Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Saving money as an act of greed?

So I was talking with someone today about couponing and working hard to find the best deals. She had a conversation with a person who in their line of work has to help people who get themselves into trouble trying so hard to find the "better deal" and getting swindled or just making bad decisions over all. I guess that gives her a unique prespective on something we all strive to accomplish and since I am nothing if not interested in other points of view (even if I don't agree) I thought I would take a minute to look at this.

IS there something wrong with using coupons to try to save a buck? I know that a number of the stores I go to seem to be rather pertubed with the fact that I walk in with coupons walk out with free stuff. Stores like CVS seem to have modifed their outrageous deals because they were being abused according to the higher ups. Walgreens has even gone one step further and prevented us from taking advantage of their $/$$ deals by requiring the total after coupons. And lets take a look at the vernacular we all use. Most every "savings" blog I visit talks about taking advantage of a deal every change they get.

Personally
I see nothing wrong with using what some people might consider to be a loophole to get a better deal. After all, how many of us aren't willing to pick up 2 items for the price of NONE curtosy of the BOGO sale combined with a BOGO coupon. Let's be honest though...how many store managers, cashiers etc that actually care about their job and have an emotional connection to it, dont watch us walk out with free stuff without being frustrated, annoyed or in my case I'm pretty sure the manager at my local walgreens has my picture on a dart board in the back.

So what does that say about us? The couponers from far and wide robbing stores legally and bragging about it to the webverse? I have only been doing this for a little over 6 months and I am far from what I would call an expert, but I plan on getting better and every week I find another chance to "rob" another store. So I guess my question is...

How much is too much? IS going out of my way to get something for nothing (and in some cases making money) actually being greedy? Where is the line? Does anyone know?

I need your help fellow couponers! As someone who is a virtual toddler in the world of coupon mavens, what do you think? Is saving money akin to a form of greed? And if so, when is saving money a good thing?

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