I went to the mall this week.  I went to buy a birthday card at the mall  (yes, have been inundated with birthdays these few months) and realized as I was walking through the mall in my sweatpants, without make up on, and pretty much looking like a homeless person, I hadn’t been the the mall since February.  It has been NINE months since I’ve been to the mall.  That was pretty shocking to me since I used to get withdrawal symptoms for not going to the mall on a weekly basis.  It also didn’t help that I worked in the mall during university.

I was tempted by all the shiny things, all the marketing, the promotions, but thankfully I was pressed for time and didn’t stop by these shops.  Otherwise, who knows what kind of damage I might do.

I do enjoy walking through the mall, and I enjoy people watching and sometimes I wonder how often these people I see walking through the mall regularly come to the mall?  I reckon that people who are walking quickly like I did don’t go to malls that often… because like me, they want to “get in and get out”.

Which got me curious to take a general poll (though it might be biased since most commenters are PF bloggers and we KNOW how PF bloggers have some sort of invisible shield that prevents impulsive tempations to head to the mall).

Readers, how often do you go to the mall? Are you a “get in get out” kind of guy or gal? Or a meandering type of shopper who enjoys the process?

PF Blog Love

• Sandy from yes I am cheap wants to know if you think she’s driven or if she’s a workaholic.  Do you think there’s a difference?
• Financial Samurai discusses about how improving at golf is analogous to improving at life.  Both are impossible after a while.
• Like me, Boomer and Echo also enjoy talking about depressing subjects (oh you know I do!  like my advanced care planning post or my will post), and talks about how Power of Attorneys are important.
• Invest it Wisely teaches us how to back up stuff on the Cloud.  When I did my IOS upgrade for my iPhone 4, I was offered to sign up for the Cloud.  I still don’t know how to use it because I am a technophobe like that.
• How to Save Money (.ca) shares 11 car buying tips (and all 11 of them are fantastic tips)
• My Own Advisor tallies up the vote on your take of the BEST Canadian bank stocks to own 
• As I digest the lobster I ate (you can read all about it on twitter), Miss T from Prairie Eco Thrifter talks about the eco-friendly benefits of being vegetarian
• My fellow Vancouverite and fellow Virgo, Dividend Ninja is giving away Gail Vaz Oxlade’s new book, Never Too Late.  Head on over to enter! I know I did
• Little House in the Valley talks about selling the American Dream
• Fabulously Frugirl shares some lessons she learned while dog sitting (though not for my dog lol)
• My University Money has a great post on how to do well on exams (I must have mind-read this post because I did well on my midterm… woot!)
• The Wealth Canadian practises what he preaches and puts his Ride in the Tide portfolio in action

Have a great weekend guys!  One week before Halloween when all the girls have a seemingly valid excuse to dress skanky!

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This post is for all the frugalistas out there.  I was clearing out my closet the other day when I came across my favourite pair of jeans.  They’re Hudsons (you know, the jeans Jessica Alba, Katherine Heigl, and Kate Hudson wear). Of course I took a minute to admire them- so much so I took a picture of them lol…  I bought them about three years ago in the states, and I’ll admit, they were over $100.  $150 to be exact.  Back then, I vowed to myself to never ever buy $100+ pair of jeans.    When I look back though, I wear these jeans a LOT.  Probably about 80% of the time.  They always fit nicely, they make my small butt look decent (the secret is the pocket placement, girls), and they don’t give me a muffin top (which is a look that is getting harder and harder avoid achieving these days, believe me).  They haven’t even torn yet (knock on wood).

I have a philosophy when it comes to clothes shopping.  If something makes you look good, I mean- really good, and you know you’re going to wear it a lot, and it’s a key staple, then you should buy it.  I often think of money spent on clothes as “cost per use”.  So the first time I wore those jeans, they were $150.  The second time, they cost $75/day.  The third time, they cost $37.50… you get the point.  I know it’s not mathematical or scientific by any means, but I feel that the more I wear something, the more “worth it” it becomes.  You’ll know it’s worth the money you spent on it when you’ve used it so many times that you’ve lost count.

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I know that as Canadians and Americans, we like to hang out at the mall.  We must, because otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people in them every time I venture in.  (I think… “what recession??” when I venture into the mall).  I used to work in a mall when I was working at a department store in high school and university.  I know how dangerous they can be- I think I was spending a lot of what I was making!!  Shopping on my breaks.  Taking advantage of the sales in the shops.  So I would be perusing the shops at the mall at least twice a week.

Nowadays, I go maybe… a few times a year?  I don’t go unless I absolutely need something (or when I need to Christmas present shop).  I really can’t window shop. I can’t (especially when there are end of season sales tempting me).

That’s why, when today, Mr. youngandthrifty wanted to get a haircut at the mall, and asked me to come with him, I thought “ughhh!! I will have to test my will power again!”   Initially, I thought I would do some more grocery shopping for an hour (but I did some earlier that day already and got everything I needed for the week.. basically I was lying to myself- giving myself an excuse to go to the mall) so I ended up checking out some of the clothing shops.

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So my recent big purchase, as you know, was on Boxing Day of the Macbook Pro that I semi-impulsively bought online through Future Shop.  Did I get the dreaded Boxing Day Hangover?

No, I think not.  Even though I spent big bucks on the Macbook, I still think it’s “worth it”.

So how does one tell if buys are worth it?

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Hope everyone had a good and relaxing holiday with loved ones!

This past week has been really hectic for me (hence the sporadic posting).  I was working Boxing Day and somehow managed to still spend money.  Curse those shops that open past 5pm, curse them.  Curse you, Future Shop for having an online sale!

Boxing Day is known to be the day where people start lining up at electronics retailers like Best Buy and Future Shop at 1am on Boxing Day to get the best deals on their 52 ” flat screen LCD TVs, DVD players, and computers.

I think a lot of psychological aspects come into play on Boxing Day.  You spend all this time waiting in line and if you don’t end up buying anything, you feel ripped off of your time.  If you do end up impulse buying, you feel remorse afterwards.

I call this phenomenon the Boxing Day Hangover.

Especially when the receipt says “FINAL SALE”.

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