Splurge vs. Steal

[catnapper]

I enjoy reading the magazine sections that show trends as expensive designers present them and how they get reinterpreted for normal people. They'll show one look complete with $200 shoes, $1000 handbag, $600 skirts, etc. and then they'll show a similar version in $40 shoes, $70 handbag, and a $20 skirt. Voila -- Reality!

While at the docotr's office yesterday I was reading a magazine I never look at. Their splurge vs. steal section.... welll..... $180 for a grey and orange jacket is a steal? I thought that was the splurge! A bunch of ladies and I had a great time laughing about it in the waiting room. None of us would even consider spending that much on a jacket that wouldn't be worn every day (it was a work-type blazer) and we especially wouldn't get it with bright orange piping

I am the Queen of bargain hunting. I have to be! Most of my tops/sweaters are under $10 and are brand name... Preswick & Moore, Jones NY, Izod, and my favorite: Van Huesen. I just search the racks once a week or so..... and only buy once it hits the right clearance price. I might walk out with nothing for a couple weeks at a time, and I might hit paydirt and walk out with 5 new tops for $5 each when the original price was tagged somewhere between $40 and $80. I hit the mother-lode last month when I bought 3 pairs of tailored Briggs pants for $1.99 each (size 12 at that -- I'm a size 12 and started at a tight size 22!!!! insert happy dance here)

My idea of a splurge is spending $15 for a sweater I really wanted and watched the price since the day it came into the store. I was soooo mad at myself when it hit $7 and still had my size AND color but I wanted it so bad that I wasn't going to take the change it sold out in my size.

What is your outlook on shopping? I just can't justify spending money on clothes and shoes. I have no problem spending $60 on cat food each month. I don't balk at $30 worth of litter. I HATE spending money on clothes when I know I can always find it cheaper!

[Alysser]

For me, it depends on what I want. There are certain things I KNOW won't ever be on sale but those are few and far between. My current watch is water-proof and shock-proof and cute and I really like it so I spent $80 on it. THAT was a splurge. I really like the Olympic Team Oakleys and they are $200. That is ALOT for sunglasses but I plan on buying them eventually. If I have them I'll never spend money of sunglasses again LOL.

Clothes and purses I don't splurge on much. If I really like a shirt I'll buy it. But I am mostly a clearance buyer. I got a pair of REALLY nice Sperry's for $35 a few weeks ago. I got a pair of Cowboy boots for $50 rather than $90 at TJ Maxx. I got my hiking boots on clearance ($40 from $80) at Bass Pro Shops. The guy said they were being discontinued and was wondering if that bothered me. LOL, why do I care about that? There was no real reason aside from them not selling well.

[pomtzu]

I refuse to pay full retail for anything. I was in Penney's yesterday and came out with a $5 tee (regular $25), a $15 pair of nice knit capris (regular $25), and a $10 handbag (regular $45).

But I recently got a SUPER bargain on a toaster oven that I bought my granddaughter for her apartment. When I got it home and checked it out, 2 little rubber feet were missing from legs on the bottom, so I called the manufacturer about it. After about an hour of arguing with the customer service person, I finally gave up and decided I'd just look in Lowe's or Home Depot for feet that would fit, since I couldn't exchange it where I bought it since it was the last one in stock. Anyway, about a week later, I had this big box delivered by FedEx. What was in it???? - a toaster oven - the same model that I had bought that had the missing feet. No paper work - no nothing!!! So now I had 2 ovens - and the one that I had delivered to me also had 2 feet missing. So now granddaughter and Grammy have matching toaster ovens which is kinda nice, since I didn't have one before. How about that - BOGO?????

[Taz_Zoee]

I hate shopping! So much that sometimes I can't wait for something to go on sale because I need it so badly. I wear my pants until they get holes where my thighs rub together (or I fall and rip them). My shirts have holes in them and are faded before I get new ones. I find a pair of shoes I like that are comfy and I wear those until they fall apart. Gee, I sound lovely don't I? LOL
I'm not a slob, I swear!

A couple years ago I went to Tahoe and the outlets up there were having HUGE sales because it was "between seasons". I got a $75 purse for $14, $120 boots for $34, a $80 jacket for $23 and a $12 scarf for $4. That's when I actually felt shopping was FUN!

[smokey the elder]

I refuse to pay full price for most clothes. Because I have funky feet, I'm very picky about shoes but still can often find ones that fit at a reasonable price. I find for leather stuff (shoes, purses, jackets) you get what you pay for to a point. I expect leather goods to be durable. I paid handsome coin for a leather biker jacket 25 years ago. The fail point is the zipper; once I get replaced it will be as good as new!

[momcat]

I hate shopping, especially for clothes. It's something I do when I absolutely have to. Since I wear what I like instead of whatever might be the style trend of the moment, I go in the store, get what I need, then leave. If it's on sale, fine. If not, get what I went for and get it over with.

