Okay, folks, I just tackled Memorial Day sales like a boss yesterday and figured I should dump my notes here. Straight up chaos out there, but I landed some killer deals on threads.
Planning Phase Was Everything
First, I dug through my closet Monday night – total disaster zone. Found three pairs of jeans with holes in weird places and shirts that looked like they fought a lawnmower. Made a list right then: needed basic tees, one decent blazer, and new kicks. Wrote it on actual paper because my phone notes app hates me.
Next morning, I brewed coffee strong enough to wake the dead and hit the stores' websites. Huge mistake. Site crashed on three tabs immediately – spinning wheel of doom. Refreshed like a maniac for ten minutes until pages loaded. Took screenshots of coupon codes (MEMORIAL30 sucked but MEMDAYFLASH actually worked later).
Physical Store Run Around
Drove to the outdoor mall at 10 AM thinking I'd beat crowds. Wrong. Parking lot looked like a zombie apocalypse convention. Saw two ladies wrestling over a striped cardigan – hard pass on that section.
Went straight to the denim section like my list said. Big sign screaming "50% OFF CLEARANCE!" Grabbed four pairs in my size. Only one fit because apparently jeans lie about measurements now. Return desk line wrapped around the store – stuffed the rejects on some random shelf instead. Felt guilty but zero regrets.
Pro moves that saved me:
- Stacked the 30% email coupon on top of clearance prices at Gap – cashier sighed heavy but it scanned.
- Avoided "doorbusters" – those pallets had people elbowing like Black Friday carnage.
- Checked online prices while in fitting rooms. One jacket was $40 cheaper on their app – showed the manager and got price match after she rolled her eyes.
Online Hustle Later That Night
Crashed at home with pizza crusts on my shirt. Checked those screenshots from morning. MEMDAYFLASH code still worked at Old Navy – copped six tees for $35 total. Cart trick worked twice: added stuff I didn't want, applied coupon, then deleted extras. Free shipping clicked automatically. Score.
Massive fails though:
- Tried using expired student discount – system auto-rejected and cleared my cart. Raged hard.
- "Final sale" meant no returns on those cheap sneakers. Gonna pray they fit.
- One site charged $8 "holiday handling fee" at checkout. Closed that tab fast.
Final Haul & Lessons
Ended up with two pairs of wearable jeans, the blazer (needs tailoring, whatever), basic tees for days, and sneakers that might destroy my pinky toe. Saved roughly $220 total if price tags weren't fake math.
Biggest takeaway? Memorial Day sales are like hunting wildebeests – go in with a battle plan or get trampled. Don't even touch anything without checking clearance racks first. And always screenshot those codes before sites implode. Now excuse me while I cut tags off everything so I can't chicken out on returns.
