Finding the Value in Bargains

I was out on the hunt for a professional dress recently and learned to take caution. It's great to save money during sales as long as the item is good enough to wear it a lot. We need to feel absolutely fabulous with the way we present ourselves.

Shop 1 was a little place at the entrance of a train station. Sizes went up to a very small 12 that didn't stand a chance with my big tall build. The next attempt was a little store in the corner of the train station. It was tucked away next to the restrooms. That on its own was not the problem. I tried on a stretchy size 12 shift dress with help from the adorable sales lady. She seemed really excited about how I looked in it, and reminded me that it was only $20. I completely believed her when she said it wasn't too short. The dress felt kinda hot.

But I later realised the deviation from the original goal of finding something professional and flattering. Maybe this lady doesn't get a lot of sales, and would say anything to convince me to spend. I tried the dress on again at home. Even standing in the mirror, it felt really tight and short enough to be worn by Charlie's Angels. The dress hugged my flawed figure way too much when I sat down on the couch. That dress might come out for a party night in the city. But definitely not for any professional endeavours. It can get stored away with the $5 swimsuit that will be perfect after losing 10 kilos 'on the self-control diet.'

Maybe you expect me to say good things only come with big price tags. But I have found plenty of bargains in the past that were quite successful. These failed finds were 2 rare occurrences. The trick is to just be careful. Trust your gut instinct more than the chick who needs the commission. And when occasional big saves turn out to be little help, keep this motto: don't think twice, it's alright.