From Cheap To Savvy

I’ve always loved this picture.  It reminds me of when I was a little girl and my Grampie would take me on shopping trips.  He would take my hand and we would go to to various stores in search of the best deal on some electronics item or appliance that he wanted to purchase.  He was  thorough in his searches and after each visit to a store he would take out his little pocket notebook and jot down the prices.  At the end of the day he would go down the list, drive to the store that was offering the best deal on what he wanted and the purchase would be made.

That’s how it all began.  I sit here at my computer 30 years later with my geek glasses on researching the best deals and coupons on the web.  I crunch numbers like I crunch on a bag of M&M’s on a bad day. I pound on calculators showing no mercy.  My desk is slathered with Post-It notes with scribbles of coupon codes, prices, expiration dates and store names.  I am a deal hunter.  It is my career, my passion and my addiction.

A lot has changed in 30 years regarding all perspectives of bargain shopping.  There was a time when people who bargain shopped and used coupons were labeled as cheap and frugal.   We were the brunt of jokes and yes,we were made fun of.  We were referred to as ‘those people’ who would reuse a paper towel to make a roll last two months to potentially save us $5 a year.  We were ‘those people’ that wrote endless articles on 101 uses for a coat hanger and how to reuse an egg carton or milk jug  to, once again, save a few bucks a year.

For most of us, we stood out like a sore thumb in public places.  We were the people who drove to just about every store on a Saturday afternoon, regardless of weather elements, scoping and comparing prices.  Most of the time we left empty handed because whatever it is that we wanted, we knew (or at least hoped) it would be at a lower price the following Saturday.  It was a game of chance; a shoppers version of Russian Roulette.  We would trudge back to our car, sip on coffee that had long since cooled off and faithfully make our way to the next store.

Those days are long gone for most of us who have discovered the ease of online shopping.   With the popularity of online shopping increasing, the demand for online deals and coupons is rapidly growing.  Yes, those of us who were once referred to as cheap are now called savvy.  I like that.

Shopping for the best deals on an item whether it be designer clothing, electronics, computers, etc has become  trendy.  We no longer brag about how much we spent on an item, we brag about how much we saved.  People are quickly realizing that they don’t have to settle for low quality when, in fact, they can get the best quality at a lower price.  Our options and selection are increasing and all of this can be done in the comfort of your own home.  This, in turn, not only saves you money on gas, but it saves you time.

And with that, I will continue to sit at my computer all day and night searching for the best deals and coupons.  I will ignore the fact that most people hate shopping at a store with me because every other sentence is, “You can get that on Dealtaker cheaper and we have a free shipping coupon for that  too.”  I will continue to be patient with a handful of computer illiterate family members that call me when they want to do some online shopping.  I give them my virtual hand and guide them through Dealtaker as they make their purchases.

My Grampie has long since passed, but I know he would be proud.  I know that if he were still alive he would be on his computer enjoying the ease of deal hunting online.  And yes, bless his heart, I’m sure he would be my worst critic and be the first to let me know if he found a better deal.  I smile at the picture I have of him on my desk, raise my coffee cup and salute my ‘savvy’ Grampie.