The Thrill of The Hunt

I have heard it said many times that shopping is like hunting. I am sure there are many men out there who would shove their beer canteens aside, crawl out of the bush they were hiding in, pocket the "duck call whistles", shake the mud off their camouflage, shoulder their guns and say "Nu-uh!!!"

And when I was younger I would have agreed with them.

I was never a massive shopper, unless you count Christmas Decor. I was told that I used to "shop like a man." I like to have a purpose. Go out there, find what I am looking for, get out before there is bloodshed. Seems reasonable enough, doesn't it?

But then I had children. And a house. And a husband who can't color coordinate to save his life.

Suddenly, I had a LOT of shopping that needed to get done, and only myself to do it. Because I live so far out of civilization (I'm convinced most people in the area have just recently discovered electricity,) I have to make shopping trips with multiple purposes. This also means that when I am shopping I need to keep an eye open for "shopping opportunities." (AKA, the lame duck to the hunter.)

You see, should the situation arise when I am shopping for a pair of jeans, that on the table behind me is a big sale on kitchen towels that I have been desperately needing - I need to be able to act on the opportunity! It really is a necessity, a evolutionary requirement, to be able to do this. Thus, my mannish shopping nature has been convoluted into a concentrated "hunting" instinct.

I have found that you must stalk your prey. The deals are most often hidden in side racks and endcaps, or shoved under piles of outrageously priced items. It's almost as if they know we're stalking them, and have hidden in fear. Once you find them, the game isn't over yet. People shopping are a bit like vultures, in that they pay attention to what the other one is looking at. Once you find your prey, you often have to defend it. You have to develop the skill of quickly determining whether or not you intend to keep your find, and then get out of there before another vulture swoops in and devours it before you do.

I must admit, my prior "get in and get out" shopping behavior never had the added benefit of the "pride of the kill". You know what this is... When you have scored something you may or may not have needed for an unbelievably low price (for the men, this is like bagging the biggest deer you and your buddies have seen all season.) Oh, the thrill that shoots through you! I can't think of another time when you could possibly call your closest friend about socks, or kitchen utensils or sheets with such gusto, can you?

It's silly, but there it is. And I have been out hunting! This weekend we hit the bath & linen conglomerates. Our goal (yes OUR, I dragged my poor husband along with me) was to find towels and curtains for our kitchen. We're redecorating (vineyard) and it's been murder trying to find anything that works. Yes, we did find towels and curtains... But OH BOY! We found something else!

We don't have any "nice" plates for formal occasions. On the clearance shelf there was a FULL set of porcelain china - service for 8. For.... *drum roll* $7.47! Yep, for under seven and a half dollars, I got a plain, but perfect set!


You know what else I learned? This shopping thing is catching. My husband called everyone he knew about those dishes. I feel like I have inducted a new member to the secret society of bargain shoppers. Brings a tear to the eye, doesn't it?