My son has been sick three times since starting preschool a little over a month and a half ago. Every time he gets sick he seems to pass those lovely germs on to the rest of us. I’ve gotten sick three times in that same span of time. My husband managed to avoid this last cold, but caught the prior two.
Luckily our little guy recovers quickly, typically within a day or so, but the symptoms seem to linger in me for days on end. This time around my runny nose has turned into a deep and violent cough, which wakes me from my sleep every hour or so.
After a particularly rough night my husband suggested a dose of Robitussin. With my son happily playing at preschool, (most likely getting infected with another virus), I planned a quick, solo trip to Target.
Before heading out of the house I searched for this week’s Target deals. After all, I was heading to the store alone, which means I could take an extra five minutes to snatch some inexpensive deals. Seems simple enough, right?
Honestly, I have no idea why the impulse to clip coupons and look for bargains grabbed a hold of me. Whatever the reason I found myself printing coupons and taking note of the items I wanted to buy before heading out to the store.
I didn’t feel well and I didn’t want to risk the lure of Target’s endcaps so I went directly to the aisles I needed to visit and didn’t hesitate once along the way.
I wasn’t in the store more than five minutes when I remembered why I gave up coupon clipping so long ago.
- Problem #1 – None of the items were in stock. Sure I had four coupons for cereal, but that doesn’t do a girl much good when the shelves are bare.
- Problem #2 – The prices listed on bargain sites weren’t reflected in my local store. One item priced at $7.99 on my favorite bargain blog was actually $14.99 in the store. Of course, I dragged that item to the price checker to verify the price and back to it’s original location when I realized it wasn’t on sale.
- Problem #3 – The promotions offering $5 Target gift cards with a purchase of ‘x’ number of items didn’t work. The cashier said the items I selected weren’t part of the special deal.
I’m certain feeling ill added to my frustration, but after failing to find three of the six bargains I quickly moved on to the register.
When all was said and done I walked out of the store with one good bargain and a roll of shipping tape that was desperately needed in our house despite the fact that it wasn’t on sale.
This reminded me of the time I bought Groupons, but let them expire. Clipping coupons and searching for deals isn’t always worth the time or effort.
I still use coupons once in a while, but I don’t make a big production out of it any more either. I find I do better with my grocery bill when I just stick to what I need from my meal plan. But if I get in a snacky mood, then I’m in trouble!