Saving 94% on a waterproof breathable shell jacket

So I've been shopping for a rain jacket for a while now.

Not me... but you get the picture! 

I go hiking and do outdoor sports... like skiing, hiking, or going over to a rural place to work and just wanting to blend in with the rugged country folk. I've been doing most of this with an old hoodie or my trusty $20 Forever21 leather jacket.

But Boyfriend's been hounding me recently about getting an actual waterproof jacket.

You know, one that actually has some functionality?

Well... he has a point.

So I started my search for a jacket. I first set my eyes on this MEC Alpine Ally jacket. $240. Not so warm, but just a waterproof breathable shell. But it's $240. UGHHHH! I don't like this.

It was on sale over Christmas for 50% off ($120). But come on! Still $120 for a jacket that basically keeps you dry? That still seems a bit much. 

So I found the Columbia Arcadia rain jacket, also "guaranteed" to keep you dry. 

Okay, $90 regular price. That's better. Then on sale for $60. Even better, but not really there yet... let's see what other options we have. 

So I went to our local Kind Exchange (a consignment store). The same Columbia jacket was there in a small, in a beautiful green color! It was being sold for $30. 

They were having a 60% off full-store sale at the time.

So I ended up getting my waterproof breathable shell for $15 bucks tax included. 

From $240 in my original search, to $15 in the end: that's a happy me.

Anyways, the moral of this story, is: 

1. If you don't need something immediately (i.e. it's not an emergency purchase), keep looking till you find your item at your target price point. Bottom line: if you don't need it today, you can afford to wait a bit to see what happens to the price. Prices for sports wear are fairly predictable in their seasonal fluctuations: i.e. big sales in June and December of each year. If you can wait till then, you're almost guaranteed to find your same jacket at a much lower price. 

2. Ask yourself what you need in terms of bare minimum functionality, and make sure the item does that. Do you need something so lightweight, with so many pockets, with the built-in tracker system? Or do you just need something waterproof?? I didn't need the highest performing backcountry jacket ever. I don't even live in a really rainy area - the jacket would be for the odd hike that comes across a rainy patch. What's more, the reviews of the MEC jacket indicated that its Pertex shield doesn't always work - some of the reviews said the jacket's waterproof layer stopped working after a year of wear. Well if that's going to happen with a $240 jacket, I might as well get something for a little cheaper. 

3. Check other venues. Check second-sale stores like Winners or Marshalls. Check consignment stores. A lot of these items have high resale value (esp. the well made ones!). If you're up for it, check thrift stores (I keep seeing posts where people get Patagonia shells for $3 - the ultimate sportswear finds in thrift stores). A little rummaging sometimes goes a long way.

Onwards to more hiking adventures, come whatever weather!