Coupons!

Coupons are smart! It's like someone handing you free money, who doesn't like that?! It's a good idea to use coupons, but you have to be a smart shopper too. Just because you have a coupon doesn't mean you HAVE to use it. You've got to look for the sales, sometimes you can find an off-brand cheaper, which will work just as good. Still there are those times where the item you want is on sale and by using your coupon you get the item FREE! It's a blessed day when that happens, usually it warrents a phone call to my husband at work telling him of my sucess. Other times you may fail, finding something cheaper at the next store...curses (to quote a friend of mine!) The one that stings the most is simply FORGETTING to use your coupons. I have walked out of the store and started to load my car, too many times before remembering that I was suppose to use a coupon. Arughhhhhhhhhh, TORMENT...but it happens!

Well I really needed to go grocery shopping but we have a sick kid in our house right now, (Mily) which means that I can't go shopping during the day. I would expose everyone to whatever she has (possible swine flu) not to mention drag a grumpy kid around who doesn't feel well...not fun. So after Shawn came home from work, ate dinner, went to parent teacher conference, had a church meeting, came home and said good night to the kids, he headed off to the grocery store for me. He volunteered! As long as I had a good list that was very specific, he sad he would do it! So after a quick explanation of my list, the coupons, and strategy to the specific sale this store had going on, he headed to the store. He only called me three times, to ask a question or get some advice and the last thing he said was..."I think I'm almost done, I'll see you in a little while."

He hangs up.

About 30 minutes later he walked into the house, climbed the stairs, comes into our room and kisses me, then turns around to walk back downstairs...I assume to put the groceries away. But just before he gets to the door he turns back and says..."Do you want to hear something stupid I just did?"

Yeah, those stories are always fun to listen to, they don't happen very often, but usually they are well worth the time. Oh man, he told me one the other day that had me turning red with embarrassment!!!

Anyway, he explained to me that after he had paid for the groceries and was about to leave, he realized that he FORGOT to use the coupons! He said he turned to the clerk and asked or maybe pleaded..."is there anything I can do about these?" Indicating his hand bursting full of the coupons he was suppose to redeem. Now, I know from personal experience that there is nothing to do but take everything over to customer service, return it, get a refund and the re-ring everything back up using the coupons....not usually something I'm willing to do. But my hubby, being the smart man that he is, ended the statement by saying..."my wife is going to KILL me!"

The lady had compassion on my poor husband. "Sure," she says, "I'll just ring them up separate and add the credit to your card." WHAT??? I've never been offered that solution!

Whew...saved by the nice lady at the cash register, what makes the story just a little better is that after she was done tallying up the coupons, she said..."Wow - - 24 dollars! Yeah your wife would have killed you!"

See??? Using coupons, doing what your wife tells you to do...all smart things!