It’s a consumer financial technique I recommend all the time on my blog and in my weekly newsletter: compare prices.
The importance of continually doing it showed up when I was shopping with my daughter the day after Christmas at The Rack.
I didn’t find any boots that fit, so I was looking around while my daughter finished her shopping. She did find a nice pair of boots.
I picked out a couple of blouses, and went to try them on.
I was shocked when I saw the price on the tag was $159.97. I’ve never paid that much for a blouse, have you? Amusing that the blouse was marked down from $348. It reminded me of the phrase I often use when I urge people to compare prices: “Marked way up, and marked way down.” I learned that from a store manager at Penney’s in Fairbanks, Alaska, when I wrote about what to look for in sales each month of the year.
The ironic thing: I took the two blouses to the checkout counter and told the sales associate that I didn’t want the expensive one, but I wanted to buy the black one. I hung them on a hook at the top of a pole at the checkout counter. I asked if I could leave the black blouse there while I used the restroom. However, when I returned, both blouses were gone. Oh, well.
Monday I was shopping for a new dress to wear to the Governor’s Inaugural Ball Wednesday. I found a green velvet gown for $49.99 marked down from $99 at Macy’s. With a 30 percent coupon, the price was $34.99.
I was happy to find something that fit, and I bought a blouse for $48.64, also 30 percent off. The blouse is on the left in the photo above.
When I was at the mall Tuesday for a movie and my 30 minute walk, I thought I’d stop at Penney’s to see if they had a gown that was jazzier at a good price. Penney’s has the reputation of having less expensive clothes.
I saw these two.
The black one cost $169
The blue one cost $200.
It made me doubly happy about my $34.99 bargain.
So, watch those price tags. You can never tell when you’ll find a shocking price or a great bargain.
