April 24, 2010

With my unbelievable wisdom I understand many things. But still there are a few-very few- things that I still can not comprehend.

Here is one.

Like everybody else today, we have to be frugal. Frugal does not mean cheap, it means if there is a good deal do not pass it up.

When we go to our weekly shopping tour to the supermarkets we always check the prices at competing stores as well as we check the availability of coupons.

My wife likes Polaner brand Sugar Free fruit preserves. They are not really expensive and quite available. Few weeks ago we found some coupons on the Internet that we printed out.

When we wanted more coupons the message came back that we were not allowed any more because the system showed that we already received ours. OK, so we copied about a dozen and used them until their expiration date.

That was quite a while ago. This morning I thought I would try to get some more Polaner coupons printed but I got the same message. We used up our quote, this is it. They are so efficient it is sickening!

But, I can not understand the business end of this. Wouldn't it be to their benefit for us to buy their product even with a coupon rather than go and buy Smucker's?

I think I'll call Mr. Polaner and ask him because this thing irks me.

Here is another comparison shopping reality.

We love blueberries. They are very healthy, they have antioxidant properties amongst other good stuff.

My wife makes a dessert every night with blueberries, strawberries, cantaloupe and sugar free yogurt that speaks in ten languages.

Subsequently, we buy a lot of blueberries every week. The price of a 6oz. pack today varies between $2.49 and $3.49. It ain't cheap! And more than once we found at least half of the packages mildewed.

We found a large fruit stand in our neighborhood where they sell the same 6oz. packages for 99¢. And they are fresh and large. So today we gave the finger to the supermarket blueberries!

It needs time but comparison shopping is worth it. Maybe it is easier for us because we live in the city and there are more competing businesses. I can see that when one lives out in the boonies they are stuck with whatever is available.

Those businesses can ask any price they want since the poor consumer has no recourse but to pay.

America is a good country! It is a free country. They are free to shaft us any chance they have.