Did that really just happen?
You know the story….you have planned, organized, and shopped a store and you head to the register to excitedly pay for your items when suddenly someone is rude, disrespectful, or demeaning because of the fact that you are using coupons. I have received so many emails and comments lately about the way people get treated while using coupons. First off, I just want to let you know….you are not alone, it has happened to just about every couponer that I know (if not literally EVERY couponer).
Whether it is the cashier or another shopper, it really doesn’t matter, does it? It can make you go from feeling so accomplished to down right sad, frustrated, upset or a combination of all three (hence the picture above). I am all too familiar with that feeling and can tell you my roughest encounter was when I was shopping at Super Target a few months ago and a mother with her teenage daughter came up behind me in line. All my stuff had already been rang up and the cashier was scanning my stack of coupons (I probably had about 50…so yes that is a lot). I always try to be polite by telling the person behind me that I have a lot of coupons that will take a while to scan and that time was no different…only the reaction was.
The mother smirked at me and then leaned into her daughter and said, “see honey that’s what happens when you are not responsible in life…you end up having to use coupons because you can’t afford to pay for stuff.” Ohhhhh…I was flaming mad inside and wanted to say sooooo many things that would not have been appropriate, but instead I smiled at her while she gazed back at me like she had just won the lottery and I said, “No honey, I use coupons because I have a deep respect for the hard-earned money my husband makes and for every one dollar coupon I use, is one dollar that stays in my pocket and not the retailers.” She never responded, and I wanted to tell her so many other things that proved I was responsible in my life, like:
- How I went to college and graduated with a Bachelor degree when I was 22 and then proceeded to get my professional clear teaching credential, masters degree, and a GATE teaching certificate all by the time I was 27. And how I proudly walked across that stage to accept my MA degree while my newborn son and 3-year-old daughter were sitting in the audience with the rest of my family.
- How I bought my first home when I was 22.
- How I taught elementary school for five years and decided to quit when my son was born so I could stay home with my kids.
None of that was emotionally or physically easy, none of it was mentally or financially easy, but it was all because I WAS RESPONSIBLE! Right? I planned for those things and worked hard to achieve them!
So, while I can easily offer you my condolences and tell you it happens to all of us, I have a few other pieces of information that might make you feel even better! Did you know:
“Online coupon users have bigger households, are better educated, and are wealthier than the general population” according to the Coupons, Inc. Market Research Bureau.
“More than one-half of US Internet users with household incomes of at least $100,000 reported using online coupons. By contrast, only 30% of users with incomes under $25,000 used coupons” according to eMarketer.
Here are the percentage of coupon users at different income levels according to eMarketer:
<$25K : 30%
$25K – $50K : 38%
$50K – $75K : 42%
$75K – $100K : 43%
$100K – $150K : 51%
$150K and over : 53%
I do my research….a learner by nature! I just wanted you to know that, YES it happens to all of us, YES it’s frustrating, and YES I wish I could come stand by each and every one of during times like that, but I can’t, so I leave you with that food for thought….you are smart, you are responsible, and you are saving and THAT is all that matters!
Have a FRUGALICIOUS day my fellow couponers!
PS: For those of you who have difficulty with cashiers, just kindlly remind them that for every coupon you use, the store gets an additional $.08 – $.10 handling fee. And for every coupon you use that is under the value of the product, they still get full value of the coupon from the manufacturer, so they are basically making more money off you than someone who just walks into the store and purchases something! So there 
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Thank you for this! I don’t like it when I feel like I have to apologize for using so many coupons. I’m being smart for my family, and keeping money in our pockets. Thank you!
Amen Sister! I hope you dont mind me linking up to this post on my blog. My mother of all people to needs to read this. She thinks she is “too good” for coupons.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I have had cashiers be snooty with me about my coupon use. Thank god for the people like the manager at my local walgreens who told me today that walgreens loved coupon users. Thank you for all your help saving money.
Your awesome! I make a decent living but that is no reason to spend unnecessary money! Every dollar I save is a dollar I can retire off of =) thanks for all you do!
