All right, I realize that I talk about Walgreens waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much on here. I will try to hold it down from now on. But the setting is relevant for this story.
Today I went to Aldi for part of my monthly grocery shopping. I dropped $60, which is good considering how long those groceries will last. But I still get bitter spending that much money on something that is enjoyed temporarily. I know, a person has to eat. I digress.
I headed to Walgreens for my weekly deal raiding/making myself feel better after blowing $60 on something that is not shoes. I picked up 2 bags of Dove chocolates for $1/bag after coupons and a free tube of Aquafresh toothpaste after coupon (there's a $2 printable coupon on the Aquafresh website and the Advanced toothpaste is on sale for $2). There is a lot of irony in purchasing chocolate and toothpaste together, I know. And I really don't need any more toothpaste since I currently have five tubes in my stash.
So I'm wandering the aisles of my happy place when I see her. This woman is pushing a cart and she has a coupon binder! Now, I have never seen anyone out and about with a coupon binder in the year and a half that I've been couponing. Should I say something to her? Is there some sort of couponing secret word that I should say? I decide to control the crazy and say nothing.
I get in line to pay my $2 (put it on my gift card, of course) when she gets in line behind me. I can't control myself any longer. "I have a coupon binder, too." I say. Luckily I appear like a nonthreatening twelve-year-old in real life, not like some sort of weird stalker. "Really?" she asks. "Does it work for you?" Does the coupon binder *work* for me? Ha! I am flabbergasted by this question. "Oh, yes," I reply. The conversation ends and I smile and leave the store.
I think all of the couponing/frugal people out there need to come up with some sort of gang symbol to flash at each other. Otherwise, I will continue to have nutso conversations like this. :P
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4 comments:
I see a lot of couponers when I go to a local grocers $10 off of $50 coupon day. Most of the time it's retired couples shopping together and discussing price per ounce. It makes me smile. I try to be friendly and I'll even give out a coupon or two if I'm not going to use it. But, then there's also the fear of letting someone know where the best fishing hole is too.
Maybe we could make a "C" shape with our hand and put it to our forehead? You know..."I have couponing on the brain"?
One time, I was behind a young woman using five or so coupons on the same number of toothpastes. I knew she was getting a great deal on them (alas, I only had one such coupon), and I complimented her on it. You should have seen the look on her face. The poor thing was scared to death, as if I might be a member of the Secret Coupon Police...out to catch her in the act! Maybe a secret sign would have put her at ease, LOL!
I love it!! I have a binder, but have never seen a fellow binder lover!! I have gotten some interesting comments, though!
I use what looks like a wallet, divided into categories like health/beauty, cereals/rice/pasta, etc. And I, too, *love* Walgreens because I am constantly getting stuff not just for free, but actually making a few cents on it thanks to coupons that turn the "free after rebate" into "really free with a few cents left over after sales tax and postage." I take extras to my church, whichhas an emergency pantry and a number of programs for underserved groups (seniors, AIDS patients, the homeless, single mothers).
Something I like to do is be The Coupon Fairy, i.e., give coupons to people who don't seem to have them. Frequently I clip coupons for products I don't use, just so I can give them away. Yep, it's a sickness. But people are generally very appreciative. Last night at the drugstore the woman behind me in line had two boxes of Tampax, and I had two $1-off coupons. She said, "Wow, thank you so much! This is great! Two dollars off!" Wonder if she'll start clipping, too, or just rely on the kindness of strangers???
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