Best Deal of the Season

I don’t know about you, but I love a good deal. I’m definitely one who will justify buying something because “It was on sale!” Now, don’t get me wrong, I like shopping for a good deal and will usually talk myself out of something if it’s not on sale or in my price range. That mentality has caused me to miss out on some things that aren’t available anymore when I return for a lower price. “It was not meant to be,” or “Better get it now,” are my mottos, but I still love a good deal.

If you’ve read my earlier posts, you may remember that Joe Beaver is from Western New York near Buffalo, and I’m from South Georgia near Savannah. Needless to say, there’s a huge discrepancy in our weather and the gear we need in the winter— or at least it used to be different.

Growing up in South Georgia, the warmest coats I owned were a CPO Plaid Jacket, a high school windbreaker, and maybe a Sunday-go-to-meetin’ dress coat.

I remember my mom buying me a LL Bean puffy jacket when I moved to Marietta, Georgia. When I visited Joe’s family, his dad asked why I had a winter coat. Joe had to explain that it did get cold in Georgia, too. I don’t like to be cold!

For years, I had been looking for a maxi down coat. Who knows, I may go somewhere cold again someday. I went to a Macy’s 2-day sale and searched through the coat section, convinced I probably wouldn’t find the coat of my dreams. But no, some wonderful online shopper decided to return—before Christmas—their Cole Hann purchase of a cobalt blue maxi down coat in my size! Yay for me! The cost was now half off the $350 original price. But that’s not all—I got another 30 percent off with my Macy’s coupon. Including tax, I paid $139.13 for this coat in 2017! It was an investment! What a deal. I’ll have to keep my weight in check for the next twenty years to enjoy being toasty in my new coat! I don’t like to be cold!

That year, Metro Atlanta’s weather was in the teens, and the wind chill the first week of January was 5 degrees. I was snug as a bug in a rug in my new coat. Everyone complained, “It’s so cold!” And I’m like, “I’m not cold, what are you talking about?” Of course, I got jeers from those freezing people, saying I looked like I was in a sleeping bag, a wrapped mummy, you get the picture.

I still have my LL Bean puffy jacket, which my mom gave me in the 1990s. I caught grief for that one as well. There may have been some Michelin Tire Man jokes. Warmth is an investment I have no problem making. I don’t like to be cold.

I have collected several warm accessories to go with my coats—hats, gloves, wool scarves, and Hot Hands hand and toe warmers. I need to invest in Cuddle Duds stock or at least be an influencer for them. I wear their tops and bottoms when the weather drops below 55 degrees.

People may stare, I don’t care. I may look funny, but honey, I’m not cold! Just saying.

Share in the comments how you stay warm during the winter season.