What's the best bargain you ever got?

Published on September 24, 2006 By dharmagrl In Misc

I just left a response to Locamama's excellent article 'What's the most expensive thing you ever bought?' and it got me to thinking about the best bargains I ever got. I'm a big bargain shopper and LOVE to get a great deal!

I bargain shop mainly for clothes and shoes, but occasionally for the house and electronics too, so I'll list the best bargain I got in each of those categories.

Clothes: A Calvin Klein jacket and pant set that was tagged with a retail price of $160. I paid $10 for it: it was marked with a 75% off tag, and the day I found it the store was offering an additional 75% off the clearance price. I wear that set every chance I get, it's comfortable and well made and I love it!

Shoes: A pair of black knee high leather boots. The original price was $110 but I paid $15 for them (the lady at the register couldn't believe that they were that cheap and had to go look up the UPC code in the store database to make sure I hadn't switched price stickers or something. I didn't appreciate her insinuating that I was a theif, so I bought those boots and never shopped in that store again).

Household items: A red tapestry bedpread and matching pillow shams for $11.25. It started out with a $90 price tag on it and has been marked with a 75% off sticker. The day I got it the BX was having a 50% off the clearance price sale. It's really heaving and warm, and I love it!

Electronics: About 6 weeks ago, the BX had a bunch of PS2 and XBox games for 75% off the original price. I bought a bunch of them, and whilst I cannot recall the actual price of them, I do remember looking at the receipt and seeing 'You saved $525' printed at the bottom of it. That was a VERY good thing to see!

What about you, JU? What's the best bargain you ever got?

Comments

Locamama

on Sep 24, 2006

Wow Dharma, I need to start shopping with you. I do shop the clearance rack but don't know that I ever got such great deals as you did. The other day I hit Targe and bought six shirts and a pair of shorts for my boys for under $25. I was impressed with my bargain hunting skills. The nice thing about my boys is that they are so easy. They will wear pretty much anything I buy them.

Locamama

on Sep 24, 2006

Oh, I forgot I got a dustbuster that was $38. for $10 because they had signed it wrong at Walmart.

Trudygolightly

on Sep 24, 2006

The divorce from my second husband! Best investment I ever made, it was the best expenditure of money ever!

foreverserenity

on Sep 24, 2006

A pair of boots for $4 and that was two weeks ago!

T Shirts for 3 bucks! An outfit for 6 bucks for my four year old.

A tv with VCR for free, picked up on the curb; someone who moved out tossed it and everything works beautifully!

Art work for 3 bucks.

I love a bargain!

jennifer1

on Sep 24, 2006

WWW Link Jack.

That would have to be Jack - the littlist pony I have got. I paid 90 guinies (spelling) for his sorry bedraggled little ass at the pony sales, I got him back up to good health and have never regretted a minute of it.

For sure the best bargain - the best pet - the best friend - has to be Jack.

Dr Guy

on Sep 24, 2006

Hmm, for me it was that Mama's and Papa's album that I picked up for 25 cents! And not a scratch on it! I love Mama Cass Elliott.

Gideon MacLeish

on Sep 24, 2006

My best bargain ever was a book that I bought in a large lot. My price per book was 5 cents each, and this book resold for $50.00 on the spot. I was proud of that find.

Of course, I could also mention the computer game I bought for $1.00 and resold for $75, or the "Hooked on Phonics" set I bought for $5 and resold for $35. I know you're talking about bargains on personal items, but I consider MADE money as important as SAVED money.

If I'm not actually KING of the cheapskates, I'm definitely part of the royal family. Because I factor in quality as part of defining a "bargain". For instance, I know one cheapskate who brags about getting day old white bread with no nutritional value for next to nothing, and while I am cheap, I don't like the idea of skimping on nutrition and calling it "thrift". Similarly, in household appliances, if it breaks down the day after you bought it, you didn't actually SAVE anything.

One of my favorite deals on the household front was the good used washer and deep freeze we bought for a combined total of $150 when we moved in here. I haggled pretty hard on that one, and came in $50 under budget...and both appliances are still in good working order today, nearly 2 years after their purchase.

Shovelheat

on Sep 24, 2006

I was needing an engine for a Ford Pickup I had once and a guy had an old pickup for sale with a 302 CID engine in it that he told me he would sell for $300. So I paid him and loaded his old pickup up on a trailer to take home with me with the intention of taking the 302 out and overhauling it and putting the engine in my pickup and selling the remains of his old truck for salvage. But...

I happen to stop at a used car lot on the way home with an idea. The man at the used car lot said he wanted the pickup I had on the trailer and would give me $300 for it PLUS a 351 CID engine (A better engine than a 302) that he already had pulled and on an engine stand. IT'S A DEAL! I told him. So...I ended up getting a better engine than I was origanlly wanting PLUS $300 PLUS not having to do the work of pulling an engine. A pretty good bargain. Wished I could do it again...

Spc Nobody Special

on Sep 24, 2006

My wife.

After that, a 67 MGB, that (no s**t there I was) I got as a pizza delivery tip. Which I recently gave to my brother-in-law. Sigh.........

Texas Wahine

on Sep 24, 2006

I bought a used microwave about 9 years ago for $25 at a furniture store.

It's a really nice one with all sorts of features and it still works great.

I also like clearance sales. I got GAP Halloween t-shirts for the boys for .99 a few years ago, and I regularly shop GAP and Old Navy clearance and save $100+ per outing.

Several years ago Target was running Christmas items 90% off, and I got t-shirts, lights, Christmas cards, and a really nice wreath for super cheap. I think I might have paid $1-2 for the wreath, and it's great. I use it every year.

I got a fairly expensive, perfect condition bassinet for Isabella at a garage sale a few months ago and only paid $10 for it. I got her dresser (great condition, nice piece of furniture) for $50.

, the two diaper bags I'm looking at are $60 and $120 respectively. I enjoy cheap, but spendy works, too.

ParaTed2k

on Sep 29, 2006

I bought a 1976 plymouth for $1.... and it was worth every penny!!! :~D

MasonM

on Sep 29, 2006

I suppose the best bargain I ever got was when I started college I bought a 69 Olds Cutlass for $40. I was still driving it when I graduated.

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