Jill's Journal: The mystery of the great coupon clipper

I like a good deal just as much as the next guy – or gal.

This summer, just like the last, I’ve been making sure to clip the $5 Sunshine Foods coupon from the Sizzling Summer Savings coupons we’ve been printing in the Brandon Valley Trader. I hope, like me, you’ve been taking advantage of the savings, too. Because we all know just how expensive our trips to the grocery store – or any store for that matter – have become.

And, in the scheme of things, five bucks is, well, five bucks.

A week ago after church, I headed to Sunshine to grab my weekly needs. Somehow, there’s always more than enough in the cart to surpass the $40 spend required to cash in the coupon.

And last week, for the first time, I forgot to clip my coupon.

But as I was checking out and saw my total go over the $40 mark, I remembered a small stack of Traders on the rack in the entryway, so I dashed – well, as fast as someone like me can “dash” – to grab one off the top of the pile only to discover the Great Coupon Clipper had struck.

So, I picked up the next one.

And again, the Sunshine coupon was gone. Clipped.

In fact, every Trader remaining on the rack had been clipped.

Now, I’m not judging.

I understand. Like I said, five bucks is, well, five bucks.

But I had questions.

Who was this mystery shopper? Was there a secret coupon-clipping society I didn’t know about? How many times were they going through the checkout line to cash in on the coupons? And why did they feel the need to clip and then put the “violated” Traders back on the pile” That’s like emptying the milk carton and putting it back in the fridge.

Disappointed I failed to come armed with a coupon in hand from the very product I’m responsible for printing every week, I “dashed” back to my cart left unintended in the self-checkout, all the while feeling a little like a kid who had arrived at the candy store just after someone bought the last candy bar.

So, Great Coupon Clipper, if you’re reading this, I have to give you credit.

I’m tickled pink that you found value in our Sizzling Summer Savings promotion. I hope you found value in the others, too. Unfortunately, it all comes to an end on Aug. 31, which means you’d better clip those coupons while you still can.

And, if you happen to be the person who clipped every Sunshine coupon off the stack last week, I have just one thing to say: You win.