The Coupon Project

Guest Post: Shop with Confidence!

Did you know that I still get butterflies when heading to checkout? Like all of you, I want to ensure my transactions go through smoothly and build that confidence when heading to checkout with my coupons. I recently asked fellow bloggers (and seasoned couponers) Seattle Moms Deal Finder if they could assist me in sharing their thoughts on this topic. They graciously agreed; and here are their great tips.

Here are a few tips from the expert shoppers at Seattle Moms Deal Finder who can help us learn to shop with confidence, build relationships, and get the bargain!

Tip #1: Do NOT be afraid to ask for discounts! Here's a perfect example: While out shopping for a wedding gift at Macy's, I kicked myself for not searching for coupons first. I selected the wedding gift, and then proceeded to checkout. As I set my item on the counter, I asked the cashier if there were any discounts or coupons I was not aware of for this (insert date/weekend/week/holiday/season). He pulled open his drawer and said, "Yes!" and scanned a 15% off savings pass. I flashed him a sincere smile (because I was extremely appreciate) and went about my day. Remember that everything is negotiable, and typically all you have to do is ask.

Tip #2: Build relationships that have both give & take. Don't think, "what can this store do for me," think to yourself, "what can I do for this store?" By establishing this type of relationship, both the customer and store owner will be fulfilled. Here's a scenario: While visiting our favorite drop-in play center, I inquired if the owner had any special events or coupons we could promote on our blog (I understand that not every mom has a highly trafficked blog); however, many moms have a circle of friends and companions. We committed to advertising the play center for her, and she told us to select a day when admission would be waived for all our readers and myself. Commit that you'll bring in a few customers to the so-called next event, and before you know it, they'll commit something to you.

Tip #3: Don't be nervous! Remind yourself and YOU are the customer, YOU are spending money, and without YOU, they may not be successful! If you need to chant this as a mantra, do so, if you need to talk to a store manager, do so; but don't feel nervous for asking how to qualify for discounts or money savings. One method that works for me is shopping with a like-minded money saving mom. Try not to shop with friends who pretend that coupons aren't cool (you know we all have friends like that). Shop with someone who will support you in your endeavor that a penny saved is a penny earned.

Tip #4: Shop at non-peak hours. If you are worried about being scrutinized for using coupons at checkout, try to shop with cashiers that are at beginnings of shifts, or do not have pressures with long lines. I love to shop at either 8 am or 11 pm, both of these times have been favorable for me with cashiers and fellow customers. Also, try to leave your kids at home (if possible). Shop when you're calm and the stores aren't crowded, chances are cashiers will be in a like-minded mood.

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The Seattle Moms Deal Finder blog was created by two Seattle area sisters who are dead-set on finding Seattle area steals and deals, local promotions, on-line bargains and more. You don't need to be a Seattle resident to enjoy the deals they find! Become a fan today!

Photo credit Jean Scheijen

Reader discovers the "new" way of shopping

 

 

One thing that seems to perplex the non-couponing community is why the content of our shopping carts just look...different. After all, do we really need 10 boxes of cereal, 3 tubes of toothpaste, and 20 cans of tomatoes for the week? What exactly IS this all about?

Reader Julie sent me a great email last night explaining the epiphany she had about shopping. She writes:

When I first got started in November, I was pouring over coupons, making my list then going to the store for a week's worth of groceries and trying to keep straight exactly which brand and how many of each item to buy to make it worth my while. It was taking me 3 times as long to get through the store... I was a little irritated that couponing seemed to mean that I'd have to give up my evenings to go shopping... and I'd spend 2 hours making my list, extra time at the store, and the bottom line was I'd save around $7. WHAT?! My time is worth way more than that! 

I think many people that start out with coupons do exactly what Julie did here. You try to just "work coupons in" to what you're already doing: your weekly trips to the store to buy the food you need for that week. And understandably, you'll end up frustrated and your savings probably won't amount to much.This is not how I recommend you go about using coupons either. 

Fortunately, Julie's story does not end there. Here's what she realized:
   
Then something snapped. I don't know if it's something I read or what, but it hit me that if I did it all right, I didn't have to purchase 75 unique items in one shopping trip (not an unusual week of shopping if I had recipes and such). The idea is that if I planned right and bought lots of the same thing when it went on super sale and I had the right coupons to coordinate, a regular weekly grocery trip would likely include milk, eggs, bread, and some fresh produce.

BINGO, Julie! What you've described is stockpiling and it goes hand-in-hand with couponing.

