One day the hubs and I were relaxing at home when we heard a knock at our apartment door. On the other side was a teenage kid selling newspaper subscriptions as part of a fund-raiser. Although at first it seemed like a scam, after looking at the literature presented to him, my husband took pity on the poor guy and signed us up to receive The Orlando Sentinel. Although, I really don't read the paper much (I get most of my local news from their website and twitter feed) I definitely look forward to the days when it is filled with savings.
The Sunday paper is by far the most useful to me. Not only does it contain booklets of coupons but it also holds sale flyer's for the week. I spend a couple hours each week matching up my coupons with sales for the products I need. I have been able to save a lot of money and has definitely been worth the cost of the newspaper delivery. Most of the stores where I currently shop not only print the savings on the receipt but the cashiers seem to delight in telling me how much I've saved in my shopping trip. Once on the show, the woman featured explained the "high" she got from couponing. I thought that was kind of silly or maybe strictly reserved for those who get out of the grocery store paying 2 cents for $500 worth of groceries. However, I have definitely felt the excitement of a good bargain and savings. On a recent shopping trip to Walgreens, I couldn't help but smile as my register reward coupons just kept on printing and printing. When the cashier looked at me and said, "you're not going to pay anything for this!" and I knew I'd made it. Ha! I know this sounds really mundane but in these difficult economic times especially as a newlywed couple just starting out, anything we can do to save money and better our situation and future is honestly cause for excitement.
As a new couponer, I have caught myself purchasing way too much of something because I felt like I couldn't pass up a good deal. Luckily this hasn't happened with anything that will expire or that I won't use eventually. However I can understand how the people featured on the show end up with the "stockpiles" that they do. I've struggled with feeling like I need to take advantage of a deal because I worry if it will be offered again at a time when I need the particular product. However, I've found that most stores offer these deals often and that maybe I don't need to use the coupon this month. In the same vein, many companies seem to distribute coupons for the same products month after month.
No matter how extreme my couponing may (but won't) get, I'm glad that I've started finding ways to save our family money. I know that the tips and tricks I'm learning now will help me in the future. I'm sure that this will not be the worst of times financially for us and I want to have the tools and experience I'll need as the needs of my family change and fluctuate.
Thanks for reading.
BC10-8/8
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