I really enjoy your blog! Reading it has convinced me to use coupons again and I just wanted to tell you about a deal that I got this week. Super One, a local grocery store in Northern MN, had cereal on sale 4 boxes for $10 then they had a coupon for $4 off and then I found coupns for each of my ceral boxes so in the end I got four boxes of cereal (resees and chex)for $3.50!! I was excited. Thanks so much for your blog!
Needed to hear THAT! I traveled to another city to go to a Target where they don’t know me (I live in a small town) just so I didn’t have to deal with the 2 specific ladies at my local Target who are nice enough, but always seem to be hassled by my coupons. I don’t even go to Walgreen’s anymore – their policy changes every week and I got fed up with not having any idea what my total would be when I left (at least if it’s not what I expected at Target, I can easily return items). And my Walmart never seems to have the deals that the coupon blogs mention. SO, THANK YOU!
Besides, has anyone read the book, “The Millionaire Next Door”? They make their millions by NOT spending it. And I LOVE your research – always good to have facts to quote – no one can refute them.
Love it! I too have a similar background and decided to stay home once we started our family. My husband was one of “those” coupon haters. He equates coupon people to check writers. That was until I sent him to the store with a list and coupons. He came back with a $10 catalina coupon and only spent $5! That was it, from then on he was sold on coupons!
For me at my one store its a certain front end manager. She hates it. She sees me and there is an automatic hate in her eyes. She is downright rude. I’ve complained to the store manager, and now I just steer clear of her. My thoughts..you shouldn’t be in a service industry if you cannot handle the interaction with a person. I have a hard time at Walgreens myself. They won’t take my manufacturers coupons with their Walgreens coupons. It becomes frustrating and really makes me not want to shop there. I have people walk up to me all the time and say “good for you” or they may even ask me for coupons.
THANK YOU so much! I was a little scared to post this, but now I feel good about it!
More than a Mom,
I totally agree!
Nicole,
I would be honored!
You are more than welcome to link up to me on this posting
Miranda,
I’m glad the manager knows what is good for his store, because couponers actually make them more money!
Lise,
I practically peed my pants laughing….I LOVE your retirement saying! That’s so true!!
Katie,
THANK YOU so much! I am honored that I have inspired you to use coupons! And…that deal on cereal is AWESOME! That’s actually below my margin of $1.00 per box. You go girl!
Stephany,
I just wanted to empower you guys!
I know what you mean about WalMart deals, I never find them either… it can be very frustrating. I don’t go there for deals because of that…and yes, research is always good
Cam,
My husband was the same way until he realized how much we were saving too. Now he passes out business cards to all the firemen at work because he is proud! Glad your husband is supportive and sees the savings!
THANK YOU AGAIN GUYS! Glad I wrote this!
Christy,
Coupon Gal
Thank you for your insite and so many ideas on saving money. I use coupons because of my disablilty and it stretched my pocketbook. Anyone who does not use coupons is throwning away their dollars.I even found a coupon for my Husbands co payment on his perscription..now that $35.00 monthly. He laughs when he goes to the pharmacy to pick up his meds. Thank you again!
Thank you for this inspirational post! I had a tough time the other night at my local Target for the first time. The cashier made me feel like I was doing something wrong, and that I was just being really cheap. I fought for all my coupons, and she did it all right in the end, but I left feeling frustrated! I, like you, graduated at 22 and got my first teaching job right away. I taught special education for four years, then resigned when my oldest son was a year old. I am also one class away from completing my Master’s Degree! I never thought I would be able to stay at home, but thanks to sites like yours, (which I check several times a day!) I am able to remain at home until my youngest goes to school. So, a HUGE thank you from this stay at home mom for giving me support and inspiration while stretching my husband’s hard earned money!!!
You just made my day! I always dred checking out. Not anymore
Sandy,
I love that you say that not using coupons is like throwing money in the trash…I say that all the time and I probably even sound like a broken record! I am glad you are able to save on your husbands prescription too! That’s awesome!
Nicole, you brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat! Thank you for saying that! It is because of my readers that I continue to do what I do! You guys inspire me to keep posting!