Julie's shopping has gone much smoother since she had this simple revelation about buying items her family needs and uses when they are at low prices and simply buys the dairy and produce she needs to round out her menu for the week. She continues:

My mind feels sharp, I feel like I've won a victory for the family and for myself. My head is swimming with ideas and I'm excited and that feels awesome. 

Here's the part I loved. In her follow-up email to me, she told me this:

Last night my husband said dinners were better since I started shopping this way.

Well I'd say that's a perk! When your pantry starts to round out, you'll have many ingredients to choose from to encourage your culinary inspirations and creativity. To review: couponing and stockpiling should work to reduce your time in the store, liven up your dinners, and cut your grocery budget.

Want to read more about this topic? In October, I shared how your mindset about grocery shopping will need to change once you start couponing. You might want to read this post on how to build a stockpile. And if you're still hungry for more, check out the "Getting Started" section of my blog.

Thanks, Julie, for sharing this! I'm sure it will encourage other readers getting started. As a reminder, I fully encourage my readers to share their testimonials and pictures of their deals! Please read how here, and then email me at thecouponproject at hotmail dot com and you just might be my next reader feature!

Photo credit David di Biase 

Sometimes, it's important to let yourself off the hook

 

 

It all happens to the best of us.

You forget a coupon at home that you wanted to use. You delay on an online deal and miss it entirely. You buy the wrong item for the rebate offer, but since you've already opened the item, you can't return it. You're excited to learn you've saved 40% at the store, but feel deflated when you learn your friend (who's newer to couponing than you are) tells you how she saved 80%. 

My philosophy? Couponing should be fun. And I think way too many of us take it far too seriously. Ask yourself:

• Have you lost sleep over a lost $2 coupon?
• Have you considered driving back to the store because they forgot to scan your $1 coupon?
• Do you feel guilty for buying a splurge grocery item?
• Do you feel pressure to keep up with your coupons, deals, and offers?
• When you dream, do you see barcodes?

If the answer to any of these is "yes," there's something I want to tell you, friends. Let yourself off the hook! I firmly believe there is no perfect deal. If you get the shampoo for $1, someone else will tell you they got it for free. And then someone else will tell you how they MADE $1 on the same deal. And then someone else will tell you how they made enough money on that shampoo that they were able to head into early retirement. 

Can we just stop this nonsense already? Really?

Today I want to challenge you to relish in your accomplishments saving money - whatever they have been and however seemingly small. Focus on what you're doing RIGHT. This is not a race or a competition. I'll say it again, it should be FUN. Unfortunately there's not an "f" in coupon, but there is a "u" and there is also an "n," so that's 2/3 of the word FUN and I'll take it. You should too.

I want my readers to know that I take a very common sense approach to couponing around here. Yes, saving a buck is always important to me. But you know what else is important? Your time. Your health. Your sanity. So today, celebrate your successes. From one couponer to another, GOOD JOB. You are doing GREAT, my friend.           

Photo credit Sofia Henriques 

A Gillette razor on a couponer's budget? You'd pay less than the '50s.

Am I the only one that loves these retro commercials and videos from the 1950s? 
 
I stumbled upon this one today for Gillette razors. Back then, you could get one for the low price of... $1.29! Funny, but if you shop at Walgreens and Rite Aid, you should be able to beat that price easily enough.

How's that for reverse inflation? 

Coupon Lesson Fifteen: Ideas for Generosity

 
(Photo credit Jello Fishy)

So in Lesson Fourteen I suggested that it's possible for couponing to make one greedy and snobby. Sometimes. The positive flip side to that is more often than not, learning how to coupon will turn you into a more generous, giving person.

Today I'm going to share a few ideas of how you might harness that "good feeling" you get from couponing into practical ways you can be generous with others.

1. Teach someone else to coupon. As cheesy as it sounds, I get excited hearing about someone else's good deal as much as enjoying my own. I love it when a reader emails me and thanks me for sharing how to use coupons and find sales. Whether you're an old pro or someone just starting out, I hope you will take the time to share what you're learning with other people. Trust me, for every one person I tell that doesn't care, about 10 more do. And don't feel you must run out and start a blog to do that either (trust me, that's a whole 'nother ball of yarn...). Telling your neighbor, coworker, or friend will do (if you can limit yourself to that).

2. Donate to homeless shelters, church pantries, and others in need. This would be a perfect time of year to put this into practice. I know my own church is hoping to ramp up the food pantry in order to provide local families with Thanksgiving meals. A lot of the items they need are the same items we're seeing on sale right now - canned broth, vegetables, baking supplies. Consider sharing from your stash or doing the deal to help out a family in need.

