Another typical Wednesday night and the hubby and I were glued to our television set like a couple from the 50's newly introduced to the colorful spectrum it delivered while slowing eating our dinner. Except this time, we were glued to the set with our mouths ajarred watching TLC's Extreme Couponing. Like most of it's viewers, I'm sure the savings and hauls were a fair initation of the notion that "I too can do this!" And with that gung-ho attitude my mission started.
One thing I wasn't prepared for was that there was a lot of "prep" work involved in even starting this adventure. Collecting coupons was one thing, where and when to use it? Well, that was another thing. I discovered fairly quickly that research (tons of research) was about to take place on a weekly basis. And in my research, I discovered that there was a huge society of coupon fanatics and within their society new lingo was developed. "wyb?" "qpn" "wag" ... HUH!! What the heck did all this mean??
To tell you truthfully, I was a little intimidated just reading these blogs and forums. Many people were complaining about "newbies" - arrrrgh... suddenly virtual snares are glared towards me. Was it really such a bad thing to want to tap into this world of couponing?? Were the veteran couponers truly that catty toward the new generation of money saving new comers? I wasn't too sure just yet, so like a shy girl at a new school, I sat quietly reading about different hauls and all the extraordinary savings. I read about snotty and annoyed cashiers and managers at various stores. I read 24/7 for a couple of weeks, following whatever links they'd share to familiarize myself with the proper etiquette of couponing. I was determined to fit into this clique and I was determined to do it quietly.
On my personal Facebook account, I soon shared my little mini hauls of savings - noting considerate etiquettes like not clearing out shelves. I've made many mistakes, walked out of the store thinking was it really worth all that stress?? And sometimes wanting to just skip some hauls completely.
Couponing isn't for the lazy and it isn't for those who don't think it'll work and it definitely ISN'T for those who are only fulfilled by immediate gratification with high expectations. It truly is a waiting game, a game that requires a couple of hours of intense research and incredible organizational skills.
So instead of flooding my Facebook account with countless pictures and coupon crazy stories, I thought I'd share them here with you. (You're probably visiting from my personal Facebook acct =). And if you twitter, you can now follow me here.
I can't promise you a GREAT deal or savings every time, but I can promise you a story. Couponing is anything but dull.
Happy Klippin' Friends =D
No comments:
Post a Comment