So, you all know I'm battling with my OCD (Obsessive Coupon Disorder) and I'm not making much progress. I've gone to the store every day this week for one thing or another. It's especially troubling because usually when I set my mind to do something, I can pull out the willpower and do it. When I decide I need to lose 10 lbs, I just change my diet, up my exercise and a month or two later I've lost the weight. Same with saving money, if I know a large expense needs to be paid, I just do the math and save a portion each month until we have enough to go ahead with the purchase. But this couponing is whacking me out. I find it extremely hard to not save money. I don't really think its that bad of thing to be addicted to, as far as addictions go. Sure, I can talk myself out of buying something I don't need or won't use - but what about the stuff I will use? Everyone needs to do laundry and clean their bathrooms, right?
Anyway, one of the biggest traps in being frugal is the sense of security I get from having a sufficient stockpile of something. My DH is sabotaging my frugal efforts by using the products we've purchased excessively. His thought is that we have more so he uses it more generously than we would if we knew it were the last package. For example, we have 20 plus bags of Eight O'Clock coffee. They are not large bags, only 12 oz I think. It seemed like he was getting a new bag every week from the stockpile and I asked him to write the date on a bag to see how long it lasts. Well, he just opened a new bag and the previous one lasted 12 days. So 1 oz per day. I guess that's about right to make a pot of coffee. But it seemed like he was burning through it (his job is to make coffee every day), when really he wasn't. However, there are items I know I tend to use generously (cheese, sauces, salsa, salad dressing) because I know I have plenty more.
I've only been couponing a year, so I'm going to chalk it up to inexperience. Once I get more comfortable with yearly cycles on coupons and sales, I'll be able to control my insecurities about the quantity to stockpile. So for now, I'm going to just increase my awareness of my feelings and try to acknowledge my fears of not having enough, or fears of spending too much for something.
