What if you have some extra money and time--you want to spend it, and keep the economy moving--but businesses don't have what you want? Yes, I'm saving my money, but not for the reasons everyone else is. I was even on vacation and out of town for several days!
In the past two weeks, this is what I've observed/had happened to me.
Saturday, June 27. In the evening, I drove to Springfield, Ohio, to spend two nights at a hotel there.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, June 28, 29 and 30. I went to the antique show at the Clark County Fairgrounds, and then to the three antique malls east of Springfield. THOSE places WEREN'T the problem. I found plenty to spend my money on at all four locations, and in fact wish I had had more money than I owned (and the space to put stuff). Wanted to eat at least one meal at Cracker Barrel next door to the hotel, but the restaurant was packed and I didn't want to wait!
Tuesday, June 30. Drove to Washington Court House to spend the day at the outlet mall, plus overnight at a nearby hotel. My disgust at my second trip up there this year and the lack of wearable clothing for sale (not just there, but every mall) has been written about elsewhere.
Tuesday and Wednesday, June 30 and July 1. On the way down we stopped at the little outlet mall in Carrollton, Ky. No shoes or slacks of any interest there, although I did buy two pairs of shorts. Mom and I went to Horseshoe Casino in New Albany, Indiana. No trouble blowing money there! In fact, the hotel didn't charge us for our night because of some special deal my mom found!
Thursday, July 2. Took a late afternoon bus to downtown Cincinnati planning to stay late because I figured lots of people would be in town, and I could enjoy the Thursday night band that plays on Fountain Square. I wanted to go CVS, the library, Macy's, Saxony Imports and the shoe store in Tower Place. Discovered that the library closes at 6 p.m. on Thursdays. Discovered that Saxony is closed indefinitely, and probably going out of business. Discovered that because of the holiday weekend, there was no Thursday night music. Discovered that no one came into town for the weekend, because by 6:30 p.m. the city was getting deserted. None of the shoes fit right*. Bought some jewelry at Macy's, but have purchased no clothing there for months.
Saturday, July 4. A friend and I did our annual trip to the movies that night. In past years, we've gone to the early evening show, then went to to a mid-price-range restaurant after the movie, because lots of people are out late that evening. After the movie (after 9:30 p.m.), Pizza Hut in Dent was open only for carryout, Buffalo Mike's was closed, and Dent Skyline was closed. Dent Wendy's Drive-Thru was open, but that was it. We didn't want that, so we left and went home. I noticed a lot of cars pulling into the parking lots, following us, whose drivers had the same idea as we did, and driving away as we did.
Sunday, July 5. Normally I love the antique show at Dearborn County Fairgrounds, but there was little to buy there that weekend, even though a lot of dealers were set up.
Thursday, July 9. Tried to go to a movie at Danbarry Western Hills, but something happened to the movie I wanted to see, so the theater wasn't showing it. Went home.
*I've tried on shoes at Western Hills Dillard's, downtown Macy's and the Tower Place shoe store. I'm looking for a pair to match a dress I bought two months ago. Either they don't have any black strappy low heeled sandals to match the dress, or if they do, they're out of the size I need. I've seen a ton of black strappy sandals with 5-inch spike heels, but unless you're a masochist wanting to break both ankles and knees, no one wears those things.
I DID finally find a pair of lightweight light-colored, semi-dressy, larger sized women's slack at Kenwood Dillard's. Even though they were exorbitantly priced, I bought them, because they were probably the only such pair in existence.
So that's been my two weeks of shopping, and I won't go any more. Not necessary to wait for end-of-season clearance sales, because there will be nothing to buy then.
And because there wasn't anything decent to buy last fall or winter, I suspect there won't be again this year. It's pretty obvious by now that not only are clothing manucturers producing less product, and stores stocking less product, the other way that they are cutting costs is by producing/selling merchandise that turns out to be unwearable.
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I'm not the only one who's complained about this. I've got some additional comments, not all of them from me.
1. From my mother: She's noticed that zippers on pants no longer come all the way to the waist. They're too short! Probably a cost-cutting measure--the clothing manufacturers are buying shorter zippers probably because they're cheaper.
2. From a co-worker: She's complained that clothing hanging in the stores is very wrinkled. We think it's because the clerks either aren't trained to properly handle and hang the merchandise, or because there are fewer of them, they don't have time to make the merchandise neat in the racks.
3. From both Mom and me: Pants aren't being made for women with curves (AKA hips and butts). They are cut straight up and down. It probably takes less time (and hence less cost) to cut and sew in straight lines. But it means our slacks are too big in the waist and too big in the calves because there's sooooo much leftover fabric.
4. From me: The colors and prints this summer have been hideous! I've concluded that clothing manufacturers are using cloth that they bought in years previous but rejected because it wasn't attractive, but now, because they can't afford to buy new cloth, are using up their old, previously unwanted stores to make the clothing in 2009.
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