Gwendolyn,
Thank you! I am glad you will be checking out with pride now….that is how it should be
I LOVE all your comments and I hope they inspire my other readers as well! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Christy,
Coupon Gal
So far I’ve been pretty lucky with the cashiers at my local grocery store. (of course, I know which lines to get into!) They actually congratulate me on my savings and tell me my total savings with a little bit of awe in their voices! I did get a little bit reprimanded by one though because when she said to me “you saved $60,” I said “cool.” She said “Cool??!! That’s your reaction??!! I have to work a day and a half to make $60!” I didn’t tell her this, but what I was thinking was, “I save the real excitement for when I save more than I spend.” Which is what I did yesterday…spent $74 and saved $96! Love it!
Stephanie!
That is awesome! Tell her she can do it too…and then maybe she can work less hours and save more money…that might be a solution. I congratulate you on your savings too!
Christy,
Coupon Gal
thank you for posting this. I thought I was the only one who dealt with these problems. I try to always tell the people behind me in line that I might hold up the line because I have coupons, they always change lines and that helps me because if they are grumpy, they are now not near me! If the cashier seems put off by my coupons, I just tell her the truth: we have a large family and only come to town to shop once a month, which means the cashier only has to “deal” with me one time a month.
Yeah my absolute worse experience was at Target just the other day. The cashier didn’t understand the coupon wording and the fact that she would have to manually punch it in for 99 cents instead of $1, and one manager came over totally clueless on coupon wording, and finally another manager who understood coupons better came over and some she ok-ed and others she didn’t. A lady behind me had said why didn’t i get checked out when another lane was opened because I have 2 toddlers, and she’s complaining about the price. I will NEVER EVER apologize for having coupons, i might however, depending on how nice a person is apologize for it taking so long but that is definitely a stretched maybe. and on top of that i was charged for an extra item that i didn’t get-boo!!! definitely checking the receipt on really bad days like that one. I did complain to target that it should be every cashier and manager who understand coupons, not just a few certain people. and because of things like this, is why i like to shop early in the morning because i avoid having people behind me and getting irritated.
Thanks for all the great stuff you put out there. I have been couponing for years and there have been plenty of times when I have been made to feel like I am doing something bad. Never let someone else dictate how you spend(or save) your money.
I have also been a front-end manager in a grocery store and there are people out there who try to offer fraudulent coupons. For a long time most stores in our area (Long Island, NY) would not even take them because so many phony ones were going around. Now when a cashier questions one of my coupons, I can show them the watermark and if they ask a manager for help I tell them they are doing their job and I understand. I think how we are perceived depends some on how we present ourselves. Always be polite and courteous, the cashiers are usually only trying to follow the rules(which we all know can change from day to day and store location to store location)But be persistent if you know you are right.
Again thanks for all the great stuff you present and have a GREAT day!
This is why I shop late at night or early in the morning – less people behind me to annoy, plus the cashiers aren’t busy so they don’t ever seem to mind so much (mind you this is just at Albertson’s and I avoid Walmart and Walgreens like the plague).
Stephanie – I always aim for 50%… I have to at least save 50% off the bill for me to consider my shopping trip a success.
I subscribe to 15plus blogs and just stumbled across yours. Will now subscribe for many reasons. I love how you respond to your readers comments. I loved how you shared your personal not so great experience. I too let people know I have a lot of coupons. I start by saying “FYI…” One tip- I try to make friends with the cashier that I have carefully chosen ASAP. Then when I drop the I have a plethora of coupons bomb they laugh and we keep chatting. It’s all about making friends with them as they will team up with you if the people in line behind you start huffing and puffing…because let’s be honest. Who cares about those people. They aren’t the ones pressing the F1 button to push the coupons through. You’ll never see them again, unlike the cashier. I have ‘MY’ cashiers at Wags, CVS, Kroger, Rite Aid, and Meijer. No hassle just small talk.
Momma Ellen,
That is too funny…they only have to “deal” with you once per month! Hey, with a big family, you definitely have to do what you have to do!
DD,
I totally agree that ALL Target employees should be educated on their store coupon policy! I think that would make it less confusing. I actually had a Target employee as me if she could keep my printed version of their store coupon policy the other day because she was not aware they even had one…LOL..I let her have it
Heather,
I wish I was a morning person for that very reason…shopping early would be a great benefit for the reasons you listed. I also agree that 50% or more savings is always my goal…good place to aim for!
