Our Best Buys in 2022
According to Amazon, our household has placed 102 orders to this time in 2022. We don’t have Prime, which means our purchases have been grouped together to qualify for free shipping over $25. I also prefer not to have too many cardboard boxes laying around. You know, save the environment? *wink*
Other than Amazon, we spend a lot at Target and various local supermarkets. Surprisingly, as much as we love Amazon, and even though there’s an Amazon Fresh store not too far away from our house, we spend far too much doullah at H-Mart, the Korean supermarket chain that’s taking America by storm. There’s no doubt why this supermarket brand is so popular when so many Korean idols and actors tout their products on TV and Instagram.
Before I write too much about how much we love the Asian snacks at H-Mart, let’s focus on the title of this post, which is our best buy this year.
Target Gift Cards, bought during their 10% sale
Target offers 10% off gift cards every year, typically close to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their offering dates keep getting earlier by year, which I suspect because they want to be sure that shoppers buy a lot of their gift cards to buy Christmas presents at Target over other retailers. We usually buy the maximum, which was $500 this year. It’s enough to buy milk, eggs, and Starbucks coffee creamers for the entire year.
Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game — $10
I actually got this on sale for $6, and it’s one of the best $6 I’ve ever spent, because my kids spend hours laughing when they play this game. I bought a few packs more to gift to their cousins in Asia because I’m pretty sure they won’t have this game on the other side of the world. Also, the words (taco, cat, goat, cheese, pizza) are easy enough to pronounce even with the thickest accents. Who am I kidding? So many Asian kids learn English before they’re even born. Their moms would start talking to them in English when the teeny babies are still in their moms’ bellies. Tip: make sure everybody’s fingernails are cut short before playing. Trust me.
Headset Hanger, $15
Before getting this headset hanger, my headset will be on my laptop, encroaching on my desk’s writing area, with cables all over the place. Aargh! Now, the cables are out of the way and I know where to find my headset every time I need it. It saves my day every time I’m about to be late for my Zoom meeting.
American Express Platinum Membership, $$$ but worth it
For years we have steered away from credit cards with annual fees, but I’ve been reading about the travel perks these credit cards come with, and I’m sure everyone by now either knows or uses ride-sharing and food delivery at the very least. This Amex credit card gives monthly credit for Uber, which got my first interest. What sold me was the travel perks, including lounge access, hotel discounts, and level upgrade, which are amazing. No more spending $20 $30 (inflation!) for a breakfast burrito and coffee at the airport when I can just drop by a lounge and have a leisurely and relaxing coffee/tea time. I also love their amazing merchant discounts. Recently, I bought $175 worth of kids’ clothing and shoes at Saks and spent *drumroll*…. approximately minus $90. In other words, the universe is paying me back that much for spending. I used $115 gift certificate, a semi-annual $50 Saks credit from Amex, a 16% Black Friday special cashback from Rakuten, and Saks had a promo of a $75 gift certificate for any purchase over $150. To date, I think this is one of my best-stacked deals ever. And, my kids are clothed at least until next summer.
Contour Pillow for Neck and Shoulder Pain, $50
It doesn’t look like much, but now I can get a shorter haircut because my neck and shoulders are free from pain relief patches. Yay! I’m so happy with this purchase. This pillow is a godsend — it really supports my neck during sleep so I don’t end up in weird neck positions and wake up with a sore neck after. Yes, my Advil consumption has also decreased, thanks to this pillow.
