As mentioned previously I am a recovering coupon addict. I am still using all the body wash I bought over three years ago! Well this week Safeway was having a screaming deal on cereal and you didn't even need coupons so I went and partook and got a little taste of that good ole adrenaline high from saving money. But I do believe that couponing is actually a waste of money (GASP!!). Hear me out, if I didn't ever coupon I would have never had to spend hours, at least six, weekly cutting out the coupons, looking online for the best deals, and wandering around the store looking for all the great steals that were clearanced. Not to mention if you are going to coupon for food it is typically processed garbage that you get all the coupons for (I said typically, I am aware not all of them are but let's be honest the vast majority are for crappy food).
I usually don't buy cereal and now I have over 15 boxes and I am $20 more poor than before. Don't get me wrong that is a great price for the amount I got but I would have only bought one or two boxes a month like I typically do and only spent $4. Then I could have used the remaining $16 out of my budget on the fruits and veggies my kids love. However, I have a small doomsday mentality (thanks to my father who is a total doomsdayer) and I feel the need to stock up on EVERYTHING. Well news flash to myself, I am pretty sure if the world is going to Hell in a hand basket it won't really matter what my stock of cereal and granola bars looks like, I should be more concerned about my stock of shotgun shells so I can protect my two boxes of cereal and steal my neighbors food..... ....
Back to the real issue, I can see the benefit of couponing but when it comes down to the value of my time, forget it. I would much rather chill at home with my babies than wander around the store for hours looking for the best deals. And I don't want that sugary, yummy, processed crap food in my casa anyway, I have enough problems with self control with my amazing baking skills and I can pronounce all the ingredients in the things I make. I can only imagine what the boxed stuff from the store with the list of crazy ingredients is doing to my internal organs.
I will now only stock up on tampons, shampoos, body washes, diapers and wipes. Then when the world ends I will barter with my womanly products for food. That is all.