Couponing used to be a fun hobby

[angeliainwonderland]

I coupon to save money but once I found HCW I learned lots of ways to save more. And it became a fun hobby. A challenge to myself to save as much as possible.
I have family who deliver papers so I have a steady supply of multies of inserts.
I do good I save prob 20% - 50% on my overall shopping. Some months are better than others.
Now for the HOT under the collar part!
I NEVER ever get the good coupons that give me freebies. Well maybe sometimes but then my store doesn't have it. And I am sorry but when some of you post about how many of items you got for free, well for a second I am petty and feel lil bit mad at you!!
THAT SHOW!!:
Yes I watch it and yes I know it is so wrong to watch it. And I don't know why I keep watching because every time I do I get mad!! I obey the rules I am a "good" couponer. I don't buy the wrong product. I don't get a gazillion of something just because I can and I don't use a thousand coupons and do 20 transactions!!! Why should other people get to?
I just wanna save a lill on food and HBA so I can afford some lil extras in life.
People and overage!!:
PLEASE< PLEASE just stop already!!!!If there is a high value coupon then I get the smallest package without getting overage. I am So HAppy to save $2-$3 that I don't push it. Yes extra money would be nice but didn't I just get extra money by not having to spend that $2-3? Come on! If people keep going nuts and causing ruckus over the high value coupons then the high value coupons will go away.
Stealing;
Really people are stealing binders , stealing papers. What has happened to people. This is insane!!!
Anyway , my point is: This isn't fun anymore!
I'm still gonna coupon. I have to to get by. But lots of times I let some deals go right on by me. It's not worth the fight at the register.
Just a vent but I bt I am not the only 1 have some of these feelings!!
And hopefuly all the hoopla will die down and I will still be here.

[CW&M Mom]

I feel the same way as you about overage...I always get stuff to eat the overage (okay there was that one time with the knox coupon..but I still got stuff to eat the overage. Seriously I have only been paid one time for overage..and it was one penny.

And I never watch the show. You really will feel better if you stop. It's like a drug. Just put it down..do your coupon AA..12 step program..and you will feel better.

[ScrappyDoo]

AMEN SISTA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[XUfan]

I can see some of your points.

I don't get a lot of freebies, either. Mostly, it's because we don't use the things that everyone is getting for free. I don't see any point in chasing down a deal, if it's something we don't use or eat. So, when I do get something for free, it's exciting!

As for "the show"...I have not watched a minute of it! I read some of the threads about it when it first started, but I don't even read them anymore. Those people are nuts...and I don't want to waste my time watching them.

Overage...well, since I'm a "fly under the radar" person...I tend to avoid the controversial coupons/deals. I don't want to stand in line and defend myself, only to be pointed out as "that shopper" the next time I walk in the store. I'd rather trade those coupons for something that I can use, since my stores aren't very "overage friendly."

Stealing...well that DOES make me mad! I've never understood how someone can think that something that belongs to one person can just be grabbed and kept by another.

All in all...I see your point. But it's still fun for me. I spend lots of time on couponing each week. I probably save somewhere between 40 and 60% each week, and I'm ok with that. I try not to get upset about the show, and how it's changed the policies at my stores. I don't begrudge anyone on this site when they get a great deal, because so many of them are my trading buddies...and I love them all!

I do agree that you should take a break from the show, though. It might help your outlook.

[angeliainwonderland]

[QUOTE=XUfan;3125631]

I don't begrudge anyone on this site when they get a great deal, because so many of them are my trading buddies...and I love them all!

[QUOTE]

I love the people on this site. I get advice and help from them and I am able to vent to other couponers who can relate. I trade with them. This site and the people are what made couponing more fun and still do.

With that said, I still get lil twinge when I see someone get tons of frees or the good coupons that my region never seem to get.. Lets call it jealousy. It doesn't mean I don't like em. I am glad they save money but also I am human and I get a lil irked and jealous.
And as stated in OP, yes it is petty! But it happens.

I honestly can not be the only one who sometimes feels that way.

[XUfan]

[QUOTE=angeliainwonderland;3125633][QUOTE=XUfan;3125631]

I don't begrudge anyone on this site when they get a great deal, because so many of them are my trading buddies...and I love them all!

I love the people on this site. I get advice and help from them and I am able to vent to other couponers who can relate. I trade with them. This site and the people are what made couponing more fun and still do.

With that said, I still get lil twinge when I see someone get tons of frees or the good coupons that my region never seem to get.. Lets call it jealousy. It doesn't mean I don't like em. I am glad they save money but also I am human and I get a lil irked and jealous.
And as stated in OP, yes it is petty! But it happens.

I honestly can not be the only one who sometimes feels that way.

Oh goodness! Typing never comes out sounding nearly as friendly as I hope it will. I didn't think that you didn't like the people. I know that you interact with them and get along with theml. I hope I didn't come off, sounding like you were wrong to feel that way. I get jealous when I read what coupon values other people get, that I don't. My paper rarely has free coupons...and I get .25 off Charmin and .50 off Tide! I just try really hard not get too upset about it. Like you, this is a major way for me to save money and feed my family. I've learned so much here...and I keep learning.

And no...you're not the only one. Like I said...I get jealous too, sometimes.

[angeliainwonderland]

+Oh goodness! Typing never comes out sounding nearly as friendly as I hope it will +
TOO funny!! When I was typing my response I kept thinkin" Although I don't mean this 2 be ***tchy or mean someone will think it is."
I didn't find anything you said as being negative to me I just wanted to state that I do like the people on here. I'm just trying to be honest about my "issues".

[CouponQueen83]

I really cannot stand the show, the stealing or the gobs of new 'bloggers' out there. I had a blog, before the show, and let it go because....well, honestly, I don't feel like sharing my deals with that many people anymore because the shelves will be cleared by the time I get there anyway so why promote it? Plus, other bloggers will then just steal my matchups and claim them as their own.

I do try to stay under the radar, but being unemployed I must admit that I did buy giftcards to eat up some $8+ overage on the covergirl makeup last week. Only one cashier even raised an eyebrow because I rounded it to $10 or $12 to make it look better. I have never been PAID by a cashier (as in cash) at the register, though.

If it is something that we use or I know the local shelter or friends/family can use, I stock up and buy as many as I can as cheaply as I can and I do not feel a twinge of guilt over it! I do NOT, however, go to only one store. If I'm buying large quantities (like 20-40 of something) I will go to several stores so as not to clear the shelf. I feel the $ I save through coupons MORE than pays my gas.

[ScrappyDoo]

Have you guys also noticed that ebay is now CRAZY with all of the "extreme" people on there? The good coupons get snapped up and the prices are RIDICULOUS now, not to mention that everybody and their brother has their own version of an "extreme coupon" binder. There are even people on there selling INFORMATION about how to coupon which you can get for FREEEEEEEEE. WHat is with people?

[everprincess]

Ebay..umm nope I'll pass. That show I won't discuss..I stopped watching it because it just makes me mad. With that said anyone watching it that gets mad should do the same.

I trade/ride trains to get coupons I want. Traders here are very nice and reasonable.

Do I get things free? Yep but it's not as easy as it used to be. But I'm very lucky to have (3) stores that double up to 0.99 everyday. If I item is out of stock I get a raincheck and use once that item has been restocked. Here is a example:

HT is having Super Doubles this week and stock is always a issue-insert stuff goes fast. So I use rainchecks combined with coupons to get stuff other couponers won't touch. I also use non-inserts for better deals that other couponers don't have coupons for. As for things been free/easy to come by-I believe it is going to get worse because of raising prices.