Soggy Deals

This post will be a little different than usual, but I felt I must share my dismay with my shopping trip today.

I went to Target today to buy diapers and got quite a shock. The diapers I've been buying for 3 1/2 years have suddenly shrunk in package size AND increased in price! Two months ago, I bought a box of Huggies Supremes that came with 76 diapers (I think) for $19.99. This is actually $1.50 more than I could buy them for in Wisconsin (plus a 3% sales tax increase), so I was already in an adjustment period to my increased diaper cost. Today, the largest size box only contained 64 diapers, and it was ON SALE for $21 (reg. price: $21.99. HUGE sale. Thanks, Target, for the help.) I saw no sign or empty shelf space for the larger sized box. Nope. My diapers had been downsized and their cost upsized. Darn this economy that may or may not be a recession!

Since we primarily use cloth diapers, a box of 76 diapers lasts us close to 2 months, so our diaper expense has been relatively low. This is how I've been able to afford the Supremes, which seem to be cut a little more baby-butt-friendly, instead of the regular Huggies. I may soon be rethinking this. Man, this irks me! Fundamentally, I know why Huggies would do this. But, gosh, I hate being screwed by companies who essentially have your hands tied to their products. I realize there are other diaper brands out there, but I really like my Huggies. A few months back, I veered off-track and bought a close-out special of Pampers Baby-Dry (136 diapers for $17.99!), which should be renamed Pampers "Sheets-Wet" b/c almost every morning Kyler awoke in pee-soaked sheets. The diapers actually leaked through the absorbant "fabric" or whatever it is diapers are made of, not out of the sides where all other diapers seem to leak. This not only created wet sheets and pjs but also a soggy diaper inside and out. It was like he was wearing a wet sponge. Weird.

So, what did I do? I'm sure the suspense is killing you. . . I bought the diapers. Actually, I bought 2 boxes. No, I haven't gone crazy or fallen into some money-wasting parallel universe. By buying 2 boxes of these riduculously priced diapers, Target gave me a $5 gift card. Plus, I used a $1.50 coupon. So, instead of $42, I essentially got 128 diapers for $35.50, which, if your math skills are wicked sharp, is more than twice what I paid for the Pampers, per diaper. But, the Supremes never leak, so I'm saving in laundry costs, and I go through the diapers more slowly (b/c they're more absorbant). This price gouging; however, will shift my diapering habits. Kyler will now only be wearing disposables to bed and on long trips.

That'll Be $261.27, Please

Yesterday I went looking for a shirt for Beckett to wear for his 3 yr. picture. (Yes, he turned 3 way back in March, but we were moving then, and time got the best of us, and now it's July, so I figure we should get this kid a photo shoot before we forget he was ever 3.) He has plenty of cute t-shirts, but not any picture-worthy shirts, at least not any without strawberry stains, and absolutley nothing he owns coordinated with Kyler's outfit. So, I loaded up the kids and headed to the mall. We went to the really nice mall, the one with Neiman's and Barney's, in part because it's the closest to our house and in part because it's my favorite place to window shop. Because it's an upper-class mall, it doesn't have stores like The Children's Place or even Gymboree. It has kids' stores with fancy French names that carry clothes so pretty I'd be afraid to let my children leave the house in them. Check that, I'd be afraid to let my children come in 50 feet of them.

So, why, on our modest budget did I choose this mall to find Beckett a shirt? Good question! Because it's 102 degrees in late August, so logically all the stores have summer clothes on clearance to make room for the back-to-school sweaters the kids in Dallas can wear on the one cold day this coming winter.

I venture into Crewcuts, the kids' version of J.Crew and glance at the new fall fashions up front. You know, just to see. I mean, how bad could it be? Everything in this store's in English. That's gotta make it cheaper, right? Well, how about a cashmere sweater for your 3 year old for $199? That way, he can look trendy and sophisticated and feel oh so cozy as he's gluing popsicle sticks to construction paper in preschool. After all, Clinton and Stacy on What Not to Wear swear you haven't lived until you've worn cashmere, and I want my son to live! Those other kids in their sensible discount store cottyn/poly knock-offs will be sooo envious!

I put down the sweater and head to the clearance racks at the back of the store. Of course, like in all kids' clothing stores, there are racks upon racks of adorable girls' clothes waiting to be swept up at discounted rates, while there's one pathetic, half-rack of boys' clothes. I guess boys get the message young, "clothes are not important for you. just cover yourself and be done," leaving us women to pick up the pieces of this industry-driven sabotage years down the road so men don't look like, well, men. Okay, but I'm off-track. Back to the high-priced shopping. I find a great pair of Madras plaid shorts. I know, I went looking for a shirt, but the shorts are fantastic and would look great with the wellies I got on clearance at Target last week (3 bucks!). (Did I mention we're having his picture taken in a creek? Seriously, he's going to be romping around in a creek.) I pick up the shorts, which were originally priced at $58 (I don't even have $58 shorts), but are marked down to $19.99. Still a little pricey, but I can make it work. And, come on, he's going to be wearing shorts into November, so he'll get wear out of them. I find a great coordinating polo shirt marked down to $9.99 from $36, and I go to the register.

There's a lady in front of me buying, by what I can tell from peering obviously over her shoulder, one outfit for her son. Looks like some pants, a t-shirt of some kind and a zippered hoodie. If you're quick, you can tell by my title above what her total was. If not, I'll spell it out for you: $261.27. Yep, that's one outfit. Okay, okay, the hoodie could technically be considered a winter jacket (it is Texas, after all) and, therefore, increase it's versatility. So, yeah, now that I think about, that was totally worth the $261.27. I'm rethinking things. Where'd I put that cashmere sweater?!