Sunday, May 5, 2013

Fear and Loathing in Manassas

So, I mentioned in my last post that I had an awesome coupon to use at Victoria's Secret. 

What I didn't mention was that this coupon forced me to realize that I am a complete and utter coward.  Because as excited as I was to get a free bottle of perfume, I still managed to put off cashing that thing in for TWO MONTHS because I didn't want to go into the store and use it.  It's not that I'm afraid of Victoria's Secret-- bras and panties don't strike fear in my heart.  At all.  (And, actually, I still chuckle to myself when I remember that the cutest pair of overalls I've ever seen was in a Victoria's Secret catalogue.  Overalls!  At Vicky's!  Who knew, right?)

No, what scares me is using coupons.  Especially when it means getting something for nothing.  I'm always worried that the store clerk will look at me and say, "Really?!?!  We're giving you a free bottle of perfume and you're not even going to buy ANYTHING?!?!"  And then she'll give me a look of such loathing for being the biggest cheapskate ever that I'll never be able to hold my head up again.  Or, even worse, she'll find some reason why my coupon is invalid, and I'll be put on the spot and have to decide if I'm going to buy whatever it is I'm buying anyway, at full price, or if I should just swallow my pride and put it back on the shelf.  And I'll feel totally stupid for even trying.

{Shudder}

It's the same reason that I never got into couponing when all my friends carefully explained to me how I could get everything for free if I just clipped the right coupons and went to thirty-seven different stores around the area on precisely the right days.  The fear just killed me.  And the extra shopping-- who am I kidding?  Man, I hate shopping.  But the fear was at the heart of it.  This is evidenced by the ONE TIME I tried to coupon, and when the woman at Harris Teeter's didn't triple my coupons, I didn't say a word to her about it.  I just scooped up my carefully purchased, well-couponed items and vowed to never bother doing that again.

I am such a scaredy-cat.

4 comments:

Jen Evans said...

Hahaha!! The first time I couponed I was terrified! Luckily, the check out clerks have usually been excited for my savings. Except one lady, and now I know to avoid the crankypants line.

There was an episode of Bones where a woman was killed by a grocery store manager because she was such a coupon zealot.

Nicole said...

oh my gosh i can totally relate to this, especially the worry that there will be a problem with the coupon and i will have to admit that i'm too cheap to actually pay money for the thing. nice to know it's not just me. :)

Emily said...

Well, I am proud of you for overcoming your fear!

Liz said...

First of all I'm excited that someone else watches Bones. ;)

Second of all, now that you've cracked the coupon code, I highly recommend "vacation coupon-ing." As someone who just got back from a really nice hotel stay based on points (from opening a credit card solely to get points to stay at the hotel on vacation) it's freaking awesome!! (Though I also felt guilty like "Will they not be nice to us because it's on points??" But they were quite nice. :o)

Liz