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Thursday, December 27, 2007

A Wife's First Clearance Sale in Australia

A lot of people are very happy today---including me---because clearance sales started in the suburbs this morning. Clearance sales is one of the most awaited events here in Australia. As in people wait as early at 7:30am outside the shops before opening because the sale can go up to 75% off the marked price (or even higher pa nga). And it's really worth the effort to be early coz you get nice stuff and ones that you really really like in your size.

As early as 9:30am (we were hoping to be at the shops at 8:00am--que horror!), we were at Westpoint in Blacktown rummaging thru christmas decors, christmas wrappers, cooking wares, dining wares, bed sheets and clothes. Myer was the first store I went to and in less than an hour, I was able to buy a Tefal non-stick pan (for frying eggs--how specific can I get hehehe), 3 sets of bed sheets (quilt covers, fitted sheets, pillowcases), 2 white serving platters and christmas wrappers (will be used for next year).

A friend of mine (who wants to remain Anonymous) gave us a queen-size bed cushion as a gift (thank you talaga Anonymous) for no reason. So when Chris and I move in together, at least, we'll just buy a bed frame. It's really a big help to us who's just starting from scratch. That's why I bought bed sheets today, at least it was 40-50% off the marked price.

At one part of my home shopping, I was a bit bitchy coz I felt "bwisit" because it's hard being a "single" wife. As some of you know, I'm petite, and I have a very small body frame. It is always hard for me to carry stuff really. My cuzin even heard me mumbling, "bwisit, bwisit, ang hirap nang walang asawa, wala akong taga-dala ng pinamili ko". Take note that at the time, I was carrying diningwares and my tefal frying pan and I hope you know how heavy those stuff can be. Not to mention that I have Tendonitis too (inflammation of tendons on my wrist), so it really is an effort for me to carry heavy things. But inspite of my "bwisit" moments happy pa rin ako syempre. Worth it naman since super sale talaga. After paying, I just asked my cuzin Rachel to accompany me to the car and put my stuff there.

At eleven o'clock, I met up with my cuzin Dominic to have lunch and hang out for the rest fo the afternoon.

After lunch we went to another suburban mall this time in Castle Hill. I went to Myer again, this time to look for a trolley bag for travelling. The last trolley bag I used and abused for years (that trolley bag has been everywhere--Baguio, Laguna, Cebu, Bohol, Davao, Sydney, HK) died on me while I was on my way back here in February this year. As in it broke while I was in Changi Airport (Singapore stopover). So today I hoped to get a new one that I can use for next year. Good thing we saw this red trolley bag at 50% off. Yay!!!! And while looking around the at the Women's section, I saw this black bag (I could use for work and lakwatsa) I've been lusting at since time immemorial and it was 40% off. Double yay!!!

Used to be that I hate going to clearance sales--I'm not a fan really. I hate lots of people in shops. Before, I'd rather stay home kung sale lang din, my philosophy is to buy even if it's not on sale basta comfortable ako nung binili ko yung gusto ko. But it's different now. I'm married and I need all the sale that I could get my hands on because my priority is to buy what our home will need and not what I want, especially that a lot of stuff here is expensive. And of course, I'd like to maximize the money that we have. My cuzin said "you're so kuripot", and i replied back to him "what's the sense of buying something expensive when you can find something of the same quality in a cheaper price? kaya nga tayo nandito sa shops today 'no?"

I have actually seen a change in me today and that is buying stuff for the house first and not thinking much about what I can buy for myself, even if what I bought is something of a need too. On the way to the shops this morning, my thoughts were of the bed sheets that I was aching to buy. I have that sense of urgency talaga to start buying sheets now. And I told myself too that I won't buy stuff for myself not unless I'm able to buy stuff for the house first. That's a good sign in lots of ways diba? Very wifely na ako. :)

And another thing, next year, other than having a Christmas Fund (budget for buying Christmas gifts and Noche Buena and Media Noche food), we'll also have a Clearance Sale Fund so that when Clearance Sales begin, we'll have more money to spend on those 40-50% off goodies.