Jenna,
Thank you so much for saying that! My readers are 50% of the reason this blog is successful and I will never forget that! I post, you guys spread the word and keep me informed. I learn from you guys too and you guys are the ones that inspire me when I feel I don’t have the energy to go on couponing anymore! I look at my blog as a partnership, fellowship, and outlet to some great people that think a little like I do and enjoy saving a lot like I do! So, welcome, I am honored to have you as a reader!
Christy,
Coupon Gal
What an ignorant woman! Who doesn’t think saving money is smart and responsible? Your response to her was spot on (and much more polite than the first thing that immediately came to my mind!).
I was glad to read those statistics you found about couponers. Both my husband and I are very well-educated and are gainfully employed. And, we use coupons all the time. I mean, I barely shop for anything anymore unless I have a coupon.
The other fallacy about coupons is that the only coupons out there are for junk food. I actually used to think this as well before I discovered how to really save with coupons. We eat mostly organic. I’m talking grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, organic produce, etc. This stuff’s not cheap. It takes some work and time, but I find some killer deals on really nice, healthy foods. We certainly don’t get too much for free like some couponers, but I am able to shave around 25% off my bill on a regular basis. That’s pretty good for organics and that’s 25% more in my pocket!
Bottom line, I’d love to meet this lady face-to-face. She be baffled if she saw what kind of car I drive and the type of handbag I carry and then, hey… there’s my huge stack of coupons!
Forgot to add that I love your site and thought this was a great post!
Danielle,
Thank you so much! That is awesome you can save 25% off organic products! I LOVE organic and wish I could get everything organic. I know what you mean about the junk food fallacy…I actually don’t really buy that stuff (with the exception of fruit snacks and cereal). I know, I need to get away from even those, but I save tons and only use low-fat cheese, lean meat, fruits, and veggies. We mostly shop the perimeter of the store.
I LOVE the car and handbag thing…I get misjudged all the time too! People often say, “you don’t look like a “couponer” and I always say, “really, what does a couponer look like?” Most people don’t really have an answer. It’s funny, but I take it as a compliment because I use coupons for all my clothing too
Christy,
Coupon Gal
I like shopping early in the morning when there are less people in the store to avoid RUDENESS ..lol.
)))
I also like to let the cashier know in advance that i will be using A LOT of coupons and i suggest that she might want to call for a second cashier. (works most of the time and they appreciate me giving them a heads up).
Other cashiers dont care, so WHY should I? Let the people wait and make rude comments, I am proud of what I do and I like having extra cash in my pocket rather then putting it in the retailers pocket
Keep on doing what you’re doing ladies, SAVE SAVE SAVE and don’t let some IDIOT in line make you feel bad !!!!
Most people with money are the ones that want it all for free. Have you ever noticed that? At my company all the VP’s and Execs all expected everything to be “taken care of”. Celebs are that way too, so I am glad to hear your story and know that I am not alone as I stand there all alone in a store using a million coupons. They complain until they see how much you saved and then you can just see the change and you walk out know that poor bum just paid full price LOL
It’s a shame that people feel threatened by those of us who are good stewards with money. For every eye-roll, heavy sigh and frown that I get, I just smile and think of the yearly Disneyland and/or San Diego vacation that our family of 6 can take because of our frugal lifestyle. (we go again in 8 weeks, BTW!)
Refusing to use coupons is as if they’re saying “Please, I don’t feel that I’m paying enough for these goods/products/services, will you let me overpay you?”
Now THAT is something that should make them hang their heads in embarrassment!
Keep clipping and saving ladies, we’re in it for the long haul!
First of all I am also in So Cal, I would love to know more about your general area. My Wags does not accept the same deals you mention yours does. Also, More power to you! Grrr, people are so weird about saving money. They just throw it all around. I get comments and stares all the time, I just smile and cary on. Then when I have 3 bags of stuff and my total is 25 cents or so they chase me down and ask me how I did it. Of course they do that only when nobody will see them though. Crazy.
