Couponing doesn't seem worth it, what am I missing?

[Marionnette]

What I'd like to know is what do you have to buy to use the coupon? Do you have to buy a certain dressing to get, say, $1 off the produce? Or buy steak sauce to use the coupon on meat? To me that would be a waste, as in our store they have $1 off meat if you buy a $5 bottle of steak sauce, or buy a loaf of bread no one will eat to get a buck off milk. I've never seen a coupon for money off meat (real meat, like steaks or roasts) without some kind of other expensive catch.

I never use the buy x get $ off Y coupons unless they are both items that I would have purchased anyway. On my last trip, they had $1 off fruit coupons wyb 2 Raisin Bran Crunch. The cereal was on sale at 2/$5. I wasn't hard to find $1+ of fresh fruit to buy.

 

[LoriNSC]

As far as meat coupons-the obvious are bacon, sausage, lunch meats. Chef's Request often puts out coupons for their steaks. Smithfields often has coupons for ham, ham steaks (really good), & lunch meats. Last year I found a coupon on ground beef from one of the coupon boards.

We go camping a lot & use a lot of charcoal. Kingsford puts out a lot of meat coupons for like $3 off pork when you buy charcoal. I wait for the charcoal to go on sale, then buy it & the meat. Yes-it is a have to buy something else to get it, but it works out for me. And when I do use a "when you buy coupon" I always wait until the item I need to buy goes on sale-and I only buy it if I will use it though. And when that Kingsford coupon for the meat was out last year, I also used a store coupon with that Kingsford mfg. coupon to save even more $ on the charcoal.

Several grocery stores around here mark down meats on certain days. They just put the coupons right on the meat. The meat is usually a couple days from expiration so I just cook it or freeze it right away.

Wine tags were mentioned earlier. A lot of those don't require wine purchase either. And NO I don't take all the tags off. I usually have them given to me.

As far as fruit, there are companies that put out fruit coupons too. I can't remember the name right off but one I remember was for fresh blueberries. I bought them with the coupon & sale for about .03 per carton. I've also gotten a catalina for $1 off fresh fruit that printed from the register at checkout. So I used it on bananas. I had several family members give me a $1 off fresh fruit peelie from their box of cereal. I just used it & didn't have to buy the cereal myself.

When I don't have produce coupons I usually go to the local produce stand & get a decent price.

There are ways to find all kinds of coupons. I suggest using the coupon boards for help.

Oh and as someone mentioned earlier, coupons.com will have chicken coupons sometimes.

 

[threecrazykids]

Hi there,
I am a big couponer as well, havent paid actual money for 100's of items for over three years now. However, I have to say I have never had a coupon for meat. You mentioned on-line printable coupons for meat. Can you share what source you use to find these as I would love some coupons for meat. Thanks for your help!

I agree with this...I hear people say "oh I have had/seen coupons for fresh meat, fruit, milk etc" but I have never once picked up a newspaper and saw ".10/lb" off of Dole bananas, or "1.00 fresh blueberries", nor have I found them online. I don't ever use the "buy this get that free" coupons unless BOTH items are something I would have had on my list to begin with.

I belong to several online coupon places but the coupons are a lot of the time specific to a store that costs more to begin with, B1G1, or are for products I wouldn't purchase to begin with.

 

[disneyofcourse]

If I can save money... you can save money! I am a picky eater and a brand loyal person and even I just saved $14.00 on my $64 grocery bill with only food items. AND I only just started couponing so I'm not that good at it yet. Guess how long it took me to clip those coupons- about 15 minutes! Heck, last week at Target I used a $2.00 coupon on a $10 item, $2.00 coupon on a $6 item and another $1 coupon on a $2.00 item. Not bad Saved $5.00 on basics I need anyway.

 

[Kycha]

As pp's said, I have seen coupons for meats, produce and eggs as well. Most recently I had printable coupons for .50/2 cartons of eggs. My store doubles coupons. So I waited for a sale and got 2 dozen for $1. Also, there always seems to be coupons for Egglands Best eggs around. Another one was buy kikkoman sauce and receive $$ off a dozen eggs.

For meats, I often see coupons for Hormel Pork and Perdue chicken. I find that there are more coupons available around the holidays(Christmas, Mem Day, July 4th, Labor Day). I just did a search on afullcup.com coupon database and there are 2 perdue coupons available right now.

