Couponer or Hoarder?

Lets be honest we are all trying to pinch pennies so when I heard about this show my interest was peaked. Could I really get half or even all my groceries for free simply by navigating the Sunday paper and a few store circulars? It sounded enticing enough so my neighbor and I put our best feet forward and started clipping. We even went to a class that taught the ins and outs of how to be a coupon pro. The challenge was set. Beat the stores at their own game.

I tried. I really did, but I kept finding one common denominator that made it nearly impossible for me to cash in on the big savings. I don't buy crap. I don't buy processed premade frozen or any other way altered food. I like to buy fresh ingredients and I like to buy organic as often as I can. I was smashing into a health wall. So I consulted the pros and they say that you buy stuff you don't really need so that you can create a credit which will pay for your veggies and meat. What they don't tell you is that deals like that don't come around too often and you must devote a lot of your precious time to finding said deals so you can get your lettuce for free. It sounded like a lot of work and you know what? It was.

I started paying closer attention to the folks who were really good at this and something kept creeping to the surface. Almost every single one of these extreme couponers appeared to have OCD. They are food hoarders. Rooms full of food and household products. It was in their showers under their beds and consuming their garages. They talked about how it was a full time job and how they constantly thought about coupons and deals. I was starting to get scared. I want room in my house for my family not my pre-apocalyptic stock pile. I just wanted to save some money not be indoctrinated.

The final nail in the coffin of my couponing adventure was swiftly hammered in as I sat on my couch eating a frozen pizza I had purchased on sale. What was I doing and for God's sake what was I eating? I don't buy frozen crap! I don't feed my family this way. It hit me like a mack truck. In order to be successful at couponing I had to sacrifice my time, money and the health of my family. No thanks. I don't care if people say you can eat healthy by couponing. Show me your stock pile and I will show you closets full of soda and rooms full of sports drinks and yakisoba noodles. I will show you freezers full of frozen processed meals full of chemicals and preservatives. I don't claim to be a tree hugger, but living in the northwest has taught me heaps about food and health. Last time I checked nothing that can last on a shelf for months is good for you.

If you want to coupon and it suits your family and your needs then more power to you, but don't don't try to convince me that this is anything but redirected OCD. My Bible tells me not to worry about tomorrow what I will eat or wear, but to trust him. I will buy healthy food for my family whether on sale or not. I will cook and prepare meals I can feel good about because my kids health depends on it. And as soon as there are coupons for fresh veggies and fruit then maybe I will reexamine my stance, but for now the case is closed.