Winter, Here I Come

I'm finally prepared for winter. This past Sunday (Dec. 4), we were given our manager's discount (which is equal to cost + 10%) for anything we wanted at Sports Authority. Luckily, we were also able to get as much as we wanted, so I went on a little bit of a spree.

I bought things that I have never owned in my life: gloves, a beanie, thermal underwear things and compression wear (a shirt and pants) for running outside in the cold. I also bought some general things that I figured I'd pick up while they were cheap: sweatpants, a hoodie and a pair of socks (regularly priced $13.99 a pair) that are really padded and great for running. That one was just a little extra I added because I wanted to find out for myself why everyone liked them so much and why they would be priced $13.99. Apparently they're better than buying insoles.

The huge deal that would make every bargain hunter proud of me was a North Face coat that'll be my savior from the snow and wind this winter. Regularly priced at exactly $300, I was able to purchase it for $125. The coat that got me through my last Texas winter was generally laughed at when I would explain to Chicagoans that it was, in fact, my heaviest jacket. I knew I would need something heavy and snow-proof, and this was the perfect time to buy something both warm and (relatively) cheap.

Overall, I spent about $330 on $700 worth of merchandise, which I couldn't possibly be happier with. Because of price mark-ups, I was able to get the high quality brands like North Face and Under Armour, and so far everything has worked out really well. Although it's my coldest winter yet (it snowed last night and stuck for the first time), I'm actually surprisingly warm walking in the cold winds. I ran outside for the first time the other day and all of my compression gear kept me really warm, and the socks kept my feet warm and helped with the impact on the sidewalk. I'll have to try them some more before I invest in another pair, though. My favorite purchase (besides the jacket) was the leggings that I can put on under my pants. In Texas, it was so rare that I needed to have something extra on, that I would just wear pajama bottoms under my jeans. Trust me, this is much better.

Hopefully all of my purchases will keep my warm this winter, because if they don't, then it's back to San Antonio! Kidding, of course, but I think I should be just fine. I still can't figure out how to keep my face warm, though, besides those full face masks that I'd rather not wear. I'm sure I'll find a cure soon, though!