Extreme

Anyone who knows me knows I love coupons. I'm a HUGE fan of Pinching Your Pennies (.com). HUGE. I don't do it NEARLY like I used to when we lived in San Diego (where coupons were doubled...aw, those were the days), for a variety of reasons, but the lessons I learned during my heyday still hold. Especially for health and beauty items. It just makes sense to get what my family needs for as cheaply as possible. So, while our eating habits have changed enough that the lure of free Eggo's or dirt cheap granola bars no longer call my name, I'm still hard pressed to ever pay full price for deodorant (until I start making my own!) or toothpaste.

Because of all of this, I started watching Extreme Couponing last night. HOLY COW. I definitely have a stockpile. I have shelves of health and beauty items. And I love that. I love the I have my YEARS supply on a few things. But, that show. Wow. I so agree that it really looked like a form of organized hoarding. Or addictive shopping. Because to truly save, you need to actually USE your stockpile at some point. Even at my peak, I was ok missing a deal. Because the first thing you learn is that there is ALWAYS another deal coming.

One thing I wondered while watching is how on EARTH some of these people are using this food before it goes bad. The larger families (like the woman in Idaho) I get. She seems a little excessive, but organized and worked with a meal plan. Some of the others, like the one who bought enough mustard for...well, I don't know what you would use all that mustard for! - she seemed to be buying it simply because she could. Her husband, at the store with her, tried to remind her that he didn't even LIKE mustard, but she still cleared the shelf. Because a family of four doesn't need that much mustard in a life time, is she really saving? Or her 90 packages of deli ham. NINETY. Her attitude seemed completely wasteful to me and near bordering on an addict.

It was truly fascinating, especially since I've been in "the game" for so long. But...I don't know. Some of it really did bother me. Some of the attitudes were harsh and wasteful. Some I wondered if they were actually eating healthfully and if they would stop focusing on "the deals" and shop for whole foods, they could save in the long run on their health. But that's a post for another day...

But on the other hand, some of it I just missed. Like Albertson's. Man. I really miss them. Especially since we're down to our last half dozen free toothbrushes. Sniff...


(borderline, madonna)