My mother clipped coupons from the Sunday paper. She planned trips around which supermarket had the best loss leaders. Dealing was never about saving money for her. It was about winning.
I see the same instinct in the online deal communities. People buy things they never needed because the discount was too good. The dopamine hit of a coupon code working outweighs the utility of the item itself. The value trap is confusing low price with actual worth.
A 70% discount on a jacket you wear once is still a waste. Full price on boots that last a decade is a bargain. Western nations are full of wardrobes stuffed with deals nobody wears.
The real trick is buying nothing until something breaks. Then paying full price for something that will outlive you. That discipline is harder than any deal hunt. But it works better.
Paul