bargains sometimes come at a price.

two stories.

story no. 1.

a word about marti and liz, my favorite shoe outlet. the shoes are brought in from department stores - shoes with great name brands that have been tried on, even worn, maybe a little scuff here and there.

that adds up to super duper bargains. i mean 75 percent or more off the regular retail price.

remember these white blinged-out sandals by ivanka trump? priced well out of my budget in the regular stores, but oh so cheap at marti and liz.

but wait. what is it that these shoes are missing? scroll up and look closely.

closer.

yep. it's missing a bauble.

how did i not see that before?

will marti and liz take them back once you've worn them? no, they will not.

do they offer refunds under any circumstances? no they do not.

well sir, live and learn. i still love these sandals and hope no one will notice when i wear them that they are missing a jewel.

story no. 2. check out these sparkly gorgeous amazing shoes i bought while under the influence of whatever it is that takes over my body when i go into marti and liz.

they were $29.99. i put them on and felt like a million bucks. but then when i got home i wondered if i'd ever really wear them. i mean, come on. my social life is not such that i need sparkly shoes of this magnitude.

it's nice to dream. but the reality is that i will probably not ever get around to wearing them.

so, i took them back. yes, i took them back and got store credit (since i hadn't worn them out—wearing them when you're alone in your PJ's while watching TV doesn't count). i was disappointed, but felt like i did the right thing.

then, yesterday, i was wandering around macy's and saw these exact shoes displayed at full price for $139!!

$139!!

for a moment, i kind of wished i hadn't returned them after all. you just hate to see a good bargain slip through your fingers. But lesson number one of bargain shopping is, no matter how cheap it is, if you don't need it, it's not a deal. let that be a lesson to us all.

PS yes, i still love marti and liz, and yes, i will still shop there, but will do my best to keep my wits about me.