This is hoarding.To call a coupon enthusiast a hoarder is super insulting! Yes, I've seen TLC's Extreme Couponers... they all have EXTREME stockpiles, which is why they are on a show defined as 'extreme'. It would be a very unpopular show if they showed the thousands of coupon enthusiasts, like me, who have a full pantry and a small section of my garage dedicated to storage. I can still park a car in the garage and I can move freely around my home without running into a stash of cereal or toothpaste. I am not a hoarder.
Hoarding, by definition is not the same as preparedness, take a look at the following definition as defined by the Mayo Clinic:
Hoarding is the excessive collection of items, along with the inability to discard them. Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter.
I am not a hoarder and most coupon enthusiasts are not hoarders. For the most part, coupon enthusiasts build a stockpile of items that they find essential for their family. My personal stockpile would allow for no grocery or personal care shopping for 3 to 4 months, if needed. I 'stock up' on merchandise when they are at their rock bottom price because as a savvy shopper, I know that each store is on a 10 to 12 week sales cycle. Meaning, I'll see roughly the same deal in about 3 months.
I do not clutter my home with stuff. I neatly arrange my purchases in my garage, I place access meats and dairy in my deep freezer in the garage as well. My home is a mess because I allow it to get that way and I'm pregnant, a mom to a toddler and a blogger so time is an issue; not because I am a hoarder.
Definition of STOCKPILE
: a storage pile: asa : a reserve supply of something essential accumulated within a country for use during a shortageb : a gradually accumulated reserve of something
I probably cannot change everyone's view but I am perfectly happy knowing that because I use coupons and have a stockpile that I save my family at least $600 per month on groceries.
Before you knock coupon users know this:
More affluent households dominate coupon usage: 38% of “super heavy” users and 41% of “enthusiasts” come from households with incomes greater than $70,000. Households with income of $100,000 and up were the primary drivers of coupon growth in 2009. The enthusiast category also attracts a disproportionate number of households with incomes between $50,000 and $69,900. Households residing in affluent country and suburban areas are more likely to be heavier coupon users, while non-users are more apt to be those households living in rural areas and struggling urban core areas.
There are people struggling to make ends meet... coupons could help a lot. The affluent users stay affluent because they are saving 60 to 90% each week.
Before you knock coupon users know this:
More affluent households dominate coupon usage: 38% of “super heavy” users and 41% of “enthusiasts” come from households with incomes greater than $70,000. Households with income of $100,000 and up were the primary drivers of coupon growth in 2009. The enthusiast category also attracts a disproportionate number of households with incomes between $50,000 and $69,900. Households residing in affluent country and suburban areas are more likely to be heavier coupon users, while non-users are more apt to be those households living in rural areas and struggling urban core areas.
There are people struggling to make ends meet... coupons could help a lot. The affluent users stay affluent because they are saving 60 to 90% each week.
3 comments:
Awesome post!
Thanks, Holly! I've been meaning to out this up:-)
It's like having a grocery store in my garage, where I can just walk in grab anything and walk out FREE! I love it.
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