I spent $200 at Kohl's yesterday, which was $200 more than I should have been spending anywhere... especially at a store that I'm not too fond of.
I get a flier from them touting an "additional 20% percent" or "everything in the store 1/2 off" about once a week, but am hesitant to go because it's always a zoo. A messy, dirty, disorganized zoo.
Remember that episode of Sex in the City when the girls were in L.A. and Samantha took Carrie all the way to the Valley to buy a fake Fendi bag. Then, Carrie just couldn't buy one, because none of the purses looked very special piled in boxes in the trunk of that beat-up car. Well, that's how I feel at Kohl's...
Nothing looks very special when you have to sift for it amongst the slinky see-through juniors duds and the 3X tops cramped together on the 75-80% off rack....
...or you have to look for it on the floor than hasn't seen a vacuum cleaner since the store opened...
FIVE years ago.
The one thing Kohl's has going for it is that it's CHEAP. Having to live on a tight budget, I'm not above wearing $5 off-brand T-shirts (in public, no less). It's just that much less painful when they get ruined with flying pasta sauce or greasy diaper cream. Replacing soiled shirts is precisely what I was doing at Kohl's on this day.
As luck would have it, I found what I was looking for right away and was ready to leave when I noticed how quietly and contently my son was playing with his dog, Blue. He was fed, diapered, and seated in his stroller... Now is the moment!
Shopping post-motherhood is much like feeding time on the Serengeti. You never know when you're next golden shopping opportunity will trot along, so you lunge, grab, and devour every last bit of it for as long as you can.
Opportunities to hunt your prey may be far between. Sometimes you have to wait an entire season before you can hunt again...
It takes a great deal of patience, but you get used to it, even if you're still wearing last year's catch. That's just life on the plains.
My son is usually all about "exerting his will" on our shopping trips- climbing out of the grocery cart, pulling things off shelves (putting them back in the wrong place), or trying to run out of the store. It seems that all the alone time in the sandbox earlier in the day wore him out and he was happy humming to himself in the stroller. I wasn't about to let this opportunity pass me by.
Immediately, my mind was racing with everything I needed to get...
"Hey, didn't our friends say that they're having a girl. Surely, there will be a baby shower for them. I'll need a gift. LOOK! baby clothes are on sale. I'll just get these two outfits..."
"I should get another pair of capri pants for my girls' trip next month..."
"Ooooh! A pretty pink tea set. That would be a great Christmas gift for either of my nieces. I should get it... Is there anyone having a birthday soon? I should stock up on more toys to give as gifts..."
"Wow! Boys' fall clothes are 50% OFF. FALL? But, it's still a 100-zillion degrees here. Oh well! I should probably stock up anyway. Four new fall outfits for my son, it is!"
"Oh! I need to get some new photo frames for the living room... Is that mirror on sale?"
... and that's how they get you.
photo by CarolineO
I get a flier from them touting an "additional 20% percent" or "everything in the store 1/2 off" about once a week, but am hesitant to go because it's always a zoo. A messy, dirty, disorganized zoo.
Remember that episode of Sex in the City when the girls were in L.A. and Samantha took Carrie all the way to the Valley to buy a fake Fendi bag. Then, Carrie just couldn't buy one, because none of the purses looked very special piled in boxes in the trunk of that beat-up car. Well, that's how I feel at Kohl's...
Nothing looks very special when you have to sift for it amongst the slinky see-through juniors duds and the 3X tops cramped together on the 75-80% off rack....
...or you have to look for it on the floor than hasn't seen a vacuum cleaner since the store opened...
FIVE years ago.
The one thing Kohl's has going for it is that it's CHEAP. Having to live on a tight budget, I'm not above wearing $5 off-brand T-shirts (in public, no less). It's just that much less painful when they get ruined with flying pasta sauce or greasy diaper cream. Replacing soiled shirts is precisely what I was doing at Kohl's on this day.
As luck would have it, I found what I was looking for right away and was ready to leave when I noticed how quietly and contently my son was playing with his dog, Blue. He was fed, diapered, and seated in his stroller... Now is the moment!
Shopping post-motherhood is much like feeding time on the Serengeti. You never know when you're next golden shopping opportunity will trot along, so you lunge, grab, and devour every last bit of it for as long as you can.Opportunities to hunt your prey may be far between. Sometimes you have to wait an entire season before you can hunt again...
It takes a great deal of patience, but you get used to it, even if you're still wearing last year's catch. That's just life on the plains.
My son is usually all about "exerting his will" on our shopping trips- climbing out of the grocery cart, pulling things off shelves (putting them back in the wrong place), or trying to run out of the store. It seems that all the alone time in the sandbox earlier in the day wore him out and he was happy humming to himself in the stroller. I wasn't about to let this opportunity pass me by.
Immediately, my mind was racing with everything I needed to get...
"Hey, didn't our friends say that they're having a girl. Surely, there will be a baby shower for them. I'll need a gift. LOOK! baby clothes are on sale. I'll just get these two outfits..."
"I should get another pair of capri pants for my girls' trip next month..."
"Ooooh! A pretty pink tea set. That would be a great Christmas gift for either of my nieces. I should get it... Is there anyone having a birthday soon? I should stock up on more toys to give as gifts..."
"Wow! Boys' fall clothes are 50% OFF. FALL? But, it's still a 100-zillion degrees here. Oh well! I should probably stock up anyway. Four new fall outfits for my son, it is!"
"Oh! I need to get some new photo frames for the living room... Is that mirror on sale?"
... and that's how they get you.
photo by CarolineO
6 comments:
OMG, I was actually laughing out loud on this post.
I feel the same way about Kohl's - and how they have THE BIGGEST SALE EVER running each week. Yet I shop there because I too am not above it.
And I love how we feel the need to buy all that we can while shopping - I think it means we either don't get out enough unfortunately or we're too busy to get out more.
Excellent!
The Kohls near us is very nice. But yes, they suck you in. The last time I went in there I intended to buy an extra bathing suit for my 3 year old. That's it.
I bought several shorts & tops for me, 2 bathing suits, 2 new beach towels, a beach bag, place mats, and an outfit for each of my boys. Oy. That store is dangerous.
Luckily I work for myself and can shop during the day. Phew!
I totally hear what you're saying about Kohl's. Love the prices, hate sifting through the mess. Think that's why I shop online as much as possible.
Kohl's vies with Walmart for the top spot in Shopping Hell. All the people running into you with those unwieldy black carts, yelling at their kids, and acting like you're trying to grab all the best clearance stuff before they can makes me crazy! So I make the 40-minute drive to Macy's, where I can get better deals on well-made stuff and shop with the civilized folk.
Kohl's sales are very dangerous. I've shopped there once, and spent right at $300.
Very dangerous place.
Post a Comment