Good Shopping

Daughter Two will be flying down to Nicaragua soon to work on a development project related to waste stream management. Considering the weather and locale, she needed to purchase some items that aren’t part of her usual travel ‘go’ bag.

Mary wasn’t able to accompany Two on a necessary shopping trip today but since I’ve been a bit under the weather the last couple weeks, I relished the prospect of taking a walk at shopping speed. So, Two and I dropped my brother and sister-in-law at the airport and headed over to an outfitting outfit in search of the stuff she needed to complete her outfit.

Now, I’ve been hearing for as long as I’ve been married about this concept of ‘good shopping.’ I’ve scoffed at the idea and Mary and I have joked about it innumerable times. But after today, I may have to eat some of the snarky comments I’ve made from time to time regarding the validity of the term.

In an hour today, Two and I gleefully removed three items from her must-get list. Really good rain boots at a clearance price, camping towel and a new backpack, again at a killer price. Stuff. Important stuff that she wouldn’t have had time to get otherwise. We came home with a feeling of accomplishment and thriftiness that I haven’t felt in a long time.  Two was happy and relieved that she had the items she desperately needed, I was happy to have made her happy on a budget.

And of course, upon arrival home, I immediately announced to Mary that we’d just engaged in some Good Shopping.

And she grinned, because she knew I’d learned something today.