to the headquarters of this company to see if they are ever interested in migrating up here. And they carry organic produce? I'm sold. Thank you for sharing! ox

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  42. That store looks great. More pics, please. And they're open 9 days a week -- what could be better?
    Claudia

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    1. Wow. I like your weeks better than mine. How did you get 9 days? 😜

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  43. Wow! Before these pictures I had no idea what you were talking about. We have nothing like that here...nothing. Why are all the good things in California... I wonder if they're a chain? They would be so silly not to expand to other states because I would be there tomorrow. I was so disgusted with myself after your last couple of posts that I cleaned out the cupboards, consolidated, threw out, made a menu and gave myself a very small budget. I'm excited about it. :)

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    1. Hey, I'm a native Californian and it's great but not everywhere are all the good things; I've never seen a store like Janet's Point Nine NIne.

      Your last sentence I can SO identify with...the changing mindset, the glimpse into how it can/should be; Janet leading the charge. I've yakked plenty over many a moon about budgeting, planning, scaling down...talk and no action. But there's been a subtle shift...sometimes not so subtle...since reading the sensible stuff on this blog both from Janet and readers. The brain really can be re-trained. I had to go to a discount/box store today and something changed with me, to not stray from my list, to not waste too much time there, to not buy non-essentials; no browsing. I really became aware of their glut of inventory; also, by the way, possibly not selling quickly (too many stuffed animals for Valentine's and Easter already!); just 'way too much of everything. Almost obscene excess in my more awakened mind of late. Anyway, I think it was a mini-breakthru...I enjoyed getting back home, didn't stop at Taco Bell for my bean burrito and instead did a low-carb tortilla with sliced apples and an indulgent slice of cheese, making my own weird burrito instead...

      You are right, it is exciting to make positive changes even if they're baby steps. It really feels good to do better. I feel grateful.

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    2. I feel that way too lately!!! It's like wandering through a sea of junk, and it overwhelms me. One could fill up their home very quickly with stuff. I even feel that way at Macy's or Nordstrom. And try and find something made in the USA. Almost impossible.

      Linda

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    3. In the past few years I have been eliminating a lot of "stuff" that simply was not "good" for me. For example: buying less (result: zero buyer's remorse) ridding clutter, organizing more, yay for an easier to clean house and I can find things! With this new mind set or shift in thinking of mine has allowed for more time to pursue meaningful endeavors. I exercise more (instead of "sport" shopping as my husband calls it) cook and eat better, volunteer, etc. These positive changes can really filter through all aspects of ones life. As a result I feel so much better, emotionally (no depression, anymore) and physically (healthier) . Even relationships are calmer and happier (most likely I'm nicer to be around) ha, ha!
      Yes, Vicki... baby steps! can become huge leaps!! You're on the right path!!!

      Janet, thanks so much for writing this blog, it's so encouraging!!!

      Renee

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    4. Renee, you are so encouraging!

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  44. Janet, after your first post on Point Nine Nine store, I paid them a visit and I think I commented back that I would probably only go every few weeks. Well in the last month I went 3 times and plan on going again tomorrow. (mostly for produce) You got me hooked! :)

    Linda

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  45. I found some beautiful gift bags over the holidays at our local Dollar Store, but I sure wish we had a .99 store like yours. My main question is: even with two people, just two loads of laundry a week? That's amazing. My husband and I have way more laundry than that. How do you do it?

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    1. Yeah, that one hit me awake, too. My husband is tall and very thin (no body fat to keep him warm), plus he works in a very cold environment inside (temperature-controlled/technical equipment). He wears layers and, at the end of the day, they all wind up on the bottom of the closet; he does not wear stuff a second time unless it's a jacket or sometimes an outer-layer pullover sweater. Between that and too many towels/blankets for pets, I do a ridiculous amount of laundry...I not-humorously refer to myself as The Laundress...besides which, it really wears out the stuff sooner, too although I try to use drying racks/clothes racks as much as I can, at least for articles of clothing. I've been leaning in the direction of making my own homemade laundry soap; been reading about it on blogs for the past couple of years. Seventh Generation Free & Clear, even at Target, is astronomically expensive but I've been buying it for allergies and to hopefully be somewhat better for the environment...but, in new budget mode, just can't keep doing that; not for the amount of laundry WE do!

      Anyway, when you get this insight into how other people are living, it's so motivating for change, although I think my hubby is really getting tired of hearing about this blog!

