how much are you saving using coupons?

**Ima saver** · 05-04-2006, 10:28 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I mostly just save money using coupons for groceries. I try not to buy much of anything else. I guess I save between $5-10 a week.

**Lori63** · 05-04-2006, 12:46 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I always use coupons and save at least 30-60% ever week.

**PRICEPLUS** · 05-04-2006, 12:52 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I'd guess between 10 and 15 dollars on average.

**Ima saver** · 05-04-2006, 02:22 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I have gotten better at looking for things i need and waiting, if I can, for the items to be on sale. For example, hair color. I use it about every 2 months, so i try and buy it when i can get it for $2 off.

**getforfree** · 05-05-2006, 10:34 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I usually buy things when they are a good deal with coupons.
Sometimes, I don't use them and end up throwing them away if I can't find that item on sale, and only 50c or $1 off a $3 item which is not on sale is not much. I would rather wait when its on sale and if I have a coupon at the same time, then its a super deal.
I mostly use coupons to get something free. You can't beat that. I usually save more than I spend (sale and coupons combined)
If something is free after rebate in Walgreens of Rite Aid, and I have coupon for that, then not only the item is free, but I also I profit from it. So I collect all the coupons I can find, and if I waste a few, no big deal.
I buy shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, lotion and toothbrashes only if they are free after rebate. I get more of them then I can use. So I never have to pay for them. Maybe tax only, but if you get it at Walgreens and request a gc instead of check, they add 10% to the rebate. So, even if I don't need the item, if I buy it, I still profit from it, like 2%. Not much, but all pennies add up.

**poundwise** · 05-05-2006, 10:54 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I'm not exactly sure but I would say that it is a considerable amount. I use a coupon service. Initially, I was wary of this since there is a fee associated with it but, as an example, I just received over $60 worth (in savings) of coupons for less than $5 total including postage and fees. These are specifically items I or my wife buys and uses and many of these coupons are for $1 or more off an item.

I don't know if it is acceptable to post a link to the service I use, so I will not unless a moderator tells me that it is ok but you can find services like this from a simple online search. They are not all the same and some are probably quite poor so if you do search for one, check them out carefully.

**getforfree** · 05-05-2006, 11:01 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I never pay for coupons. I go to strores and collect blinkies or any other coupons I can find. I print a lot from online. Sometimes I go to local small stores on mondays where I know the owners and ask them if I can take the coupons from the Sunday paper (they will return it for credit anyways).

**poundwise** · 05-05-2006, 11:16 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

Oh believe me, I do that as well. I get most, in terms of quanity, of my coupons in the mail and print some online, however, there are advantages to getting the specific coupons you want and in the quanity you want.

For instance, my wife's hair products, shampoo and conditioner, were recently featured in a sale at a local retailer. We definitely saw it as an opportunity to stock up a little. Well, besides the sale price, I also had six $1 off coupons (from the service I referred to above) and so we bought 3 bottles of shampoo and 3 of conditioner. The net result is that we got 6 bottles of product for less than what we normally would pay for 3.

Coupon exchanges are great too. Individuals swapping coupons for free (or, at most, postage), however, again, it is hard to always be able to obtain coupons for products you want and in the best values, etc.

There are many tools at our disposal. I am open to using whatever has a net result of savings.

**katwoman** · 05-05-2006, 11:19 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

Since I can use expireds in my neck of the woods, I save almost 100% on those items using a coupon. How? Often times the stores run promotions where you buy 3 or 5 items of a certain product line and they give you back money to use on your next shopping order. I get my coupons together and combine them with the promo items to get the catalina for the next time and continue like this until I'm out of coupons!

I've been able to get soup, softsoap, Dawn foaming dish liquid, salad dressing, mayo, soda, etc., like this. The only limiting factor was the number of coupons I had. As a poster above recommended, you can use clipping services to buy more coupons.

On dealagogo.com, a few members work at stores like Walgreens and Meijer's so they get the ads early and post what's coming up on sale. This way the rest of us can put our heads together and organize a plan of attack!

Those people who can double or triple coupons do the deals in a similar fashion.

Another thing that has worked for me is to get coupons for Office Depot or Staples along with any other promo they are running and use those for toilet paper, water, candy, etc. The Office Depot in my area was running a promo to get people to sign up for emails. As an incentive, they were offering a $10 certificate on a $20 purchase. I also had a $10 off coupon anyway and combined the 2 to score a free case of toilet paper.

Creativity goes a long way in couponing.

**markio26** · 05-05-2006, 12:58 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

i do my wag, FAR carefully... wag has not completed the rebates properly since jan. of this year... 2 of my pals, and son have not received their rebate cards....... i had to call 3 times to obtain mine and still they denied a few things...
i will do cvs, and go back in two days and use up the cash back or whatever..
i love rite aid for FAR, i do it on line, effortless and they are super nice at my store....
thanks for the info..
btw.. i do get alot of sale bargains from wag, with catalinas and coupons...........

**Ima saver** · 05-05-2006, 01:06 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

What is FAR?

**marjorie** · 05-05-2006, 02:56 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

Free After Rebate

**Cheetahwoman7** · 05-06-2006, 08:33 AM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

Oh...couponing!!! Two years ago I really got into couponing as I had found a great source for the Sunday paper inserts. There was a store about 1/2 an hour from here that would double up to two like coupons (Ralph's). I would generally average a $100 in purchases and pay about $20 for the whole shopping trip. My BEST trip was almost $300 worth of stuff for $30. The cashier was cool about it, but the people behind me almost fell over!

Now, my source for the coupons has dried up and both Ralph's within an hour of me have shut down.

I coupon on a much smaller scale now and my stockpile shows it. I still keep my eyes open for good coupons (like Fresh Express Salad) that allow me to get things for free when they go on sale.

In my opinion, that's the key to getting the best deals with coupons. Use them in conjunction with sales. Amazing the final prices you can get.

Katwoman, you're a fellow dealagogo member too? I don't get on to that site as much as I used to, but it is a phenomenal source of coupons and deals.

CJ

**nanamom** · 05-06-2006, 04:55 PM

Re: how much are you saving using coupons?

I have been anti coupon for years, My mother hated them. I admit I tried years ago when I was first married to see if I could do that shop for 100 but pay 10 or 15 but never understood how they did it. i even subscribed to a newsletter on refunding once but go nowhere with it. They wanted me to save every wrapper that came into my house and I couldn't stand that much clutter. Plus often I would find that the generic or homemade version of something was cheaper than the thing with the coupon. Last night I found that the store I most like has started doubling coupons one day a week so I am going to try again. Any advice or web sites I should check out?

how much are you saving using coupons?