Esther,
Yes, let’s SAVE, SAVE, SAVE….I like that!
Rainey,
Ohhh…I have never though about that…good food for thought! I have actually had cashiers ask me, “how did you do that?” I just give them a business card and tell them a little about how I do it. It’s hard to explain in a sort period of time, right?
Amy,
Because, I too enjoy my Disneyland and my annual pass I get to buy because I save! Have fun on your trip in 8 weeks! I’m jealous…hehehe
I’m-a-clippin’
Erin,
I live in the inland empire. My Walgreens use to give me a hard time using coupons….a few calls to corporate after they refused to take them when they were legit and now we are on the same track! The manager actually knows who I am because I go in there so much, so maybe that is why they don’t give me a hard time. What are you having a problem with at Walgreens?
Christy,
Coupon Gal
As I’m young in a college town people just assume I’m trying to keep my money for classes and put up with it but my biggest critic is actually a person I work with :/.
She gets all defensive, if there was a match-up site for my area (central IL) I bet I could get her to use it but as it is if I talk about couponing at all then it seems to upset her. It’s always ‘I don’t have that much free time.’
I like her enough but this always gets to me so I don’t talk about shopping with her anymore… I think it might irk her because she pays full price all the time.
On the other hand a young mother I work with has started couponing too! Of course she has just started and got excited the other day about saving 20% on grocery’s but baby steps right?
I live in Crystal Lake, Illinois. I use coupons all the time since I’ve been unemployment for fourteen months. My favorite experience was at Dominick’s this passed weekend. I purchased fourteen packages of Knoor pasta and rice mixes. For each four packages I was supposed to receive $2.50 off on meat. Well I found marked down meat at .79 cents, as well as, $ 1.49. Well the cashier didn’t understand over riding the coupon in the register. I explained to the gentlemen behind me that I have a lot of coupons in case he’d like to go to a different register. I not knowing that there was only one other open. This particular store is the slowest in the area. They don’t do the volume compared to the other locations. Well after a while the man behind me kept looking at his watch and saying I need to get home for the hockey game. I felt terrible, looking at the clock is was almost an hour attempting to check out. Finally, the bookkeeper came and helped. After checking the receipt I was over charged by $ 12.50 from other coupons not being accepted. So I went to the service desk and explained the situation. I was charged for one package of meat three times. I was also charged for three packages of Knoor too many. This experience was almost a total of an hour and a half. I didn’t care about the dirty looks from the service desk. However, next time I will do seperate orders.
I have just visited your blog for the first time and read this story with disbelief. I’m not a big coupon user (my horrible lack of organization, not lack of desire) but I can’t believe someone could be so rude.
The positive side is that you taught the daughter an important lesson that her mother has not. Rude, thoughtless comments by one’s mother lead to one’s mother getting SCHOOLED!
Coupon Gal,
I was thinking about what happened to you with that woman saying stuff to her daughter about responsibility. I was also thinking about all of the other stories about people impatient with couponers (I haven’t had that happen yet, but then, I don’t think I have as many coupons as the rest of you). I wonder if some people don’t realize what a coupon is and are just ignorant to it. I also wonder if that woman thought you were using food stamps! Her comments about responsibility, etc. Maybe she thought it was food stamps because she has no clue what a coupon is. I wonder. People can be so dumb.
During Kroger’s triple-coupon week (yes, TRIPLE!) I, of course, went in with a stack of the 20 coupons they were allowing. The lady in front of me was doing the same thing and when I came up behind her, she turned around, waved her coupons, and said, “This might take a while.” I proudly waved mine back and said, “It’s okay! I’m doing the same thing you are!” I’ve had some bad couponing experiences, but the good ones always make me smile. Great blog – keep up the great work!!
This is awesome! I agree completely! Hooray for you writing this! Is it okay if I post a link to this on my page? I think some of my readers need to see this!
Emmi @ mommy’s free time
Christy,
How do you calculate your 50% savings? Do you mean that if your total bill AFTER coupons/sales is $30 and you had $15 savings, that’s 50%? (50% savings of what you spent) Or do you mean that your total bill was $30 BEFORE coupons/sales and you saved $15 and spent $15? (50% savings of original cost, but 100% of what was spent) Does my question make sense? I’ve been curious about that.
