Save Big Money at...

During our time remodeling, many a trip has been been to home improvement stores, mostly Menards because not only can you save big money there, but it is conveniently located 20 minutes from our house. While spending hundreds of dollars every trip (or thousands when buying cabinets, toilets, and vanities at Baileys) has become a norm, there is still a bit of sticker shock every time we check out and hear the cashier sing (because they are that excited to tell us how much we owe them), "That will be (a gajillion) dollars". However, more than the hours of time and hundreds of dollars spilled on every trip, the reactions of the cashiers are never less than priceless; we often ponder why they never see big purchases for big renovations at a home improvement store, but they always look at us like we are aliens.

Anyway, this last trip to Menards for foil faced foam and plumbing necessities -PVC and what not- landed us with the most amusing reactions. As Dad, Ryan, and I pulled our 3 carts up to the checkout, the cashier next door cheerily chirped "I can help someone on aisle 6." When I informed her that we were all together, her eyes got big and she asked what kind of big project this was for. She was satisfied with a reply of remodeling a house, however, our checkout boy in aisle 5 could not figure out what we might be working on, so while he was ringing up the cart full of PVC 90's, 45's, Y's, and other such connectors, he asked in a very confused tone, as if he had been pondering it for awhile and with much emphasis, "What are you building?" I don't know, maybe he thought we were constructing some sort of tunnel with PVC, but Ryan, with an amused grin on his face simply replied, "a house." The checkout boy seemed to except the answer, but I could tell he was cracking up inside at the ridiculousness of us and our project. Glad we could bring some excitement to what I can only imagine might have been a relatively boring Sunday afternoon- you are welcome Menards checkout boy.

Some other things we have learned is that Menards sales last longer than they say they will, and they are sometimes only 2 cents off the regular price, like foil faced foam board-normally $10.96 on sale for a limited time for... $10.94. Save big money folks! However, Rocky and Brett, our dear Menards friends from the roofing and siding section have been quite good to us and don't seem to be quite so shocked with our orders. On the other hand, our cashier at Lowe's was so shocked with our purchase of faucets and drains for 2 showers, 2 vanities, and a kitchen sink that she almost gave us $40 in cash after our exact credit card payment for the purchases. And I am pretty sure Elaine, of Bailey's Warehouse in North Judson won the competition between her colleagues for most sales after we ordered our complete custom kitchen cabinets complete with counter top and sink, and 2 vanities, 2 medicine cabinets, 2 vanity tops, and 2 toilets. You're welcome Elaine for allowing you to get off early on Monday.

Needless to say, we have spent our fair amount of time in hardware stores over the past few months, and quite frankly I can find my way around in there like a man.