Black Friday Sales

For the gear junkie, black Friday shopping has been a lot of fun.  I have gotten deals from 22% off all the way to 51% off on stuff that I have been wanting (it is hard to say needing) for the past few months.  It is always tough for me to purchase items on a deadline and I have gotten a little carried away.

The first item was a ScotteVest travel vest.  I think this will come in very handy traveling and I have been eyeing them for the past few months.  I don’t travel enough to justify this purchase.  Kind of like the eBags packing cubes, anything to make travel easier is worth it.

The second item was a swimsuit from Speedo.  This is practically a consumable and it saves me a trip to the store.  I usually will pick up one new suit per year which easily lasts me 100+ hours in the water.  A suit and goggles is the equivalent of buying running shoes or new bicycle tires once/year.

The third item was a Tanaka pump head.  I have been disappointed with Silca pump heads since 1987 when I got my Silca pump.  After regular replacement gaskets, I am excited to give this toy a whirl.

The fourth item was a Craft Base Layer.  This was a budgeted item for 2011 that I never got around to purchasing until I saw it on sale.

The final item is a fleece cycling jacket.  I have been shopping for one of these since Veloswap in October so it was nice to find this on sale.  I may not do enough winter riding to justify this one, but I was thrilled with the price and design.

So the triathlete in me was gifted a few nice items.  I fortunately held off on the Finis Tempo Trainer and “Poker Faces” book by Hayano.  I think they are worthwhile purchases but will be available down the road as well and no need to rush the purchase without a good sale.

Now I just need to pick up gifts for the family.  This is always a challenge and usually I count on my wife to get the kids toys.  I will have to put some thought into a gift for her.