Bargain Euphoria
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
Canada
July 14, 2007 8:58pm CST
Do you get almost a natural "high" when you get a great deal on something? I took my daughter shopping with me today (she's starting college in the fall) and, with the liquidation sales starting, I thought we'd look at clothes. We hit on the best bargains! She got 3 pairs of pants (one in micro-corduroy and two that are sort of a low-rise "dressy khaki" style) and two tops (one is a two-piece/camisole & sweater, the other is a black tunic top with a tie belt). We added up the original prices of these items and, before tax, they came to $116.00. My actual pre-tax cost was $20!!! Each item had been marked down to $4! The pants fit her like they were custom-made and the tops are really cute... so she's very excited to have started her college wardrobe. Me, I'm positively thrilled with the prices LOL! What's your best bargain in recent memory?? Did you actually get excited over it, like I am? :)
4 people like this
9 responses
@AmbiePam (93944)
• United States
15 Jul 07
Oh, I get excited on bargains like that too. It is a natural high almost. Because we didn't really spend a lot of money, so we don't even have to feel guilty about that. My biggest bargain that made me excited, at least recently, was last year. It was the day before Easter and I wanted a new dress to wear to church the following day. My mother and I were in a department center and she told me to go look for an outfit. I told her I just couldn't afford it. Well, she suggested we at least LOOK at the bargain section. So we did and I found the most beautiful dress on sale for 20 dollars. It was so amazing. I could actually afford it, and I still get compliments on it to this day.
2 people like this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
Sometimes, we get the nicest things for very little :) :) I wonder if those beautiful bargains look even better on us because we're smiling from ear to ear when we wear them? :D Like you said, no guilty conscience about the spending, either! Glad you listened to your mother and checked out the bargain section :)
I've raised my girls to be very open-minded about material goods... they are definitely not "label" shoppers and they rarely wear anything with a particular name on it. They're open to cruising the bargain racks with me and we have a great time celebrating our finds. The last time that same daughter and I went out, we found two tops that she will also wear for school -- one marked down to $2 and the other for just a buck. I do think it has a lot to do with her being a very proportioned girl who is easy to fit, though (her only issue is her height -- she's around 5'9/5'10 or so, at age 17, so some pants are too short). Not everyone can be fortunate enough to find what fits when there are only a couple of each item left on a sales rack. But, persistence can pay off ;)
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
Oh my! I was always the tallest in my class in school but, at about 5'8, she already passed me awhile back LOL Oh well -- at least we all know what it feels like to be in the back row of the photo while the boys were standing on benches *grin*
1 person likes this
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
15 Jul 07
You bet! Sure I would be on cloud nine when I get a great deal! How would you feel when the great deal you had was in fact a lousy deal after 3 days? I bought an item at a discounted price which I was comfortable with. I know the product does not offer discount. It was the distributor who is offering the discount. But today, which is 3 days later, I saw the same item at another outlet at at even lower discounted price. The difference is $10. I feel an even greater fool!
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
Oh that is SO frustrating, whyaskq!! Since it's the distributor, could you go back with proof that someone else is selling the item even cheaper and get that additional $10 back? I know stores that do that... but I wonder how the distributor would react? I would be ticked off too!
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
My pleasure! LOL!!! ;) But I agree... if it's a distance to travel and such, $10 wouldn't be worth it. Glad you got to vent, though -- I know I'd want to do the same LOL
@Geminigirl (1909)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I love bargains, too. But I'm not a big shopper. The other day I realized I needed a new pair of jeans. But I'm not about to spend $50 or more on a pair of jeans. So I went to the Goodwill, and after a little bit of searching, I found a nice pair. I tried them on and they fit great. They cost $4.50 and they already have a nice borken in feel. So that was a thrill for me! I like to keep it simple!
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
2 Aug 07
I'm not a big shopper either, Geminigirl... it's probably one of my least favorite activities lol But it's definitely made all the better by a good bargain! We don't have a Goodwill nearby but I'd be willing to bet a lot of folks wish we did. $4.50 is an amazing price for a good pair of jeans! :D
@dragontester (570)
• Switzerland
15 Jul 07
It is simply a joy to buy something which you know costs a lot more. I recently bought a blazer for only around 10 percent of the amount it would cost during normal sales. It felt so good. Hope you can fill in the wardrobe for your daughter, without emptying your wallet;)
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
You're right that it's a joy, dragontester! I will buy things I didn't even realize I "needed" because they are such a good deal *grin* Great find on that blazer!
@kelly60 (4547)
• United States
15 Jul 07
I also love to get the best bargains that I can and will check out the clearance sales every chance I get. Just a few months ago I found some really nice jeans for only $5 each pair. The regular price was around $25 each. I got some $20-$25 tops for $4-5 at the same time.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
Jeans are always exciting when they come at a good price, don't you think? LOL Especially since teens live in them (at least mine do), I'm always relieved to find decent quality at an affordable cost! I'd buy 'em up by the truckload at $5 per pair! :)
1 person likes this
@awonderfullife (2893)
• United States
31 Jul 07
Oh my-- YES!! I LOVE to get a deal and I definitely get a high from it. I love to shop, so finding a bargain is just the icing on the cake. Probably the best deal I got lately was on clothes for my kids. I got some t-shirts and shorts at the Gap outlet.
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
3 Aug 07
Ohhhhhh I hear that outlet shopping is really the way to go, awonderfullife! We don't have any close by but, just across the border from us in the U.S., I've heard there's a whole section of outlet malls. Maybe I need to take a little vacation! *eyebrow wiggle* LOL
@rhinoboy (2129)
•
3 Aug 07
I'm not much for clothes shopping. In fact I really rather dislike it. As I live in sportswear outside work at the moment, we went to an outlet shop the other day and I got 7 t-shirts, 2 pairs of jogging pants, a pair of combats and some new trainers (sneakers) for £60. That's a real bargain at UK prices!
My favourite shooping is when we take a tour of the cheapo shops that sell household and novely goods. I love that we can sometimes spend almost nothing and come home with bagfuls of useful 'stuff' and amusing nick-nacks. I can't help looking around the "Everything's £1" shops either. Often the stock is junk, but I've found some real gems that would have cost 5 or 10 times as much elsewhere.
@CinderInMySoul (4717)
• United States
15 Jul 07
i get very excited..and then have to tell everybody in the house all about the greatness of my shopping talents LOL.
the 2 best deals i got were both at Kohls. i found a very nice cardigan that was orginally $40, marked down to $4!!! at the time i wasnt even there to shop for myself and happened upon it by accident..couldnt let it pass though!
the second was an ankle length lovely black skirt. orginally $60!! got that one for $3!!! woot! it was the ONLY one of its kind in the clearance or bargain racks..and it was IN MY SIZE!! lol which of course doubles how fantastic a bargain it was!
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
LOL!!! I know exactly what you mean about telling everyone about your "greatness" ... it's hard not to celebrate being able to have something nice and keep some of your hard-earned money in your pocket too! Sounds like you got some fabulous deals -- and it's true that we usually find them when we aren't even meaning to shop :) But one item on the rack and it was YOUR size? WOOOOOOOOOOOOO that's some REAL luck there! LOL
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
15 Jul 07
Oh dear! LOL That upsets me too, tonymark! I know people that will take the items back to the original place and go buy the cheaper ones... but I will readily admit that I hate shopping enough to just keep my purchases much of the time (I know... not very conscientious of me!) However, if my husband's willing to take them back (which he usually is LOL), we'd make the exchange.
