why are you spending time waiting in line at B&M stores.
If I had an REI, I would wait in line there over ordering online. REI is an amazing place.
let me get this straight you would DRIVE to a B&M store then use your cellular data to compare the cost of the items they claim to be discounted to what the value should be then you would DRIVE back home
vs
option 2: place an alert for sleeping bag or tent or brand name tent etc. on slickdeals. go about your life as normal. wait for an email from slickdeals. sit where ever you are work/home/beach/lake etc. and then evaluate the deal using amazon reviews as well as a pricing history. then purchase and have it shipped free or close to free to your home or office depending on cost and taxes if locations very.
one of those is a much less mustachian option IMO.
I don't have an REI so I can't shop there. Not having one has taught me that there is value in local stores. If I had one I'd pay slightly elevated prices to be able to look at gear in person (especially since they carry size 5 shoes, something very few places do). In the process if support the employment of someone in my local economy.
Mustachianism is a buying only what I need, not just getting it for $2 cheaper.
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2 dollars cheaper on something g you could get from REI on slickdeals. Wow. You just don't understand how to shop affordably. My post said to make an alert for what you need. Which applies to the same as what you said. Being able to touch and feel something. Then go to the store if you please but paying retail for it vs going home and making and alert and searching online for a better price makes little monetary sense
The whole you owe it to the store owner thing is a crock and an excuse to be lazy.
The post is about getting the most value out of something. And there is nothing you can buy and get the most value out of paying full retail. It annoys me to no end on this site when people say I stopped going cheap and xyz product lasted me longer.
News flash xyz product can still be bought more affordably. If you aren't impulse buying it. And shopping in a store and buying things is the definition of impulse buying unless you're making constant trips and understand the full market for the item and if that product is the best and worth more than the price you're paying.
Much more if you're into using online forums that will alert you to crazy good deals on something you've made an alert for what you need.
You're making fun of people for doing something, paying full retail, they've specifically said they're not doing. Iowajes is talking about checking online prices before buying at REI and others are talking about looking for their garage sales.
To me, the point various people made about return policies is a really strong one. Getting the gear out on the trail to use is the best test and online clearing houses are not going to stand by the products they sell like that. Of course, you can mitigate that with the brands you buy, but most brands are just going to guarantee against manufacturing defects.
I definitely use the technique of finding something at a store and and setting alerts for it on various sites, but you do run the risk of not getting it or not getting it that season. In the case of the latter, it's not a big deal if you're just trying to get an upgrade, but if you need the equipment, maybe because your current one is broken, it doesn't make sense to have to put off trips just to save some $$$, that's cheapness, not mustachianism. And some gear is just not going to show up. Iowajes, looking for size five shoes, is lucky to find those in a store. There's no guarantee they'll show up heavily discounted. I think this is true for a lot of women's gear--on the one hand, the models change every year so they do sell them off cheap, but on the other hand, because the models change every year, you won't get another chance if it sells well in the stores. Personally I've had an alert on ebay and all tri-state area craigslists for a Cannondale silk path bike in my size for literally six years but have had no luck. If the product weren't discontinued, you can bet I would have paid a retailer by now.
Finally, nobody's talking actual numbers here. It's great that you're really really (really) excited about slick deals, and I can understand why you might assume you're paying way less than anyone else (the site is designed to make you think that, after all), but without everyone citing actual prices paid, you're just talking in generalities, when, using coupons, membership, sales, outlets, etc. people buying direct from REI may be paying comparable prices as you for all you know.