Sticker Shock Craziness and the Voices In My Head
Today, I walked into a Stride Rite store to get my eight year old a pair of shoes. I don’t know if I am totally out of touch, but, seriously? Sixty dollars for kids shoes?
My kids are the fidgity type. I do dress them up like little ladies, but they have all this energy, you see. So they don’t just “stand” in line. They fidget and scrape the toes of their shoes on the floor. No wonder we go through so many shoes. They need steel toes so they don’t scrape the leather. Know what I mean?
So, after sticker shock, I looked on the 50% off racks. At 50% off, I still paid $20. Honesty.
I have another confession. I bought two items in the American Girl Store today. It totally rubs me the wrong way to spend as much on a doll outfit as I would to clothe my own child.
I stood in line with a lump in my throat holding my two little boxes. I was like number 15 in line. And the other women had armfuls. I thought to myself “These people are crazy!” but at the same time, the voice inside my head was saying the same thing to me. lol
All the way back from the AG store, I have been wrestling with returning it. Maybe I have a split personality. I don’t know. The sensible side of me says “Of course, this is craziness! Return it! They are doll clothes for heavens sake!!” The other side of me says “They will be so surprised on Christmas morning. You stayed within budget.” It is gut wrenching.
Do you go through this craziness?
That is why I let the grandparents and aunts get those things. Their only concern is getting them what they want (within reason). Which their within reason is stretched further than my within reason.LOL I do the crazy black Friday shopping and stash things throut the year when I find a great bargain. I may not be the hero of the day for their favorite gift, but that’s okay. Like you said, in no time that toy will be under the couch or bed and forgotten.
I would like to say I have no idea what you’re talking about! Instead, I’ll just say that I TOTALLY relate.
Does it make you feel better to know you have company in the craziness? 😉
Yes, Anne. Craziness loves company. 🙂
I absolutely have the same conversations with myself all the time! I simply will not spend $60 on something my kids are going to wear for 3 months until they outgrow them. And Dave and I were absolutely shocked when we went on the AGD website. My mom bought my daughter a bed for her American Girl Doll which is almost as expensive as an actual bed for a real person! And $28 for a doll dress? What?!?! I don’t spend $28 on dresses for my actual, live children! What is going on here? We read the books because I love historical fiction and the strong female protagonists are wonderful role models for girls – but there are ads for dolls at the back of the books and now my kids are hooked! Not to mention that the company outsources it’s manufacturing to China and the dolls are made of PVC plastic and other materials that are not of the highest quality. O.K I will stop now. I could write a book about this!
Katy, you crack me up. The dress I bought was $38!! The whole time I am thinking to myself “Why am I doing this? I am so against this.” I really felt like a crazy woman–totally torn between what the girls wanted and my aversion to consumerism. These two worlds collide in the American Girl store, I tell ya! 🙂 Then we bought the flute set for mere $30. It will be under my couch in two weeks flat. lol.
AND the company is SO cheap. Their sales are always like $2 off. Really? It is like highway robbery. UGH!! Then, I go into Gymboree for a few shirts for Hope and think “I’ll wait for that to go down.” I know it is messed up, which is why it bothers me so much, I guess. 🙂 I am smarter than this marketing ploy!! 🙂
How about sewing them. http://www.ebay.com/sch/items/american%20girl%20patterns?_dmd=1&_sop=12 A little late for this year, but maybe the next or a pattern for Christmas that they can learn to sew themselves.