Couponing

Coupons used to embarrass me as a child.  We didn't have any money and I thought by using coupons - people could tell we were poor.

But I was a child, and as children we don't understand saving money is saving money.  Especially, if you don't have any money to save.  Fundamentally it doesn't make sense.  How can I save money if I have NO money?

Then as a young adult - I began to understand sales and coupons.  Always buy something on sale.  There is nothing you HAVE to have today.  It will be on sale in a week.  I can save department store/specialty store coupons.  If I buy something online, I get to check out - then I open a new browser and go to Google.  Then you search "website I'm on coupons".  9 times out of 10 you can find a discount code.  Sometimes you have to scroll down a page or two - and try a couple of different codes.  But, I can always find an airlines code for some group (I got a 10% discount on our fares to Europe).  Meaning I saved us a couple hundred dollars - enough to pay for the hotel in London - which I found a 5% discount code - which pays for our train ride to Paris.......

So, I get the couponing thing.

What I can't do?  Is the grocery store coupon thing.

I've tried.

And tried.

And every once in a while, I remember a coupon in the bottom of my purse of something I'm buying, and can pull it out at the last second at the cash register.  I saved fifty cents.

The truth is, I'm not good with paper.  The computer has really helped me.  My organizational skills are not the best when it comes to paper.  Don't ask me to file for you.  You won't find the plumber filed under "B" for "Bill's Plumbing" - you also won't find it under "Household Repairs" you will find it in the P section for "Plumber".

Every once in a while, I try again.  I buy a Sunday paper - I look on the internet - I PRINT something out.  Then I have a big old pile of nothing in my purse.

Before recruiting went electronic, I filed resumes the same way.  Not by the persons names, but by the job they could do (hint hint  Plumber). ;-)

Google mail now allows you to search by keywords - it will pull up all e-mails with the keyword "plumber" in your mailbox.

One day, they will allow us to "file" all our coupons this way.  Until then, I can't coupon for food.