Someone Should’ve Told Me

Couponing is very interesting to me and has been a benefit to my family and our budget. I have clipped and organized, combed the internet for deals, and submitted countless mail in rebates. I am now tired. I have also realized that most of the things that are on sale, or freebies, I have already purchased. I have come to realize that I don't need another tube of toothpaste, or another toothbrush. I have enough floss to hold me for about a year or more. I have enough bars of soap, good quality soap, to wash my entire family and guests for about a year. I have more cleaning supplies than I have house to clean. Let's just say I am stocked up! After this realization I discovered that couponing, even for couponaholics, goes in cycles. I know that sales go in cycles, but I had no idea that my stockpile would go in cycles too. Couponing is really only fun if you are getting things you need or want for "rock bottom prices," but now that I have all of those things, thank God, what do I do now? Someone should've told me that it is ok to stop "major" couponing for a while.

Yesterday, I went to Walgreens and I did not have the urge to flip my register rewards. This is very unlike me. All I wanted to do was buy something at a good price and use my rewards to get the price even lower. I went to the clearance isle and discovered some great children's toys for 50% off. The toys would go great in my gift closet for birthday parties we are invited to. I also found a great set of books with a read along CD for my daughter. I got them all for $7.55 and I was overjoyed. I was also excited to finally rid myself of the register rewards. Walgreens register rewards are hard to keep up with, which is probably why I have never blogged about them. There are so many rules associated with using them, and it takes a lot of effort to get great deals. Now don't get me wrong, great deals come with register rewards, but you will have to work for it. The register rewards also expire very soon after you get them, much sooner that CVS extra bucks, therefore you are always looking for ways to flip them. Once I realized that the items that were offering register rewards were already in my stockpile in mass quantity, I decided to let the rewards, and the work associated with them, go for now. My CVS extra bucks will probably disappear soon too because truth be told, I think my house has everything a drug store has to offer.

Contrary to my initial thoughts about couponing the theory is not "go hard or go home". It is more like "get what you need now and come back when you need more." I will stop my major couponing for now, but will start again when my stockpile warrants it. I will not post deals on my blog while I am "off" (too tempting), but I do encourage you to build your stockpile as needed. Visit the blogs I used to read with fury and get your pantry ready for battle. I will still shop with coupons, but I will not do all of the grand research I once did until I need too. Sales go in cycles and so does couponing.