3. Do a deal for the not-so-coupon inclined. Got folks in your life that are awed by your coupon deals but you know it's unlikely they'll make the time to do it for themselves? Why not ask them to write a list of 3-4 items they use regularly and see if you can't help them out. Who knows, they might be so wow-ed by the deal you scored them on canned tomatoes they'll be willing to give it a try!

4. Be a coupon fairy. If you have coupons (particularly good ones) you are not planning on using, why not leave them on store shelves for other customers? There are other ways you can be a coupon fairy too. I recently decided to ask my friends on Facebook who would like my cat and dog coupons as we don't have pets. In less than an hour, I got a response. Some of this will depend on your comfort level and the situation, but try to gage if you can ever help other customers at the store. For instance, if you see a lady grabbing for a $4 bottle of orange juice and you know the $2 bottle is a better deal with the peelie coupon, see if you can politely assist. Be nice; and again, remember not everyone will necessarily be excited about finding the best deal. But the ones that do will be grateful!

5. Donate expired coupons. Did you know overseas military bases will allow expired coupons to be redeemed up to 6 months past their expiration dates? It's completely easy to sign up. Go here to learn more and get started. I participate with this and think it's a simple way we can thank families overseas for their sacrifice.

6. Give other resources as you are now able. I think you'll find the ideas for giving will grow as you learn to save money and stockpile. You might find the deal on the pretty lotions and bath gels make lovely gifts for women at the local nursing home. You might be inspired to cook a few extra freezer meals from your stockpile and deliver them to a family with a new baby. You might realize you have money left over at the end of the month and can now help a friend that's struggling with the bills.

The more you learn to save, the greater your ability will be to give. While it might seem counterintuitive, it's true. And I'm not the first one to make this connection either. It is a theme you will find over and over with couponers. So while there are a few bad eggs, I think you'll find there are many more courteous and giving folks out there.

Tomorrow, I will wrap up this series by summing up the key points I've shared with you over the last month and giving you an "action plan" for how to carry everything you've learned into practical steps. Shortly thereafter, there will be a final, so if you've not been paying much attention, you might want to go back and review the other October Coupon Lessons! See you then!

Coupon Lesson Fourteen: Be Nice, Not Obnoxious

(Photo credit Jade Gordon)

Yesterday I shared with you basic rules and policies about coupons you must follow. Today I'm going to talk about those gray areas. This is where we get into the meaty stuff. Coupon etiquette and behavior.

Before we dive in I feel the need to preface this post. See, I've become fairly conservative in my opinions about couponing/stockpiling/and deal-getting. For instance, here's how I'd handle the following situations (though I am NOT suggesting you would need to follow suit...this is only for your understanding of my personal shopping style):

There is an awesome sale on diapers at Rite Aid, and I'm out. When I get to the store, there are four left. I'd be likely to take two. I might check another Rite Aid if I have the time and interest, or I might ask a cashier if they plan on getting more stock or ask for a rain check. If I don't end up with 10 packs of diapers, I shrug it off, figuring there will be another diaper deal worth doing before the two packs I bought run out. This sort of thing rarely frustrates me anymore. (Yes, it used to.)

I learn Walgreens is having an awesome money-maker deal on razors. Honestly? I'd do the deal once. While it's a good deal, I can earn more money sitting at home working than "making" $5 driving to the store and "buying" razors. Once I account for time involved preparing the deal, gas spent driving to the store, etc., doing more than one trip usually doesn't make sense for me. I'm not a fan of asking cashiers to do back-to-back transactions for me, so I only will do this if it's a deal that matters a great deal to me. 

Oh, and by the way, I redeemed all my Register Rewards today on baby wipes. No, they weren't on particularly good sale. I just needed them, didn't want to pay out of pocket, and sort of want a break from the burden of managing Register Rewards for awhile. Are you shocked??

Bottom line? I've slowly evolved into a no-frills couponer. I'll do the deals that make sense for me, and leave the glucose monitors for the customers with diabetes. All that being said, I competely recognize not everyone reading this will agree with my opinion, and that's fine. However, I'm not gonna sit here and dilute what I really want to say, so I'm just gonna say what I feel on this topic.

Now that we've cleared up that lil' matter, let me share my rules of good coupon etiquette. Most of these *should* just be good manners and common sense, but I feel it's important for me to spell them out so I can do my part in sending polite folks out into the stores who give couponers (and this blog) a good name!

