Cutty

Temptation is everywhere these days.  It is getting harder and harder to hold on to our cash.  Online sales are happening every month.  Retail establishments in malls are trying hard to boost sales during this pandemic.  If you know me, you'd know that this it the ultimate time to test my EQ.   In the days leading up to the biggest holiday of the year, let us be mindful of our retail practices.  

My mother just got back from a three-week long vacation in the US.    She purposely went there to attend my cousin's wedding, visit relatives and to shop, of course. She recently discovered TJ Maxx so just imagine her fascination with the discount store.  She and my Auntie from the East Coast visit the store almost everyday just to have first dibs on the new shipment.  She got everything I asked her to get me.  I believe she got me more items than I got for myself during my trip last summer. Thanks to mothers who have the same shopping drive as their daughters, I now have a new set of clothes, two pairs of wedges and a pair of boots.  Hehehe.  Ang saya saya! 

When we were in the Land of the Free, I've seen my Tita bring coupons to her shopping trips.  She got $6 off on Ecotrin.  We saved $5 in Toys R Us using a coupon lying just beside the cashier.  Now, looking through Target's coupons, I realized, I could've saved another $10 on some items we purchased like Aveeno, Neutrogena, on Men's and Ladies' apparel.  Who know what else I could've gotten at a lesser price. Since we do not practice this here, I didn't know that I could get further discounts.  It was too late when I found out about it. Sayang. ---------------------- Here in our country, we have something similar.  If you are familiar with the Groupon sites that allow you to purchase a service or item using vouchers, then that's it.  However, you'd have to purchase the voucher then pay again if you exceed the value of the voucher.  But, these are implemented on big-ticket items only. Will coupon shopping work in the Philippines?  

Buti pa si Mama papunta na ng HK. Gusto kong sumama pero di pwede talaga . Gusto kong mag-shopping na parang andami kong pera. Hehehehe =P Antayin ko na lang mag July. Meron kaming 5hour lay-over. Pwedeng pumuslit puntang Canton Road at mag dimsum.

I was able to go after all. Apparently, there was no need to feel sorry for myself for missing the sale . Hehe. I went on the third day. Most of the racks and stands were already empty. It was obvious that the remaining items were "napagpilian" already. A lot of people swarmed all over the Lacoste boutique. Even if they were on sale, they're still quite expensive. Generally speaking, most of the fire sale items I saw were 30% off the retail price. There were very few at 70% off the regular price. Maybe that's why the lines aren't that long anymore. There were lots of people though the crowd was manageable. I was hoping to get Bettina's baptismal garb but it wasn't on the racks. I was also hoping that the perfume I've been eyeing since March is on sale. Unfortunately, it is not. I didn't get a bag, though Vic said I could get one as his Mother's Day present (plus birthday, Valentine's and giving birth to Bettina). There was noth...

Rustan's is having a sale and I am stuck at home!!! Items affected by the fire are at 70% discount. Knowing that luxury items are the ones directly above the fire, I'm hoping to score some of those. But NO! Nandito ako sa bahay. Sana meron pa matira by the weekend. I first heard about the sale last Sunday, when I got gifts for the doctors who attended to me and my third baby. I asked the cashier at M&S when the department store is set to open. She informed me that Rustan's will be having a sale on May 5th. I've been looking forward to this, however, I heard that the lines are so long. I'm planning to slip out for just a few hours but I don't think that is going to work. It's so disheartening. Oh well.

Ever since I got my first pair of buttery-soft TB flats, I've been wanting to get a second pair. I was hoping to get any of the following in time for my birthday. Unfortunately, my local importer of Tory Bs have a limited selection this month. Sadly, these are also not available at the local TB store. Their shoe display is also quite sparse. It is such a disappointment. So, I got this instead. They're lightweight and water-proof. Most importantly, it allows me to exercise while I walk in them. I hope I don't get cramps in them.

...the two pairs of shoes weren't for sale yesterday. (Find out more about that here .) It is because this pair is for me! These are the most comfy two-and-a-half-inch heels I've worn. Yep, better than Naturalizer or Aerosoles. It's like I'm walking on a carpet all the time. In addition to that, it doesn't look as if it's made for "manangs." Best of all, it is 45% off the original price! Yey for me! Thank God, I can retire my 4y/o Naturalizer heels.

