Saving the Saver's Sanity

My name is Erica Watts and I'm a coupon-a-holic.

In my quest to become Dave Ramsey and run a household with a balanced budget, I have discovered the art of couponing.  Couponing today is not your grandmother's couponing.  No siree bob.  Gone are the days where you had to spend your lazy Sunday paper clipping coupon after coupon for cat litter (when you didn't even have a cat) and for diapers (when your youngest kid was already off at college). 

Thanks to technology, couponing has graduated from a once a week event (only on Sundays) to an obsession-filled past-time that consumes one's life on a daily, even minutely basis.  Today's couponing is not for the weak at heart; it's like the amazing race.  Websites abound with sale prices, matched up with coupons you should use to get the best deal.  These sites even tell you what week's paper to look for the coupon in, so you only clip what you need.  All you need is an expandafile with manila folder to label your inserts and wa-la! You're an organized couponer!  It gets even better...now there are printables!  This is where the amazing race part comes in; you have to beat all of the other coupon-obsessed, deal-hungry couponers to the coupon before the max print is reached. 

Forget checking my Facebook, I have to check my coupon websites to see what new deals have come out.  Heaven forbid I miss out on printing out ANOTHER peanut butter coupon so I can get ANOTHER jar of peanut butter for free or for pennies.  We're running low right now; we only have 5 unopened jars in the pantry.  Green beans on sale?  Sure, let's get some more - we only have 5 rows of them left from the $.42 a can sale at Thanksgiving.  Everyone needs chocolate-covered, pizza flavored breakfast burritos; stock up on them because they're buy one, get one free, with a coupon in the paper and a store coupon.  Whoohoo! 

Just like any addict, I try to hide my addiction.  I check my coupon websites in secret.  I have a codependent spouse who enables my behavior by reassuring me I got great deals.  It impacts my sleeping habits.  Just the other night, I tossed and turned because I dreamt about using a Publix, Target and manufacturer's coupon on Windex.  Puh-leaze.  Grocery shopping is euphoric; forget getting drunk (there are minimal coupons for alcohol, so that wouldn't go on the shopping list), I can get my high in the check out line when I see my savings!

Maybe I am a tad obsessed with $.02 mustard, but I'm enjoying it.  Maybe I do need to join Couponers Anonymous.  Find me a coupon and maybe I'll check it out.