1. Do not be a shelf clearer. First come, first served? The early bird gets the worm? Yeah, maybe. But buying all of Walgreens 12 Vaseline Infusion lotions and leaving none for others (and still asking for more?) is rude. Of course the store has the perogative to limit quantities, but I have to ask - why would you put the store in that awkward situation in the first place? Now, if there are two of an item, OK, I could see that. But if there are 27 and you take 27, and you know full well it's a deal others are likely looking forward to, you are being rude. Please also consider that stores such as Walgreens and Rite Aid do not maintain the same stock of larger stores (think Target).

2. Be polite to your cashiers. Now I've been frustrated a time or two before, I'm not gonna lie. But is a doubler coupon worth having security escort you out? Remember the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve and it will help you when you're having a bad day checking out. (Incidentally, I'd say for every 1 trip that doesn't go as planned at checkout, I have 10 or more that do!). Being polite also means be organized with your coupons and items before you head to the register. Don't be deciding then and there what you want and what you don't. Sure, I undertstand unexpected things might pop up, but control what you can control.

3. Be polite to other customers. For goodness sakes, if there is a person standing behind you with a Coke, let them go in front of you.

4. Don't hog or steal coupons. This one might make me unpopular, but I do NOT think it is acceptable to take "peelies" off products for later use. What am I talking about? Peelies are little coupons affixed directly on a product. The intention is to have you use the coupon on THAT item. Many folks will snatch them off and save them for a better deal elsewhere. While I do think this practice is OK for blinkies and tearpads (so long as you aren't taking the whole blinkie machine), I do not think it's OK when the coupon is stuck directly on a product. Now, if YOU buy that product and decide to redeem it later, fine. You purchased that product; you also purchased that coupon. Furthermore - and I can't believe I even have to say this - it is NOT ok to rummage through unopened packages you have no intention of buying for coupons! I recall an oatmeal deal late winter (you can tell I'm into the oatmeal deals, no?) and noticed someone had tampered through several of the boxes, presumably looking for coupons. Damaging products you don't intend to buy is called stealing in my book. The retailer will have a HARD time selling half-ripped boxes of oatmeal.

5. Don't be a coupon snob. I'll admit, I can get like this if I don't watch it! What is a coupon snob? It's that sort of air that no matter what deal you just did, I could've done it better. So you bought a box of Kashi cereal for $1? Well I bought the same box for a profit of 14 cents! You bought one bottle of hairspray for 50-cents? That's nothing. I scored 27 bottles for that same amount. And it goes on and on. You know what I've decided? If you start saving money - ANY money on your groceries, you deserve to be congratulated, not frustrated by the fact you could've done better. I secretly believe the deal can ALWAYS be better. There is NO perfect deal. (Your 27 bottles of hairspray will be on sale next week for 15 cents.) Especially those that are old pros at this, please be mindful of newbies! Encourage them. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed starting out. Cheer on every $1-off coupon! And newbies, pat yourself on the back everytime you save a buck or two. Don't worry about how it could've been better - think about how it could've been worse!

Now if you feel like you've been sternly lectured, I'm sorry. It's not my intention. I just see a lot of craziness out there, and I don't want you to be a part of it. For more on this topic, you might be interested to read the coupon ethics stance I've taken for posting deals on this blog.

I really want to hear from my readers on this one. Have you observed obnoxious behavior? Or perhaps you work as a cashier and could offer your perspective? Think there's some etiquette I'm missing? Are you a blogger that has posted on this topic in some form and want to share a link? Please speak up. Whether we agree on all the points or not, I do think we can agree this is an important topic and one worth discussing.

Consumerist post on coupons and shame

I came across an interesting post over at the Consumerist, and thought I'd pose a question for my readers, and particular those who are new to using coupons:

Do you feel shame for using coupons?

I certainly don't. While I want the transaction to run smoothly, I know coupons save me hundreds of dollars and that outweighs any irritation I might have on a particular outing. This is good to remember when I have incidents such as the train wreck that was my Walgreens' trip a couple nights ago.

I thought I had everything planned (well sort of), but it all unraveled, including my Plan B. When I asked the cashier if I could just start over, she flatly said, "no," and offered no further explanation. I thought she was joking, but she wasn't. Nice. Also nice because I had my sister with me and I don't think I sold her on the coupons any (or Walgreens for that matter).

In spite of everything though, I'm not gonna stop couponing. I just learn, accept the bumps in the road and move on.

