To 'Sale' or Not to 'Sale'

That is the question. It's the sale that every woman knows about, the sale that many women save up for. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is undoubtedly one of the biggest sales of the year, especially here in downtown Seattle where it all started. All the hottest trends for the Fall are debuted at a less than original price, and everyone wants a piece of it. The store even hires extra staff just for the sale itself. Opening day is like letting the female shopper floodgates open.

I, myself, am guilty of being one of them. Don't get me wrong. I didn't stand at the doors before opening hours with my hands tapping on the glass like many shoppers do. I'd wait a day or two or three before hitting the trenches--when the crowd has gone from chaotic to ridiculously crowded. You see, over the years I've become much more strategic about it. When I was younger, I'd just go on day one of the sale and spend hours in the mayhem and come home exhausted. Gradually, the strategy has become to evaluate my wardrobe and see what I "need" before arriving at the sale so that I have a goal, rather than aimlessly wandering amidst insanity. I get what I want and go, with minimal exposure to the chaos of all the crazy shoppers. Even then a 3-item shopping list can last at least 2 hours. These days, I don't even want to be around the manic shoppers. I'm sure I can score some great deals, but the crowd... Just the thought of it makes me want to take a nap. Then again, I am on summer break and I am not pressed for time. However, it does become quite brutal waiting and waiting and waiting for a dressing room, getting a shoe size, cashing out, etc. And it's not just the crowd that is my big con, but there's also this: year after year, I end up buying some items that are not even at sale price. So why even go?

Well, you go because you can get a really good deal on really nice things! It's that simple. Nordstrom is known for its quality. Quality merchandise and quality customer service, and 999 times out of 1,000 they will deliver. You also go to get a good look on what's going to be big in the fall, and you get it at a reasonable price. On top of that, they're one of the only stores that carry my tiny shoe size. We all know that's a BIG pro.

So... do I go?

Well, I guess the true question is: What's more valuable? My time or money?