So last Monday, I wrote about how I (not so) Extreme Coupon. The outpouring of, uh, support was overwhelming. It seems that many of you also shop like I do. If you haven’t read the post, take a minute to go do so to have a better understanding of where I am on the grocery shopping spectrum.

I know some of my readers DO coupon. I don’t think any of them do it to the extreme as seen on TV but I have a problem weighing on my mind that I would love to have explained to me… if it can be explained. (seriously, I want your input in the comments)

I feel like the word “Saving” is being abused.

Let’s discuss.

I have a budget of $300 every 2 weeks for groceries. This is more than enough for our small family to live on. It does include all of our household supplies and pet supplies as well, for what it’s worth. If, at the end of the month there is money left over, it stays in the envelope (yes, a real envelope of cash) (please don’t rob me) (I’ll cut you if you do). Then the next month I can choose to bulk up my budget with the overage from the last month (and have filet once a week) or shrink what I take out of the bank for the month (and have the same amount during the month).

First scenario.

So let’s say I go to the grocery store with my list and buy everything that I was going to buy to last me, say, a week. I happen to grab a few relevant coupons from the shelves, maybe buy 2 of something because that’s what the coupon says and I know we’ll use them.

I end up getting $100 of groceries for $85, with no real effort put forth on my part.

I saved 15% by doing a whole lot of nothing.

I have the food I need and still have $215 left for the first half of the month.

Next scenario.

I spend hours poring over papers and circulars and make my list. It appears I can buy 40 of something, 8 of something, 12 of this, 73 of that (Yup. 73. Like the mustard lady on the show.) and only spend $40. If it’s really like the show, I’ll not have any fresh fruits or vegetables, will have lots of crackers and “snacks” and maybe a little fresh meat. Oh, and LOTS of frozen entrees.

I go to the store, check out and get $1000 worth of groceries for $40.

To that I (if I’m on the show) say, “I SAVED 96% on my groceries!!!!!!!!“

I may have food that I need for the meals I’m going to eat and I have $260 left in my envelope for the first half of the month. But I also have 374 boxes of ziti and thin spaghetti that if I started now I would never be able to finish eating.

Here’s the Burning Question:

How is it saving money if you wouldn’t have spent it in the first place?

It’s been said on the show several times something to the effect of, “We saved over $20,000 last year on groceries.”

Well, no you didn’t. You spent a lot of time, a little bit of money and a lot of effort to get a metric ton of crap from a store that you will NEVER eat and probably never give away. The people on the store even say as much. One girl claimed to have had her shelves custom made so she can “look at how pretty her stockpile is.”

Unless you make a LOAD of money, your grocery budget isn’t ANYwhere near $20,000 in a year, let alone more than that so you can “save” that much.

Plus, you didn’t walk into the grocery store with $1000 for your trip only to use the coupons and only spend $40. THAT would be saving… if your budget actually consisted of the money. But the budget from the get-go was only $40.

Being able to say you “saved” the money would mean that you had it budgeted and then didn’t SPEND it. Thus, saving it for the next trip or next month.

Saving might also imply you were going to put the money aside for future use, like in a savings account, retirement account, the kid’s college fund, a car, getting out of debt or an emergency fund. But the lady last night said she was using the “savings” to go on vacations. Which, if you didn’t have it budgeted to spend and THEN saved it, it’s not SAVING!

Jeezus. I’ve now said save, saving, savings, saved blah blah blah so many times I can’t see straight. I don’t know if I’m making any sense anymore.

The argument works in my head but I’m not sure about “on paper.” I want to know what y’all think. How is it SAVING MONEY if you didn’t have it in your pocket to begin with?

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Now I’m just talking out of both ends. If you don’t give a crap about this, how about go watch the kid’s video he recorded about his Star Wars stash. Now THAT is a stash, folks. Ain’t no money being saved when it comes to buying Star Wars stuff.

Also, he’s already starting asking about DragonCon this year. I should’ve never told him there was a marching band of Storm Troopers.

Oh, and one more thing. Somehow my Google Friend Connect thing got all jacked up. Go be my friend again if you don’t mind! I’ll love you forever!