It Constantly Amazes Me...

...how the media thinks.

The stock markets have lost 20% of their value since the beginning of October and 40% since an all-time high nearly a year ago. So all of the news outlets are flooding us with news stories about how people are beginning to save money to make ends meet.

Here's a newsflash, nitwits-people have been struggling to make ends meet since the beginning of time. You only find it interesting now because you think you can make money of of it.

Take this article from CNN.com-

Economic shock gives rise to coupon cutting

Most of the people I know do look for coupons for everything from groceries to eating out to big ticket items. If coupons had fallen out of fashion, why would we still get them in our Sunday newspapers and in our Valpak mailers? On Freecycle, people are constantly offering (not swapping mind you) coupons for diapers, outings, etc... I am irritated that the media seems to think this "archaic" activity is strangely and suddenly making a comeback.

What is especially irritating is the insinuation that coupon cutting (for groceries at least) is actually useful. For groceries, I rarely cut coupons for a very simple reason-coupons exist to provide a discount only off of name-brand items i.e. marketing. For example, I often find that if a product costs $3.00 and I have coupon for 50 cents, the net price I pay is $2.50. However, still ncluded in that price is the cost of marketing the item via coupons themselves, print ads, tv, etc...In other words, I often find that the generic version of the product is $2.25 without the process of clipping (and remembering!) coupons.

That said, if you do shop at a place that offers double or triple value for your coupons, it is totally worthwhile to make the effort.

I do flip through the coupons on Sundays, mainly out of morbid curiousity (Finding out about new products like microwaveable sausages wrapped in pancakes-bleah). And for the most part, everything that I see a coupon for is either overpriced to begin with or simply not necessary. Why pay $3.50 (and save 25 cents! yipee!) on an air freshener when I can just burn a stick of incense, open the windows, or simmer a cinnamon stick in a pot of water? Or, even better, make cookies, which both provides a lovely aroma and sustenance!