Perdue USDA Process Verified Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast packages $0.75/1 03/20/2011 Sunday Supplement 01/30/2011 RP Meat
Perdue USDA Process Verified Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast packages $1.00/2 03/27/2011 Sunday Supplement 01/30/2011 RP Other

And for produce, another search on afullcup.com and I found $1 printable q's for Olivia Organic Salad. Of course, the coupons I posted are not the only ones out there for produce, meat or eggs.

 

[threecrazykids]

As pp's said, I have seen coupons for meats, produce and eggs as well. Most recently I had printable coupons for .50/2 cartons of eggs. My store doubles coupons. So I waited for a sale and got 2 dozen for $1. Also, there always seems to be coupons for Egglands Best eggs around. Another one was buy kikkoman sauce and receive $$ off a dozen eggs.

For meats, I often see coupons for Hormel Pork and Perdue chicken. I find that there are more coupons available around the holidays(Christmas, Mem Day, July 4th, Labor Day). I just did a search on afullcup.com coupon database and there are 2 perdue coupons available right now.

Perdue USDA Process Verified Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast packages $0.75/1 03/20/2011 Sunday Supplement 01/30/2011 RP Meat
Perdue USDA Process Verified Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast packages $1.00/2 03/27/2011 Sunday Supplement 01/30/2011 RP Other

And for produce, another search on afullcup.com and I found $1 printable q's for Olivia Organic Salad. Of course, the coupons I posted are not the only ones out there for produce, meat or eggs.

See this is where I think the playing field gets a little gray...I have absolutely no stores close to me that double coupons. However, I've always wondered how that works...are the coupons doubled because that store is trying to be competitive with other stores that simply have lower prices? OR is the amount of the coupon in your area 1/2 the amount of the coupon in my area for the exact same item?

Either way, I think people (depending on the area) may think they are "saving" tons of money on their grocery bill, however, by using those coupons are you actually paying the same price I'd pay at my regular store with my "non doubled coupon"?

I only consider it a "great deal" if I'm paying LESS than what everyone else pays for the exact same item...does that make sense?

 

[2binak]

I'm about as far from an extreme couponer as you can get and yet we save money every time we go shopping. I clip coupons & organize them (maybe 10-15 mins total) on Sunday morning. Then when we go to the store, I write out the list and go through the grocery & Target flyers and see what's on sale that week. If I have a coupon for something on my list and it's on sale - BONUS! If I see that an item in on sale and I know I have a coupon for it that is about to expire, that item gets added to the list, especially if it's non-perishable.

I only cut coupons from our Sunday paper and I only cut coupons for items that we use (I'm very brand loyal). During our last trip to Target, we saved $20.00 on a $100 bill just from Sunday paper coupons (+ another 5% using our Target card). I know there are ways to save a whole lot more, but I don't have the time to put into it. To me, even the small savings I get every week is worth the little bit of time I put into it.

 

[jenrose66]

When I see that people saved so much I wonder too, where aren't they shopping?

By that I mean, I could, and have, spend extra time clipping coupons, reading websites for deals, organizing coupons, extra money on paper and ink to print coupons or for extra newspapers or buying coupons and then gas to drive to Kroger, easily the most expensive store in my area. I would then look at my receipt and realize I saved a bunch of money. (It prints on your receipt how much you saved.) That savings is based on full retail price plus the savings of it being on sale plus your coupons.

Or, I could go to a more local, and cheaper store, and not have spent the extra time and money and still save that much. My receipt won't reflect that though because their retail price for the items are cheaper than Kroger everyday.

I'm all for saving, don't get me wrong. But consider this scenario -

"ABC" normally sells widgets for $10.00 but this week they are on sale for $8.00. I need lots of widgets so I buy $1 off coupons from a coupon clipping service. I buy my widgets and my receipt reflects a $3 savings per widget.

"XYZ" sells that same widget for $7.00 everyday. I buy it at "XYZ" and it seems that I didn't save anything.

I think you have to know the prices in your area as well as the coupon policies at the stores you frequent and decide what works best for your situation.

I would agree with your post. In my area our two big stores are Wegmans and TOPS. My mom always gives me a hard time about shopping at Wegmans because she says they never have any sales. However, they do have an everyday low price policy. I go thru my TOPS ad every week and even their sale price is usually the same as the everyday low price at Wegmans.

I decided to start clipping coupons and try shopping at TOPS just a few times to appease my mom and see if I could lower my grocery bill. It didn't work. Sure my receipt said I saved $40 off a $125 but to me those savings are not actual since I could have just bought the same stuff at Wegmans without having to worry about coupons and still spent $85.

