Sunday, October 18, 2009

My favorite four-letter word...S-A-L-E

I know this is squeaking in just under the wire, but it’s still the 17th in my part of the world. (smile)

It’s a good thing I learned to touch type in high school, because my eyelids are drooping as I write this and I couldn’t see the keyboard if I tried. I’ve been on the go since eight this morning, on a mission more perilous than any man has ever known.

Yes, you guessed it--I hit the clearance racks at the local mall.

This involves an all-day marathon that would put most Ironman triathletes to shame.

First, my friend and I warmed up by making a dry run through a local department store, where the discounts were respectable but the crowd provided only a minor challenge. Disappointed but undaunted, we forged ahead.

To get ready for the real deals (no pun intended!), we fortified ourselves with a long lunch, hot gossip, and chocolate. Plenty of chocolate.

Finally, we arrived at the mall at the peak time to jump into an arena filled with avaricious shoppers, bored spouses, and cranky kids. Let me tell you, this is not the place for amateurs!

The oh-so-simple-sounding task of scouring the clearance racks requires the endurance of a long-distance runner, the strength of a champion weight lifter, the keen eye of a skeet-shooter, and better math skills than an Olympic judge.

There are people out there who would doubt the truth of this statement.

Then there are those of you who have been there, done that, and lived to shop another day.

The shopaholics among us are eager to celebrate your victory. And I know you just can't wait to share. After all, half the fun of finding a real bargain is being able to brag about it afterward! LOL So, please, tell us about the best deal you’ve ever found.


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

10 comments:

Amy Atwell said...

Your post made me grin over my coffee this morning. I used to work retail, and I'm now an avid online shopper. But I will confess, on those rare occasions when I can get a friend to meet me for shopping, I have a blast. It's made all the better when I'm searching for one specific clothing addition. In 2008, while at RWA National in San Francisco, I needed a shawl or something warm to toss around the shoulders of a lovely summer evening gown (who knew SFO was so cold in July??) A friend from San Jose drove up and we spent the day shopping around Union Square--it's ever so much of an adventure when you don't know the store layouts and the product line is so different from your own region of the country (I'm from Florida--did I mention that SFO was freezing in July?).

I found my shawl, and it worked great. Of course, I've had little occasion to wear it since that trip. The real find for me was the two pairs of jeans from the Levis flagship store (3 floors!), and the two fabulous belts marked down to almost nothing at Macy's. One is wide, black leather with silver studs and big rectangular clear rhinestones all over it. It's a biker babe belt. And I love it!

Thanks for letting me relive happy memories. I need to call my friend in San Jose and recommend she come to the Atlantic coast...

Linda Henderson said...

I picked up two outfits on clearance at Wal Mart the other day for my new granddaughter. $3.00 apiece. I'm saving them for a Christmas present.

Barbara White Daille said...

Amy - congrats on the shawl. Isn't it fabulous when you're on a search for something specific--and you find it???

I never thought about the product lines being different in other parts of the country, and of course, that makes sense. Now that I live in the Southwest, I notice there are a LOT more sleeveless tops and sandals year-round out here than I found back East.

Barbara
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Barbara White Daille said...

Linda - my heart fluttered when I read your message. LOL Wow--those were a couple of great bargains!

The clearance racks are just awesome when it comes to spoiling the little ones. (smile)

Mega-congrats on your new granddaughter!


Barbara
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Edie Ramer said...

I got a wonderful top at half price last month to wear the following weekend -- and then the weather turned cold. It never warmed up enough to wear it, but in spring I'll have it to wear. Another reason to look forward to spring.

Pamela Stone said...

I also shopped sales yesterday. I've been wanting wooden shutters for my new house. But for anyone who has priced them, they are expensive. I'd priced a couple places and held off. Penny's had a 50% off sale on them this weekend but when I arrived, I was asked to come back after 5 PM when the lady who works that department was due to come in.

When I went back, mind you, not in a very happy mood to be required to make two trips, I found the nicest woman. Not only did I get my 50% off, she let me know that there is an additional 20% friends and family discount if we wait and place the order today.

WooHoo!

Barbara White Daille said...

Edie - LOL - that's looking on the bright side.

And after all, we have to thank the change of weather for all those great end-of-season sales. ;-)

Barbara
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Barbara White Daille said...

Pam - whoo-hoo is right!!!

You gotta love those cooperative salespeople. And those extra percentages really help--especially on major purchases.

Good luck with the shutters.

Barbara
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Melanie Atkins said...

Hahaha. Sounds like fun. I'm not a big shopper, but I do enjoy it from time to time. Glad you found some good deals!

Barbara White Daille said...

Melanie - I try to keep myself from overdoing it, too. But sometimes those bargains just can't be ignored. LOL

Thanks for stopping by.

Barbara
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com