shopping spree!

You may not realize this, but I am tight with my money. Sure, I'll spend money here and there on food and beer (I'll even offer to buy yours if I feel like it), but when it comes to spending money on STUFF, I hardly ever do it. Consequently, there's a lot of stuff I want that I don't have. For example, camping equipment. I haven't even had a SLEEPING BAG since I was in high school. Which means I've been borrowing other people's crappy equipment whenever I've gone camping, and that's lame.

But guess what. Those days are over. One of the unanticipated benefits of hooking up with this troupe of kayaking lesbians are the connections I have gained in the world of retail sporting goods. This weekend, I (along with all the other X-factor kayakers) received a "friends and family" pass to a phenomenal REI sale from a kayaker I barely even met. Twenty-five percent off purchases of $200 or more. What an awesome deal.

SK and I went to REI Saturday afternoon, a full 24 hours before the sale began, to scope the place out and decide what to get. It was dizzying, the access to so much cool gear. I had to keep reminding myself that the stuff wasn't going to be FREE, it was just going to be discounted. But my wishlist got longer and longer. Any worry that we might not reach the $200 threshold quickly vanished.

The sale itself ran from 6pm to 9pm Sunday night and the store was closed to anyone who didn't have a pass. SK and I descended on the store like swift and determined warriors, sweeping through like lightening and grabbing the things we'd already selected. We bumped into the kayakers who were all milling around and buying little things, like spray on sunscreen for kayaks (wtf??), and SK got to meet adventure girl, and all was well.

When the dust finally settled, I walked out of that store with:

1.) An REI brand half-dome, two-person tent. (It has metallic orange poles!)
2.) A lightweight, down filled sleeping bag. (It has stars on the inside!)
3.) A Kelty frame pack. (It has pockets! And a detachable fanny pack! And what the fuck am I going to do with a fanny pack??)
4.) An REI brand self-inflating thermarest-type pad. (It's soft!)
5.) The cheapest PFD (that's personal flotation device for you non-kayakers, AKA: life vest) I could find, since all the other women wear them and I haven't had one and have had to borrow adventure girl's. (It's red! And bulky!)

That's all. Grand total, with discount: $441. Wow.

Wow.

I'm not rich, but I do have some money socked away and this was a good investment. Between mine and SK's purchases, our 25% discount amounted to a savings of over $200. And that's a lot of money. And this equipment will be with me for a LONG TIME.

So, of course, SK and I are going camping next week! AWESOME!