Things seem to be a little slow around the deal seeking world this month. I know my readership is down almost 40% from normal, so that either means the economy picked up and people are not deal hunting as much, people are on vacation, or the kids are home and more time is being spent with them (and who wants to drag three kids to the store to deal hunt anyway?)
Or Coupons, Deals and More is passé.
Nawwwww that can’t be it.
I know I have been grocery shopping for hubby and myself exactly once in the past four weeks. Except for bread, milk and yogurt, I have not really been frequenting the local grocer.
I’m still going to CVS and Rite Aid every Sunday, but I jumped off the Walgreens merry-go-round. However, that is not due to kids or the summer, that is due to Walgreens stinky Register Rewards offers.
So, how about it? Have the deals slowed down? Or is it just to warm and muggy to shop? Are you taking a break from deal hunting? Or am I wrong and folks are out beating the bushes for deals, and I am just not seeing it?
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
I have to say it has been the deals. Nothing really has been making me want to go into the stores.
I think for most people, it must be the deals as well. I bet the 2nd reason is vacation. For me, it’s the heat wave, the kiddo and personal things. Although I have been cpning in the last 3 weeks to catch up on all I missed this entire 1st half of the year. If the deals aren’t that good, I don’t have the extra money to spend or the gas or the public transit $. Walgreens is really horrible. Nothing to buy. I burned my last RR last week on Walgreens brand diapers. I’m not even a fan of them.
But I definitely don’t think it’s you
It has been all of the above, no great deals, kids home, hot weather, gardening, vacationing and getting caught up on clipping and organizing my coupons. I let a rr expire arrr, I noticed a day late, So now I am off the walgreens merry-go-round too. I am holding my first yard sale to get rid of some of my stock pile.
I had this same conversation w/ someone last night. The deals just aren’t out there right now. I’m hoping it’s b/c it’s summer and they will pick back up soon. I haven’t even clipped my coupons from last Sunday (gasp) b/c I haven’t been shopping!
Aside from the weekly trip for milk, fruits and veggies … I haven’t shopped in many weeks. (Unless clearance shopping for next years summer clothes for the kiddo counts!!) I’ve not even done RiteAid, though I read they had some good deals. I think the heat, combined with a crazy work schedule and the desire to spend some outdoor time with my kiddo has contributed to a severe lack of motivation! I still have a decent stockpile of basics (shampoo, toothpaste, Viva, Kleenex, toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc) If/when it gets to the point that I have to buy any of those items … I believe that will motivate me to once again start paying attention to coupons & deals!! I do need to shop for and send in the 5-6 rebates I have sitting here on my desk.
Off for a short while. Haven’t seen much that interests me in the last few weeks and have been busy working a little extra for some house repair!
i haven’t been motivated to coupon lately. i always get such a hassle at the stores when using coupons.
I have noticed this too. I don’t know about the slowdown of deals… But I have kids at home right now, and usually extra ones as well. Going to the grocery store this summer has consisted of running to my local Price Chopper and choosing the least expensive of whatever it is that I need. Plus, if you take a week or two off of couponing, it is hard to get back into the swing of things… (for me) I still continue to check your blog though!
No Ann, its not you. You are wondefrul as always. I have been hitting farmers market once a week or going to the farms to get fresh produce. Other than that I have not been in grocery shopping in a while. I do go to Rite Aid regularly as they have been big on MM latelly. More things I don’t need (eventually I will use/need them of course!). And that is it for me.
I have just been too busy to shop! Thank God for stockpiles. I’m starting now to work on rebuilding my stockpile little by little so I appreciate the deals you share!
Kids being home…lots of work in the garden. Need to focus on preserving what I grow…can’t beat the cost savings!! I am shopping less but still check the blogs just to make sure I don’t miss anything really good! I am living off that stockpile that you helped me build!!