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    2. yes it is true. 1 dark load and 1 light load. i air my blouses and sweaters between washings on the clothesline. i hand wash most of my clothing except jeans and my workout clothing. this is normal for me so i hope i don't stink. :)

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    3. Oh, you know I'd wondered about this before because you have the silks. I also had planned to talk to my husband about a clothesline as soon as we get our old/new yard in some kind of order. I loved that my grandma hung out her clothes to dry and of course it's been a whole movement now for the last few years in the U.S. (have you read about environmentally-conscious Vermonters and their pitch to put clotheslines at the forefront) We are encased in trees, last house and this one, and I do have a problem with bird crap because I feed the wild birds and so does the neighbor, so I don't want that on the clothes...but I can see how it goes. I'm super short and it means I can't hang the clothes too far off the ground unless I stand on a stool, but I'm determined to use the wind and sun as energy if I can!! I've read about how we've gotten super-clean, but maybe a little TOO super-clean (like the controversy over hand sanitizers and antibacterial-everything). It's a good thing on the one hand. But I can remember as a kid coming home from school, we always took off our school clothes and put on our 'play' clothes, I guess to preserve the clothing from getting muddied or torn but I don't remember my mom doing laundry every day, no way. She had a day for each thing...like one day was wash day, one day was grocery shopping day, etc. It never changed week to week, just like her food menu repetoire. I really sort of miss that rhythm to daily life. I used to poke fun at it a little, like it left no room for spontaneity. Now, I'm thinking the boundaries and borders to my childhood homelife were sort of comforting; it took away guesswork and allowed for better planning of each day. We always had family dinner hour and family time together in the evening, something I feel I've rarely been able to pull off in a lot of my adult life.

      Incidentally, I seriously doubt you stink, m'dear...

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    4. Hi Vicki!
      Janet's blog - unlike many others - allows line breaks in comments. Those line breaks make it so much easier and more fune to read longer comments. It's like taking a breath. Maybe you see what I see?
      Thank you!
      Paula
      PS: I know it would be politer to send you this message via email, excuse me please for being straightforward!

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    5. Thanks for explaining your laundry routine to us, Janet. And Vicki, you summed it up perfectly. When you get this insight into how other people are living, it is motivating for change! And my daughter is probably getting tired of hearing about this blog too. I think of this blog all throughout the day when grocery shopping, cleaning, organizing, decorating. It's not just a blog ... Janet has become my life-simplifying guru! :) Although, for me, at least, there are compensations to make. I live in Oklahoma where the weather just isn't conducive for a small, one-seasonal wardrobe that is hung out to dry in the dusty, drought ridden air. So I do my best. But this blog is really helping me a lot. I'm at a crossroads in life. Do I stay at a job that requires long hours and no time to do the things I love. Or do I quit my job, and make major changes like selling my house, and living a more simple life in order to make time for reading, and cooking, and gardening, and walks ... the things that I enjoy. But it's very scary. In order to live this life, I must really learn to live on a budget. And it's not that I'm a spendthrift or a shopper now. It's just that we would literally have to make big changes. So it's a dilemma. What to do?!

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    6. Okay, Paula; I'll try to get better at more line breaks and shorter/fewer comments. I keep saying that, but I really need to condense. Sorry...thanks for being nice about it.

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    7. Hi Vicky! Not shorter, not shorter! :-)

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  46. Love it! And jealous all at once.

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  47. I wish the .99 stores were in the Northeast. My husband and I would shop there all the time--we love bargains! The best discount supermarket we have in our area is Market Basket, which has very low, competitive prices, compared to other supermarkets.

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  48. I just have to ask - Target is not pronounced 'Tar-get' but Tarjay??? Is that a joke or is that really how it is pronounced?

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  49. Janet, visuals are terrific!

    Keep on being real....it helps me, to have something visual to look at other than excess. If one can learn to get satisfaction from saving rather than spending. I am trying hard.

    Thanks so much.

    Ann

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  50. I really love this - i have no compunction in going to a pound store ( in London ) and I really enjoy it and wish it was easier to get to over here. They don't sell food though and now I envy you and the availability of all this over there! This is very inspiring indeed.

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  51. Yes, you are right. There should be no stigma attached to shopping at 99 cent stores. Absolutely none. However, if potential customers are concerned about the agendas supported by some of the corporate owners, just do a bit of research before selecting the 99 cent store that will become your go-to bargain place. This is an example of one store group one might want to research before shopping: http://www.vwstores.com/

    The interest groups this corporation supports may align perfectly with the shopper's values or this may not make a difference to the customer. However, if the agendas they support does not align with the customer's and that is an important consideration when selecting a vendor, knowledge is power.

    The value for the dollar is good. Be aware that you might or might not agree with the causes they support with their profits. That may not be an issue for everyone, but it will be an issue for some. If it matters to you, just shop with awareness.

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  52. Thank you for raising this point. My concern is less with corporate and personal profits supporting causes that I disagree with, and more with how well they treat their employees. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and if you think you're getting an amazing deal, chances are someone down the chain is paying. I'm careful to support grocery stores that treat their employees with some amount of respect. I also used to work at nordstrom.when I finished college, and my experiences there have kept me.coming back as a customer.

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  53. We have just moved to So Cal-San Diego to be exact. I just looked up my closest 99 cent place and it's only two and a half miles away. I could get my five mile walk in AND food shop all at once :) Thanks for the heads up about the place-we'll see how this works out.

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  54. Hi, this is my very first ever comment on blog land. I've been reading yours for almost a year now. I really love and appreciate your writings. I was laughing so hard all by myself when I read "open 9 days a week". I can't help it and your comment on it right below the picture. I'm still laughing as I write this comment. I don't even have any account so I'm just anonymous.
    Hnem.

    ReplyDelete

kindness is never out of style.

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