I used to have this friend who never used coupons. Her reasoning was that coupons are inconvenient to use, they don’t save you that much money, and the good stuff, like organic cheese and the thick rolls of toilet paper, never have coupons for them.
Being an avid couponer, I tried to persuade her into using them. “Coupons don’t seem like much, but saving a dollar here and there really adds up. Look, my last grocery trip would have cost me $25 if I didn’t use coupons. I only paid $14.”
She was always happy for me, but never felt compelled to try it herself.
One day, I found the perfect coupon for her. “Here is one for the eyeliner you’re planning on buying. You can save $2 just by handing this over. It’s all cut out and ready to use.”
After some convincing, she finally took it and said thanks.
I felt pretty proud of myself. I thought I was about to make an unbeliever turn into an out-of-control couponator. I imagined she’d go to the store, pick out her usual eyeliner, walk up to the register, and suddenly go, “Oh my gosh! I only have to fork over $7.99 rather than the usual $9.99? This is amazing!” I was positive that her life would change and she would never go back to her couponless lifestyle again.
A few days later, I noticed that she was using a brand new eyeliner. “So you used that coupon, huh?” I said casually. (But I was not casual. I was so excited and waiting for her to share that Ah-ha! moment.)
“Oh, yeah, actually, I had it in my bag at the check-out counter, but I just totally forgot to use it. Oh well. No big deal. It’s only two bucks.”
My enthusiasm sagged a little. I guess I kind of saw that coming. She is not the type of person who cares to use coupons.
That wasn’t the first time I had offered something that someone else deemed not valuable. It was probably the fiftieth or the hundredth. I like to offer what I think is good in the world so I do it whenever I can. But the things that get me excited don’t necessarily get other people excited. And that’s ok.
I called up my other friend, a fellow couponer, and said, “Let’s go shopping!”
And off we went to Macy’s, carrying $10 off $30 coupons.
Steph Musings 