I have a coupon-tingle. It works a lot like spidey-sense, except it involves me, not Spiderman, and it involves coupons, not bad guys.
Coupons are actually the good-guys.
So what is a coupon-tingle? It is that special sixth sense that compels you to walk down an aisle in the grocery store – that you would normally bypass – because you “think” there might be a coupon tear pad (or rebate form) hanging on the shelf or a shipper.
And, inevitably, there is.
I developed the coupon-tingle early on in my couponing-career. I’d walk down an aisle not knowing why, until I spotted the pad of coupons hanging on the bottom shelf at a diagonal because they had been kicked a million times – but no one had removed even one coupon – it was too low to the ground. Sometimes I would spot a coupon out of he corner of my eye and I would not consciously recognize that fact, the glimpse was so fleeting. My subconscious would take over forcing me to back-up and see exactly what that tear pad or coupon was for. I always trust that instinct, it has yet to fail me!
Around year five I noticed my coupon-tingle morphed into a super sense. No shipper was safe, no tear pad was secure, I was going to find them all!
Mwa-ha-ha
Er …
I mean …
My coupon-tingle developed over the years until it truly became a super sense. The places I have found coupons and rebate forms boggles even my mind… at the bottom of a freezer in the meat department, behind a tower of beer cases (don’t ask how I get those down, but it happens more often than you’d expect), frequently tear pads fall down behind an end-cap or shipper, in a produce bin, hidden in a box at the customer service desk (the most difficult find of all!); you name a spot in the store, I’ve probably found a tear pad there at some time or another.
Sometimes it seems the rep wants to make finding, and using, of a tear pad coupon or rebate as difficult as possible. “She does not deserve a dollar off unless she can jump through eight hoops while holding her nose and hopping on one foot while blindfolded.”
So I do. Figuratively speaking, of course.
The days of easy picking off the coupon boards at the front of the grocery store are long gone around here. My coupon-tingle has to compensate for that, and it does, making me a much more skilled tear-pad hunter.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
That is awesome!! I’d like to develop a coupon-tingle.. You know they say ask & you shall receive..
I do have a radar (cop) niggle though.. Sometimes I hear in my head, “SLOW DOWN QUICK” or “COP!” and other times its just one of those feelings.. I’ve learned to always honor it.. Cant tell you how many times I’ve been saved from getting a ticket!
You keep on honoring that tingle Girl.. and Im gonna work on it.
LOL, REALLY I WAS LAUGHING OUT LOUD, my daughter thought I was laughing at something she was talking about. Too funny.
So funny! I kind of have this sense too. There are three Krogers were I go shopping. But there is one in particular that always has tearpads and blinkie coupons. I drive a few extra blocks just to hit that store because I know there will be coupons! My 3.5 yr old is pretty well trained in spotting them now too. Look high, look low, on the shelf, behind products, in the bottom of the refrigerated case, and always beer displays.
Another reason why I love my Kroger, the blinkies are 5 and Harris Teeter has all 9 blinkies. Pick em up at Kroger and head on over to Harris Teeter!
Love the *evil laugh* about no coupon tearpad being safe! Funny! I wish I had a better developed tingle. I get one sometimes but generally only find pet product coupons, and me with no animals in my house (except for my son, of course
).
The Mwa Ha Ha laugh is one of my signatures after a deal went perfectly, and/or I score some great freebies or bargains!!! They know if do “the evil laugh”, I’ve gotten free or really great deals. Thanks for the info on where you find tearpads. I rarely find
any. Once in a while I’ll find some in Riteaid, but that’s about it. I’ll let you know if I score more using your suggestions. There’s nothing I dislike more than missing a good coupon. I’m to the point I won’t buy certain things without that lovely piece of paper in my mitts. You and hubby are a riot!! Enjoy the holiday.
Thanks for the laugh, Ann. This is why I love your blog!
Shirley: I also now will not buy some things unless it is on sale and I have with me “that lovely piece of paper!” I hate when I find a clearance item and I KNOW I have a coupon – at home! Grrrrr!
“That lovely piece of paper”
Nice!
Ann
This explains how you have so many tear-pad coupons and good ones at that! lol I spotted a NBPR at my kroger Saturday! It is only good in KY, so I got 3…one for my parents, aunt’s, and grandma’s. Yay!
I love reading your posts, I wish I was in Rochester and could meet you. I bet you are a hoot to be out and about with! Next time I am in the area I plan on hitting up the stores on the lookout for ya!