by Patricia Robb

Created on: August 15, 2010   Last Updated: August 24, 2010

I was talking to my sister and she asked if I had seen the recent flyer from our local grocery store with the sale for two cans of peas for a dollar and quickly pulled the coupon out of her wallet to prove it.  She then told me she was driving across town to another supermarket for a great deal on toilet paper, but they only allowed three packages per shopper she warned me.  I really should start using coupons she advised because I could save so much money.  She looked at me with pity in her eyes as she could see I was not buying it, but she couldn't wait around and had to get going because her coupon expired today and she hoped she wasn't too late.

When I go shopping I go to one grocery store and get everything I need.  Sometimes the peas are on sale and sometimes I luck out and get a deal on toilet paper, but overall I think I spend much the same as my sister does, but have less stress and definitely use less gas and time driving around the city.  I try to find a grocery story with fresh produce, reasonable prices and good variety.  I check labels and best before dates, but I can't for the life of me see that running around town to use a coupon and save a few cents is saving me anything.

I also like to shop during the week because the stores are less crowded and I want my weekends to rest and do what I like.  Saturday is my sister's biggest shopping day.  She starts out first thing in the morning and off she goes for a good part of the morning driving all over the city to get the best deal.  She has a stack of coupons in order of their expiry date and what store they are from.  She comes home for lunch and looks ecstatic coming in with her three packages of toilet paper and a smug look on her face as if to say I told you so.  She is then off for the afternoon to get those cans of peas.  She mutters to herself as she is going out the door that if I came with her we could each take home as many as the store will allow. I certainly don't like canned peas and I don't even think her family does, but she can't resist two for a dollar, even if she has to eat them herself.

Coupons are certainly a gimmick to get shoppers in the store in the hopes that they will then do the rest of their shopping there, which in my sister's case does not work.  She is there for the cans of peas period.  The next week she will go to another store that has the better coupon deal and I think that is what most people do. 

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