I've become an avid watcher of Extreme Couponing, still mystified by how these coupon clippers can buy thousands of grocies and household goodies for pennies on the dollar. Oh wait, one of the last ones I saw had a 0 balance before taxes. Which is another mystery for me to solve - How do you have tax on $0? Isn't it just like the government to find a way to get money out of me. It's a shame with all their ingenious ways to tax us, that our government is still in debt.
Anyways, setting that aside for another time, lets discuss hoarding. I also watch the show Hoarders. I can relate. I like to collect stuff, so I understand how it can snowball out of control. My hoarding tendencies are genetic. I have a releative that was a full blown hoarder. Not that she 'd call herself that. However, age and frailty got in her way and she's hoard-free now.
As for couponing-the popularity in using coupons has always been there. Who doesn't like to save some money. For years I used them. I especially liked when the coupons had no expiration dates and most grocery stores doubled your coupons. I envy those people that live in areas that still have stores doubling their coupons. That seemed to disappear in my neck of the woods.
While I enjoy a good bargain, I'm stunned by the extreme couponer's wearhousing their purchases in their houses. Shelves of laundry detergent, condiments, canned good, paper supplies, etc, line the walls of their homes so they look like they live in the center of a Sam's Club or Costco. Maybe I'm not the first to say this, but how far will they go in stockpiling? And while it may be neatly organized now, when will the pile fall to a heap and the couponers return to the limelight as hoarders?
PS: The photo is my hoard and I'm not embarrassed to admit it. 
I tried to get coupons from online places and even with a dummy email set up just for them, they drove me crazy. They never seemed to have coupons for things I buy so I gave up. Same with the Sunday paper. Too many coupons for items I've never even seen around here. I like to save money, too, so it's very disappointing.
ReplyDeletePS. I like your hoard. I see a couple of interesting things in there :)
I used a special email too because every place you go wants to use it and they share it with their friends so its like inviting spam.
ReplyDeleteI went shopping yesterday with my sister-in-law. She used one of my coupons. I didn't find anything that I wanted. Seems the coupons are for the expensive stuff and even with the cents off, generic is way cheaper.
Actually most of the hoard is from deceased relatives. I'm the one everyone turns over their household stuff to because I have yardsales :-)