What about you? How do you recover from a bad shopping trip? Do you ever feel ashamed handing the cashier a stack of registers as customers behind you sigh loudly? How do you deal with this? 

Coupon Lesson Twelve: the ABC's of Couponese

Guess what? I'm behind on my Coupon Lessons, so like it or not, you're getting a double-dose of coupon love tonight to ensure we finish this series on time.

Couponers have a lingo that I like to call Couponese. As much as I try oh-so-carefully to avoid these terms (lest I scare away my newbies), I get emails like this every so often: "What's Red Plum?" And then I realize I haven't done a good enough job of providing Basic Coupon Training.

So today, after 8 months of blogging about coupons, I'm FINALLY gonna clue you all in to what I've been talking about.

A is for Ad. What's usually meant is the store's weekly ad (AKA circular). Grocery store ads generally run from Wed - Tues (Safeway, Albertsons), while drug store and national store ads run Sun - Sat (Walgreens, Fred Meyer, Target).

 

B is for BOGO, or "buy one, get one." The classic BOGO is "buy one, get one free," however there are fun variations of this such as "buy seven, get four free" and "buy one, get one 15% off." Sometimes abbreviated as B1G1 (or B2G2, etc.)

C is for Catalina. These are the handy little coupons you get for buying promotional items. You can generally use them to buy any merchandise in the store (with few exclusions - read your fine print).

D is for Double Coupon. This occurs when a store decides to double the value of your manufacturer's coupons. They may have a limit (say, 20 per transaction), or they may simply issue "double coupons" in their store ads.

 

E is for Extra Savings Booklet. The Fred Meyer coupon booklet just inside stores.

F is for FAR. This is short for "Free After Rebate."

G is for GDA. Stands for "Good Deal Alert."

H is for Hot Coupon World.My favorite coupon resource site out there!

I is for Inserts. The Sunday paper inserts are a staple source of coupons for most coupon-clippers. The three major coupon inserts are put out by SmartSource, Red Plum, and Procter & Gamble.

J is for JMHO. Stands for "just my humble opinion." While this acronym is widely used by texters, you'll find it frequently in coupon forums where opinions may differ about how to do a deal.

K is for Kmart. Known for their famous "double coupon events," Kmart is a favorite store among die-hard couponers. During these events, participating Kmart stores will usually double up to $2 manufacturer coupons, resulting in many cheap and free items, much to couponers' delight.

L is for LOND. Stands for "Land of no doubles." Guess what? If you're in my neck of the woods, you're living in the LOND. While we occasionally see stores here and there doubling coupons, other parts of the country can routinely expect their stores to double coupons.

M is for Money Maker. Commonly used term to describe a deal when you end up with a net profit after coupons, sales, and/or rebates. Sometimes abbreviated as MM.  Some couponers will use the term overage instead.

N is for NED. "No Expiration Date." This coupons are few and far between. As mentioned above, I actually did receive one this week - they exist!

O is for OOP. Stands for "Out Of Pocket." You'll see this one a lot. To use it in a sentence: "To keep your OOP down, be sure to use this coupon over here."

P is for Printable Coupon. Printable coupons are ones you'd print from any number of Internet sources, including SmartSource.com, Coupons.com, manufacturers' websites, or special Facebook offers.

Q is for Coupon. The letter "Q" is sometimes used to indicate a coupon. For instance: $1/1 Q or Manu Q (which would be short for Manufacturer's coupon).

R is for Register Rewards. The fun little Catalina coupons you get from Walgreens. (See Catalina above.)

S is for SCR. Short for "Single Check Rebate." Refers to Rite Aid's rebate program.

T is for Tearpad Coupon. These coupons are often found in the stores, on a little booklet by the product they are for.

U is for Unadvertised Sale/Special. Sometimes the best deals are the ones that don't appear in the ad! Nice folks that stumble across these will email bloggers or post their finds on coupon forums to let others share the excitement.

V is for Valassis. Another name for Red Plum.

W is for WYB. Stands for "When You Buy" and is often used in blogger deal scenarios. For instance, you might see something like this: Free Gatorade WYB Cheetos.

X is for Times (multiplication). Couponers use math, so get used to it!

Y is for YMMV, or "Your mileage may vary." Couponers use this to indicate when a sale may be very subjective to your store's policy or the particular cashier you may be dealing with that day.

Z is for zzzzzz's. Something that's important to get while you're learning all about coupons. And seeing how it's 11 pm on a Sunday night, I reckon it's time for some shut eye.

