At the beginning of each and every workshop, I tell attendees that the information presented will change the way they will look at spending. It sounds strange, but it’s very true. After you see how much things should cost, why would you want to pay more?
I often find it difficult to see how someone could stop couponing completely and go back to paying full price for everything. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of occasions that are acceptable to run out and pay full price for something. If you run out of an item, or will only use one for eternity, it’s OK to go to the store and pick it up.
However, there becomes a point when your saving and scrimping methods become so extreme that reality flies out the window. I hit this point on Saturday. See, in our house, the Easy Mac flows freely. The kids eat it for snacks. It’s a common lunch staple around here. How could it be? That stuff is so expensive! Not when it’s a free after coupon item. It’s something that I would now find it hard to live without, but I would find it even harder if I had to pay full price for it.
I hit the Dillon’s Mega Sale with my mom over the weekend. On the way out, she asked Dad if he needed any more Easy Mac for his lunches. It was going to be 50¢ a container! There are NO coupons out right now. I couldn’t believe it. Who would buy Easy Mac without a coupon? I saw the signs of panic streak across Mom’s face when Dad told her to pick up 30 containers. WHOA! That was $15!!! On Easy Mac!!!
What were we going to do? We couldn’t actually pay for them, could we? 50¢ is a ridiculously high amount to pay for anything, especially noodles in a cup with a packet of cheese powder.
Leave it to my brother for the reasoning, however unseemingly it may have been. “It’s still less than a candy bar out of the vending machine if he forgets his lunch. They are 75¢ each now.” (Yes, they work together). Relief started to set in. 50¢ for lunch? That’s not too bad, is it? It’s much healthier than a Snickers bar, not to mention warmer and more filling (sorry Mars).
So, that $15 dollars worth of Easy Mac is feeding my Dad for 6 weeks (lunches only, of course). He’d spend that in 3 days at McDonald’s. Guess it’s not so bad after all.
My motto for the week: One man’s bargain is a couponer’s panic attack.
They’re now charging $1.00 for a bag of cookies in the vending machine at my work!
All I can say is…that’s a lot of Easy Mac!
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Alicia Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 6:01 am
It’s the stockpiling sense of mind! You’ve got to buy enough to last you until it goes on sale again, which should be about 6 weeks.
At my previous employer, you’d have gotten moldy cookies for the $1 and had to buy something else, so it cost even more.
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I’m with you. I’ve gotten to the point where I feel bad paying for anything. Albertson’s has been putting $10 off $100 coupons in their circulars lately and I keep thinking, who could spend $100 in one trip? My husband then reminded me that not everyone is as coupon-happy as I am.
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Alicia Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 8:37 am
You can always use the $10 off of $100 before your other coupons. If you’re making a big trip, it’s worth it!
I couldn’t imagine spending $100 on groceries, unless I was preparing for a big party and needed specific items that I don’t normally use.
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