Alva James-Johnson: Shopping with coupons takes some getting used to

Things are crazy at my home right now, and it’s not just a bad case of Spring Fever.

Sure, we're busier this time of year with all of the kids' extracurricular activities and one of our daughters is preparing for her high school graduation. But what's really freaking me out is my husband's latest hobby.

In addition to running, spinning, golfing and putting me to shame with all of his health-related activities, my prince charming has now taken up couponing.

Now, don't get me wrong. I like saving money just as much as the next person. There's no greater thrill than getting something for nothing, and I was always taught that a penny saved is a penny earned.

But I've never gotten into the whole coupon thing because it just seemed like too much work, and I figured I would spend more money driving all over town for a good deal. Plus, who wants to be that person holding up the line in the supermarket? How annoying.

However, groceries are so expensive these days that I started to reconsider the matter. So when my husband told me he was taking a couponing class, I gave him my blessing.

"Go for it, honey," I said, hoping we would save a boatload of money.

Well, it hasn't been easy adjusting to the coupon way of life. Instead of one paper being delivered to our home on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, we now have three piling up by our mailbox.

My husband recruited our 14-year-old daughter as his assistant and the two of them have become coupon fanatics, clipping incessantly. They have also subscribed to Internet sites for deals on national products.

I wouldn't mind all of that if it wasn't for the products that we have to live without until they go on sale. One week we didn't have any paper towels, and this week we're without fabric softener. I'm just glad we found a "buy-one-get-one" deal for toilet paper before it was too late.

There's also the issue of stray coupons all over the house whenever my husband and daughter fall a little behind schedule. I'm always tempted to throw them away, but just can't bring myself to do it. I guess I'm slowly becoming a believer.

I have to admit, we have gotten some good deals out of the whole process. One day, my husband came home with four jugs of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent for half the price. Another time, he got a three-for-one deal on olives, which I love.

We've also been exploring a wider range of brands. A few have been questionable, but some sacrifices are just worth the price.

The truth is, I admire my husband for his level of discipline and organization. And I believe it will eventually make a positive difference in our lives.

So if he wants to be the "Coupon King" of the universe, more power to him. I'll just adapt to his whacky world.

Alva James-Johnson, 706-571-8521. Reach her on Facebook at AlvaJamesJohnsonLedger.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 10:20 PM with the headline "Alva James-Johnson: Shopping with coupons takes some getting used to."