Hunting Bliss

Much has been written about women and the thrill of the hunt. The hunter/gather gene has been passed down through the eons from mother to daughter and each new generation has claimed her favorite hunting grounds. In days of yore, the hunting grounds were lush pastures and green vales, but for most modern day women the thrill of the hunt takes them to Niemann, Sax, and even Walmart. Those places hold no appeal for me as they’re much like hunting in a petting zoo. All the goods are laid out in front of you and you have your choice of the same style in multitudes of color. I prefer the more difficult quarry to be had in resale shops, second hand stores, and thrift stores. I proudly proclaim that my bounty comes from Goodwill.

This past Saturday, I gathered my weapons (i.e. credit cards) and headed out for the hunt. First stop was the little resale shop by Fantastic Sam’s. The store is a clean freak’s nightmare as it is packed to the raffles with all kinds of treasures from purses, to games, to high quality clothes. I scored some wonderful candle holders that normally retail for $10 to $15 bucks for less than a dollar a piece and some adorable costume jewelry to dress up my work outfits.

Next stop was Wings, a local resale shop whose profits go to help homeless women and children. I love shopping at Wings because I always find a few nice pieces to compliment those I have at home. This time they were selling brand new Liz Claiborne pants for $3 bucks a pair. Needless to say I bought several pairs as well as a gorgeous red jacket that looks wonderful with the new lace blouse I got at Dress Barn (also on sale).

I have to admit I’m a book worm and all too often I’m guilty of paying $7 for the newest paperback because I’m desperate for something to read. Lucky for me there’s an awesome little bookstore called Top Shelf books in Palatine that sells an eclectic mix of books for great prices. Wandering through the store I never know if I’m going to find the latest thriller, a great cookbook, or a good biography to read. Today was no exception and I walked out with a bag full of books that will keep me busy for a good long time.

The Goodwill of my childhood was a dirty, grungy place that we occasionally frequented, but rarely as the clothes were not first quality and the customers were even more questionable. Fortunately for me, the Goodwill of today is more designer boutique than back alley thrift store. Our local Goodwill’s pride themselves on having top quality clothing and even brag about the deals their customers score like the time a woman bought a pair of manolo blahnik for $5 bucks. Alas, I didn’t find any steals like that on my foray to Goodwill, but I did find some nice blazers and a few blouses. My daughter also bought her entire back to school wardrobe at Goodwill. I don’t force her to shop second hand, but she likes it because it makes her money go farther.

My day of retail therapy was done and like most women I had a few regrets about spending more than I had planned, but my regrets added up to $20 and not the hundreds of dollars that some women regret spending. I was also left with a deep feeling of blissful satisfaction at having saved money, helped save the environment by limiting my purchases of new stuff, and helped other people by frequenting stores that give back to those less fortunate. All in all, how much more blissful can it get?