Why bother? It's only a dollar.

Coupons, coupons, coupons. Some people don't even look at them when they arrive in the Sunday paper. They pass right by the tear pads and blinkies at the grocery store. They think coupons aren't worth the time and effort to clip and collect. They say, "Why bother? It's only a dollar." Only a dollar, hu? So, if a dollar falls out of your pocket, why do you bend down and pick it back up? Why bother? It's only a dollar! I know at my house we can't afford to be wasteful with any of our dollars. In this economy, I don't know many people that can. Coupons are a wonderful way to help stretch those dollars. Heck, they even make dollars in some cases! You don't have to be an extreme couponer to see real savings, either. Every little bit helps, right? After all, if all you do is use one $1 off coupon per week, you'll have saved $52 over one year. That's a weeks' worth of groceries for some people. It's only a dollar. Here's another way I think about a wasted dollar. I stop and think about what that dollar could have bought. A pound of meat, five pounds of potatoes (on sale this week), a loaf of bread, almost two pounds of bulk oatmeal (at Winco), two pounds of bananas (again at Winco), or even a dozen eggs. Any of these things are a dollar or less. They all could have been purchased with that wasted dollar. My friends, I want you to get the most of your dollars. I want you to be able to pay for everything you need, and I want you to be able to have some fun. Those little coupons are dollars that the manufacturers are handing to you to spend. Use as many as you can. Save as many dollars as you can. Don't let yourself think "It's only a dollar." Instead, think of ways you can use the money you are saving as it builds up. Some people use the extra money to keep the lights on or pay off debt, while others save to buy a car or house (I'm raising my hand here). And some save for family fun, like theme parks, camping trips, ball games, or concerts (devil horns go up on this one). If someone handed you an extra buck or two each week, what would you save for? So get those scissors out and start clippin'! And as always, Until next time, rock on my friends!