Epic Fail & a Couponers Confession…

Since I stopped teaching middle school/high school almost 3 years ago, I feel very out of the loop when it comes to the hippest music, latest styles, techno gadgets and new lingo that are labeled as officially “cool” by teenagers.

So for me to even know that epic fail would be an appropriate title for what I’m about to share, I feel a little less out of touch with reality, that is determined by our know-it-all adolescents.

So here is my my epic fail – I’ll be going to Wegmans tomorrow for my weekly shopping trip, and I’m going to have to PAY FULL PRICE for deodorant!

Now you may not understand what the big deal is, but see, if you are an avid couponer, and have paid attention to deals in the last 6 months to a year, then you should by all means have like a 2 years supply of deodorant that you would have gotten for free.  I in fact had many many many Degree travel size deodorants in my house.  I never officially counted how many, but I certainly had enough so that I could make this Deodorant Cap Cheap Wall Decor.

When I get freebies, I do one of 3 things with them:

1.  I/my daughter/my husband uses them.  If I have a stockpile of an item, depending on the shelf life, I usually would keep about a 6 months supply so I won’t have to buy it again for half of  a year.

2.  If I have more than what my family will use in the next 6 months, I will find places to give them away/donate them.

3.  I’ll come up with some crazy craft to make with it – thus the Crafting from Your Stockpile series was born.

Well yesterday, I got out of the shower and proceeded with my normal routine of getting myself presentable to get out of the door.

As  I reached for my deodorant container for my daily application, I endured a scraping of plastic sensation that told me it was time to dig out a new deodorant.

I threw that one out, and proceeded to head to my toiletry storage area where I keep my extra deodorant.  I have 3 drawers in which I keep these extra items in – and there is no real order or organization to it.

I just kind of throw it all in and fish something out when I need it.  Iwent to find my one of many deodorants (travel size Degree) that I knew I had on hand.

Drawer #1 – no deodorant.  No fear, I have 2 more drawers, and I know I should have like 5 of them.  Drawer 2…no deodorant.  Oh come on – I know I have some.  Drawer #3 – seriously, no deodorant??

Ok, look back in #1 because it must be burried.  I search around some more – still no deodorant.  I re-check #2 and #3 again – still nothing.  Ok, what about my giveaway bags – there must be some in those.

Well, I just gave out fun freebie bags at my last coupon class, and now I’m  fresh out of a fun giveaway stockpile.  Um ok, well I’ll have to find a deal and get some more deodorant this week.

How did I let this happen?  I had so much!  So apparently I gave all of them away!!!

At this moment in my frustration, I knew I still had my “natural” deodorant that I once tried.  It doesn’t really work for me, but it was better than nothing.

Off to my dresser I got to grab it – and that one is GONE!  Then I remembered that I threw it out last time I thoroughly cleaned our bedroom to get rid of clutter.

No back up deodorant.  While rolling my eyes, I go and find my husbands.  He doesn’t like the antiperspirant kind, so he has just plain Old Spice deodorant with no antiperspirant component to it.

So I put that on.  Oh gee great – now I smell like a man.  And since its not antiperspirant, I underarms still “glowed” all day (because we all know true ladies don’t sweat!)  🙂

This afternoon, as I was writing up my grocery list,  I checked out the coupon database to find one of  the many Degree coupons that I was sure must be out right now.

The only Degree one I can find is Men’s that has “motionsense technology.”

What the heck does that mean? Are there little microchips in it so that when I move, it shuts down my sweat glands???  I asked my hubby if he knew about this motion sense technology, and he in a very monotone engineer voice that he frequently uses – “it’s just fancy words that mean there’s nothing special in the deodorant.”  He prides himself and not succumbing to any sort of advertising scheme that exists on this planet.

Well I don’t want men’s motionsense whatever, and now I’m stuck without any Degree coupons.  I could risk it and try another brand.  I know I can get Lady’s Speedstick for $.88 this week at Wegmans.  Or I could pay FULL PRICE for deodorant that I know works well for me, that I had a years supply of that I got for free and gave them ALL away without realizing it.  I hang my head in shame….full price deodorant.  That’s like couponing blasphemy.

Fact is, I’m just a dumb human like everybody else.  I’ll get over it.  Maybe I should just buy that full price deodorant tomorrow with pride, knowing I’m not always the crazy coupon lady, and I can buy an item full price and not have a panic attack over it.

Wherever my free deodorants are now, hopefully they are being put to good use by someone who truly can’t afford to stay smelling sweetly.  As for me, I can grin and bear it and buy my aroma enhancing merchandise at full price, and be ok with it.  I’ll have to be, or no one will be ok with being around me!