[AvaJoy]

I hate going to stores/shopping and haven't bought a new item of clothing in many years; exception being underwear. I snicker when I think the advice is to toss anything you haven't worn in a year . . . lol! Being of the pack-rat mentality, I have saved many of my clothes over the decades, and even have my Mother's beautiful suits and a few dresses from the 1920's - 40's. I don't give a hoot about what is "in style" like I did when I was younger. I wear what I want, regardless. And to validate the saving of my old clothes, I still wear them. Fashion is cyclic. As an example, eventually my hip hugger bell bottom jeans from Jr. High School became fashionable again, and I could still fit into them.
I shop for feline necessities . . . litter and food. That is sufficient.

[Suki Wingy]

I shop at Goodwill a LOT. And I am constantly putting together costumes. I keep telling myself I am going to stop cosplaying because it's so expensive, and then I get it in my head that I have to do one last costume. There've been at least four "one last costumes" so far.

So a lot of times people will compliment me on my jacket or something, and I'll say, thanks, it's part of a costume! I got it at Goodwill for $6 and then dyed this color!

And I did buy a sweater that was on clearance at Old Navy early this spring, but I considered it a splurge because it was still $15 and it wasn't for part of a costume!

But I do find that I have expensive taste when it comes to tailoring. A slight difference in the cut of something can make all the difference, even plain or otherwise quiet, understated things. Like when I am in Nordstrom Rack and all the things catching my eye are still over $100, even if they're just like a blouse or plain colored dress. It's the tailoring.

[wolf_Q]

I tried once telling Corby I got a good deal on something because its a xxx dollar amount item and I got it for xx dollar amount (I don't remember what it was). So he took a plastic fork and wrote $8000 on it and said there now it's an $8000 fork, it says its $8000 so it must be worth $8000. Just because something is sold for that price doesn't mean it is at all worth that price and you aren't necessarily getting it for a "good deal" even if it's half the original price if the original price is ridiculous to begin with. Just something to think about. And yes I would never consider a $180 jacket a "steal" I don't care what it looks like or is made of or who designed it. But clothes and fashion are not something I care about...I hate clothes shopping. If something is above my budget I won't even try it on. I only go clothes shopping when I have to, for an event or a trip. That being said I have a ton of clothes and I hardly wear them, but I've also had them for years, had people give me clothes (really need to stop taking them when offered as I don't wear most of them). My job is a pet groomer, I wear a ratty shirt under a smock, that's what I wear every day. So I only wear nice clothes when I leave the house, which isn't often ha ha.

In general I'm pretty cheap. But I'm also too lazy to go to stores all the time to check prices and wait until things go on clearance....unless it's on clearance the day I'm there I'll just not buy it, I don't go shopping. I wish I was awesome at the whole coupon cutting thing my sister in law gets things for free/dirt cheap all the time...once again, just too lazy for that. So I just don't shop really, now groceries I work right by a grocery store so often times I will only buy items I use often when they are sale and stock up but if I need them that day I'll get them if I have to. I have no issues dropping way too much money on dog food of course, though when we had a sale on my dog food half off I went to multiple stores and bought them out I haven't bought dog food in a while - when you have 4 big dogs you can buy it in bulk when its on sale. Also if there's a bigger item I want and have been saving up for I will sometimes spend quite a bit but that's only after days of researching and finding out if its really worth more for the higher quality item.

[cassiesmom]

Since I broke my ankle I mostly buy Naturalizer or Easy Spirit shoes for work. I bought a pair of cheap sneakers at Payless and my ankle always hurts after I wear them. So buying shoes, that's a bit of a splurge for me.

I did splurge at Bed Bath and Beyond and bought a couple of really plush bath towels. First time I have ever bought anything more than average towels and they're so nice to use!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I hate shopping for clothes but when I do I try to buy things on sale or on clearance. My mom loves to buy things on sale and some times she'll buy me some clothes too. I wear jeans and casual shirts at work so I don't need to shop for dress clothes. I recently shopped for some jeans at Kohl's and I decided to look at Levi's. Some of them were $10 off and then I had a 15%off coupon and also a $10 off coupon which I could use. One pair that I liked I had to ask what the price was because I wasn't sure if it was on sale. It turned out to be only $4.99 because it was a clearance item. I ended up spending about $30 for two pairs of Levi's jeans because the other pair was only $10 off. I spend a lot of money on cat food and litter but luckily there's a Pet Club that I can go to so I do save money shopping here rather than shopping at Petco or Petsmart.

[KYS]

I also do not enjoy shopping for myself. Shopping for others or my dog is another matter.
I do not like to pay full price and look for the best deal via the internet.
As 4 buying clothes, I am a jeans, casual tops and tennis shoes type of woman.
And casual clothes are always on sale.