It's On Sale In The US

My pre-trip preparations always include some shopping.

This time it's for bathing suits for Cap Ferrat and a few necessities. I put this off until the last minute, so I had to venture out on a Saturday, the most crowded day of the week for shopping.

What I hadn't anticipated was the sales! Normally things go on sale at the end of the season. But, with the bad economy right now, the price of almost everything seems to be reduced. The stores were mobbed, an indication that the price reductions are working.

Some stores are being a little more creative with their price reductions. I encountered one store that offered a $20 discount with each $75 spent. Another store offered a coupon good for $50 off a future purchase with a $100 purchase. The things that are on sale already also can be used for these price reductions, so it gets very complicated.

With a little bit of planning and calculating, things can be purchased for pennies. I ended up with a very high end, name brand pair of jeans for $80 off the original price. The sad part of this is that I would have bought them for full price. I needed them, wanted them, and know that they will be in my wardrobe for years. (Barring an unforeseen weight fluctuation, of course).

When the shopping trip is productive, I can go for hours without getting tired. But, I went out a few days earlier and was unsuccessful. The two hours marching around from store to store was exhausting. I guess you have to train to shop and I'm out of shopping shape right now.

But, since sales in France are mandated by law, and held only twice a year, I don't need to continue my training for shopping. We will be back in the US before the sales start in July. We always miss the sales in January, too.

With the Euro still high against the dollar and the sales in the US, you can bet that all my disposable income will be spent in the US this year. Except, of course, for the second, french iPHONE. Post and photos to come.