Shameless Shopping

I generally go shopping alone or with Grace, and I like it that way.  Here's why...  When I go with my husband, he wants the torture over as soon as possible.  To him, shopping is a necessary evil to be gotten out of the way, the sooner, the better.  We tried shopping together when we were still newlyweds, before I was even an ardent couponer, and it was a marriage wrecker.  So now, I go shopping alone, and we stay happily married.   I save money, get lots of groceries, give Ben some quality bonding time with Grace, and get out of the house for some much needed fresh air. 

Another reason I like to go alone is because I'm embarrassing.  I'm willing to face that fact, and I can bear it, because I know that it's for a good cause.  My mother went shopping with me a couple of months ago, and was appalled when I rifled through the garbage at the self-check out lane.  Horror showed plainly on her face as I nonchalantly reached in to see if there were any catalinas (register tape coupons) that someone had discarded in typical spendthrift fashion.  I was justly rewarded with a FREE milk catalina.  Realizing her daughter was a dumpster diver was a bitter pill for Mother to swallow, but she's a gracious woman.  Yesterday, I cleaned an abandoned cart at Giant Eagle of about 8 catalinas, one of which was a $5 off $50 purchase.  I silently thanked another shopper for their generosity.  

Furthermore, I have no qualms about speaking to the cashier or customer service if a transaction does not scan correctly.  I am always polite and try to resolve the issue with the utmost courteousy (although I have felt a little heated at times).  Many stores have an Accu-Scan policy.  This basically means that if the register does not scan an item as advertised, you get the first item free and additional items at the advertised price.  I have gotten allergy medicine, apple cider, milk, and baking chocolate for free under this policy.  A number of times a catalina has failed to print from an advertised deal; I have gone to the register and gotten it fixed.  There is no shame in this.

I won't even go into details about my fistful of coupons, but they heighten the level of embarrassment for my companions and the inconvenience of the cashier. 

The purpose of this post is just to encourage you that if you are a lone shopper by choice or force, you are not alone.  Well, maybe you are...  Depends on how you look at it. :)