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I've been Black Friday shopping & watching Top Gun (Goose is in the background)
Unfortunately for many of us, and myself included, the battle against Black Friday has a predetermined outcome every year. You and I both lose. That is, I end up spending an obscene amount of money. As I finish this post, at 12:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, the carnage has just ended.
Total Damage: $498... ouch
Now, because I know my mom will inevitably read this post and FREAK out, I will attempt to justify my purchases.
Mechanic (Oil change, new battery terminals, window motor repair): $180
Not much can be done here. As you know from my last post, I had every intent of replacing my battery myself, but that got stopped cold in its tracks. A good chunk of the $180 came from fixing my broken power window. Some people might have been fine living with an inoperable front passenger side window- but after waiting three months to see if I could "deal with it," the answer became clear.
Kohl's Black Friday Deal: $50 for a super cute sweater
It's getting cold out and I need sweaters! I have... one sweater currently. Today I purchased two. It had to happen. This one is cashmere. It was like a million dollars off. I agonized over the decision before I finally concluded it was a good deal.
Macy's Black Friday Deals: $50 for a super cute sweater, $30 for super cute boots, $27/ea for three ties
I have spent the last 6.5 years before grad school working in construction. That means I wore jeans 90% of the time, in combination with either a company t-shirt or a polo shirt on days when I dressed up real nice. As a consequence of this, I never really needed ties. The only ties I had were outrageous colors- White, Bright Pink, Orange, ETC. More for the discotheque than the business formal event. So, I had to finally shell out for some businessy ties. You know, standard red, and blue type ties. Believe me, nothing infuriates me more than having to spend money on a tie- It is a small piece of fabric that has zero functional purpose whatsoever. But, I get it that society requires us to wear these leashes so that the corporate "man" can pull us around. I consider $27 for a tie obscenely expensive, but unfortunately, of the ties I was seeing today, as you decrease the cost of the tie, the appearance starts going downhill too.
For example, $27 got me this:
Simple. Professional.
Whereas, other stores were offering these $12 door busters. The only doors being busted related to this tie are when people are trying to flee from its ugliness.
Vomit paisley. The "in-thing" for 2013?
Finally, I got some boots for $30. I already own a pair of boots like these that I love. And to increase my arsenal for only $30 is a no-brainer.
This is only the second pair of jeans I've bought in the last two years, and they were dirt cheap. Again, no brainer.
While you and I know that $27 for a pair of Jeans is an awesome deal, my mom likes to say the following to me: "So Steven, how much did you pay for those jeans?" When I tell her, usually $40-50, she replies: "You know how much I paid for mine?" No Mom, I don't. Please enlighten me. "Nothing. I paid nothing, because they are your old jeans." Great Mom. Gold star for you.
My mom also likes to do this with sunglasses, phones, computers... okay- Anything and everything.
Misc. Amazon purchases: $80 total for bike helmet, shirt, and a scarf
C'mon! Everybody needs a helmet. I have fallen in love with my bike the past few days. What a great mode of transportation- Unfortunately, I was rolling helmetless which, in DC, means that it is only a matter of time before you crash and die! SO, this crucial piece of equipment is finally on the way.
Which leaves us with the shirt and scarf. Total impulse purchases for a total of $30.
All in all, it's been a successful Black Friday for me. I probably overpaid a bit for the sweaters, but I feel pretty good about all the other purchases in terms of not getting ripped off.
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