Thursday, June 30, 2022

ROAD TRIP!!

 Mornings are getting a little cooler, allowing more patio-coffee time.  It was ONLY 102 yesterday!!  This week we should get all the way down to 95!!!  Better get out my coats!!

I decided a road trip was in order after being cooped up in the house for way too long.  I had high hopes that the highway would be almost completed.  Those were dashed as I followed this truck down Hwy 99.  I swear he had less than 12" on each side.  No wonder there are so many accidents here.  The speed limit is 55 mph.  Even the trucker slowed down to 40!!


In no time ... well it actually took me 45 minutes ... I arrived.  If ever I wanted something nice to wear, this was the store.  I admit I was pretty surprised when I walked in to find the makeup section took up 1/4 of the building, and shoes the next quarter.  No worries I thought ... there seems to be a LOT of clothes, they've just moved them around.


What I discovered was dozens and dozens of racks so close together I had to hold my purse with both hands just to get between them.  Gee ... what happened to fashion in the last year???


This entire store has turned into a bad version of Walmart.  There was nothing but discounted sales rack clothing.  Not a single rack of the nice things of the past.  Every section looked like this ... with coats, dresses, sweatshirts and skirts hanging in the same space, not to mention all the ones on the floor.  What a big disappointment.  There was nothing "new".  It was digging through each and every rack or go home.


I did take a second look at these.  They would go nicely with that yellow dress, right?  


What was I thinking?  I was actually looking for summer clothes in the summer.  There was nothing but winter wear and dresses.  Honestly, I didn't look long, because digging through sales racks is just not my thing.  I did find this jacket, but obviously it's not going to get worn in 105 degree weather.


Here's the price tag.  No one said Macy's was cheap, but I am.  I only paid $40.  It may just be time to get back to sewing clothes from patterns.  Even Ross and Marshalls is better kept and has nicer clothes.  What a letdown!!


THIS was the shock of the day.  I admit, I'm VERY angry about all this!  Diesel is $7.50 a gallon now.  This is my cheap station at $6.91.  


So I decided to check up on the state of the state.  Here's what I found.  

2019 - gas $3.13     2020 - gas $3.42    2021 - gas $3.65     2022 - gas $6.89

This is the highest inflation rate since 1982 ... 40 YEARS!!!  We are at 8.6% now and rising although how they figure that when the numbers look like this is beyond me.  I know, it's just complete coincidence that it got out of control when you know who was elected.  

Food is up 18-25%, electricity up 75%, used cars 22.7%.  The average price for a new car ... $47,000.

So I'm curious, what's built back better?  Seems to me we are going right down the proverbial tubes.

Here's me with one of those latest and greatest animal prints.  I would probably have picked something else, but it seems that's the "style" of the year.  Every kind of leopard print imaginable was hanging from the racks.  At least this one fit and it was on sale.  Heck, everything in the store was on sale since they had no new merchandise!!


I did make a couple of other stops and had a day-ending experience at Habit Burger I'll relate tomorrow.  Maybe I should click on those emails I'm getting and claim my new Craftsman lawnmower, my Yeti cooler and a new Makita Drill.  If any of them were real, it would make my day!!!

See you tomorrow!!!



16 comments:

  1. Mr. Ed’s says you actually got a good price that same jacket is $52 on Amazon
    They have a app where you could check the price by scanning the barcode or the QR app if you want The jacket for nothing email tham and tell him you’re gonna send it back there so overstocked they don’t want it back .they’ll tell you to keep it and refund your money
    We all like driving big trucks but why not you not take the Jeep better gas mileage and cheaper 🤷💰🚐

