Good deals...?

One or two Saturdays each month, I spend around four hours working at Old Navy. The money I earn goes into a checking account separate from the joint checking account my hubby and I share, and is thus mine to spend however I please; in other words, it is my shopping fund : ) Anyway, it's that time of year where Old Navy does an extra 50%off of their already reduced clearance items... awesome! There are some amazing deals there, and it's so fun to cashier at this time because you see people get ten things for sometimes as little as $10.00 (or even less)! However, there are some other times that I just shake my head and wonder, "what are you thinking?!" Let me explain...

Now, I love a good deal. I am a shopper at heart, and nothing thrills me more than getting something that was $50.00 for around $5.00, woohoo! But at what point does a "good deal" become nothing more than that? One woman came through my line today and bought two of each shirt she found. And they were in colors like bright yellow or pea green, in fabrics that would, without a doubt, pill up or get holes in them in just a time or two of wearing them. She bought loads of things for her two granddaughters (people share a lot with you when you cashier) as well -- a few of which were in a 0/3 month size and were adorned with Santas, candy canes, Rudophs and Christmas trees. At first, I thought maybe she knew someone was expecting a baby not long before the 2010 holiday season starts up. But then the daughter she had with her said something that made me [internally] shake my head at the frivolous spending that was going on. She said, "Mom, (insert baby's name here) is 3 months old right now. She won't fit into this Christmas stuff when it's the Christmas season next year... why are you getting those for her?" The woman shot her daughter a disapproving look and said nothing, and the conversation stopped right there.

But the daughter had a good point. Even if it is just $5.00 for five Christmas things for a 0/3 month child... why spend the money on something that little girl will probably never wear. Maybe some people are less picky about what time of year they put their child in seasonal-wear, but why not skip those five items and buy one non-Christmas-themed item that might be a little bigger so the baby can wear it for longer for $5.00 -- Old Navy has loads of adorable new spring things that are super cheap! Granted, I don't have any children of my own, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.

In the end, the woman's bill came to almost $90.00. Most things people buy during this clearance event are priced around $2.00, so she got a lot of "good deals". But this brings me back to my point -- are the "good deals" she got even things she likes? Or was she just completely caught up in the, "oh my goodness, a shirt for $2.00!" whirlwind?

Not that I think I have the authority to tell people how to spend their money. But I've been the victim of the "good deal" whirlwind before. And when that has happened and I look at my receipts and see that I've spent $40.00, I look at the clothes I bought and realize that if priced for just a few dollars more, I never would have bought them. So why would I buy them now? Ah, yes. Because of the thrill of the deal. And the wave of regret and guilt that follows.

Because I've felt that way many times, the rule of thumb I live by now is this: Do I like this so much that I would I have bought this [or have wanted to buy it (I add this disclaimer if something's original price is definitely out of my price range)] if it were at full price? Most of the time, this question solves any "good deal" fever I may experience.

Now, I am proud to say that I really actually did find some great deals at Old Navy today! Let me share! Here's what I got...

• Matching slip-on shoes for my nephews that look quite a bit like this...

OldNavy.com

And I got them for... $0.47! And this is a great deal because I called my brother and found out what size shoe they wear now, so I could buy the next size up in order for them to wear them after they grow out of their current shoes and during the spring/summer months. They will be so cute in their matchy-match slip-ons : )

• Of course, because I got something for my nephews, I had to even things out and get something for my niece and their sister. So for her, I got an adorable little white ruffle top that she will look fabulous in : ) Again, I got it in an 18-24 month size so she can grow into it a bit and wear it for longer. That top was around $1.70... woohoo!

• For me, I got a nautical-looking top. It's navy blue with white stripes... very cute, and very springy (must have been a leftover from their summer things) -- and just $1.24.

• The other thing I picked up were note cards for thank-yous and such. These are such a pain to spend money on, in my opinion, because they're really simple things but I always think they're overpriced. Sometimes the cutest note cards at Target cost $4.99 for a box of eight! Sorry, but I don't think so. But I got two packages of 10 note cards for $0.74 each! And they're a super-cute paisley print. Now we just have to get to work and write our Christmas thank-yous...

So, moral of my ranting: when you're out shopping and come to that clearance rack... ask yourself, "Would I buy this [or want to buy it] if it were full price?"