Blinded By The Light

I think I suffer from an undiagnosed condition. The condition is, I do (or think) things in my MIND, but they never actually get done. However, since they were accomplished in my MIND, I feel like I've actually done them... My friend Shaun and I were talking a few weeks ago about buying blinds and I said, "I've blogged about it". I went back and checked and umm... no, I actually had NOT. My 'condition' strikes again... I wrote this article (in my mind) a while back. So, please pardon the fact that it's just now making it in actual print... I know you've been holding your breath. :)

Five years ago, we built our house. Once the windows were in, I measured all the windows and wrote the sizes and the rooms they would eventually go in on a small piece of paper. I then placed that piece of paper in my wallet, for the many trips I would be making to home improvement stores.

photo credit

Lowe's and Home Depot cut wooden and and faux wood blinds every day. However, on occasion, they will mis-cut blinds and, if they actually make it out of the store before the mistake is realized, they will be returned. When the blinds are returned. Once they are cut, the store cannot sell them for the original price, so they will often discount those blinds for 50% or more of the original price. This also happens when blinds (or anything, really) are special ordered and returned.

While we were still building, I would visit my local home improvement stores as often as possible and check the rack of mis-cut blinds. Stores put them in different places, so check your local store and ask where they keep theirs. With patience and continuous checking, I was able to purchase faux wood blinds for every room for at least 50% of what they would have cost-- and if you're keeping score, the larger the window, the bigger the blinds, the more the cost. As long as you aren't in a hurry to cover your windows, there's a really good chance that you can get your blinds on the cheap... just make sure you write down the window sizes and carry it with you, so when opportunity knocks, you can open the door... or window, as it were. :)

As for me, I still have 2 windows I'm waiting, ever so patiently, to cover... in the garage. So, until I find blinds in the right size on the cheap, I am using old curtains, with the lining toward the road. I mean, it's a garage for goodness sake... However, occasionally, I will see a set of blinds I think might fit, so I whip out my handy-dandy sheet of measurements to check. If you're in the market for new blinds, get to measuring, write it down, be patient, and save on, friends! :)