deer necklace by markhed design - via papernstitch - click image to view more
We are predators. We hunt game for sport. We hunt our houses and our mates.
But there is no greater pursuit, no more daring a quest, than the hunt for a bargain.
Hunting season has begun and the shoppers have loaded their weapons.
Oh, we love the hunt.
Waking at the break of dawn, pushing, shoving, pouncing on our prey. It’s not the stuff we want – it’s the fish story.
“You got that for how much?”
“It was 97% off – and I had a coupon for another $1 off. And it was the last one.”
Never mind that it wasn’t on the list before the sale sign was spotted or the flyer researched. Never mind that the giftee didn’t ask for it. Never mind that the reviews said it wasn’t that great or that you have something similar or that it won’t be used more than twice.
It was on sale.
I’m no minimalist. I like stuff – and a healthy amount. I enjoy shopping and I enjoy buying. I have scoured the sales racks and thumbed through the Sunday circulars.
But I’ve lost my taste for the fresh blood of a sale. Cheap is no longer a reason to buy.
Embrace the hunt but reevaluate your prey.
It’s time to hunt bigger game. When resources are limited, you have to seek out that which will sustain you the longest. Instead of looking for the best deal, hunting things that waste your time, money, and energy, pursue the best gift. Stalk the unique experience. Follow the scent of special.
The perfect gift is out there – eluding you in the bushes, covering it’s tracks, running faster, jumping higher. You can catch it.
This year, you may find the perfect gift somewhere you don’t expect. You might find it at the flea market, the church bazaar, the boutique in town you keep meaning to visit, or at the new restaurant down the street. Get out & explore.
Find new hunting grounds.
Seek out your prey.
Corner your quarry.
Pounce.
Tara Gentile is a business coach and blogger serving passion-driven entrepreneurs with fresh ideas about 
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Nick Mohler and PAGuild of Craftsmen, tara gentile. tara gentile said: embrace the hunt http://bit.ly/dQUtsO [...]
I loooove this. I hate how marketing departments have hypnotized all of us into feeling such a rush when we get a ‘good deal’ only to get home and realize the very things you said – maybe we wouldn’t have bought it otherwise, so is it then really a deal at all? or maybe we’re not really going to use it. or nobody would want it. but it was on sale so…. that means we’re awesome, right?
I’m hoping to do a lot of hand-making or buying handmade things this year from Etsy or other similar places. Unless there’s something I know someone wants and THEN I find a great deal, I’m not sure it’ll be considered a victory if I survive not getting trampled at the mall to find an impersonal gift on clearance.
I went hunting yesterday
I had a %40 off coupon for Borders and $5 borders bucks for my birthday. I have seriously cut back on my old school shopping, and truly don’t enjoy it any more, but I got Seth Godin’s Linchpin for $11 (full price $25.99) and it felt good. As for the holiday shopping I am going for very little and definitely unique. I won’t be going to the mall!
This is such a true article!
I mean, right now, I have an intense feeling in my gut that makes me feel utter panic if I do NOT get the rest of my Christmas presents today, Cyber Monday, because I will miss out on the deals and for some reason, will never find that perfect gift that would’ve otherwise been found today.
My inbox is overloaded with gift guides that I still haven’t been able to look at yet, and I feel like the world will end if I don’t read them all tonight and get those deals.
I’d like to just take a breather and wait for tomorrow to come, so this anxiety will pass =)
Amen! I especially love this paragraph, both in terms of what you’ve said and how you’ve said it:
“It’s time to hunt bigger game. When resources are limited, you have to seek out that which will sustain you the longest. Instead of looking for the best deal, hunting things that waste your time, money, and energy, pursue the best gift. Stalk the unique experience. Follow the scent of special.”
What I love about this different approach to shopping is that it feeds happiness/contentment on more than one level. First, you get to avoid the frenzy from a zen-like, relaxed position; then you get to enjoy the *process* of thinking about each friend & family member, and poking around those unexpected corners for something really special; finally, you get to see how it all adds up to a meaningful gift that’s a joy to give and receive.
[...] just read a blog post on Scoutie Girl called “embrace the hunt“. The author compares the hunt for a bargain to the hunt of game for sport. It is a smart [...]