Coupon Crazy!

I am a sucker for a good deal.  Combine that with my LOVE for early Christmas shopping and you have the recipe for disaster.  I get the “bug” in mid-October (probably because the stores start slowly infiltrating their aisles with Christmas teasers).  Several months ago while I was picking up a few last minute Halloween costume accessories at Target, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, an aisle way at the end of the store that was loaded with garland, and tinsel, Christmas lights and ornaments.  The Rudolph lawn ornament seemed to taunt me:  “Come on, Carrie, just wander down my aisle for a minute….I Double Dog Dare You!”  Stay focused.  I need ears for Madelyn’s Cat Burglar costume and a new set of handcuffs for Tyler’s Police Man ensemble now STAY OUT OF THE CHRISTMAS AISLE FOR GOD’S SAKE IT’S OCTOBER!!!!!!! 

Too late, my mind was already forming a mental Christmas list of what I would be buying for the kids, for the family grab bag, for my husband, for the kids’ teachers, for the babysitter….. Would I still give the garbage man (or is waste management employee more PC these days?) his parochial $20 for always waving to the kids and raising the garbage thingy to fling the bags into the back of the truck right in front of our house followed by squeals of delight from my children (I’ve done the math and it equates to about  40 cents per episode which is well worth it!)  The point is, this mental Christmas list quickly materializes into a handwritten list  

and then over the next several weeks as the toy catalogs start arriving in the mail, I start filling in the blanks with all the kids’ “wants.”  Then every Sunday I meticulously analyze the sale papers in the Sunday tribune cutting out coupons and storing them in a very organized………..large plastic Ziploc.  

I agonize over the ads boasting “Our Lowest Price of the Season!”  Is it really?  Last year I bought the kids a large dollhouse from ToysRUs with a coupon for $10 off.  I patted myself on the back for my savings as I waited in the pick-up zone for at least 15 minutes for someone to wheel this monstrosity out to my car and hoist it into the trunk of my SUV.  From there I then unload it at home into the corner of the garage covered with blankets and threats to the kids to STAY AWAY!  Two weeks later the same dollhouse is part of a ToysRUs Doorbuster deal for 20% off which is a far greater savings than my $10 off coupon was causing me to curse toy companies and big box stores and marketing people who probably sit around some large conference table planning out the next way to dupe the coupon-conscious early Christmas shoppers like myself.  Then I get a grip, calmly load the kids in the car with my receipt that I almost cannot find at the bottom of my Ziploc bag of coupons, and proceed to the customer service desk where I attempt to politely demand a price adjustment before I go “Christmas Crazy”.

 This year I decided to get all three kids a large kitchen set.  Once again I stalked the sale ads and the Rewards Member coupons before settling on a perfect plan.  I would do all my toy shopping at ToysRUs (will I ever learn?) because I will receive a $10 gift card for every $75 dollars spent.  I had at least $150 of purchases meaning I could use the $20 gift cards towards the purchase of the kitchen.  Done.  I drop the kids off for an hour with my daycare provider because if you think I am bringing 3 kids into ToysRUS, now YOU’VE gone Christmas Crazy.  I immediately turn the dial to 93.9 since LITE FM started playing Christmas music in April, sip my 2500 calorie Peppermint Mocha with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles and speed off to Toys R US.  Once there I quickly find all the toy items on my list (NOT) and wait patiently in line (NOT) only to learn that the $20 in gift cards I just earned cannot be used until SIX hours after they’ve been activated!  On my way out of the store, disgruntled and defeated, I bump into a former patient who hands me a 20% off coupon she cannot use on her item (GO FIGURE!)  Hooray for me!  Even better savings than my $20 gift card.  With the Christmas Crazy replaced by newly found Christmas spirit, I proceed back into line with the ticket for my kitchen set only to learn that the 20% off coupon is a special deal that doesn’t start until 3:00 and it is only 2:30.  Seriously, they make me wait.  I stall and then at 3:00 on the dot I present my coupon.  They ring up my item but the coupon won’t work.  Apparently it is only for the doorbuster items that were listed on the front of the ad that I didn’t have because the coupon was handed to me by my well-meaning former patient.  My $20 savings in gift cards doesn’t cover my gas, daycare and Starbuck’s expenses.  I lost money.  Sucker for a good deal or just a sucker?  Please don’t answer that. 

In hopes of replenishing my Christmas spirit I’ve decided to give one of you a present!  The last class of all my Postnatal Pilates sessions is a spoof on Oprah’s Favorite Things show called Postnatal Pilates Moms’ Favorite Things.  All the women bring in or discuss a few of their favorite baby items.  I have selected one of their items to be given away FREE (there is no fine print, coupon needed, or any chance to find it for a lower price later in the season!) to one of my blog subscribers.  The item I selected is………The Nose Frida! 

I was skeptical at first (see my July 30, 2011 blog entry) but Cindy made me a believer so I purchased one for my baby and one to give away.  If you don’t have a baby maybe you could try it on your spouse, friends, or simply re-gift it to someone on your Christmas list………tis the season!

P.S. I will also be giving away one free 6 week Pilates class in an upcoming blog to all those who comment.  These make great Christmas gifts and can be purchased at the Women Serving Women Physical Therapy clinic by calling 630-527-0485.  Stay tuned!