Shopping Spree!

Normally I avoid unmitigated consumerism. We all know what overconsumption of resources is doing to the world.

But once in a while ya gotta just let loose.

My son Isaac needed winter boots, so we jumped in the Jetta and headed off to that shopping Mecca, a huge, warehouse-sized frenzy of merchandise...

No, not the local mall. And certainly not Wal-Mart.

I'm talking about Goodwill!

It's the first place I go for nearly everything inedible. It's great, 'cause you can shop with a clear conscience on all sorts of things.

• Almost everything there is pre-owned. So you're saving stuff that might otherwise be tossed. And you're saving the environmental cost of manufacturing something new.
• Goodwill provides jobs and career training for the socially disadvantaged and mentally and physically disabled. Not to mention affordable duds for those struggling on a low income. So you can feel good about supporting them.
  
• And it's totally cheap (especially the clearance rack, where you can sometimes find swanky high-class clothes for ridiculous prices.) Which means if you want to, you can go on a hog wild shopping spree without bouncing a single check.
  

Tonight, we went home with two fleece tops, a nice sweater and a Berman's leather bomber jacket for Isaac, and a silk shirt and two cozy Christopher & Banks sweaters for me.

Our total bill? Are you sitting down?

$33.69!

Only one problem - we didn't find any winter boots his size.

Oh, well... we'll just have to try the Salvation Army store down the street.