Missing A Deal

I barely went out this week. The only stores I went to were Shaws and CVS. I got some great deals at these stores but I missed out on a lot of other deals at other stores. If this were a couple of years ago when I first started to coupon I would have had a panic attack.

I had to get every deal whether I needed the items or not. Playing the drug store and grocery game was new and exciting and I couldn't miss out on a single thing. I would drive around to fulfill complex CVS transactions and would go out almost everyday to make sure I got every deal possible.

Then the excitement wore off and I realized that I had enough stuff to last me a long time. Even more important- I realized that my time was worth more than a tube of free toothpaste. I started to cherry pick the deals I wanted to do and sometimes a deal was only worthwhile if it was a moneymaker, like on toothpaste and razors.

I have evolved to the point where I don't need to get in on every deal and missing deals doesn't bother me. I have a healthy stockpile so if I miss a something this week I know I have more than enough to get me through until the next sale.

There is definitely a balance that everyone needs to find between saving their family money and spending time with their family.

Sometimes, if it saves me time, I will pay full price for things even though I know if I went to another store I could have gotten them way cheaper. I mean, what good is a closet full of free stuff if you haven't spent enough time enjoying your children?