Spend vs Save: Neon Satchel

Out shopping at Aldo recently I came across a fabulous Spend vs. Save case! In their sale bin they had these beautiful neon satchels. They reminded me a lot of the neon Cambridge Satchel's I'd previously seen in stores, but at a (really small) fraction of the price. Where the Cambridge Satchel will run you about $155 (USD), the Aldo Noronen will only set you back $29.95 (CAD)!

Having seen them both in person I think the Aldo one is the winner. The colours of each were very comparable. If anything I'd say the Cambridge pink is softer/lighter and the Aldo one is hotter/darker - but not by much! Also, I think I liked the fabric of the Aldo one a bit better as it was softer and Cambridge Satchel's feel a bit stiff. For me, it is because they are so comparable that I would pass up the name for the deal. 

What would you do with this one? Spend or Save?

*Note: if you are buying the Aldo one online the colours are listed as "Green" and "Orange" instead of "Yellow" and "Pink" - again, having seen them in person I can reassure you that they are indeed very yellow and very pink.

SNOW & Cyber Monday

Winter Wonderland in Tremblant, Quebec last year

Every morning when I wake up for work I have my shower, do my hair and make-up, get dressed, then as the final step, I walk towards my (black) curtains and throw them open as if to say "HELLO WORLD!". Well this morning I did exactly that, but what caught my by surprise was that old man winter had come by in the wee hours of the night. Everything is covered in snow! Although very unexpected, I'm okay with it. Its been fairly cold lately and this blanket of snow helps ease that pain by visually telling me winter is quickly approaching. It also helps the abundance of Christmas decorations I've been seeing, feel a bit more appropriate. But only a bit - we're still in November after all! 

But enough about the weather, today is another special day - Cyber Monday! Always the Monday following American Thanksgiving and Black Friday, Cyber Monday is the number one online shopping day of the year. The last 3 years Cyber Monday has been breaking it's own record of online spending on this day, and this year is expected to be no different. Apparently Americans will likely spend about $1.5 billion dollars online today. WOWZA, right?! Just like Black Friday, Cyber Monday has made its way to Canada as well! Cyber Monday also tends to have bigger sales too. Will you participating in today's online shopping spree event?

To Shop or Not To Shop...?

That is the question of the week. There's nothing I need per-say, but I can always find SOMETHING. But this week is a special week, being the week that ends with Black Friday. Normally an American tradition, I am pleased that over the last couple of years the super sales and super savings that come along with Black Friday have made their way to Canada! Some retailers have already started with the savings by having "Black Friday Week" sales, but overall, the big deals will happen at the end of the week. So if ever you were to restrain yourself from going to the mall or browsing online, now is the time. Unless of course you're scoping out the scene of what you want to buy in the hopes it will be heavily discounted. I've already started taking note of which retailers on this side of the border are participating...

Will you be partaking in Black Friday sales? I will certainly be popping online! Can't hurt, right?!