I love a good sale. I mean, I really REALLY love a bargain. It's one of my defining characteristics. Some people don't get it, some people knock it, but for me - I love the thrill of the chase. I'm one of the crazies who wakes up at 4am on Black Friday. I shop through all kinds of weather. It's almost a disease and it might even be genetic.
Growing up, my dad had something like 150 pairs of shoes. And at least 75% of them cost under $10. He hardly wore most of them, but they were like trophies from the "who got the most amazing deal" competition. Or how about the time he came home with a zillion boxes of icicle christmas lights? They were on sale for $.25 a box! Except we don't celebrate christmas. Or put up lights for any other occasion. "It's like they're paying me to buy them!" he used to say. It makes my mom nuts, but she secretly loves the thrill, too.
For my wedding, my mom and I made an appointment with a Personal Shopper at the Downtown Dayton's (now Macys, but we still prefer the original moniker) and were prepared to pay nearly any sum for the perfect mother-of the bride ensemble. This is a big deal because my mom rarely spends money on herself, so I wanted to make a big splurge - she deserves it. We tried on every designer and had it narrowed down to two - something Marc Jacobs and another fancy designer. We were looking at $1,000-ish. And then our shopper popped in with a Carmen Marc Valvo gorgeous peacock colored two piece outfit...with the elusive yellow 80% off tags. Not only did that outfit look amazing on her, but I think we paid under $250 for the entire thing. Including tax. (Mom, if you're reading, chime in with the real numbers!) It's one of my greatest sale victories - and she looked stunning:
Don't you love how much my mom loves Sam in this pic?!
I've taught my husband the joy of sale shopping, and now he's in on it, too. He even found stocking-stuffer-sized versions of my new perfume (perfect for carrying in my purse) buried in the 50% off bins at Target the day after Christmas. (That's right - my new perfume comes from Target. It can also be purchased at your local Rite Aid or CVS. Judge me, if you want.) We also stocked up on Sour Patch Kids - Sam's pick for movie theatre treats - for only $.49 a box vs. the $5 we'd pay at the theatre. And I'm all prepped and ready for holiday gift wrapping in 2011. Phew! Glad I got that out of the way a year in advance.
For the most part - aside from the superfluous rolls of wrapping paper and movie theatre treats taking up my storage space - I've graduated from buying things that are unnecessary and cheap just because they're on sale, to buying nicer (sometimes pricier) things that I want/need/will absolutely wear AND are on sale. I'm trying to fill my wardrobe with pieces that are made well, fit well, look great on me, and will last until the end of time - all with a modest and meager spending limit. I apply a similar set of rules when decorating my home, but that's all on hiatus for now while we're shacking up with the Mom-in-Law. So, for now, my bargain finds are limited to those that can live in my closet. Here are my two most recent steals:
Exhibit A: Cole Haan Air Lainey Wedge
Original Price: $398.00
1st Markdown: $274.98
50% off Sale at Bloomies: $137.49
Total with Tax: $150.90
Total Savings: $260.51 or 65% off
Credit (from returning some holiday gifts): -$136.53
Grand Total: $14.37!
Exhibit B: Nanette Lapore Amore Mio Lace Sheath
Original Price: $398.00
1st Markdown: $117.00
40% Off Sale at Macy's: $83.58
15% off for using Macy's card (which we didn't even use!): $71.04
Total Savings: $326.96 or 82% off
Total with tax: $77.97 - paid completely with gift cards and credit!
Grand Total: $0!
Exhibit C: Photo of me wearing Exhibits A & B on NYE with my Badger Girls:
(sorry you can't see the boots in this shot - but I'm wearing them, I swear!)
Not too shabby, huh?! Nice, well made, comfortable, cute - these items check out in my book! I'm pretty proud, I must say - and that Nike Air technology in the boots is no joke. My feet don't hurt one bit even after hours in those babies.
What's your best sale find, dear reader? I know you're out there reading, but I don't know who you are. Share a sale story if you have one and let's get to know one another a bit better...
Natalie! You are good. That dress is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am so in the same value boat as you. My stores of choice are thrift stores for that same reason-- the thrill of the hunt. I recently found the perfect 1950's dress, white with blue graphics, for a little less than $40. I don't usually pay that much at thrift stores, but if you saw this thing, you would want it for $1000. Ok, maybe not. But sometimes your love for an item makes any price seem worth it.
Also, I have to give a shout-out to my favorite skirt of winter '09. This old-lady, peach, elastic-band skirt is adorable (although it may sound horrific). The price you ask? ONE DOLLAR. That's right. The tour of CT thrift stores really worked out for me.
It's fun, eco-friendly and fits in my unemployed-and-in-school budget.
1) Those boots are amazing. I'm jealous.
ReplyDelete2) I still think of you every time I go to the grocery store and save my Safeway card and coupons til the end so I can see just how much money I saved.
3) You are the best bargain shopper I know.
Miss you! xoxo
Natalie! I love your blog and I love keeping tabs on you and all your comings and goings. And I just had to share to this post...
ReplyDeleteI am a HUGE Savings-Aholic (I got it from my mom...) and recently went through a similar revelation, like you, that classic, trusted pieces of high quality are the way to go. I was wondering if you knew about two of my favorite websites:
1. ShopStyle.com, which is basically an online shopping search engine. It searches almost every sight you can imagine, from Forever21 to Burberry to Bloomingdales, and then allows you to search by terms like "cashmere", or to browse by sweater, size, color, percentage off, etc. But, BUT! It also allows you, once you've found a dream object, to set a price alert to be emailed to you if the online retailer ever drops their price. Last year I stocked up on lots of Ralph Lauren Blue Label Cashmere by waiting until the prices dropped (some to over 70%!). This year I have my heart set on a new wool cashmere coat (it sounds like I have a cashmere obsession), and I've just set my alert to tell me if it goes on sale.
2. I'm sure you know about RetailMeNot.com, for once you've found those special items, to possibly take off an additional percentage, or get free shipping (or sometimes both!).
Anyway, I just wanted to share. :) I'm so pleased to be able to read about your life via your blog! Wishing you the best,
Anna Lise Jensen
(somehow Blogger isn't allowing me to change the log-in from my boyfriend to me... he's TallMan, I'm just me!)
Thanks, Ladies! Anna Lise - so glad you're reading! And thanks so much for the tips - I can't wait to check out ShopStyle.com. xxoo
ReplyDeletePrepared to spend $1,200 as mother-of-the-bride, imagine my joy when the outfit rang up at $237.96! Saving on the small stuff allows splurging on the important stuff -- For example: Natalie and Sam's two favorite piano-bar players were flown in from NYC for a prenuptial dinner like no other! I still bask in the memories of singing, dancing, and celebrating that joyous occasion! (You can't bask in a $1,200 price tag... )
ReplyDelete