There was a time when I believed in clipping coupons and making the rounds to all the low price retail outlets. I'd watch the ads in the paper and keep track of the sales and promotions. I considered myself a smart shopper.

How many times have you heard a story told by a friend or neighbor or family member where he or she saved significantly on a purchase by driving all over town checking prices and negotiating between sales people? Did you ever get the impression there might have been a little obsession going on at the time? That used to be me, the obsessed shopper.

Somewhere along the line it dawned on me I was investing a lot of time in the process getting ready to buy and that time had real value. Once the value of my time entered into the equation, clipping coupons and driving to 3 different stores for groceries didn't make much sense any more.

When was the last time your weekend was a little bit too long?