“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.”
—Bo Derek
First things first — I do not think money can buy happiness. But sometimes, shopping can lift my mood a little. It mostly depends on what I’m looking to buy. Clothes? I tolerate it but rarely enjoy it. Grocery shopping, however? That’s a good time for me.
Growing up, our family had one car, which my dad took to work every day. That left Saturday for errands. We’d go to the Italian market, where I could stir the big barrels of pickles and olives while my mom picked out cold cuts. Then, to the meat market for the “good hamburger.”
The rest of the staples for the week came from Stop & Shop, but even that was an adventure since my brother and I got to take turns picking out a box of cereal for the week. Getting groceries back then was a day out and usually included a stop for ice cream — of course, I grew to love it.
Food shopping is different now. Warehouse clubs, home meal kits, and curbside pick-up play a part, but the local charm isn’t completely gone. The cheese lady (I really should learn her name) at Shubie’s always tells me what’s good when I want a treat. Tom, the fish guy at Market Basket, is a good friend and tells me when they have bluefish on sale. When my children were little, Gail always gave them a cookie at the bakery in Shaw’s, and they looked forward to seeing her every week.
However, my favorite kind of shopping has to be for vintage items.
That’s because it combines the thrill of the hunt and that indescribable feeling of rooting through a box in a thrift store and squealing like a 6-year-old when you find a cashmere sweater for five bucks. I’ve also high-fived a complete stranger when I came across an “Emergency!” lunch box at a Goodwill for $2.
For items like clothes or something for the house, price rather than place is the name of the game. It’s like a competition between me and the universe to find the best deal.
A few years ago, I splurged on a designer bag, which is entirely unlike me, and it took three months to get it at the price I was willing to pay. I was on a manic mission of coupon clipping, price checking, and stalking the clearance aisles, but the bag was eventually mine and within my budget.
I got the bag so I’d look professional at a job in marketing, which coincidentally was at a company that promoted brick-and-mortar physical stores vs. online shopping sites.
I learned a lot about shopping habits in that job. There’s a ton of math in retail marketing, but it boils down to this: If you want something badly enough, you’ll probably buy it eventually — but where, when, and how much varies for each person.
Some shopping is necessary, and other times you just want to “treat yo’self.” But if you look at it the right way, even a grocery run can bring a smile.
Brenda Kelley Kim has lived in Marblehead for 50 years, and is an author, freelance writer, and mother of three. Her column appears weekly.