Coupon Dad, Bargain Briana, and Hot Coupon World also have great references for coupon lingo.

I have four fun-filled lessons planned this week for you to finish off this series. So pay attention! You'll want to pass that final exam.

Coupon didn't work? Now what.

Here is an interesting Consumerist post - 72% of consumers surveyed said they'd proceed with a transaction if they realized at the register their coupon wouldn't work.  

This has happened to me before, and I'm sure to most (if not all) of you.  You get to checkout and perhaps the coupon isn't for the exact item you're purchasing. Or maybe you mistakingly tried to redeem an expired coupon. Or maybe there's some unspecified reason the coupon "beeps" and the cashier doesn't want to push it through. 

I don't know about you, but if this happens to me, I politely ask the cashier to remove said item from my order and continue with the rest of my purchase. If I think there's a chance the cashier should accept the coupon (let's say I know its use is within coupon policy), I might attempt to discuss it (but never long, I'm not a big confrontational type).  

What about you?  What do you do?  Do you think 72% is a bit high?

What does it mean to be frugal? Here's one perspective.

When you hear the word "frugal," what comes to mind? 

Here's my list: avid couponer, bargain-hunter, garage-sale goer, master haggler.  Someone who has learned to make do with less.  Perhaps someone that can be creative in a pinch.

Do you think of something similar?

I have been reading Your Money or Your Life, and was challenged in my thinking on what it means to be frugal.  In Chapter 6 ("The American Dream - On a Shoestring"), author Joe Dominguez writes:

Frugality means we are to enjoy what we have.  If you have ten dresses but still feel you have nothing to wear, you are probably a spendthrift.  But if you have ten dresses and have enjoyed wearing all of them for years, you are frugal.  Waste lies not in the number of possessions but in the failure to enjoy them.  Your success at being frugal is measured not by your penny-pinching but by your degree of enjoyment of the material world.

Now that sort of spun my thinking on its head, and I've been mulling over these statements for a few days now.  And I think he's right.  And I think there can be a great irony for couponers here.  

Consider this.  When I started couponing, I found myself snagging up as many freebies as I could.  My stash soon began to overflow with toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, soup mixes, cereal, foot cream, eye cream, who-knows-what-its-for cream.  Each week I was astounded at my savings.  And yet...had I achieved true frugality?

Now for confession time.  I have a bag of Garnier I mean to donate, but haven't yet.  It's in my closet stealing precious floor space.  Although I don't have allergies, I have five unopened boxes of allergy medicine that will expire within the year (that probably earned me some Register Rewards at Walgreens that have since been spent on other "useful" items).  I have several kinds of salad dressing sitting in my pantry though I would prefer to nibble on fresh veggies anyday than prepare a salad.  Would I have been more frugal if I would have paid full price for only items my family and I use?  Granted, I can give these items away (which I most certainly will), but have I missed the overarching point of helping my family save money on the things we use? 

A few paragraphs later, Dominguez offers that frugality is "the wise stewarding of money, time, energy, space and possessions."  When I'm focused on one small deal (yes, even if it's a money-maker), it's possible I can miss the bigger picture of what it means to be frugal.  So I can make $8 at Rite Aid this week.  But what if I have no use for Zantac or ReNu MultiPlus solution?  Again, I can donate it.  But what about the hour spent finding the deal, clipping the coupons, going to the store, waiting in line, returning home, and submitting for my rebates?  What about the space in my closet I'll have to make until I decide what to do with it?  What about the time I'll spend figuring out where to donate these items, and the time and gas money I'll inevitably spend hauling it away?  Is all of this worth $8?  I can't make that judgment call for you, because I don't know your specific situation.  But in mine, I think I could spend that time and effort more wisely.

Recently, I've shifted from feeling the need to snatch up every last deal to focusing on those that make sense for my family.  Interestingly enough, my overall savings rate has gone down a bit.  (I used to save 65% or more per month, now I'm hovering closer to 50%).  However, my budget feels easier to manage because I'm not going to the stores multiple times each week.  In short, I'm actually spending less.  Without setting out to, I think I'm evolving into more and more of a frugal person.

My conclusion?  It's not about getting every deal, every freebie, stockpiling years of shampoo and dish soap.  It's about creating balance in all aspects of my life.  I don't know that I can state it any more eloquently than Dominguez: "Frugality is...not too much, not too little, but just right.  Nothing is wasted.  Or left unused.  It's a clean machine.  Sleek.  Perfect.  Simple yet elegant.  It's that magic word - enough."   

Photo credit Michael Slonecker