"The Deal Didn't Work, Daddy?"

About a year ago Robby and I took a class at our church called "Financial Peace," a DVD class of lessons from Dave Ramsey. We were motivated to create a budget (yuck!) and then live within it. Prior to that class, we had never even spoke about having a budget. In order to stick within our budget, we started seriously couponing.

In less than a year, we developed huge stockpiles of all kinds of things: pasta, frozen veggies, toilet paper, laundry detergent, crackers, toothpaste. You name it, we have tons.

So much stuff that we tend to only buy non-perishable items if we can get them for free. Every week we search all of our coupon web sites and find "deals" for either free items or (even better) money-making deals. Few things are as exciting as buying groceries with coupons that create an overage, which is like free money!!

So, last weekend Robby had figured out a deal which he intended to do at Walgreens. He would buy Tylenol and generate a $5 "Register Reward." He would then use that $5 RR to buy toothpaste & shaving cream, which would then generate another $5 RR. Then, he would use the second $5 RR to buy more Tylenol, and get another $5 RR. Then he would buy more toothpaste & shaving cream. He had enough coupons to do this circular pattern several times. We really only needed the Tylenol. We have tons of toothpaste & shaving cream. But, in order to get tons of free Tylenol, Robby would need to buy the toothpaste & shaving cream. (Walgreens makes you rotate your deals in order to generate more "Register Rewards.")

I know that sounds complicated. In fact, I am frequently overwhelmed by the drugstore deals. But, Robby loves researching the deals and creating his own. He frequently talks with our fellow couponing friends about the "deals." When the deals work and we get stuff for free or almost free, we are ecstatic.

On Sunday morning the whole family went into Walgreens so Robby could work his deal. Unfortunately, the store did not have the correct shaving cream in stock and he could not buy it. Without the shaving cream, he would not have enough Register Rewards to get the Tylenol.

So we left the store with nothing. As we were walking back to our car, Robby was holding Catherine's hand. She turned to him and said "The deal didn't work, Daddy?"

As usual, I was shocked at how much Catherine understands - she listens to everything we say and comprehends so much more than we realize! Of course my analytical side wonders if she is just parroting phrases she hears us saying or does she really know what a "deal" is? Does she understand that we are trying to get stuff for free? I am not sure she even understands the concept of money yet. Are we training her to be a savvy shopper, or is she just a parrot?