Got $3? Get this sweater.

Images from L-R: In Style mag (Aug. 2005); Michael Kors for Nordstrom ad (c. 2002); thebudgetbabe.com

It’s going to hit 95° later this week in Phoenix, so the last thing I’d intended to be writing about today is a sweater. Or anything fashion-related, really. But a bargain this good simply must be shared.

Yesterday I went to Old Navy — the plan was to exchange something there, then head to the In-N-Out drive-thru across the street for a cheeseburger. But when I saw the stacks and stacks of sweaters on the clearance table, the plan changed.

For years I’ve been searching for the perfect ‘chunky but not too bulky’ white turtleneck sweater (see inspiration photos, above) so I figured it was worth a shot.

I picked up a sweater and noted the price — $9.97. Decided to try it on. Wrong size. Tried on a different one. Fit perfectly – sleeves long enough for my monkey arms; neck loose enough but not too cowl-y; just the right length.

Exactly what I’ve been looking for since 2002.

Sold. The gal at the checkout register said “That’ll be $3.23.” Me: “Three dollars?” Her: “Yup. Kinda makes you sick, doesn’t it?”

I looked again at the price tag. Sure enough, it was marked $2.97 (from an original $36.50).

Here’s the proof:

Apparently the first one I tried on had missed the latest markdown tagging party. (I didn’t tell the checkout gal, but I didn’t really feel that sick.)

Although the photo isn’t posted on the ON site, the sweater was featured on AZcentral.com:

Photo by Michael McNamara / The Arizona Republic

It’s no longer available online, but there were tons left in five (or so) different colors and pretty much every size at my local Old Navy. The receipt describes it as “Cowl Neck” with these numbers: 809526-02-1.

So for $3, I opted for the sweater. I’m hoping it’s less fattening than a cheeseburger.