Staying Home

Wow! This post on Money Saving Mom really echoed alot of thoughts I have been having lately. I feel like all I do is run around chasing deals. I struggle over and over with trying to decide if couponing is worth it or not. I do get alot of name brand food for really cheap. But it does put me out in the stores every week. I spend our grocery money every week 'cause there are deals every week and sometimes I walk away with not a whole lot to put together a meal with. Plus, being in the stores makes me want other things and I come home with other stuff I could have lived without. Plus, I am totally undisciplined with the coupons. If I have 10 coupons for Stove Top, I come home with 10 boxes of Stove Top. That is enough to last us a year. It's ridiculous! I'm doing a little better about that, but still I still came home with six automatic air fresheners the other week that were not really needed. Then, by the time I get home, I am so exhausted that I can't tend to my house and I've yelled at BFG the whole day and have spent extra money trying to keep her pacified to get through the whole round of stores.

On the other hand, groceries are going up due to the inflation of gas prices. And we do get to eat name brand stuff for cheaper than the off brands. And I'm not sure I agree with her about not getting out bargain-hunting for other stuff. If I didn't frequent thrift stores and stuff, I would have missed out on some really good deals like my ink pad storage units. Of course, I do have a very cluttered house with lots of junk. Yard sales are like my hobby. I love them! I love the thrill of finding a deal! I love stopping at Exxon and getting my french vanilla cappuccino and having the morning to myself. Now that we are out in the country though, I'm dreading how much it's going to cost me in gas. I have made the mistake of figuring out it costs me at least $7.00 in gas every time I go to town! Yikes! I really am probably eating up any savings I'm getting.

Sorry I'm rambling so much! I guess it boils down to: Are my deals worth it? Really worth it? Could I be more beneficial to my family by just staying home? Would I really save money staying home more? Could I really give up the deals? Do I want to? Is God convicting me of this through the realization that I cannot properly care for my home and family and bargain-hunt at the same time? Am I just overwhelmed with our house and making too big of deal of this? Lots to think about.