Meh.

This weeks sales have yet to get me all excited.  Which is good I suppose.

Although I did purchase a lot of papers yesterday.  Mainly because there was the proctor & gamble insert- and that ALWAYS ends well.  I personally purchased twelve papers.  I know.  Twelve.

But I have a theory- and we'll see if it pans out.

I must say that as I was purchasing my papers, I felt guilty.  Like I was doing something wrong.  There is a particular cashier at a particular store I shop that will make snarky comments about couponers.  Like we're thieves.  One day she even asked how many people live in my home.  It made me feel awkward.

But I've been thinking about this- and here is what I came up with:

• Do you think that the tiny newspaper publisher out here in Hancock County is at all upset that I personally purchased 12 sets of papers yesterday?  Doubt it.  I think they are THRILLED.  12 sales to one single family home- that is a profit.
• When I buy product from a store with a coupon, they turn in the coupon to the manufacturer and get the coupon value back.  PLUS $.06-$.08 per coupon.  They loose nothing.  They even make money on my coupons.
• When I buy product, the manufacturer moves product.  If I buy a lot of product (hello ragu pasta sauce), then it triggers a reorder from the store to the manufacturer and they get to produce new product.
• If I combine a store coupon (sq) with a manufacturer coupon (mq)- the store gets the $ from the mq back and they planned to not get the revenue from the sq by producing it.  So they moved the product, will get what they planned back from the mq, the manufacturer moves product, cues reorder, and the cycle continues.
• Manufacturers will often times issue coupons or rebates in order to clear shelves of older date or packaging merchandise.  I am simply the beneficiary of their plan.
• If I am able to purchase more than I need or can use in our home, for less than I would normally have paid for one item, then I pass it along to the food bank, family or friends.  There is nothing that is wrong with that.
• I don't clean off shelves.  I don't hoard product.  I always leave plenty for other shoppers- unless there is only one of something left, and then I don't feel bad about taking the last one if it's the only one I am buying.
• I buy exactly what the coupon states and I don't try and use expired coupons.  I am not trying to pull anything over on anyone.
• Typically, within a few weeks of a coupon being printed, stores will offer the exact item that the coupon was printed for on some kind of sale or promotion.  This is not coincidence, it is a plan put forth by the manufacturers.  I am just playing along.
• And lastly- if you are a cashier at a drug store, and you see that folks, such as myself, are able to combine coupons with your sales and get products for free or cheap, and you choose not to purchase the SAME items with the SAME coupons----- then why are you upset?

I will post what I buy this week- but so far it is not very exciting.  CVS has some more free toothpaste and contact lens solution, I guess I'll start there.