I buy the $5 coupons in bulk. Hardly chasing them around the web. Plus I estimate I save a couple hundred bucks a week at a minimum. Oh, and this computer is no small change. I saved almost $400 when I got it FREE a couple of years ago. BTW, I am now preparing a survivalist stockpile obtained via coupons.
You had to go find where they are, that’s chasing them around the web. A couple hundred isn’t that big a deal, especially if you consider the time put in. Really think it through, to find these coupons, save these coupons, sort these coupons, research the deals, go to the proper stores, remember the coupons, remember the loyalty cards, don’t buy that here there’s a better deal at this other store to go to. To do ALL that does it take you more than 10 hours a week? 10 hours of labor for me pays over 300 bucks, a couple hundred buck on saving from that makes it a value loss.
Computers are small change if you amortize it over the lifetime. I’m sitting in front of a 600 dollar computer I bought 5 years ago and intend to keep another year and half-ish. I’m going to spend more on movie tickets in that time than the computer, and I’ve got friends in the right places, I get into the movies free a lot.
For you it might make sense, you seem to enjoy it, I don’t enjoy any aspect of chasing money, one of my basic life rules is to not put more effort into spending money that I did making it. And I’ve got a cushy software job where we haven’t worked any over time in longer than I’ve owned this computer, my spending effort threshold is low. Awesome for you if this works for you as value or just as fun. For me it would work out in neither way, it’s a lifestyle I lived when I had to, but I don’t have to anymore, and I didn’t enjoy it. I’ll still use deals and coupons that land in my lap, but they better light up and announce themselves because I’m not paying much attention to that stuff.