I love coupons. There I have said it. I look at them and I see savings. I clip them, I file them and yes I use them.
First off, I am not one of those “super coupon” shoppers. You know, the ones that you see on the local news buying 3 carts full of staples and paying $5.37 for all of it by using a stack of coupons 3 inches high plus a bunch of “rain checks” and rebates and all that. The manager of the store must hate to see those people coming in the store. And besides, I would guess that that isn’t the way they shop on a weekly basis. I think that is probably a once in a while kind of shopping where they have been waiting for the right time to replenish supplies and are using multiple coupons from multiple sources and are filling their freezer with on sale meat. More power to them but now that there are just two of us in the house I don’t shop like that anymore, not that I ever did for that matter.
But sometimes coupons don’t save you money, they cost you money if you let them. At least they do for me. Specifically those insidious 30% off at Borders coupons that they keep sending me.
Stop it! Stop it right now I tell you.
I don’t need anything there at Borders, that place that has books and music and coffee. Because you see, if I go in there thinking that I will just buy one thing and use the 30% off coupon on one thing I am, pure and simple, lying to myself.
Even worse is one of those coupons that they occasionally send to me telling me that I have earned $5 in “Borders Bucks”. Free Money!!!! Yes, I love it when someone gives me something for free. But you see, I know what happens and so do they. They know and I know that when I go into that place that sells book crack for those of us who suffer from “Bibliographic obesity” that I won’t be able to spend just $5. It hasn’t happened yet. I went in the last time I had one of those coupons, fully intending to only spend $5 and I……spent $20.
They know I am going to spend more. I know that I am going to spend more. I knew that I was doomed when I walked in the doors and thought, “I wonder what they have around here for $5?” I didn’t have a plan and that is how they got me.
So you see, coupons are good.
Unless they are bad. And it is so hard to know the bad ones from the good ones.
And I have $5 in Borders Bucks waiting for me. I wonder what they have there for $5?
I think they have som nice chocolate by the checkout line! And they have some fun cards!
ReplyDeleteI do the exact same thing with Barnes and Noble. B & N has an under $% and under $10 section. But then I always get more than one book. I have a too read stack a mile high.
ReplyDeleteI love coupons too! I clip 'em and use 'em and feel fully satisfied. But you're right--they get me sometimes.
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh out loud :"Bibliographic obesity" HA!!
I feel the same way about discount stores. You go in to save money, but find all kinds of other "deals" and ending up spending far more then you ever intended.
ReplyDelete