The Allure of the Deal

What is it about a deal that makes people lose all semblance of rationality and buy something they normally wouldn’t? I had a friend who was willing to buy a Versace dress 2 sizes too big and hideous as hell for the chance to say I have a Versace dress. I mean it was 90% off but at $2000, it still would have cost her $200. Good price but red carpet material it wasn’t. We’ve all been guilty of buying something we never wanted simply because the deal was too good to pass up. Just recently I was boxing day shopping when I came across a stunning Armani jacket for $400, marked down from $1200 retail. Now I’ve always wanted to own an Armani anything so I tried it on. Wouldn’t you know it, it was a perfect fit. I stood in front of the mirror admiring myself and like Nicolas Cage in the family man thought “I don’t know why but this jacket makes me a better person.. When I got home I looked at my shoe rack and thought “Now which pair of $60 outlet shoes should I match with it”?

We get ripped off

Why is it that we as Canadians pay so much more for the exact same products? For example, the Weber Genesis E-320 BBQ sells for $960 at Sears Canada and $800 on "sale" at Home Depot Canada. But at Newegg in the states, it costs $600 delivered! What's going on here? Another example is the Kitchenaid Artisan KSM150WPSWH mixer. It's $450 at The Bay, but it's only $229 with free shipping at Amazon. To me, this is such a ripoff. I say it's worth it to buy from the states and either get it shipped to a friend near the border or just ship it to a postal outlet such as The Letter Carrier or TSB Shipping in Point Roberts, Washington. You don't need to notify them, just use their address as the shipping address. When you go down there, just pay $3 to pick up the item and you've just saved yourself a bundle. Of course with some US merchants, you cannot purchase from their websites if you do not have a credit card registered with a US address. With Amazon.com, you can use a Canadian address as the billing address. But not with Newegg; therefore, you need a good friend or relative in the states to help you purchase the item. But it's well worth the trouble to save so much.