Do you bargin shop?

A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist.
— Franklin P. Jones

OK, I have to admit, I have used coupons in the past. Sunday mornings I would be up at the crack of dawn with my newspaper on my lap as I watched food cooking shows from my bed and clipped coupons. Then, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays I would spend my time going through the grocery ads to compare my coupons to their sales. I do have to brag a little though. I once had $300 worth of groceries in my cart and only paid $75 for them after all of my coupons and store card was used. Not bad, not bad. The thing though was that it took a lot of my time to compile my list for the week and sometimes I would buy things I may not have really needed just because they were a bargain.

How about some of you who visit garage sales and yard sales looking for the perfect bargain? My in-laws like checking them out. Although they didn't always buy something, there were times where they bought something and then didn't want it only to talk my husband into taking it. If it was a bargain they didn't use, what makes you think I wanted their bargain?

Many people get caught in the different specials that are offered at stores, restaurants, and many other places. If I think I am going into bargain frenzy, I stop and look at the item and wonder whether it really is something that I need or will use. I could walk out with free or highly discounted items all of the time, but I don't want to become a pack rat hoarding my bargains.

I keep a folder for coupons I think that I may use, such as a fast food coupon or a coupon from a retail store for something I was planning on buying. At the end of the week, if I haven't used it yet, it gets tossed. After all, if I didn't use it in that one week time frame, then I really didn't plan on using it in the first place. I do keep a small set, about 4-5, of coupons in my purse for stores that I may frequent. This way, if I decide last minute that I want to go there, the coupon is ready for me to use.

My advice to you is to do two things when out shopping. 1. Make a list and stick to it. Otherwise... 2. Resist.