I got a new pair of shoes at a private shoe sale. I was actually eyeing the same pair at Greenbelt several months ago. I am glad I didn't give in to temptation then. I got mine for only 1K, a third of its Greenbelt price. In addition to that, it came with a shoe bag already. Pwede na. I found out about this shoe sale from my SIL. It appears that this shoe sale goes around exclusive villages in the metro. They carry Nine West, Naturalizer, Anne Klein, Jessica Simpson, RL, Kenneth Cole, Seychelles and other American brands. All pairs are sold at 2.5K each. There were also end-of-season pairs that were sold at 1thou each. I arrived right after lunch. It seemed that I was already too late. What were left were "napagpilian na." I was prepared to get several pairs but I didn't find anything else that suited me. Still, I am happy with what I got. Coming on the first day of the sale was actually a good idea. I wonder, what else would be left on the Saturday?

When I found out that there is still another balikbayan box waiting to be filled up, I quickly went online to check out some stuff that I'd like to be shipped back here. Shopping in the US has always been a pleasure. There are so many name-brand items that one could get for a fraction of the what we pay here. I wish it were that easy. Browsing is the fun part. However, since I am using an internationally-issued credit card, I am having a hard time purchasing what I like. Most online shops only accept cards with US billing addresses. They don't care if you are shipping items to a US address. I found several online shops that do accept non-US bank cards but they end up canceling the order if they can't contact the card-holder. Do they really exert that much effort to make a sale? I thought owning a Paypal account would make it easier. Apparently, the shops I had in mind do not accept Paypal . Anyway, I've made several purchases. I've gotten additional stuff...

I'm sure we caused quite a commotion at Greenbelt. We were all squealing with excitement specially when we neared draw #69 and the last one. I was very fortunate to sit beside the two winners. After her name was drawn, Abbie couldn't continue tallying the draws. Lia kept saying she's so unlucky with raffles. Looks like her luck has changed now. It was fun meeting everyone. Congrats to our very lucky winners, Lia and Abbie! I am looking forward to the next N@W meet-up. Ano naman kaya ipapa-raffle next time? -------------------- Please check out my multiply for more pictures.

I have this favorite stall in Greenhills that sells quality shoes. I usually go around all the stalls to look for them. Their shoes are not the type that easily goes kaput after minimal wear. They're actually more expensive than those that came from China or Korea. The first pair I got (in a Christmas bazaar) is a set of ballet flats with perforated leather. They are quite comfy for an expectant mom like me. When I need something for long walks that would make my white Pumas too casual or my Cole Haans too dirty, I turn to these shoes. They were once drenched in mud but after washing, they're good as new. The second pair I got last week were nice heeled, pointy shoes. The heels are not too high. The color is something that I wanted to get for a long time. Most importantly, I got these for a little over $10. However, this time, I have to be more careful of the suede and patent leather. I think they would be perfect with jeans. So, how do you find them?

Though I am a low-profile shopper (according to my ACS friends), I am sure Vic would disagree. ~Start copying here (no need to right click the image) ~Credits: Paper & Elements Created by Kim Jensen / Layout by JennyL 1. Don’t remove the credits when you post the image. 2. Please link back to the person who tagged you 3. If you have more than one blog, please post this to all of your blogs so your other blogs can be listed to the master list too 4. You need to pass this tag to many friends you think loves shopping. 5. Come back at BARGAIN.SALES.DEALS. and leave the exact post url so I can add you to the master list to help increase our rankings and improve our Technorati Authority. 6. Enjoy Shopping !!! SHOPAHOLICS : 1.) A Slice of Life 2.) Jenny Said So 3.) Simply Jen 4.) This and That 5.) Bargain.Sales.Deals. 6.) Me and Mine 7. ) Little Peanut 8.) Creative in Me 9.) Pea in a Pod 10. The Shopaholic in Me 11.) Life's Simple Pleasures 12.) My Planet Purple 13.) Women With...