Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Sale Away

Today was a Big Day in France. It was the Start of the Sales. WHOOPPEEE. They like things nicely regimented here, so everyone has to start their sale on the same day, and finish some weeks later on the same day too. You know where you are with the sales in France.

Except that, since everyone likes to cheat and break the regulations wherever possible which is half the fun, businesses have come up with various ways of getting round them, draconian as they are... just a little bit. For example, since the beginning of the week, I've been bombarded with emails for 'ventes privées' - private pre-sale shopping at bargain prices. I also got an invitation from Intersport, since I'm an Intersport card holder, to a pre-sale bonanza last night. I didn't go.

At other times, shops can hold a birthday sale around the date they opened the shop, and of course there are the special offers all the year round. If you look hard enough, you can usually find what you want at below retail price.

Did I go dashing into to town to snap up must-haves, want-haves, naughty-but-nice-haves, oh-bugger-bad-choice-haves or can't-resist-haves? No. Well, yes. I had to go into town anyway, and while I was there, I popped into Virgin. I nearly snapped up two items not in the sale, then came to my senses.

I went to see my favourite bank manager who is such a jolly lass that I'm sure she'd be great fun to have round to supper, and retrieved my car from the tortuous car park beneath the Prefecture. So, how's that for action? The sales on, first day, luring me in with my credit card buring a whole in my bag, and I came away empty handed. Good thing too as I spent all my dosh at Christmas. It's such bad timing having the sales just after one has emptied the coffers with no hope of sufficient refill for some months! Who do they think we are? Irresponsible credit-crashers?

It was a question of either buy myself something totally deliriously lovely... or eat. So I went to Intermarche and cleared the shelves of root veggies to roast, wine and stewing beef on the bone. My children will not go hungry afterall.

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