Two weeks without a deal? Can that be possible? No, it isn’t. I’ve been trying out the “fifth stage”. That, coupled with the start of the school year, has meant bargain hunting has been at a minimum. Oberto killed the bargain-fast… but more on that later.
I have an uber-frugal friend, Aubryn, who is about my age. Her five waterfront acres and home are almost completely paid off and she has money in the bank. All on an income no larger than ours. “How do you do it, Aubryn?” “Let me tell you about the five stages of shopping.” Stage One is where most people are – the majority of people actually pay retail. Yes, I know that’s a dirty word for frugal people, but it’s the beginning. Hopefully most people don’t stay there long.
As they get a little smarter, they begin to look for sales. That’s Stage Two: Discounted Prices. I’m sure we all know people who’ve stopped there and thought they were doing great. They’re missing out on real frugality.
Stage Three is the couponer. Saving .50 on an item or getting a $10 discount on an oil change is a good feeling.
I’m in Stage Four, actively hunting for deals, combining the sales of Stage Two with the coupons and rebates of Stage Three. There’s a certain addictive high that comes with the deep discounts of a Stage Four shopper. The security that comes from a full pantry is underrated.
Aubryn left Stage Four years ago. What could be more frugal that what I’m doing? I consider myself a good digger and I save thousands of dollars every year with those deals. “I don’t spend.” “What?” “I don’t spend. If it’s not a necessity to live, we don’t buy it.” She only has one child at home, her husband isn’t picky, blah, blah, blah. A dozen excuses ran through my mind. But the truth is that I haven’t been willing to live with just the bare necessities. I agreed to try it for a while.
My “while” didn’t last very long at all. Truth be told, it didn’t even last a week. I’m not ready to give up that deal rush and my family definitely isn’t ready to go back to basics. I look forward to the day when we are. In the meantime, I’ll keep reading MaryAnn’s blogs on Frugal Living, posting great deals, and try not to be envious as Aubryn explains how she’s bulldozing her back half acre to rent out RV space to seniors so she can be completely debt-free by the end of the year.