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This evening, I went out to get a full round of groceries on a limited amount of time. My mother thought it would be a good idea to send me at least 26 coupons through a shopping app in an effort to have extra items. However, she didn't understand nor did she ask if this trip would be expensive and expected all of these items to be purchased. During the first half hour of shopping, I began paying attention to the list of coupon items and started putting them into the cart.


Shorlty afterwords, I began realizing that my time was running out as I had litterally an hour and a half to shop and it was already 7:30. I decided to give my mother a call and essentially told her that if I couldn't find a particular item, I couldn't waist a huge amount of time searching for it. She agreed (reluctantly) and told me that she wanted a specific seaweed snack and didn't care if I had really completed the list. Eventually as I'm trudging through the store, history had proved itself once again as the app itself had inevitably failed to load and this had began to seriously eat away at my time. I call once again and automatically she tries to fix it over the phone and expected that since her phone could load it properly mine should do the same. Well the whole idea for the 26 coupons was quickly abandoned when my anger began to bleed through and her dissapoint over the lost seaweed snacks grew (since for whatever reason she didn't want to pay full price even though I had a disscount card.) As I'm running late with this trip, I started thinking that ideas are not always practical and perhaps they have a certain time and place to be shown or heard. As a caregiver, it is a little difficult for me to try to explain this to her and deal with the fleeting amount of unspoken dissapointment or a quick shot of pain as she realizes that she is a woman of ideas and she can't leave her home easily. But with a small touch of positivity, I know that through any ordeal, I still provide the proper necessities that are needed despite how tired, hurt or elated I might be feeling along with learning a lesson towards life and it makes me feel at least one step closer to becomimg wiser.

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this isn't going to help you - but I get what you are saying. I do like having those coupons on phone app. sometimes they work (most times) sometimes they don't get processed.(after I look at the receipt). But hey I try...

tell your mom you will do your best to get her what she wants and try to save money the best you can.

sometimes by the time ive checked the paper ad, added items to my phone from the app. and shopped. etc. then unloaded everything, I need a nap LOL

my mom sometimes requests silly stuff.(but she has dementia) She sees things in a paper ad. or in a magazine. Then she will make a list of what she wants. BUT what she wants...isn't anything she really needs.

oh edit! and how frustrated I get when they are completely out of something I want. and there goes more time if you want a rain check.
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Go shopping next time without calling your mother. If you come prepared with your own coupons by researching ahead of time, great! Otherwise, forget the coupons. Your time is valuable as a working caregiver. What would that trip have cost if she hired a shopper? Maybe she could do that, or shop online, you pick it up at the store? Wal-Mart does that now. Or free delivery from many markets after shopping online. The ice cream comes really frozen! I actually save time and money by not using coupons, which cause me a great deal of stress.

Or were you just venting, philosophic? Not really needing advice?

Darn, maybe I am the last one up at this hour.
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