Thanks in advance for your response.
stephanie
Wow…I cannot believe this woman had the gall to say this to you. I must say your response to her was dead-on accurate! Thanks for sharing the coupon stats here, what an eye-opener for those that might think couponers are “deadbeats”
AMEN! So well said. I’m so proud of how you handled the situation. Thank you for sticking up for us couponers in such a classy way!
Kristina
I love your site and I love what you do. I just started couponing and have yet to experience my “$1.25 shopping trip” but I am working on it. I am trying to get the hang of it. Your blog and site are my favorite. I live in the IE too! Thank you for all the time you take to help us be good stewards of our money and thank you for this inspiring post.
glad you posted this! its like your speaking right to me. i went yesterday to walgreens and wal-mart and the day before i went to target. all 3 i had some sort of issue. the lady at target inspected my coupons (target ones that i printed from their site) as though i was giving her fake money. at wal-mart the cashier couldn’t get one of the coupons to “work”, not my fault, i just stood there till she figured it out and took the discount. then walgreen’s not only was the cashier rude and unpleasant, but the guy in line behind me was doing the foot tapping, crowing me in thing trying to move me along i guess. and like you and the others i’ve had many of other issues of rudeness. i came home thinking, i give up on couponing. but now after reading this i know its not me and i’m doing the right thing. i have friends who giggle at my coupon ways, but i don’t care. i look at it as “free” money. i’m an accountant, 30 yrs old, have no kids, and we make 6 figures in a yr. & i’ll enjoy driving my dream car (vw bug), caring my coach purse, wearing my trendy clothes, going on Caribbean vacations (all i get/got on good deals) so
to the rude folks. i’m going take my “free” money where ever i can get it. (sorry guess i needed to vent 
I love you Coupon Gal! Thank you for all you do for my family!
Athena,
I don’t know if my friend Jaycie from Coupon Geek lives near you, but she lives in IL and some of her deals may be for your area. You can always ask her to refer you to someone too. Here is a link to her site:
http://www.coupongeek.net/
Monika,
WOW…an hour and a half is a loooonnngg time, that’s terrible. I don’t blame you for wanting to seperate orders either. Hopefully that helps speed things up next time.
Lisa,
I love that! “Schooled” that’s so funny!
Susan,
I never thought about the food stamps thing….maybe she did, but I would hope she would have respect for those people too. It is terrible!
Jamie,
I LOVE THAT STORY! I bet that put a huge smile on both of your faces! Those are the experiences that keep me a HAPPY couponer! Thanks for the smile!
Emmi,
I would be absolutely honored to have you link to me on this posting! Thank you for asking!
Stephanie,
Great question! I calculate my savings based on the what I spent after the store sale and coupons. So if I spent $30 and I had $15 savings, that’s 50%. I consider that my savings because I specifically buy things that are on sale with a coupon
Julie,
Thank you so much! I completely agree!
Kristina,
Thank you!!! I wouldn’t portray us couponers in any other way….because we are all classy
Rachel,
You are so sweet! Thank you for being a reader (local reader too). If you ever have questions, don’t hesitate to ask. I’m honored to have you as a reader!
Amanda,
You can vent here anytime! You are absolutely right “FREE MONEY” is the best money and that is exactly how I view a coupon! I love your coupon ways….let your friends giggle while you giggle on to your next vacation
Rachel,
Oh my!! Than you soooo much! I love you guys too! You guys (my readers) inspire me in more ways than imaginable! I am sooooo very thankful for that!
THANK YOU EVERYONE! I love to hear your stories….they are inspirational, motivational, and touching. I have actually cried, laughed, and almost peed my pants a few times reading all of your comments. You made my day!
Christy,
Coupon Gal
I use coupons as often as I can and I sometimes am made to feel guilty using them. Thanks for the encouragement. I love saving money.
It can ruin your “coupon/saving high” when a cashier is rude to you. I try to remain polite and calm, reminding myself that after this transaction is over it is unlikely I will see or have to deal with this person again.
