Getting Crafty

Confession: I am addicted to Michaels‘ coupons.

It began simply: every so often, we would receive a flyer with a coupon to save 40% off any one regular priced item at the local Michaels store. If I thought of something I needed, I would clip the coupon and take it to Michaels and buy the item. After doing this a few times and saving a bundle compared to what I would have paid, I became hooked. However, during this time I also discovered that the Dollar store was a wonderful source of craft items, and I proceeded to buy everything that appealed to me without giving it much thought because it was “only a dollar!”. That was my justification for many purchases that now make me wonder “what was I thinking?”.

My innocent thrill at saving some money at Michaels has become something of an obsession. Every Saturday I wait in anticipation, wondering if this week’s set of flyers will contain one with the curling M that I’ve grown to love. Some weeks it does I head to Michaels with my coupon in hand as soon as possible, scouring the store to find something I need and want.

Sometimes it’s a struggle. The things that I want to use my coupon on—punches, stickers, yarn—are usually on sale and therefore not eligible for discount. Once I bought a book with the coupon, and that was great. Other times I end up buying a magazine—Oprah or Good Housekeeping, which are decidedly not crafting magazines—just so I can use the coupon.

Last week was particularly terrible because I had two flyers and each flyer had the following:

• one coupon for use on the Saturday or Sunday, that entitled me to save 50% off any one regularly priced item
• one coupon valid from Monday to Thursday, that entitled me to save 40% off any one regularly priced item
• one coupon valid on Friday alone, that entitled me to save 40% off any one regularly priced item.

All in all I had six coupons to use up in one week! It was very thrilling…until I realized I didn’t need anything! But still I went. On Saturday I found some Christmas rubons that I can use on some cards. The other coupon went unused. Two other coupons went unused between Monday and Thursday and yesterday (not for lack of brainstorming!), and on Friday, I browsed for nearly 40 minutes trying to find something to buy. I finally bought some decoupage glue, but I had one other coupon to use! Back I went around the store, looking in aisles I usually avoid, hoping to find something that I needed and wanted enough to save 50% on it. I didn’t and the insanity of what I was doing hit me and I left.

My only regret is that I didn’t give my spare coupon to somebody else.

Michaels, coupons, discount