Coupon Police

It is triple coupon time in my neck of the woods. Being a shopper at heart and hating to spend what almost equals a car payment on groceries every month, I am always game for some triple coupon days.

I am not sure about where you live but in my town walking around the grocery store with a 3-ring baseball card binder full of coupons is considered normal, savvy and prudent.

Now, of course there are rules to these coupon games. And many women are much better at playing this game than I. Unfortunatley, I just don't have the patience. For instance, 20 coupons at a time per family per day. This meant two shopping trips to the food store, two days in a row. One with my youngest child. Fun times.

So, I went yesterday and saved $28 - on stuff I will actually use.
And then I went again today and saved another $30 and it is also on stuff I will use.

My biggest pet peeve about coupons is they are often for over processed, overpriced junk food.
So, I clip them, but only the ones I need. I actually had a coupon for fresh fruit yesterday!

Today as I am finishing checking out, one of my coupons beeps and the register won't accept it.
This is where my lack of patience comes in.

Now, I am sure that during a normal coupon day, the cashier would have politely performed some override function for my 40 cent coupon. But since today that coupon is worth $1.20, well, now that's a different story.

Cashier: This coupon says you must buy 2 jars of this salsa.

Me: Oh, I did.

Cashier: It doesn't show it on the computer screen. (She has called the head cashier over by now)

Me: Well, let's look through the bags of food for it. Because, I am sure it is in there.

I proceed to dig through my groceries wondering to myself why exactly I was doing this for what a bottled water costs? Well, to prove a point, obviously.

I mean do I seem like the kind of woman who would be trying to take my local grocer for a buck twenty?

Me: See, it's right here.

Head Cashier: Oh, that is their specialty salsa and it is not pictured on this coupon.

I would say the coupon police were out in full force today. sheesh.