I'm not very good at sports but I like to think scoring a bargain is like scoring a touchdown. You set up your plan and then you must execute it perfectly. Buying things out of order or forgetting to separate your transactions can ruin the whole trip!
When I first started I tried to get all the deals I could. I would go to Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Woods, Target, Dillon’s and CVS! I was the DEAL MASTER! If it was cheap/free and we could use it, I bought it! I was unstoppable.....until I was stopped.
Last fall I became pregnant with our 4th child! I was tired and suffering from morning sickness. I was chasing after 3 kids and it was football season! (My husband is a high school football coach.) Something had to give. I could stop cleaning.....tempting but not really and option. I could stop cooking, but if you know my husband, you know that is also not an option. The only thing that I could give a little less time to was coupon/deal shopping. For about 5 months I only did light deal shopping. I still bought papers but I didn't clip all the coupons. Sure, I missed out buying hundreds of body wash and razors but I survived. I rested, played with my kids and attended football games. After Christmas I began to get the itch again. I was back and ready to tackle the coupon world again! Watch out Walgreens!
What did I learn from this? If I missed a deal, the world will not end. If I couldn't make it to CVS to get free toilet paper, life went on. Basically, missing deals does not make the national news (or even the local news). I get what I can, when I can. I still plan my trips and try to execute them perfectly. I still enjoy it, I am just a little more laid back about it. However, you can rest assured I still make my husband guess how much I spent and take pictures of my bargain trophies!
