VALUE

The other day I was at the grocery store looking to buy tuna.   As I approach the section where my preferred brand of tuna is shelved I see a bright yellow ‘on sale’ sign.  I think, ‘cool.‘  But not so fast.  The gap in between the regularly priced tuna and the supposed ‘on sale’ tuna, resembles a toothless grin.  I’m annoyed. Those extreme coupon people strike again.  I’m seeing it more and more ever since that series aired.   

They clean out the stores of stuff that’s on sale and then they stock a bomb shelter type barrack (or their garage) with decades worth of goods.  They just arrange it, inventory it, date-rotate it and keep buying more and more stuff.  Some people spend upwards of 30-40 hours a week -- a full time job -- researching coupons, printing or cutting them out just to abscond with $1,000 worth of groceries for $1.35 so it can sit on THEIR shelves.  So much stuff in fact, that 3 or 4 generations of their kin wouldn’t be able to use it all up.

But here’s what I really can’t stand.

Of the dozen or so episodes I’ve seen of the reality show, only 1 mentioned that he put together care packages for the local shelter.  Truly, just one.

I’ve seen people boast that they have over $50,000 in inventory sitting in their basement or garage -- this one lady had 2 years worth of diapers and she was single without a child, holding on to them for when she gets married.  REALLY.  There are working single moms who could use those diapers you got for free right now.

What type of lack mentality is at work here?  I mean, how needy, insecure and unloved do you have to feel to need to stockpile so much stuff - and usually it’s junk, I have seen 1 show where the extreme couponer had fruits and vegetables on her list.

Don’t get me wrong, I think if you’ve got the patience and you’re clever enough to work it so you get $1,000 worth of groceries for $1.35 - more power to you - but why not use what you need and pay the rest forward -- there are women’s shelters, there are homeless shelters, there are food banks.  These are just a few ways to make yourself feel full and loved and useful.  

We are all interconnected, we don’t exist in isolation.  True value lies in seeing beyond ourselves.