Book Review of “Find Another Checkout Lane, Honey”

I’ve watched the show, read the books, taken the workshops, bought the multiples of newspapers. I’m still not getting it. So far, I’ve spent money on papers that pile up, coupons that expire and gotten frustrated that it’s not working for me. Who has five hundred friends that give you their inserts? Not me.

I know all the lingo and techniques so this was repetition for me. The one statement I completely related to was that young, clean cut male cashiers seemed to have the best checkout lines. In my case, it’s servers at restaurants. When you read the rationale behind it, you will understand. She scopes out four lanes and observes the work habits of each personality then chooses which lane to get into. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose at restaurants.

Although I haven’t mastered grocery couponing, I’ve always done well with clothing, cosmetics and other items. Credit cards can get you into a lot of trouble but if only used for the rewards and paid off immediately, they can be good.

For name brand cosmetics, I only buy during the gift with purchase promotions. The holiday sets can be found at the outlet stores if you are willing to wait six months. The week after Christmas, what’s left of the clearance racks and shelves are affordable.

Since I’ve stopped working to be a full-time grandma, I’ve been exploring the low end cosmetics and have been pleasantly surprised. I’ve switched going to the theater for movie rentals and utilizing the local library.

Memberships work best for me because I always have something to do such as the zoo, etc. bringing food with me prevents hunger spending.

My latest entertainment is getting fragrance and cosmetic samples from department stores. Like the grocery store checker illustration, it depends on where you go and who’s working. I currently have a good stash of carded fragrance samples and enough foundation samples to equal a bottle.

Now back to couponing. One tip suggested in the book was to start stockpiling. That is one technique I think I will try. Even without coupons, focusing on one item at a time, I would start seeing results. My budget for my entire adult life has always been fifty dollars a week for groceries and fifty dollars a week for gas. Fresh produce has always taken priority. We’ll see what happens. I still think it’s more just entertainment watching the shows and wishing it was you.

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