Every “true cheapskate” knows the value of his or her coupon file — literally and figuratively. To this end, every saver also knows the pain of losing it. Once again, this “tragedy” has befallen me…for the 6th time. (Yes, I am one of “those people” who always seems to misplace my keys, wallet and glasses.) This time, it was left in the child’s seat of a grocery cart at Safeway. (For any amateur detectives out there, it was the store at 1677 South Havana Street in Aurora on May 5.) I put my groceries in the trunk of the car and happily headed home. Not a worry in the world, until I realized I left my “treasure” in the cart. I panicked and quickly turned around to get back as quickly as possible — fighting traffic all the way, of course.
I could not have been gone for more than five minutes and my shopping cart was gone. I ran with such urgency to the customer service counter, other customers must have thought there was an accident of some sort. I was sure someone had just turned it in. No such luck.
I even convinced the clerk to make a store announcement asking customers to look in their cart for “a blue coupon file”, confident a busy mother or elderly customer grabbed my cart never noticing the “pot of gold” right in front of them. Again, no such luck. Needless to say, I have called and visited the customer service counter several times since then asking them to check “lost and found” — each time hoping a different clerk would somehow make the discovery that so many before could not.
To make it even worse, I foolishly kept gift cards, movie passes and other “perks” I’ve received as Staff Editor of Mile High On The Cheap in the file — probably around $300 worth of goodies. I’m just so disappointed that whoever found it did not have the decency to do the right thing. I don’t know how someone could enjoy free dinners, movies and groceries they know is not rightfully theirs. It’s even more disturbing because I had several MHOTC business cards in the front section and a “if found, please return” sticker on the front. It’s not like they didn’t know to whom it belonged.
My decision to write this post was two-fold. First, to share my “pain and anguish” with others who could empathize. (Thank you, kindly.) Second, with the slightest hope that the culprit would check out MHOTC (based on my business cards), read this post, feel guilty and return it. (A person can dream, right?) I know it’s not the end of the world, but I’ve had better weeks. Have you ever lost your coupons? What do you do to not forget your purse or coupon file in the store?