The first Friday and Saturday in August are Iowa's tax free days - i.e. where clothing and shoes under $100 are exempt from the normal 7% sales tax. Stores also tend to have a ton of "special" sales, which makes this an excellent time to update your wardrobe.
One of the downsides to living in Ames, though, is the lack of good department stores and a decently-sized mall. Many people tend to skip down to Des Moines, which has several ginormous malls, and is the closest alternative shopping source. I elected to drive up to Cedar Falls/Waterloo yesterday to visit and shop with my sisters.
Nearly everything I purchased was on sale; I was able to get 24 separate pieces of clothing and a pair of shoes for about $130, which was well under my self-imposed limit for the weekend. There are still a few things I need to get, but I got some coupons/etc. yesterday that I can use when I go home next weekend.
I also got a giant Air Kong (i.e. squeaky tennis ball) for Van. He absolutely loves it and has been carrying it everywhere - and attempting to cart it outside, the stinker.
The only downside to the trip was the random type I hypersensitivity (urticaria... aka hives) that began to plague my elbow yesterday. I have no idea what caused it. And it is being persistent and frustrating.
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