Lava

Big Joz has been wanting new dishes for a while now, but I was perfectly content with what I had. Yes, the Pfaltzgraff Heritage we eat from dailiy is over 19 years old and some pieces are definitely showing their age. But I like my dishes. They are my wedding dishes. And food looks good on them. They are simple and traditional...you know, like me. Besides, if he'll get rid of our dishes, what's next? ME?? I digress....

For the last few months, anytime we'd go someplace that carried dishes, we'd look. But of course, nothing came to close to making us love them the way Heritage did.

Wednesday afternoon we were at Belk and Big Joz caved...he found some he liked...A LOT! They are called Oneida Lava or Oneida Effects Lava, depending on where you're looking. The original price on these little jewels is $100 for four 4-pc. place settings. That's 25 bucks a place setting, which if you broke it down by four pieces, maybe it doesn't sound too bad at $6.25 per piece, but that's another story. Luckily, they were on sale for the low, low price of $69.99. Geeshhh--still way too much for me to pay for dishes when I have a cabinet full of white aged dinnerware at home.

Yesterday's mail brought 15% off coupons on sale items in the Home department at Belk. Last night (ok, really it was more like 1:00 this morning!) on the Belk website, they had Big Joz's new favorite, modern Lava dishes 75% off--that's right--$25 for the $100 set (that's $1.56 per piece, you math nerds!)

The "Completer Set" (platter & vegetable bowl) was also 75% off (down to $17.50 from $70).

So, today I head off to Belk with coupon in hand and proudly announce that I wanted four of those $25 bargains. The clerk politely told me that I must be mistaken on the price. Uh oh. Please don't tell me I'm wrong. That just doesn't happen you know. I insisted that I was going to pay the online advertised price of $25. In all her smug certainty, she took the box to the register to scan it to "verify" the $69.99 price for me. Lo and behold, it was she, not I, who was incorrect!!

So tonight, I've been unwrapping our new dishes. I ended up buying four sets (16 place settings) plus a completer set for $106.86. But wait...there's more! When I got home, I realized I had a credit on my Belk card (because I had paid if off earlier this year and overpaid by $100). So, in essence, today I purchased $502.90 worth of dishes for SIX DOLLARS AND EIGHTY-SIX CENTS!!!!

Merry Christmas Big Joz!

Love,
Your favorite Bargain Hunter