I’ve been getting an alarming number of comments from new couponers who can’t seem to get over the free aspect of things.  Just because something works out to be free, doesn’t mean it really is:  there is the time spent clipping the coupons, driving to the stores, standing in line and those damned taxes, all to get something that you may or may not need, like or use.  Yes, people are doing this.  Spend so much time driving around to find items in stock and when there is a problem with a cat printing, you return everything and hit another store.  Again, this is not a lottery.  If I post it, I’ve done it.  You are attempting too many deals at once so you fail to keep track of what triggers what and why.

When you first start shopping the extreme couponing way, there is a tendency to overbuy, to get way more of an item just because it’s free and you want to stock up.  This desire/urge is normal and fades after a time.   While stocking up is a great idea, it’s not so great if it’s something that you don’t use or already have a ton of.  Kidding yourself that you will donate it….puhleez.  By the time you can bring yourself to part with some of your stockpile, it’s already expired.

As you get more and more into this way of shopping, it becomes easier to sit out most deals.  You already have plenty in the basement/storage room, you didn’t particularly like the taste/way it worked, don’t have time to run around.  After a couple of years (or sooner), you spend most of your free time sitting on your fat behind not bothering to pick up many things – you can tell what part of the learning curve I’m in, right?

Also, extreme couponing allows us to free up our finite grocery budget for those things we can’t get on sale or free or just want to indulge in.  Please don’t lose sight of this, or your stockpile will be starring on Hoarders.

Remember, peeps, there will always be another deal.  Always!

I’ve been doing surveys for PineCone Research for a while now.  The surveys aren’t that long and they pay $3 by PayPal within an hour or two for each survey.  I don’t know exactly what qualifications you need or what they are looking for:  some people are accepted while most are not.

Having said that, I just received an email that PineCone Research is growing and accepting new members.  Click here and learn more.  They’ve had a couple in the past for my 14 year old daughter to complete.  She’d get bored and I’d hear her complain to the computer “Come on, hurry up.  Just give me my 3 bucks already.”

Hey, today’s Groupon is actually in the suburbs!  It’s for 53% off a microdermabrasion (whew!) and mini facial in Oak Brook, to depurate  (I checked, it is a word) your skin.  Seems like a lot of money to pay for sanding and buffing, but what do I know?  My cost estimates were always based on square feet.

I read a lot of strange articles, link through to odd sites, you know, obsessive!!!  I read this article this morning and started wondering…when I think about fair wages and retail stores, I never think about the food suppliers, only the retail/warehouse workers.  How widespread this is, I don’t know, but would hate to think that anyone would be forced to work under these conditions.  While Trader Joe is specifically mentioned as a non-signer, I can’t assume that they don’t support the ideas behind the living wage campaign. TJ is owned by Aldi, which no one really knew until recently, and Aldi is a very private organization.