You're probably thinking that my tip is to fax in your order. It's a nice service to have the staff do all of your shopping for you in advance but it costs $7.50.

I stumbled upon my tip when I called to ask what time they open tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 30), The staff person nicely mentioned that the VIP shopping starts today and lasts until 9 p.m. She didn't ask me if I was a VIP or a frequent shopper. She said that by calling and asking, I could take advantage of today's pre-sale.

As far as I'm concerned, all deal spotters who read my blog are VIPs. So if you want to beat the crowds, head to Surdyk's sale today.

BTW, Surdyk's, would it kill you to offer shopping baskets? When your aisles are so narrow that carts can't even fit in some aisles, having plastic baskets like they have at discounters and supermarkets seems like a no brainer. What's up with that?