The economic woes have driven people to find some drastic measures to stretch their money even further. One such solution is using coupons to take advantage of the bargain deals. Extreme examples of women clipping coupons and using them for purchase have surfaced in the papers recently. One woman for instance collects coupon so frequently that her weekly grocery bills have dropped to a mere $20 to feed a family of four. In other cases, the grocery store would end up owing money to the woman because her coupon discounts have exceeded her purchases.
This extreme example has driven other women to be on hunt for coupon deals too. At first, the person may start with clipping a few coupons. But the desire to get more and more grows. Over time, the woman could be spending hours on finding the elusive coupons. The desire turns to obsession. And obsession finally becomes an addiction.
Indeed couponing is highly addictive. And in these uncertain economic times, numerous homemakers have fallen victim to this couponing trap. If you have an abnormal desire to use, gather and clip coupon after coupon then you could possibly be a coupon addict. If your need to get coupons goes beyond acceptable standards then you can be one. If you drive 10 miles to be able to use the coupons then you could be at great risk. If most of the sites you have bookmarked are coupon sites, coupon forums and coupon blogs, this could be a sign. And finally, if your husband starts to worry about your coupon clipping habit then it is time to recognize you do have a problem.
Is there such a thing as coupon addiction? Is this a real addiction? Coupon addiction is an obsession to get more coupons. But this is not a real addiction. The reason for this is that addicts do not have control over their desires.
Obsessing over coupons is not exactly an addiction. People who are heavy coupon users can exercise control over their excessive coupon use. Couponing is actually good. This shows the person’s strong desire to save money for the family. In this time of economic uncertainty, people could be driven to extreme measures so they can stretch their dollar to the fullest. However, the abnormal desire to use coupon at all times even if the items are unnecessary should be curbed. To do this the trick is to gain control over your coupon use, not the other way around.
Emily Johnson is a health, fitness and finance blogger. She is also a contributing writer for CouponCroc, a site which offers many different discounts and will also frequently offer an asos discount code for those who love to shop without spending a whole paycheck!