POV: Sale is a trap. 3 experts and 10 tips get us out of it.

And just in time.

[Trigger warning: I’m talking sales, which may be affecting for some. I also use the word “sniper” to talk about setting your sights on a sale item. I do not intend for that to minimize the value I place on human life and loss all over the world. Please feel free to skip all or part of this accordingly.]

I met up with a friend recently who offhandedly mentioned something like this, (I’m paraphrasing): “You know, how everything on sale is bad.”

And then there’s this recent aside from

laura reilly

: “Kallmeyer’s archive sale reads like a new-in page, unlike other markdown edits that tell you in complete sentences why no one was paying pull price.”

And finally, it was this, from

Leandra Medine Cohen

“If I get those khaki shorts, I will probably wear the hell out of them and love how I feel. And if I don’t, I’ll be totally fine.”

All of it, swirling in my brain and ultimately crystalizing a creeping suspicion of mine. That sale is bad. Very bad.

A creeping suspicion of mine: That sale is bad. Very bad.

For me, it goes like this. If I love something deeply enough that it makes sense to buy it, I’ll buy it and start getting the cost per wear down right away. (And even when I had very little money, I’d do a version of this. I’d sell things I had and make it happen.) Now let’s say I don’t, and instead I heart or wishlist or whatever, thinking I’ll buy it on sale. And then sale comes around. And I feel all, “I’m so great, I’m so smart. Something I already wanted now on sale!” But what actually happens is, the holy-grailiness of this moment removes my going through my usual checks, weighing and reweighing of it all. The one-two punch of a) my liking it at some point and b) it going on sale — this acts as an instant “license to buy” when often, because I wasn’t compelled enough to pull the trigger in the first place, the truth is I’ve moved on and could live without it.

And then there’s the Leandra scenario, which I often feel in sale, where (again feeling kinda smug), I think: “I’ll stick to really practical useful pieces,” and end up with the proverbial khaki shorts. Things I may wear the hell out of. But would also have been just fine without. I don’t want to buy those things. Sale makes me do it.

But on the other hand, here comes my astute and beloved Liza Belmonte of Every Body Gets Dressed: "A shopping rule I have for myself: If it’s not on sale, it’s not worth it."

So obviously this is heady and divisive stuff. I decided to reach out a few friends (smart, shopp-y friends) and gather more data.

The Sniper

First up, Therese Jacinto of Craft and Couture. Here’s what she says about her sale shopping: “[A]lmost all my favorite pieces are sale scores! …. I rarely pay full price for anything. I’m a true bargain hunter and typically shop the big sales in the winter (Dec-January) and summer (June-July). The selection at Ssense is outstanding so that’s always my first stop! I also check out Tibi, The Row, Toteme, COS and The Frankie Shop. Also, I try to support local small businesses so if there’s anything I’m eyeing and it’s available at Le Point or McMullen (two of the best boutiques in the Bay Area) then I opt to spend my dollars there. “

And I must admit, when I look at her sale scores, I’m throbbing with hot jealousy impressed.