I am a grinch. I am 100% stingy-grinchy and I have a really hard time spending money. This is not the worst quality when it comes to avoiding debt! I appreciated my inability to spend money when I was 19 and realized I had $6,000 in the bank! So, I bought a car, went on a 2-week trip to Cyprus, Greece, moved out on my own and gave $1,000 to a sweet-talking friend for his "dot.com" bust. (I somehow got a whopping $200 back! That's more than most people got back when the bubble burst!)I don't mind paying for quality. Like a nice jacket or a dress for a wedding. I shop sales as much as possible but I'm not a typical size 6 so I have slim-pickings and usually have to shell out. I will never understand the Coach purse phenomenon or Louboutin shoes craze. Frankly, if $400 to $600 shoes or purses matters to you, I think that's just foolish. But I also think credit card debt is foolish and freak out if we have more than $100 on our card. Unless the debt is from beer and wine. Our cup always overfloweth. (Hey, to each their own huh? You wear your darn Louboutin's and I'll drink to your success. We're even!)
While being cheap isn't the worst quality and I can see how it has helped to keep me out of debt, it can also be applied to my "sense of giving". I find it near impossible to give to the needy and even my own family. I recently brought leftovers to my little brother and his wife...I couldn't even bring them their own dish! (Wow...I just blasted that. But it was delicious, right Nicole?!?!)
Whenever this time of year rolls around, I feel soooo guilty buying beer and not helping the needy. I have severe pangs of guilt when I have to throw away expired food but I forgot to pick up a few canned goods for the food pantry. I usually end up grabbing some cans of tuna fish out of my cupboard and tossing it in the food basket at church while praying no one notices my new clothes. It doesn't help that 50 renditions of A Christmas Carol are on repeat on every TV channel reminding me that I am Ebenezer Scrooge. Now that I am a serious coupon-user, I thought for sure I would give myself a coronary if I went all willy-nilly and paid full-price for a bunch of items for the food pantry outside of our weekly budget!
Whenever this time of year rolls around, I feel soooo guilty buying beer and not helping the needy. I have severe pangs of guilt when I have to throw away expired food but I forgot to pick up a few canned goods for the food pantry. I usually end up grabbing some cans of tuna fish out of my cupboard and tossing it in the food basket at church while praying no one notices my new clothes. It doesn't help that 50 renditions of A Christmas Carol are on repeat on every TV channel reminding me that I am Ebenezer Scrooge. Now that I am a serious coupon-user, I thought for sure I would give myself a coronary if I went all willy-nilly and paid full-price for a bunch of items for the food pantry outside of our weekly budget!
BUT, I have finally figured out how to give generously to the poor!! Our church has a basket program where you fill one basket with a list of items and they donate it to one needy family. Also, the boy scouts dropped off an empty bag on my door yesterday and are going to pick it up next week! There are sooo many families out of work right now and I can't imagine not having a nice Thanksgiving meal with all the necessities.
No more scrounging for cans of tuna fish in the back of my stockpile!! With a little planning, I was able to get a bunch of stuff for my basket for super cheap or free at Giant Eagle this week!
1st Transaction: Total $30.40, Saved $29.44 - 50%
The pancake mix, syrup, instant potatoes, cookie mix and jelly are all for the food basket!
(Hands off the chocolate brownies. They're mine.)
While the deals from the first transaction weren't the most spectacular, I did get $12.00 in catalinas! I don't know much about catalinas but everything I learned about the deals this week was from OH Cherry Picker! She lists all the deals and scenarios to use your coupons to get the most for your money!!
2nd Transaction: Total $15.94, Saved $40.33! 71%!!
San Giorgio Pasta - FREE! (For food pantry)
Tide Stain Release - FREE (with eOffer & coupon)
Olay & Secret Deodorant - $1.00!
Franks Red Hot - FREE!
GoGurt - $1.00 each (Leo already ate 3 tubes for breakfast...)
The most expensive thing was the baby food - $6.79 for organic fruit. Elena mostly eats what we eat, but these jars are sooo convenient when I'm traveling!
So, all of this is going in my food basket or to the Boy Scouts next week! I have more items to buy so I'm heading to Aldi's this week to get it all and I have a few more items to pull from my own stockpile. Anyone know where I can buy the Thanksgiving turkey for cheap?? Finally this year I can gorge myself eat my Thanksgiving meal in peace.
Next time you go shopping, I would like Jason to take a picture of you lining up all of your recent purchases on the table. I have a visual of you giggling the entire time.
ReplyDeletei can never get the hang of all that couponing. good for you though.
ReplyDeletesome grocery stores in our area were giving a free turkey for every 300 spent or something like that...i think it was a shop n save...you probably have different stores though.
I have to say I am not cheap. I am frugal, but not cheap. Because if I had more money, I would be so generous with it, but right now I just can't be. I think you're the same way :)
ReplyDeleteJess - You KNOW IT!! It's such a high that I'm usually giddy and shaky. I'm addicted :)
ReplyDeleteKim - I have a lot of time on my hands and needed to occupy my brain a little more than just cooking and laundry. I was so bored!!
Colleen - I'll go with frugal. It sounds more flattering!