Holiday Shopping

Happy Independence Day! I have a very patriotic friend, who happens to be a naval officer. He is th epitome of patriotism. Today, he made the following comment (via text) to me:

"Today is my 2nd fave day of the year. A holiday to our own. the day we set forth a new nation that, for the first time ever or since, chartered a legacy of liberty that we're always striving and never quite achieving. And, I kinda like it that way."

I proceeded to congratulate him on his patriotism, but reminded him that pheebee is not so patriotic. It's not that I don't think America is great and awesome, it's just that *shrug*. I have a hard time getting all twitter-peated about it. I'll tell you what I CAN get excited about though -- SHOPPING!

I assume that no one is surprised by this particular bit of info. I love shopping! When people get all philosophical about "following your passion" and all that; one of the first thing that comes to mind for me is shopping. If I could make money doing it, I swear I'd drop all pretense of practicing law and take up professional retailing. But, to be a shopping addict, one must be smart about it. Until such time that I've married rich (and probably after I do), I will never, ever, ever pay full price. I mean seriously, who does that?

So when's the best time to find a deal? Like anything answered by a lawyer, the answer to that question is "it depends." Everything has a sale cycle -- if you're smart, you shop when things are at the low price point. This doesn't have to mean that you're constantly buying clothes out of season, or last year's electronic model. It does mean that you have to pay attention to commercials once in a while.

This particular holiday, the day we declared our independence from the British, is excellent for summer fashions, furniture, and almost anything related to picnics and barbecues. And, don't forget, most holidays which involve great weather and a day off are usually good for great prices at outlet malls. I suspect the factory store owners assume that people will need some sort of -- ahem, outlet -- from hanging around family. An excellent stress and boredom relief is shopping.

It is with this wealth of knowledge that I decided to spend some money I don't have on things I don't need. On the way back from visiting the parents, I stopped by the nearest outlet mall. And, guess what? Pheebee's intuition was correct. I hit up Banana Republic which had 50% off everything in the store. I also picked up a few mini lotions to keep my hands soft and smooth at Bath & Body Works (sales of up to 75% off). Now, since I'm allegedly on a shoppping hiatus in favor of re-decorating, I held off from stopping at other clothing stores, and instead headed to Home Goods. Where I saw some of the biggest mirrors EVER. They were well over 2 feet taller than me (I guess that's not some huge feat -- but still). I managed to pick up a new shower curtain for just a coupla bucks, and possibly some new bedding.

For similar sales, check out Memorial Day and possibly Labor Day. Although, Labor Day is tricky because it's a signal for the end of summer -- that holiday will lean more towards back to school. A great time to pick up office supplies, and fall preview fashions.

So, happy birthday America. Thanks for the great deals ;)