A friend felt like she had to defend me. I find that very sweet but wish it were not necessary.
Someone who has taken one of my coupon classes and even contacted me later for tips on saving was boasting that she was better at the stockpile-coupon method than me.
Well, if the truth be told… maybe she is.
First of all, let me state up front that I was not aware this was a competition. After all, using the stockpile-coupon method is about providing for your family. When it morphs into something else, well… it becomes Extreme Couponing and you need therapy.
I have always said that there is just no need to stockpile more than your family can use within a six to eight week sales cycle. In my opinion, clearing shelves or taking more than is necessary just because you CAN is selfish.
Wait. Let me add a small amendment to that. For our family, stockpiling is just as much about what we can do for us as what we can do for others. Her stockpile might be bigger than mine since I have yet to recover from donating three large boxes and a few smaller ones packed with toiletries, baby items, and snacks to tornado relief.
Next, I have four young children and I work a few businesses from home and my husband works about 60 hours a week… Yeah, chasing deals is not something I can do easily anymore. So, I spend a little more than I used to because I need to save time.
You know, your time has value too. You have to consider that as you are chasing deals. Is the time you are spending hopping from store to store worth the amount you are saving? Only you can be the judge of that.
There are two things I heard through my friend that I want to refute.
Supposedly, I do not stockpile anymore. I don’t even use coupons.
This is absolutely false.
Granted, my blog is more about saving money in a well-rounded way than it is about coupons or freebies, but to me, couponing does not equate the same thing as being frugal. Coupons are just a tool that I use, a fraction of what it means to live frugally. As a matter of fact, it makes me a little angry that some blogs name themselves “frugal” and all they post about are coupons and freebies and hide their affiliate links among the *HOT* deals.
My ministry is to equip you with the same tools that our family uses to stretch our income. We use coupons. We stockpile. When you read this blog, you will learn to do that too… and much more.
Is she a better couponer than I am? Well, we coupon primarily for toiletries and cleaning supplies since we avoid convenience foods and eat a lot of fresh produce. So, if using a bigger stack of coupons makes someone a better couponer, then she is.
Why do I care so strongly that you know this? Honestly, there are a ton of bloggers out there pounding away at their keyboards and giving out information on how to coupon or how to save money only to turn off the computer and live by a completely different set of rules. They are riding the couponing, stockpiling, frugal living wave, trying to make money by appearing to be experts for a lifestyle that they do not practice.
I do not want you to think that I am one of them.
I am straight-forward. What you see is what you get. What we live is what you read. And, hopefully, through our ups and downs, successes and failures, accomplishments and mistakes, you can learn to balance your time, family and budget.
If you still have doubts, please feel free to ask me anything.
Leave a Reply