Confessions of a Former Coupon Snob

I guess for me it started when I was in high school.  My very first job was at a Food Lion supermarket.  I can remember how agitated I would get when these women, with stacks of unorganized paper clippings, would come into my line and attempt to sort through them as I tried to move them along swiftly.  Registers back then weren’t like the nice ones we see now days.  I would have to check the journal tape continuously to ensure that none of their coupons were missed or otherwise face a tongue lashing. The pressure was only multiplied with their usual three plus, screaming kids in the cart and my growing line.  Needless to say, that job didn’t last very long.  At any rate, I think that is where my preconceived notions began.

The thought of using coupons never occurred to me when I was in college.  Of course, I would use the occasional a Express or The Limited discount or promo but, that was different. Fast forward a few years and my first daughter was born.  I tried to pay attention to who had the best deals on Pampers, etc. but just going to Sam’s Club or BJ’s and buying in bulk felt like the best option.  I was a career woman and I did not see myself investing the time or energy into couponing.  I also secretly believed that they were for people who couldn’t afford to pay regular price.  I think it was working in retail management that helped me form that idea.  I became frustrated with people trying to haggle, reproduce coupons and so much more.  Honestly, my mood would change when someone presented a coupon.  I was a coupon snob.

Fast forward to 2007. Our second daughter was born.  My husband and I made the well meaning, albeit unplanned decision to become a one income family. Almost simultaneously gas prices were rising and the recession was crowning.  How were we going to maintain our lifestyle and all the luxuries we enjoyed with one income?  We had savings so it did not seem to be an immediate concern.  Then, our 2nd daughter suddenly took ill when she was 8 months old.  She was hospitalized for nearly a month (we were over two hours from home).  My husband did not work the entire time she was in the hospital so we were living off of our savings.  Then came the hospital bills!  Thank God for good health insurance.

At the beginning of every year we all make resolutions and 2008 wasn’t any different.  However, my resolution was.  I was committed to half-price living.  I decided I would enjoy all of the things that I used to for half-price.  We needed to rebuild our savings and figure out how this new lifestyle was really going to work out.  It started with diapers.  I enjoyed finding those $5.00 off Huggies coupons.  Then the baby wipes and other ancillary product coupons began to attract my attention.  Before I knew it I had progressed on to coupons for baby food and so much more.  I began to track how much I saved and I began to challenge myself to save more on the next shopping trip.  Eventually, I was saving over $40 a visit with in-store promotions and coupons combined.

However, I wasn’t completely cured of my stereotypical opinions of coupon users.  I just felt like I was an exception to the rule.  I refused to fumble through an envelope of coupons in the checkout line as my daughters wiggled in frustration with the whole ordeal.  My solution, I created myself a little nifty little binder to organize my coupons.  I began searching the internet and I found women that saved so much they took European vacations–on one income!  Boy, was I motivated and I was certainly cured!  I now consider myself a pro.

The rewards have been great.  We have saved a lot although we are far from frugal,. We have continued to tithe.  As a matter of fact, we actually increased our giving.  I get kind of excited about the Sunday paper in anticipation of the savings folded inside its pages.  The beginning of the month ushers in the new online printable coupons and I just can’t wait.  The moral of the story: never judge a book by its cover.  I wasted a great deal of money and time doing so.  But hey, when you know better do better.

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