I’m the first to admit that I love shopping. If there is a bargain to be had, I’m there. If there is a product in high demand, I will hunt it down.

And it doesn’t matter what type of store I’m in. At the grocery, clothing or home store, I have my list, and strategy, mapped out. In fact, I tend to follow a particular route through the stores with which I am most familiar. For instance, at Wegman’s, I start in the deli and cheese area, then hit the produce and meat departments, the bakery, and so on. This can be helpful for my husband if we are shopping together, as he will know where to find me should we decide to divide and conquer my list.

There is a lot of great shopping to be had in Central New York – with a great mixture of Mom-and-Pop specialty stores, chain stores with great bargains and, of course, stores found in area malls. I have some favorites that I hit just about every week, and am always on the lookout for new stores to add to my list of “must-shops.”

If I’m feeling down, it perks me up to load the kids in the car and visit Towne Center in Fayetteville, with its nice variety of stores and eating establishments. I can feel my mood improving as I wander the aisles, picking out a treat or two for each of the kids as well as my husband and myself. I am always interested in what is current, whether it be a style of swimsuit or new DVD release. I am also always on the lookout for that red sign or sticker which indicates that ever-desireable clearance item. In this day and age, it is difficult for me to buy anything that is not on clearance; if it’s not a bargain, it had better be special.

So what does that make me? Am I addicted to the sound of squeaky shopping cart wheels, the sight of shelves neatly lined with goods of every shape and size, the smell of the ink on the register receipts? Am I, in fact, a shopaholic?

Or am I someone who can simply acknowledge that shopping helps me relax, destress and, well, be happier than I was when I first pulled into the parking lot?

I think the answer might be somewhere in between. I can go weeks without a shopping spree, but must get my basics – groceries, for example, every week. And if I have a set strategy for my weekly outing, where’s the harm?

Is it so wrong to be looking forward to my next trip to the outlet mall in Waterloo? I don’t think so. Am I addicted to hunting for bargains? Perhaps, but I can’t help but think that isn’t a bad thing.

I can’t help but think it might be something in my genes; my mother enjoys shopping as much as I do. I can remember shopping with her, as I do with my children. I think they will probably pass that down to their children, as well. And thus, the economy will flourish, thanks to the Wing family.

You can thank me later.

Jennifer Wing is managing editor at Eagle Newspapers and editor of Excellence. She can be reached at [email protected]