Coupon Fiction

[story3girl]

Coupons are like Kenny Rogers song 'The Gambler':

"You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run....."

This is exactly as I feel. When I first started couponing, I did what the original poster did; I bought stuff just because it was "such a good deal." I still do this occasionally, but my "such a good deal" threshhold is usually 25 cents or less; I can donate these things if I don't find uses for them.

Mostly, though, I try to gather several coupons for the few things to which I am still brand loyal (dh has allergies to a lot of soaps and detergents) and to things which we will use and which I know go on very good sales regularly. The rest I send off in a train or an RAOK envelope.

And sometimes I end up throwing coupons away anyway. Even if I have a coupon for the soap we use, I won't buy it unless the soap goes on loss leader sale. I have enough of a stockpile now that I never need to pay more than 50 cents for a box of cereal or 10 cents per roll in a pack of toilet paper.

I haven't paid actual money for shampoo or toothpaste in years.

The savings with coupons come from patience, and from recognizing that it's not how much you're saving that matters but how much you're spending.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I've used coupons for two weeks now. It's still hard to not spend what you probably shouldn't be spending.

But I'm getting better foodwise and I'm probably stopping soon with too many non-perishables. But at least I'm trying.

[poundwise]

We realize a good bit of savings each month using coupons. I'd say that some months we save as much as $50, while others, perhaps as little as $15. We have a simple, focused approach to it and don't go 'all out' with couponing by any means. It certainly can be useful.

IMO - Some people just don't try hard enough, or make excuses that it doesn't work for them, while others try too hard and end spending up lots of time and effort or even more money, to try to win some sort of personal coupon game.

[Saving in So Cal]

Believe it or not, I've been couponing since I was a teenager (I use to think coupons were like real money) and only recently stopped buying things simply because they were cheap with a coupon. For instance, with coupons and a sale, I routinely could find boxed pasta dinners for .25 to .50. How could anyone pass that up? The trouble is that my husband hates them and, of course, they are usually loaded with sodium and other arguably bad things.

Mary Hunt, a financial guru, says that the most expensive food is the food you throw away. For me, that applied to a lot of things I got for free or near free with coupons. Once I developed a master pantry list, I realized that most of things I need/use regularly are things for which coupons are rare. Consequently, couponing is no longer a big part of my grocery saving strategy. Now, I rely more heavily on store brands and store sales. That being said, I still find coupons to be good for toiletries, cleaning supplies, diapers, some canned goods, dry pastas, and cereal. (We tend to be pretty brand loyal for many of these things.) For our family of 3, I aim to spend no more than $75 a week for food and sundries. Even with my reduced level of couponing, I am able to make it most weeks.

[Ima saver]

I am like most of you, I do not use coupons a lot. And I never buy anything with a coupon that is not something we use all the time. I do try and stock up on things when they are on sale. My best example is diet sprite. We drink a lot of it, so I love to stockpile it when I can get 4-12 packs for $10.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Ima saver I wait till 12 packs are $1.99. We loaded up on about 30 12 packs when it was. Yeah, huge money, problem is DH takes a coke or can everyday with his bagged lunch. Huge savings.

[shelbylovesmelby]

We don't use coupons to often as typically the generics & items we buy @ aldi's are always cheaper to national brands even with a coupon.

We also don't have a grocery store that doubles coupons either. Ok well we have one but they only let you use 5 coupons, only on WED, and you must spend over $25 before sales & disc. Not worth it to me, cause I only buy stuff & Pick'n Save if I can't get it @ Aldi's or Wally World.

[ferdinand]

Every time I think a coupon is a deal, I find that the generic product is still cheaper. We try and prepare most of our meals, and they don't have many coupons on raw foods.

[story3girl]

I forgot what a difference doubling makes. You're right, if my coupons didn't double, there would be few things I would find at stockpile-worthy prices - probably just the drugstore rebates and deals on health and beauty products.

I get a lot of coupons for bagged salads, frozen vegetables, and yogurts, and lately I have been writing to companies to get coupons for a lot of organic labels - generally they are good about sending them because it's just too expensive for them to put coupons in the newspapers. I still do buy pizza rolls and toaster streudels when they're free (sheepish look), but I'm trying very much to get away from that and to focus on the things that will improve our health instead of diminishing it.

One thing a very wise couponer once told me that changed my take on couponing is that every week's newspaper has maybe 3-4 coupons you'll actually want. They way people feed families on almost nothing is by getting multiple copies of those 3 coupons and giving/throwing away the rest.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Except a lot of food is prepackaged or frozen food. Anyway though besides that without the doubling I've been learning I have to be extra careful and not buy stuff I wouldn't buy normally.

[Aleta]

The generic are generally lowered priced. If the name brand goes on sale, that's when I use the coupons because the generic brands are no longer the most reasonable. I also like to watch the flyers around February and March because they do alot of foods that are ingredients of Italian cooking and that's the time to stock up, such as tomato paste, tomatos, different types of pasta.

I also check on the lower shelves of the market because your more reasonable goods are down there. Anything eye level will cost you more. Sometimes, they will have a sale for instance relish an 8 oz for .99 cents. If you look below, there will be a 16 oz for $1.50 or a 32 oz for $1.99, yet there sale is for the 8 oz size. You really need the time and a calculator to check the various products on the shelves.

[shelbylovesmelby]

I also check on the lower shelves of the market because your more reasonable goods are down there. Anything eye level will cost you more. Sometimes, they will have a sale for instance relish an 8 oz for .99 cents. If you look below, there will be a 16 oz for $1.50 or a 32 oz for $1.99, yet there sale is for the 8 oz size. You really need the time and a calculator to check the various products on the shelves.

That's actually a known marketing strategy & companies are constantly fighting for that shelf space that's at eye level.

Ever notice how the most expensive kids cereals ect are @ kid height?

Heck I refuse to take my oldest to the regular chain store cause all the marketing to kids. She see's tons of Dora, Cars, Pooh splattered on all sorts of pkgs & will nag & grabs thing because of the pics on the box. Just cause it's cartoon shaped or depicted on the box doesn't make it taste any better or healthier for ya. But if Big Bird says it's good by being on the box we have to have it!

[Aleta]

Shelbylovesmelby: I never thought about the eye level thing for the kids. I'll check that out next time I'm in the store. I guess the kids in the grocery carts can't really read, but they know the advertisements from the TV. I'll have to tell my ddil about that. That is interesting.

[Elgin526]

I don't use coupons a whole lot myself, although I've been trying to use them more lately. They don't double around here, and I also buy a lot of store brands. The name brands I do use I never seem to find coupons for! So I tend to just watch for sales and stock up. I just spent a small fortune stocking up on Campbells soup (store brand just doesn't taste the same!) because I cook with it a lot and around here it NEVER goes on sale. So I bough what I figure is at least three months worth! Thank goodness I have the room to store it!

What I really love is when Costco sends out their coupon packs, I often find deals on a lot of items I use. I once saved over $40 with Costco coupons once, and it was all for items I normally use!

But I'm going to try and look harder for coupons to use in the grocery store, every little bit helps, afterall!

[Aleta]

Something that I look for is the coupons that give you free stuff. Recently, the Sunday paper had coupons for free cat food and the bag if I had purchased it would have been $4.59. I like the BOGO free and then I use a coupon for the one and it saves alot there. I use my coupon money for my challenge money as well. It does add up more than you know. For the free stuff, I had that coupon in as well.