The real cost of sales!

It has become a part of my routine to check my email or text messages and see alerts of fantastic sales from the stores that I shop. They promise great bargains and I used to be excited to go and check them out.

Recently however, I realized that the sales were really no great bargains and at times you ended up purchasing items that you never needed in the first place.  I think one of the reasons I got a little smarted about shopping is the fact that my money does not stretch as far as it used to a few years ago.

Nail Polish Disaster

Buying a complete outfit used to cost between $3000-$4000 but now that has skyrocketed to $6000 – $7000. Rising cost has certainly put a dent in my shopping especially as I am more interested in quality than simply saving a dollar.

For example, there are some items that I refuse to buy from a bin.  The side of the bin might be 50% off but often the quality of the item is also lacking its best features. Recently I entered a store that mostly sells fashion jewelry and make up and saw that they had advertised a sale.

I saw my favourite brand of nail polish which normally retails for $500 being sold for only $100! I was excited about the prospect of getting such a bargain so after checking the bottle and confirming what I thought was a great buy I headed towards the counter.  I also bought nail polish remover and nail file so that I could complement the new look.

Imagine my dismay when the nail polish wouldn’t open at first even after many attempts to do so when it  finally opened I was faced with an empty bottle.  Despite my efforts to check the bottle, I had not realized that all the polish had dried up leaving a colourful paperweight.

So how much money did I lose at this sale? Well not only was I out of the $100 I used to purchase the polish, I was also unable to use the other items I purchased and I would still need a new bottle of nail polish.

Words to the Wise

I could have returned the product to the store and gotten a refund but by the time that I discovered the problem the store had already closed. My advice is although some sales offer good deals, be very careful and check items thoroughly before you purchase them.  Some items such as makeup and other personal care should be carefully examined.

So what’s your take on the issue? Let me hear from you!

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: sales, shopping