From The Archives: I Married a Couponaholic

Last summer my husband, Ryan, wrote a guest post for Frugal in Virginia titled “I Married a Couponaholic: 5 Ways Life Has Changed”. The post has generated many comments since it first appeared on this site and has resonated with husbands and wives alike. When it originally ran though, I had perhaps 100 visitors per day. On a very good day. Since Frugal in Virginia has welcomed so many more readers since last summer, I thought it would be worthwhile to run the article again for those of you who missed it. Enjoy!

(You can also read other guests posts by Ryan here.)
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Going CVSing, “the deals”, couponing, stockpiling, ECBs, Money Saving Mom- these new phrases have recently become part of my everyday life. Why? I’m the husband of a money-saver.

And I’ve had to adapt.

My wife started showing an interest in cutting our expenses several months ago. Great! I thought. Go for it! We were married young, with a newborn baby, the mortgage bills coming in—you know how it is. Obviously, any added frugality would help us meet our financial goals.

As I look back I pause to smile at my naiveté. I had no idea the new changes that were in store. Over the next few months I have seen my wife transform into a frugal warrior, armed with a new vocabulary, couponing-weapons, and shopping battle strategies. The change was more intense than I could have ever anticipated.

Read on if you’re curious about my brave new world.

1. Strange Products I Get to Try

Apparently product companies test their goods on the families of frugal moms. They give products away for free (through coupons) in an attempt to penetrate the market. The Frugals find these products long before the rest.

Joint Juice is one such product. It’s seeking to gain market traction to an elderly demographic fatigued by joint pain. These days, I drink enough Joint Juice to grease the joints of an entire retirement home. I’m serious. My buddies bring Gatorade to basketball, and as they drink their dollars away, I can’t help but feel lucky. My supply of energy drinks is free. Plus, my joints have never felt better. The stuff’s not so bad.

There’s plenty of products like this for me. Some lead to interesting conversations. When my co-workers found a batch of Go Diego Go Yogurts in the break room they were naturally curious. I explained that yes, adults eat them too. “And actually”, I explained “the yogurts are quite tasty, and they have healthy additives to help you grow.”

I don’t always have positive experiences, (Kashi Vive tastes like dog food) but overall, I’m really starting to enjoy the strange products I get to try now. Perhaps it’s made me a braver, more cultured husband.

2. The Coupon Box

Ah, the coupon box. The primary organizational tool of a Frugal, this mandatory accessory appeared early in the transformation process. There are two things that I’ve learned about the coupon box. First, it goes everywhere. Why? Because, you never know when you’ll need it. Miles into a casual day-trip we’ve turned back upon realizing the box didn’t make it to the car. I now know that where my wife goes, the box goes too.

Second, the box cannot be tampered with. “Don’t touch my box.” My wife doesn’t allow others to mess with her trove of glossy money-paper. I can see why, the organizational process is complex and delicate. A small change could result in catastrophic results in the grocery aisle. Not pretty.

3. CVS Used as a Verb

This one blew my mind. CVS isn’t just a store. It’s a verb. And it turns out, CVSing is the act of snapping up exceptional deals at CVS.

“Did you go CVSing today?” A few months ago, this would have been a nonsensical question. Now, I ask it several times a week as an entry point into further conversation about free diapers and ECBs (extra care bucks). The Frugals love their CVS.

4. Shopping with a Money Saver

It’s not for the faint of heart. Remember, for a Frugal this is the hour they’ve long awaited. The plans are laid far in advance. The grocery store is the battlefield, and my wife becomes the general and infantry. She travels from aisle to aisle with her shopping cart shaped assault vehicle. She’s clearly on a mission. And grocery missions, as you know, often take longer then the haphazard shopping a typical husband relies upon. For the husband of a frugal wife, patience is a virtue.

Then comes checkout. One not used to the process should expect embarrassment. I mean, the sheer volume of coupons is enough to make an amateur blush. But here’s a typical scenario: I look down to check my cell phone and look up to see the clerk dipping into the till to give my wife money. He’s giving her money for purchasing groceries! Holy smokes, what just happened? Was that a transaction or a holdup? Nervously, I rush our family out of the store.

Of course, if you’re looking for more excitement at the grocery store, wait for your Frugal to face up against the distrustful, ornery checkout clerk. It’s a Clash of the Titans!

5. “The Mail Is Here!!”

My wife and I were upstairs yesterday discussing plans for the day and mid-sentence, she stops me. “Shhhh…” I pause thinking Sadie (our baby daughter) must have awoken from her nap. I couldn’t hear a thing. “I think the mail’s here.” Amazed I concentrate on a sound, barely audible. Maybe a plane traveling 10,000 feet above our house. No, it’s getting closer. Perhaps a car. Then it hits me. Incredible! My wife has actually trained her ear to pick up the sound of the mail carrier. Her sense so honed it verges on premonition.

Why the excitement over the mail? A letter from a lost relative? No!

Free samples of course! I’m talking about a pack of Uncle Bens Cajun-Style Rice in neatly packaged orange. The sheer glory, as if Uncle Ben himself descended from heaven and bestowed his ricey goodness to our mailbox. I’ve tasted the newest flavors of Starbucks Coffee, pumped my body full of 6-hour energy, and freshened up my morning shower with Old Spice Shower Gel. Free shipping, free samples, delivered on demand. She’s a genius.

I could go on. I haven’t yet mentioned The Stockpile. (In the event of a nuclear winter, our toothpaste stockpile would ensure clean teeth for the entire neighborhood.) But I think I’ve made the point; there have been a few adjustments in all this money-saving.

But I will say this. I now eat healthier, save more, and am enjoying new and interesting products on a weekly basis. My wife’s frugal living has really helped our family. Thanks to her hard work, we’re living a better life.

I wouldn’t change a thing.