Coupons

Yesterday I came across a weird TV show called Super Couponers or something like that. These people. One guy had 1000 tubes of toothpaste stored in his garage. Another family (7 kids) had stockpiles of things in every room of their home. The toilet paper was stored underneath their 2-year old's bed. A couple, whose combined weight might possibly top 500 lbs., stored their stores in their 2nd bedroom - their guest room. It was full of Lucky Charms!

Really?

I love a good bargain. Way back in very, very early marriage, Povertyville, I tried using coupons. It was time consuming. And the coupons offered were not necessarily the brands I used. And then came the generic craze - all those black & white boxes and cartons. But even after that craze leveled off (because some of that generic merchandise was NOT quality goods), I was content in buying store brands - off brands, and early in marriage I began studying health and nutrition. I understood then and now, that processed foods, while cheap, are not necessarily the way to go if one (I) has to look at fat, sodium and cholesterol content in order to keep the pharmaceuticals at bay.

Two thoughts here:

Time is money.
The time spent purchasing newspapers (that in itself is a cost I have not heard addressed.), perusing said papers, time online checking multiple sites for coupons, the time spent organizing (one lady had two giant organizers filled with coupons), and most of the people interviewed had laptops full of shopping information such as aisle location of products, etc. These people spend an awful lot of hours at this past time. I'm not sure I get it.

Give it away.
If you have the time and attention to acquire 1000 tubes of toothpaste, why not give them to your local food bank, elementary schools, or other local charity? There was a couple interviewed who swept the grocery shelf of its mustard supply. The husband gleefully chimed in, "I don't even like mustard!" OK. So, donate it to a worthy food bank. Don't stockpile it in your basement till the due date beckons you to toss it.

I appreciate that there is a place for savings, coupons, and sales. But really: 100+ cans of soup? A whole roomful of paper towels instead of furniture? Why not take up bowling, or tatting, instead?