Costly coats

So, I just bought a winter coat and boy was it pricey; it was even marked down 40%. I've been looking for awhile now and thought I would catch the after winter sales. However, one must be more on top of things aparently, b/c not everyone marks their stuff down at the same time and I was finding I had waited too long. Thankfully, when I went to buy ear plugs at Overton's, an outdoorish type store in town, I rechecked their sale rack and found one that fit ok and had a feece/down jacket layer that can also be worn separately, which was what I have been looking for. It was $$$ though. I can't imagine growing up in the north and/or having to buy coats for kids, who outgrow them every year.... that would be horrible. It's not a nice jacket, in that I couldn't wear it to a dinner party, but I'm hoping to get a lot of use out of it in the future.