Michaels

If you like crafting, then this is the store for you. As for me, I get excited about the idea of crafting and love browsing the aisles for ideas, but ultimately I’m too lazy to craft.
The main reason that Michaels did not earn a fifth star from me is due to finding many items that were misplaced and the floor looked like it hadn’t been mopped in a while. Otherwise, it’s a great store.
I visited this store in early November and the Christmas items were already 40% off. I wasn’t planning on getting holiday items yet, but the selection and sales were too good to pass up. Also, I seriously considered taking up crafting as I passed through the paint and marker aisle. I guess all the colors got me excited! The same thing happens to me in the nail polish aisle at drugstores… but I digress.
Even if you are not a serious crafter, Michaels has a great selection of picture frames, albums and photo organizers as well as other home décor items. They also send out coupons all the time if you’re in their mailing list and they accept their competitors coupons, so «yay!» for saving money!

If you’ve been to one Michaels, you’ve been to them all, right?
Note: if you have an electronic coupon, have it ready before you go in. Every time I’m in line, all the Blue Hair’s in front of me have issues pulling their coupons up on their smart phones. Have them ready, it’ll save time.
All of their clearance is in the back left-​hand corner. That’s where I head to.
The store is clean and the staff is nice. They’re even sometimes willing to give you a 20 percent off coupon when you «forget yours».

I received a Michaels ad in the mail with coupons. One was 25% off of any 1 item including sale items and the other was 40% off any 1 regular priced item. I needed a scrapbook/​photo album and figured it was the perfect time to go.
The store, like most is decked out with Christmas stuff immediately after Halloween. Thanksgiving/​fall décor is scarce. I perused the aisles to see if I needed anything else and noticed a lot of items «on sale». I thought some of their sale prices, should have been regular prices– at least what I would be willing to pay for crafts/​décor.
I located large candles (similar to Yankee) which were priced 3 for $ 10. I picked up one since they usually last a long time. Then I looked at scrapbooks. They were also on sale for $ 19.99. When I got to the cashier, I asked if I could use the 40% coupon and she politely said no. I searched for my 25% coupon and pulled it out but then she pointed the date had passed 2 days earlier. Same ad, 2 coupons for the same week but 2 different expiration dates– sneaky!
So I grabbed my card to pay but felt somewhat disappointed that I took the time to cut the coupons– something I rarely do and I did not even get a chance to use them! I must have verbalized it and the cashier said, «we’re the only store to have coupons people can’t use because everything is always on sale!»
Well played Michaels. Lure customers in with coupons. Have everything «on sale» and get people to believe they’re getting a good deal. I think I may take my business to Hobby Lobby or JoAnn.

My husband and I have been to this store way too much in the pasts few months, we just can’t get enough. We framed some pictures there, bought baking supplies, and found other useful and coveted things. Each Michael’s has a different feel– some more open and some more maze-​like than others, but you can always find what you need.