This week we’ve got a little bit of a challenge for you. Please try it.
Over the years, I’ve noticed that companies offer some sort of deal that includes finding scissors or clipping supplies if they want me to continue buying.
Have you cut out packages over the years so your child’s school can get a nickel? Cut out the coupon, save it, and turn it in to the school by the deadline. Inevitably everyone I work with has an unused box top and a handful of expired coupons and promises to save a dollar if it costs 10 times what he did. I carry around a tattered punch card.
This Saturday is the time to see if you invest any more time and energy into managing these scraps.
The box top is probably expired. If you feel guilty about opting out of this “easy” fundraising opportunity, instead consider writing him a check to the PTA early in the year. Donate $20 up front and forget about his top of the box.
Coupons are only useful if they help you quickly buy something you were already planning to buy. Ask yourself how it would feel to march into a specialty store years later and ask them to honor the coupon. They probably will, but you’ll feel cheap. Is it worth it? If you answered yes, today is the day to use or toss that gift certificate.
The punch card is a duplicate, so of course the wallet barely closes. You can combine them all, would you? If so, go to a coffee shop today and pay with a punch card. Do not start a new punch card.
why bother with this?
These scraps of paper are tedious because they don’t pay off much. It’s not just the trash floating around your wallet, it’s how you spend your time.
Still interested in fiddling with little pieces of paper that save pennies here and there, or are you ready to cut your losses? What you lose in a dime is time and energy savings.
Ready for something new?
Throw away all box tops, punch cards and expired coupons in the trash now. If you have a coupon that you always use, stick it in your wallet next to your debit card so you don’t forget it the next time you’re in the store.
Professional organizer Lucy Kelly wants to hear what you’re having trouble letting go of. Contact her at lucy@joyfulsurroundingsllc.com or her 720-526-2114.
