Since then, I have had a few mild successes and gotten a few freebies along the way.
However, for the most part, I have simply wasted a ton of time
{like 6 hours somedays, people}
clipping
and organizing
and scouring the ads
and putting together deals
and matching up coupons
and scouring the internet couponing sites for tips
and great coupon combos
and....
I really just don't think it's for me.
1. I think it is just a talent. Plain and simple.
Some people have this talent, and the rest of us just DON'T.
Sadly, I fall squarely with the "don'ts"
2. I live in UTAH.
Have you been to Utah?
Do you live in Utah?
Cause Utah is NUTS, yo!
We Utahns are suuuuper frugal.
{Present blogger included}
We can sniff out a deal anywhere.
There is no "too early" time to get up for a deal.
There is no such thing as "too many" of anything when it's FREE.
By 10:00 Monday morning, the deals are GONE.
And I am still clipping coupons at 10:00 Monday morning,
so I don't stand a chance.
3. {and probably the most important one}
I am a moron.
{No, not a Mormon...well, that too, but that's not what I'm talking about in this particular instance...}
And a little bit ditsy.
And I'm not saying that because I want people to write in and say -
"NO! You're not a moron! You're smart and wonderful and such!"
or anything like that,
I'm writing it because it is the gospel truth.
Today, I went to Walmart because they do double coupons on Tuesdays.
I just got SOME things, but was excited about the double coupon concept.
{P.S. Don't get too excited bout double coupons at Walmart,
they only double coupons up to a dollar.}
I have never done the double coupon thing at Walmart before.
So I get all of my stuff on the counter,
hand the girl my coupons
and we are off and running.
She gets to the end and tell me the total,
and I see that I haven't saved as much as I thought I might.
I ask her if she has doubled the coupons yet, and she is like, "Huh?"
{At this point I realize that it would have been NICE
if I had asked her about the doubling BEFORE we started the purchase!!!!!!!
Yeah, ya think?}
And I say, "Oh, don't you do double coupons on Tuesday?"
And she says {very nicely} "Oh, I have no idea. Let me ask."
So she goes and asks, comes back, and sure enough, they DO.
HOWEVER, since I didn't tell her this BEFORE she started ringing up my order, she has to VOID OUT all of the coupon-ed items, enter them back in, scan the coupon, double it, and re-bag the product.
Ugh.
Oi.
She is super nice about it.
I am super nice about it.{Which is fitting since this is all my fault.}
The guy waiting behind me in line is pleasant and nice about it.
The girl behind him, not so much.
It seems as though she is trying to stab me in the face via her eye balls.
It's working...on an emotional level.
You may not know this about me, but I almost never get nervous.
Do live T.V. in front of thousands of viewers?
So much fun.
Sing a solo in church?
No prob.
Botch a couponing transaction and make a line full of busy, tired people wait?
Get hot
and sweaty
and titchy
and nervous,
and basically want to crawl into a hole and die.
We get done,
I thank the girl and say {again}
how sorry I am that I didn't give her a heads up first,
and I GET OUT OF THERE!
It's official.
This is not one of my talents.
Sure, I may go to Walgreens for the occasional free item, because there is a coupon expert there who knows what to do and I can just hand her my stuff, save tons of money, and be on my way, but I don't think the mega deal grocery store style stuff is for me. There is just way too much that can go wrong, and in my case, {being flighty as a spring bird} it usually ALL will.
So, big old FAIL for me.
Boo.
I really can't justify spending this kind of time on coupons when I am this bad at it!
It makes ABOUT as much sense as me:
taking piano lessons,
or running foot races,
or trying to become the first Killer Whale trainer at Sea World
who totally has to plug her nose when Shamu tosses her into the water.
So I wish all you other crazy couponers out there the best of luck.
There will be one less girlie out there
trying to clear a hoard-worthy stash
of Nivea body wash from the shelves.
I will likely be stinkier for it,
but that's something I'm just going to have to live with.
xo,
Housewifey
7 comments:
I'm with you all that ten cent body wash can sit in someone else's basement...lol!
SO funny! That's exactly my fear is getting up there and having EVERYTHING go wrong and people cussing me under their breath!!!
Even more funny that I went to a couponing class last night!!! (Tisha Nielson Thornley gave the class and she's AMAZING at this whole thing!!!!! If you do ever decide to get back into it...hook up with her, she really knows her stuff!!!:)) She hates to go to Walmart too!!!
I'm still trying to get on board the whole thing!:)
Great blog BTW!
It's a mad mad world. I am a semi- devoted coupon-er. I too shopped at Wal-mart yesterday for the double coupon event. I like to shop at night between 9pm-11pm because then I can go without my kids, and the store is less busy so if it takes a while for me to check out i don't get evil eye daggers in my back. I saved a little over $160, but I was at the store for 3 hours! For me it was worth it. Couponing for me is NOT fun! It hurts my brain sometimes, there is so much thinking involved, ech! And all the prep work is just gross and not fun! But it is a way I can financial contribute to my family using the odd hours of my day.
I am not committed enough to save the really big bucks, on average I only save 50% or 60% on my bill. 60% of the coupons I recieve I never use because they are for junk food. IDK. I hope I'll get better. The ladies who are crazy couponers have spent A LOT A LOT A LOT of time to become great at what they do - kudos to them. When my husband starts making the big bucks I will not be couponing!
Mary - I agree, it can definitely be worth it when you are trying to get the most bang for your buck!
I really just think that I am bad at it.
I saved like, 20 dollars and spent 55. Not that impressive.
I think it is AWESOME for the people that are good at it. Saving $160 is AMAZING!!!! Good for you!
And yeah, if/when we ever make the big bucks. Not gonna be couponing. Shopping sales?
Yes.
Paying "less" any chance I get?
Definitely.
But couponing?
Not so much ;)
Bahahaha this post was awesome to read because I just watched another awesome episode of extreme couponing. One lady spends 70 hours per week couponing SEVENTY. I agree some people have the talent, time and will, I thought I did, my main hang up was most of the coupons are for pop tarts, pasta roni, fruit by the foot and such, and I felt really bad killing 5 trees every time my sunday papers came.
I'm about the whole year behind on blogging...getting caught up on the last few weeks when I should be sleeping. I tried couponing in March and February - gave it my all, really, I did. I bought crap, gained weight, and said, "I'm done!" This part of trying to be frugal just doesn't work for me.
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