I've become one of those people

I never imagined it, but it somehow has happened : I've become one of "those" people. The people who cause massive eye-rolling in the checkout line as they sift through a coupon holder. The people who scour online deals and combine manufacturers' coupons and store coupons. The people who actually buy a newspaper. Did you know they still print newspapers?

So yes, I'm resigned to being one of those people. But it's strangely addicting - I was previously enjoying saving about $40 a month with grocery coupons (plus hitting up all the BOGO deals at the local grocery stores) and I figured it wouldn't go past there. We're not really the kind of family that tailors our purchases to what's on sale; we find coupons for the things we're already buying. It's fun - sort of like a treasure hunt. A really, really boring, routine, danger-free treasure hunt.

And then Christmas started creeping ever closer, and nothing we wanted was showing up in the Black Friday ads. That's when we discovered the power of the toy coupon. Santa would have been pleased to discover the $49.99 GoGo My Walking Pup could be had at Target in the week before Thanksgiving for $29.99 ($5 off sale price + $10 off Target coupon + $5 off Hasbro coupon). Certain games went from $14 to $2, no mail-in rebates required. Right now we're sitting on $20 in coupons for a particular toy that starts with an L and ends with an eapster and is followed by a word that rhymes with dexplorer, and with any luck it will be had for $39.99.

If we can find the stupid thing locally because everyone else and his brother is now one of those people, too.

It's strangely addicting. It makes me want to go to Vegas or something.