When a store's deal isn't a good deal
The right coupons can mean great deals. Just make sure they're not creating a 'need' where none exists.
And I fell for it.
I started thinking about a Fajita Ranchera Burrito. Ultimately, I ignored the leftovers in my fridge and hiked on over.
It's not that the $5 expenditure made my rent check bounce. Nor do I begrudge a bit of fun. In fact, I budget for it and suggest that you do the same, lest a lack of amusement knock you off the frugal wagon. (If things are supertight, check out the ideas in "Fun things for when you're broke.")
No, what bothered me (later) was that I'd been so easily swayed. The coupon made it cheaper than many lunches out, but I hadn't planned on eating out that day.
Spontaneity can be a good thing. But this wasn't spontaneous. It was a consumer tropism: Shown a coupon, I automatically moved toward it.
For some people, the same issue exists around daily deal sites and social-buying companies such as Groupon: Things seem so cheap they feel they're losing out if they don't buy.
I love a deal, but . . .
Properly used, coupons can slash your costs considerably. For example, I never pay full price for toiletries or over-the-counter medications; quite a few are free.
Daily deals can also prop up a budget, both for essentials (an eye exam, teeth cleaning) and extras (golf, dinner out). One woman I interviewed bought an auto-detailing Groupon for her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. (Back me up here, dudes: Way better than a teddy bear holding an "I Wuv You" balloon, right?)
Thus I'm a fan of coupons and deals in general. We just need to be specific about applying them. If you don't need it or can't find room for it in your budget, you're not being frugal.
That said, walking to Qdoba on snowy, nearly deserted Seattle streets was amusing. The burrito was tasty, too. So I'm not saying I shouldn't have allowed myself a treat. I'm just vowing to think a little harder the next time a deal -- any deal -- comes over the transom.
Readers: Are deals of the day, coupons and Groupons budget boosters or dollar destroyers? Have any tips on using them intentionally?
More on MSN Money:
Gonna disagree. True some coupons may be viewed as....."traps"....like your coupon for Qdoba which was a great deal IMHO based on their retail prices...that place is expensive. But now you'll be tempted to stop in as you had a good experience...without a coupon....YIKES!
I have had limited success with Groupon. The most recent example 26 weeks of the Saturday and Sunday delivery of our local paper for.....$10....Sunday paper alone retails for $2 plus tax.. With $4 gas on the horizon this is an excellent way to get the paper and it's coupons brought to your door. True some may consider this frivolous as you can get your news on the internet for free...but at less than 40 cents per week....just call me reckless. In addition, in another paper I subscribe to, there is the "deal of the day" where as businesses offer their products for free with coupon. Each week I am treated to a free beverage at Dunkin Donuts and 7/11. I stop in on my way to business appointments to pick up these treats that would run about $2 plus tax if I didn't have the coupon. "If it's free it's for me"....
@Melissa Stanislaus: It's obvious you can see the problem and it's also obvious you don't like spending more money on things you don't need. But can you see a solution?
Leaving the coupons home might not be enough, since you could always go home and get them. Can you develop the habit of shredding those coupons as soon as they arrive?
Good luck, and thanks for reading Frugal Cool.
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