Basically she feels that Coupons don't work for her.
I thought she had some very good ideas on the subject and she makes some valid points.
I agree that coupons can take control over you. Who hasn't bought something just because it was free with a coupon even though they don't use that product and had no plan for it to be used once it was procured?
If you can answer that question with a no, then you are a far better man than I, Gunga Din!lol
If you have any kind of obsessive aspect to your personality, you may find yourself being overtaken by a need to use a coupon(or many coupons) just because you will get a deal.
It takes a lot of self-control to keep the coupons as a TOOL aiding your life, rather than as the CONTROL over your life.
Let me say that again.....Coupons should be a TOOL to help you save money and put that saved money to a different use in your life. If coupons become your life then perhaps you need to step away from the Sunday Inserts! ;-)
I have learned over the past year or so that I need to change the way in which I use coupons so that they work for me and I am not a slave to them. I have done some good things using coupons and then there are some things I have failed at due to coupons. Perhaps I'll delve deeper into this subject in a later post.
So when do you know when Coupons have taken over control?
1. When you spend more hours in a day finding/clipping coupons, studying store ads, reading coupon blogs, planning grocery lists, shopping, putting away the haul than you spend interacting with your family, spouse or friends.
**Ok, so I have sullen surly teens so maybe I don't really WANT to interact with them some days.
2. You can't bring yourself to buy something just because you don't have a coupon for it even if it's something you really really Need!
3. If someone were to ask you if your house was on fire and what would you grab before you left and you answer your Coupon Binder.
4. You have many, many boxes of 'insert name of product here' in your stockpile though no one in your house eats/uses said product.
5. You have enough boxes/containers of one product to build a replica of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
6. You open your garage door and suddenly cars full of people start pulling up to your house and ask if you have any grocery carts so they can do their weekly shopping.
So tell me.....do you use coupons or are coupons using you?
Sluggy
Funny post, Slugmama!
ReplyDeleteOver the past month or so, I've been more judicious with my coupon use. Yes, I used some coupons and even did some drugstore deals, but before I did I made sure that I really could use the items and really would come out ahead, and that I wasn't just buying something for the rush of getting those RRs and EBs.
A lot of my coupon aversion has to do with the fact I use hardly any household cleaners or cosmetics, and don't often buy cereal, granola bars, etc. For people who buy those things, coupons are a boon.
I think coupons are great, if like you said, they are used as a TOOL. I especially like coupons for hair cuts, oil changes (Shane has no place to change oil himself in the winter), restaurants, entertainment venues, etc. We don't do those things often, but when we do, we usually save quite a bit with coupons.
Now, if I could only learn to see garage sales as a tool instead of an addiction, I'd have it made. And I'd have a cleaner garage! :)
Nope. I have tried and tried over the years. But nope. I just never can make it work for me. I will spend hours pouring over the coupons, clipping said coupons and taking them to work and trading with others. When my kids were babies, I did use them for diapers, wipes, and some baby items. But 99% of the time, no.
ReplyDeleteI have mentioned before that I just have one grocery chain here and that's it. So since I make my own cleaners, laundry soap, dog food and I don't buy any thing with HFCS or hydrogenated fats, there is very little in the way of coupons that help me.
I am constantly in awe at how you work the system and take advantage of the deals offered through all the different stores you have access to. But from my window looking in? It looks like a full time job! In addition to being a full time wife, woman, mother, housekeeper, etc. Cut yourself some slack and do what makes you happiest and stress-free. : )
I fluctuate on this. When I got back into couponing last year, I freely admit to going WAY overboard. As a result, I will never - EVER - need to buy more liquid dish soap or body wash. But now that I have set myself a budget, and used up my self-allotted stockpile space, and found myself flying solo and really needing to rein in expenses all the more, I'm getting a lot more judicious about my couponing. The thing is, I actually really love the game of it. It's fun, and I enjoy it. So I don't want to give it up. But I recognize that it shouldn't take over my life either, because then it won't be fun anymore.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm constantly tweaking my couponing to find the best balance :) As long as there are some things like cat product coupons and fresh produce coupons, I will probably be okay - LOL!
Hey, totally off topic (sort of) - did you know there's a new Swiffer refills rebate? Buy $20 worth of Swiffer refills (all kinds) and get $10 back in a gift card that can be used at many different stores (not sure exactly what that means - it's a bit mysterious).
ReplyDeleteI saw that Pretty.....http://www.swiffer.com/en_US/promotions/rebate/pdf/rebate_form.pdf
ReplyDeleteI don't do Swiffer stuff but thanks!
So does this mean that you are starting a group like AA?
ReplyDeleteHi my name is SonyaAnn and I have a problem.........