Boxing Day Sales

Through most of the world, December 26th is known as, well, December 26th. But in some countries, primarily Commonwealth countries, December 26th is known as Boxing Day.

It became known as Boxing Day because it was the day that people who were in service were given a Christmas box by their employers with gifts, Christmas bonuses and sometimes leftover food to take home on their day off - the 26th, since they would have to serve their employers on the 25th.

These days though, it's just an excuse to shop.

Boxing Day in Canada used to be the biggest shopping event of the year. For about the last 4 or 5 years, it has been replaced by Black Friday at the end of November. That has become the biggest shopping day of the year, and thus, the day with the better deals.

But we Canadians still expect to find sales December 26th (or starting online on the evening of December 24th).

I wasn't planning on buying anything. Honestly. I spent too much enough on Black Friday.

But then I decided that I needed to replace my inkjet printer. My current one is so old that they didn't update the drivers to support Windows 10, so it's hit or miss as to if it decides to play nicely with my laptop. I ordered one online on the 24th, and got it for more than the posted half off because of a promo they had if I used Visa Checkout. (Which was supposed to a $10 savings, but went through as a $20 savings. Yay!)

It's a box shaped multi-function printer.

Then, in the early morning of the 25th, I bought some bras online. I love Wacoal bras, but I won't pay the full retail of $60 - $90 for them. One of the few places in Canada that sell this brand is The Bay, and they often have discontinued colours on clearance for pretty good prices. Add an additional 20% off clearance, and that puts them in my price range. Four bras came to $125, which included 2 high impact sports bras that normally would retail for $90 each. I recently discovered that there are supportive sports bras that don't mash the girls to your your chest, but actually give them a fantastic perky shape. They're quite expensive, so I'm slowly replacing my monoboob bras as I find good deals.

Not my chest!

I already have this in navy/lime, and it makes the girls look great!

I had absolutely no intention of even looking at tack store websites. There is nothing that the kids need.

In a moment of pre-dawn sleep-deprived stupidity on December 26th, I remembered that Apple Saddlery always has a 20% off almost everything sale during Boxing week. I've picked up some good deals during this week (clearance is an additional 20% off, so things like fly masks and fly sheets are good deals).

I've been looking for a deal on the Hands On grooming gloves, so that was the first thing to go into my cart. I usually order Chaste Tree Berry powder for Phantom, but it really went up in price this year. So I might try her without it for this spring (I'll fill you in one day soon as to why I use it). I was going to have to pay $10 shipping, so what else did I need to justify the glove purchase?

One pony will definitely appreciate these, not sure about the other one.

Oh right - Phantom needs a new girth to go with my hopefully arriving soon new short flapped saddle! And I really wanted to try the Total Saddle Fit Stretchtec girth for Princess Picky. Which Apple sells.

I decided on the neoprene lined one mostly because it was cheaper (reg $260, sale $207) than the leather lined one (reg $290, sale $231).

That was it! No more looking allowed!

I went to work, and just as I entered the building my phone rang. It was Apple Saddlery, and my heart dropped a little as I figured they were going to tell me that the girth was unavailable. Which they did - the neoprene version was unavailable. But they had the leather one, which they would honour the neoprene price for if I wanted it. Hell yes!

So I have a few more parcels coming my way. And I am on a spending cut for the next 3 or 4 months. I'm allowed to buy food and gas, and that's it! Hopefully the weather cooperates so that I don't have time to aimlessly shop the internet. And I'd better not get sick - that's a guaranteed online shopping day.