I honestly think it’s the summer and all the farmers markets and roadside produce stands. With the summer being so busy, and my stockpile being quite large, I’m taking a break from couponing but I still have to get the milk/bread/produce trio. The one stop a week at New Seasons gets me cheap organic milk, bi-weekly trip to Dave’s Killer Bread outlet gets me half price bread, and once a week to the farmers market gets me farm fresh eggs and all the lovely produce I could want.
See you in the fall Walgreens/Rite Aid/etc. BUT Ann, I still check your blog every day because I think you are super cool.
i agree with what rhonda said!… instead of shopping the deals, i have been using some of my ‘coupon time’ for clipping and organizing. i know i’ve missed some great deals, but with the stockpile i have, i’ve just been enjoying some down time.
I think it has a lot to do with people being busy doing other things. I went to Target the other day to use a couple of their store coupons on clothing clearance and I practically had the store to myself. I didn’t pass another customer and the two registers that were open had zero customers waiting to checkout. Even the roads didn’t have much traffic. My first thought was the economy has gotten worse and people are choosing to not pay the ridiculous gas prices. Then I heard on the news last night that the unemployment rate in GA had dropped 1/10. It’s now 10% even. Whoop-de-do. lol I guess dropping is better than rising though.
It’s not you, deals are down! I am scrambling to find good deals to post. I think people are on vacation plus having the kids out of school makes it tough to shop- which is why readership is down. You are not alone!
Deals are definitely running thin. I have a good stockpile of stuff (there are only 2 of us, no kids) and just don’t need a lot. It’s definitely nice though! This post did remind me that I have some +Up rewards at RA to use, need to see when they expire!
Definitely not you. The heat is a real killer and kiddos at home. Some of it has to do with the economy too for me. I don’t have any extra $.
Right…all of the things you mentioned. I have read other bloggers stating the same. And for me personally, it’s just the summer – I’ve slowed it down – my coupons are outrageously disorganized, and my stockpile is in pretty good shape. I’ll get back into it come fall. (And personally, my freezer is already too full for the dreaded hurricane season on the Gulf Coast….I’d just cry if we had an excessive power outage!)
@Donna — Shhhhh….. we won’t be having any hurricanes this year…. *crosses fingers*
For me I think that storage space is a real issue — I can’t really buy any more stuff until I get somewhere to put it! So unless it’s something I need now/really soon or it’s free or money maker, I’ll pass. Also, I went up north for 2 weeks to visit family (and they only have dial-up — yuck!– so no daily blog visits then), and came home to a pile of newspapers and no motivation to look at them! I did finally go through them, but man, once you stop for a second it’s hard to start back up! Not to mention starting over w/ no ECB/RR/+Up
I have to go with the majority. Deals are down. I was just talking about that this morning on my walk with the friends. It is like we are in a lull before Back to School hits.
It’s def. not you Ann!! I love your site!! I’ve been doing the RA deal pretty much. Used my last RR 2 wks ago, haven’t done any CVS in a while, have to this week cuz my ECB are expiring!
Other than that, Target has been just aweful, heck everyting but RA has been horrid!
Nope Ann, not you, I still visit once a day. The deals haven’t been that great, and honestly, I’ve needed a break from it all. Summer is a great time to go outside and do things with friends, not sit inside and clip coupons.
It’s the sales. Because of it I have slowed down on the news papers and have hardly shopped at all. A couple of MM deals and that is about it. I have not been excited about anything and my blog really shows it. Hard to find things to talk about
I thought it was just me. I am enjoying the little break and trying to learn how to be more balanced.
It’s the lack of deal’s,cranky kid’s and the heat.I’m waiting for the back to school sale’s.
It’s the deals the stores are not really putting anything great on sale and the coupons as of late really stink with a few exceptions. Has anyone noticed the prices of meat this summer, they have not dropped like they usually do in summer or at least the stores aren’t having as many sales on meat as they usually do in the summer for grilling.
Definitely the deals. If I didn’t get the coupons that I do at the commissary I don’t know what I’d be doing right now. Everything has been slowed down.