I’m a cheapaholic!
You can always tell what month it is by checking the displays at the mall. Big red cardboard hearts? Definitely February. Cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns? October. When you see the big discount signs hanging in the windows, the racks of clothes outside of the stories, piles of clothes in bins, and brightly colored stickers covering previous prices on price tags, it can only mean that it’s August.
Ah, sale season. Most people keep their best buys a secret, smiling smugly when people compliment them on their outfits. I, on the other hand, relish the fact that I can get stuff for lower prices, and I love telling other people about it. That’s right — my name is Monique, and I’m a cheapaholic. I love department stores and Divisoria. I’m a sucker for sales and have worn entire outfits procured from discount racks. Even when I’m travelling, I gravitate towards discounted items.
August is my chance to live out my The Look for Less fantasies, sans the one-hour time limit. In fact, I have an entire month. I can take my sweet time finding pieces I lusted over before but didn’t buy, thinking about how this particular pair of shorts goes with my whole wardrobe, and fitting, fitting, fitting. I hate it when stores don’t allow fitting during sales. After all, during most sales the entire range of sizes is no longer available. However, some stores unearth the more unique sizes during sales. I’ve found that Bayo brings out bottoms in sizes three and four more often during sales. My big hips absolutely love it. I’ve even come upon a pair of shorts in a size five. I grabbed it just because it was a big size. When I returned it on the rack a few moments later, another girl pounced on it. I realized she had put reserved it for herself (by placing it at the very back of the rack) and had been staring me down since I took it.
It takes a good eye and great patience to go shopping during sale season. Most people already know their own style well enough and can easily pick out the clothes they want. Patience, however, is another story. Usually, you have to dig through the racks or the bins before you find that unique piece. Also, restraining yourself from buying clothes pays off in sale season. I had been lusting after some skirts from Kamiseta for the longest time but couldn’t bring myself to buy them. When August came around, I found them still hanging there, but this time, the price was 50-percent off. I was overjoyed and bought three of them. That might seem excessive to some, but I don’t regret it. In fact, it’s a good thing I bought three because I use them so often that if I owned only one, it would have fallen apart a long time ago. In fact, the garters are already loose, but they’re still my favorite pieces. It’s still one of the best buys ever. Not only do they look incredibly pretty, but they go with practically everything I own.
The great thing about sales is that you like the brands and trust them to be of great quality. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that cheap isn’t always good. I’ve gotten awful, painful blisters from cheap-and-cute shoes. I’ve had my things spill all over the floor when my cheap-and-cute bag’s strap snapped off. Bonus: sometimes, the more expensive things look better than the cheaper alternatives. So when the more expensive things are on sale, it’s always worth a look. The trick is to make sure the things you get are versatile and universal, not just trendy. I dropped by Zara last month on the first day of their sale, and it was crazy. I saw half of everyone I knew, and their boyfriends who were scattered strategically all over. Some of the boyfriends were waiting outside the fitting rooms, ready to get the next size when summoned. Some of them were holding a place in line. Some did their own browsing in
People get a little excited when they realize they can get more for less, but we all have to keep ourselves from buying for the sake of buying.