I CHOOSE to use coupons and deserve to treated with the same respect of any other paying customer. If I cashier is especially nasty, I smuggly think to myself, ‘Its funny how a cashier who likely makes $9/10 an hour is looking down on me for saving money with coupons as if I’m a destitute bum. When in fact I am college eduacated and earn a salary enough to be financialy secure and have a comfortable lifestlye. If anything they should get a clue about coupons and the potenal savings!’ But again, I keep that snarkyness to myself – no point in arguing with a jerk.
Couponers are not trying to beat the sytem, we just utilize the resources that are available to all consumers; coupons are widely-available and and usually don’t cost much besides the purchase of a newspaper. Personally, I can afford to shop without coupons but I enjoy the “game” of couponing. Its fun! Not to mention I enjoy the extra cash in my checking account with which I can use to spoil myself! Which I use for such plush things like Dooney & Bourke handbags or pampering spa treatments. I am certainly not worrying about a rude cashier who balks at my coupons when I am enjoying special treats like a recent solo vacation I took. If a cashier or other customers have a problem with it, I just let it roll off my shoulders and head home with my goodies! Keep up the good work ladies – couponers rock!
I wonder if someone was offering to hand that mother in your story free dollar bills if she’d turn them down? A coupon or a dollar cash–there’s no difference to me, except that I don’t have to pay income tax on the coupon!
I’ve also had a few of those foot tappers behind me in line but they are far outweighed by the jaw droppers that see your oop total after you hand over the stack of coupons and go “WOAH! You saved how much???” Happened just last night at Target, had a fabulous cashier that K1′ed a bunch of my q’s when they beeped without giving me hassles (they were all completely legit, as we all know target is notorious for meritless beeps), but even so it was taking awhile. The father behind me with his young son waited patiently behind me until I was done and then did the “WOAH! That was great!” comment, and I smiled, said thank you and gave all the credit to the cashier “it makes it so much easier to save money when you have a GREAT cashier like Helen”…then Helen smiles and remembers you for next time. It’s a win win!! Point here…don’t ever give up couponers! Listen to Coupon Gal, grin and bear the haters, because just around the corner will be someone who loves what you do and will end up learning from you!
Yeah…sometimes it can be so frustrating, especially when the cashiers have no idea how couponing works. It’s like some don’t even understand that they get reimbursed for the coupon. And I’ve also learned that about 99% of the time, its not a good idea to apologize to people behind me. In most cases it seems like if someone has such a strong issue with someone using coupons, its because of ignorance or jealousy. It kind of reminds me of those people in life that have to bring others down to make themselves feel better. Overall, I’ve learned to just let all the negative experiences I’ve had roll off my back because as a couponer, you inevitably will have them.
Wow, when I read about your experience my heart literally just sank. I am so glad you were able to formulate a coherent (and polite) response. When someone is THAT rude to me…I usually just freeze like a deer in headlights because I’m in disbelief that it even happened! That would have been very upsetting to me.
Someone else mentioned the book, “The Millionaire Next Door”. If you read the book you’ll find that, like your research shows, the people who are truly wealthy actually spend less on everyday and luxury items than people who make what we would consider a good living but live at or above their means.
I started getting into the coupon thing a few months ago because I am in Real Estate, and my income has decreased dramatically. I also own a business that is holding up well against the recession. I’m so happy that I’ve learned these skills, and my husband is proud of the fact that I can make our money stretch so far. Even when my income eventually does go back up, this is a skill that I will keep for a lifetime so that I can save money. People who knock coupon users are in all honesty just ignorant.
Karen,
You are welcome! You can come here anytime to get the encouragement you need
Suzy,
I love the “game” of couponing too! I agree with you, we don’t “have” to use coupons, we all choose to! We are all definitely utilizing our resources!
Chrissy,
LOL!! That is the first time I have heard that before! I will definitely be saying that in the future! You go girl!
Kelly,
THANK YOU!! I will be sure to befriend my “Helen”
The jaw droppers definitely outweigh the foot tappers! I love that saying…you guys are giving me new lines to say
Christy,
Coupon Gal
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