Shopping the Sales, with a Plan

As I have mentioned many times in some of my other posts, I’m not a huge shopper. Especially when it comes to clothes shopping, I go only when I absolutely need to. Meaning, I can no longer repair the wholes in my pants and my husband begins throwing out my well-worn shirts. This is my cue that I have to go shopping.

Because I am such an impatient shopper, I usually begin browsing a store’s inventory online, this way I have a clue as to what they are selling this season. Also, entering a store isn’t so stressful; I can go right to the item I saw online and decide if I like it. I’ve learned from past experiences that if I enter a store without a plan, I often leave exasperated and without purchasing anything.

Browsing online also allows me to view sales items ahead of time. Often, these items aren’t readily available in the store, but at least I can see if they are selling a majority of their inventory at deep discounts. I can gauge the best time to go to that store. Purchasing some things, like shirts, online is doable; however, pants are a whole other story. I must try on pants before buying them. It’s an unfortunate reality when you are shaped like a pear.

I love cargo pants!

Recently, my well-loved cargo pants grew two new holes, and one of my favorite plaid shirts ended up in the trash.  This event, in conjunction with reading FabulouslyBroke‘s post about some upcoming sales at Old Navy, the Gap, and Banana Republic, was the reason I decided it was time to purchase some new clothes. I browsed items online at both the Gap and Old Navy and realized they were having similar items on sale, exactly what I was looking for: new cargo pants to replace my old, patched ones.

The mall I decided to shop at, while finishing up some other errands, only had an Old Navy (ON). I was limited to only this store because, well,  I am cheap and lazy. Though, I did end up stopping by Macy’s for some shirts, and they were on sale as well. After perusing the sales racks at ON, I tried on a few of last season’s cargo pants, and with my husband’s thumbs-up, purchased a couple of pairs for a reduced price of $14.99 each!

Why am I so stuck on cargo pants? Riding my bike has a lot to do with it. On the days I ride my bike to work (which, I  must confess, have been few lately), I need something comfy and roomy to bike in. I may take a change of clothing for the top part of my body, like an extra shirt. However, I don’t like completely stripping down, so I wear the pants I rode in all day. If you’re thinking, “Oh, yuck!”, I’ll reassure you that it’s really not that icky. I swear.