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    1. I forgot to answer a question
      The reason why you’re seeing winter clothes now Has everything to do with logistics every single major retailer top name brand of clothes household items are overstocked you have to think back of the pandemic when China shut down at commercial factories they were filling orders for six months ahead when the pandemic opened up in China manufacture is produced more than they needed and shipped if you remember correctly . A lot of those container ships were sitting off the port of Long Beach For for approximately 2 1/2 to 3 months at a time Before they got unloaded
      Also if you remember the Evergiven blocking the Suez canal shut the shipments down coming to the US ports for at least two weeks Plus the shipping time another two weeks
      So the next time you walk into Lowe’s Home Depot Walmart Target and your local High end department stores think of all the stuff on the Isles and the fact that their warehouse storage is full full full
      No whats going to happen is they’re going to sell off their overstock cheaper to make room for their standard Item stocks. So you’re going to see the prices come down on apparel an home furnishings and to think that you could buy a 75 inch TV for $620 Or 50% off you’re latest name brand apparel
      About the only place you won’t find that is Amazon Costco Which do their own Freight shipping
      Walmart just started last year to avoid there slow down but on the regular shipping commodity it caught up with them last month no place to Store it they put it in the isles
      So basically what you’re seeing now is last year‘s product being sold now.
      But one thing to keep in mind Two months ago China shut all manufacturing down because of Covid Again. when they open up you’re gonna see another flood of ships transporting container commodities
      Now 85% of all big box stores when you order online and it’s not what you want they just soon give you your money back and you keep the product because it cost them more to store and dispose of it. That comes out to about 28% of the profit
      Overstocked commodity buyers and there’s hundreds of them selling on eBay Amazon and Facebook market place and others . Are selling name brand products at about 20% of the retail sticker dollar
      So if you know the size you know the product you want and you have a barcode you can buy online cheaper
      I pay $18 online for a $109 in store Tony Bahama shirt . an $12 online for a $69 Caribbean shirts
      So there’s your answer

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    2. Clothing is the ONLY thing prices will come down on!

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  2. I do my shopping either at Lands End or LL Bean. I talk to the representatives for questions on items I am interested in and receive a fairly honest answer. I DO NOT shop Macy's and never will. Should I buy from a department store, it would be Dillard's (none in CA). COSTCO is not too bad for clothing purchases. Same question as Mr Ed, why use your jeep with diesel so high rather than your jeep? You say you live in Atwater, CA, is the closest COSTCO in Fresno for regular fuel? The Safeway in Benson offers discounts on fuel at Texaco when I purchase groceries. It helps. Here in Thayne, WY the local market works with Phillips 66 with fuel discounts. It helps. Do your stores in your area offer fuel discounts? Lynn Cross

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    1. In Vail, I always use Safeway for the fuel discounts. Here there are no fuel discount stores. Even Costco isn't much cheaper. I do drive the Jeep all the time, but you can't or shouldn't let a vehicle sit for too long ... it kills the batteries.

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  3. In my comment I meant to say why use your truck for driving when you probably can use your jeep at a slightly cheaper fuel prices. Lynn Cross

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  4. I changed my cell phone carrier and now get spam emails ALL DAY. Same as you with the lawn mowers-tools....ect.
    I hate the stores with a variety of merch. on every rack.

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    Replies
    1. Mr Ed Tell that to your new phone service provider they have an app you can download to eliminate 95% of that . or it’ll say spam risk On your screen
      There’s a dozen free apps that allow you to block spam risk

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    2. I now not only get spam emails, I get spam text messages every day. Sure is frustrating! Just what I need ... another app on my phone. Very few say spam risk and you can't just block everything because MANY times I've had calls I was waiting for, be shot over to voicemail. Like the call I was waiting for to fix my computer! LOL

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  5. Didn't you get those shoes?!? They would have looked awesome with that outfit!

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    1. See? I KNEW I should have gotten them .. all sparkly with rhinestones!!!

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  6. And on Friday the cost of gas goes up another 3 cents per gallon with the California gas tax increase!

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    1. Every other state is reducing their fuel tax ... greedy California just keeps raising it.

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  7. Last time Jerry bought diesel it was 7.009. I'm sure it's gone up again. My friend went to Macy's Arden Fair Mall Sacramento last Saturday. It was a really hot day and the AC in the store wasn't working. A friend of her's said she had been there 2 weeks ago and the AC wasn't working! In a few days we will be in the 80's. Do you like Kohls or have one near you? I like Kohls and it's 7 minutes away!

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    1. Oh yes ... no AC in this store either. To make it worse, they have closed all but four fitting rooms on the entire floor. As you can imagine, the wait time was LONG. I finally just dumped the stuff and left the store.

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  8. Did not know about the app showing cheapest price
    for certain item ! Need to find it.
    Nancy do you shop Modesto mall or Fresno?
    Modesto does have a Chico’s and
    Stockton does have a Dillard’s .... nicer than Macy’s.
    Like your blouse and jacket a lot.... good eye!🤗
    Linda a.

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