Family Opinions

My family likes to tease me about my couponing. My husband will tease me, but he enjoys seeing how much I save. He loves being able to tell people about all the stuff I get super cheap (thanks CVS). I really do think that he's proud of me for saving us an much as I do. He's been telling his one co-worker so much about me that she wants me to give her lessons in saving.

My mother likes to remind me about how my brother and I used to pick on her for using coupons and buying things on sale when we were kids. We did, but I can understand the need to save a lot better now that I have my own house and child. Stuff is expensive and you need to save any way you can. She also passes coupons on to me for stuff that she knows I use.

My brother seems to get the biggest kick out of it. He refers to my shopping as pillaging and tells me that I should wear a Viking hat and carry a sword. He was with me on one of my CVS trips where I picked up diapers, shower gel and candy for a dollar and change. When we left the store he actually asked me if I felt guilty. My answer was an immediate no. Why should I feel guilty? I'm playing their game by their rules. I dedicate several hours a week to seeking out the deals, clipping and organizing my coupons and planning my shopping trips. It takes work to save that kind of money.

On Sunday my brother was with me during some of my shopping. When we were at Target I checked out first. I wound up getting three bags of household stuff for $8.46. He wound up buying 2 items for $6 and change. So I got to tease him about how I got so much more for only $2 more. Our next stop was at Walmart. There I was able to purchase a box of cereal and three bottles of Power Aid for $0.53 and he purchased a box of 8 cookies for $2.88. Once again I got to tease him. It was a fun trip for us. I think he enjoys seeing how much I can get for my money. Plus he knows if he shops with me I'll give him coupons for items he's buying if I have them.

My daughter is still way too young to be able to voice her opinion on my shopping methods, but it will be interesting to see how she reacts to it as she grows. Since she is with me on a lot of my shopping trips I keep telling my husband that I'm showing her the right way to shop. We'll have to see if those lessons sink in though.

So how does your family react to the way you shop and spend your money? Do they support you in frugal ways or do they give you a hard time about it? I guess I'm very lucky that despite all the teasing, my family does support me.