 

[tar heel]

I used a $1 off coupon on a Dole bagged salad and $1 off Kraft cheese on my way home from work today.

I'm not an extreme couponer, but I save about 50% by using coupons and planning around store specials. Like a lot of other people on this thread, I pay very little for shampoo, toothpaste, deoderant, etc. As for the "processed food" comments, I don't even clip coupons for things like Hamburger Helper, Rice-A-Roni, flavored noodle sides, boxed potatoes, etc., b/c we don't use them. We do, however, eat ice cream, yogurt, butter, cheese, pasta, cereal, juice, frozen vegetables, bread, peanutbutter, crackers, snack nuts, etc. I've been known to (Horrors!) venture into "processed" territory by buying frozen pizzas, packaged cookies, jarred spaghetti sauce and even baking mixes.

I clip and sort while watching TV or in the car waiting for a kid. I've even been known to do it while I'm on the DIS boards.

 

[khgreen]

It all really depends on your lifestyle. I LOVE a bargain but couponing doesn't work for our family. One thing you have to do (in many cases) is not be brand loyal. I might be able to score a great deal on Cheerios, but if no one at my house eats them...then what's the point.

And as some previous posters pointed out-most of what we eat can't be purchased with coupons-actually the majority of our food comes from local farmers. The things we buy at the store are pretty specific-but if I find a coupon for those items I'll use it. I think you have to be very flexible to make couponing work. But hats off to those who have success with it.

 

[dreamin_disney]

I went shopping today and was happy. I'm not saving hundreds of dollars but the very lil i do is good.

Today my store had a paperless coupon buy 2 jars of ragu @ 1.99 ea and get 2 free bags of pasta.
Well I also had a coupon that i was able to use towards the ragu it was a $1 off buy 2 jars and get one free pasta so i paid $2.98 for 2 jars of ragu and 3 bags of pasta (manacotti pasta, macoronni pasta and one sprial one for pasta salad)
each pasta bag was on sale for .99ea
I also had $1 off and $1.25off plus the ragu $1

plus there were paperless coupons my store recipet said $23.01 i guess some were paperless, my coupons and things on sale

but i counted
ragu $1.00
pasta(3) $3.00
stoffers $1.00
Tonys pizza$1.25
chips $3.00
total 9.25


plus i got great deals on sale items. In the lastweek i've saved $16.46

 

[Marionnette]

See this is where I think the playing field gets a little gray...I have absolutely no stores close to me that double coupons. However, I've always wondered how that works...are the coupons doubled because that store is trying to be competitive with other stores that simply have lower prices? OR is the amount of the coupon in your area 1/2 the amount of the coupon in my area for the exact same item?

Either way, I think people (depending on the area) may think they are "saving" tons of money on their grocery bill, however, by using those coupons are you actually paying the same price I'd pay at my regular store with my "non doubled coupon"?

I only consider it a "great deal" if I'm paying LESS than what everyone else pays for the exact same item...does that make sense?

Almost all of the grocery stores in my area double coupons up to 99 cents. So instead of the "75 cents off one" coupons, you're more likely to see the "$1 off two" coupons in our papers. Of course there is nothing to stop me or anyone else from buying the 75 cent coupons from a coupon clipping website and using them here.

 

[nunzia]

I think it depends on location too. I don't have an Aldi's or Costco, and Sam's or BJ Wholesale is over an hour away. The biggest bargain place we have is Walmart, and I do save alot there, but combine with coupons also.

So for supermarket savings around here it really makes sense to coupon.

I save at least $10 week at least with coupons/sale combos, so that is $520 in my pocket each year for doing almost nothing. That isn't even using any extreme methods..just checking a circular and checking my coupon box.

DD19 is only home about 1/3 the time now, so my grocery, pet & household goods budget is only about $125/month anymore. In the summer even less because I can get my fruit/veggie at the local stands.

Same here..we are in a very small are and all we have for groceries is Super Walmart and a local very expensive place called Lowes Pay and Save. That's it..never any double coupon chances. Even on the rare time that Kmart has had them it seems there is always a problem about them actually honoring that. Our only chain drug store is WalGreens and so I do that some, but not as much since the rebates went away. I use coupons only for things that are cheaper than the store brand or better quality. Maybe about $20 a month. Wish I could have all the fun others do with various stores, but no chance in a little towns.

 

[budafam]

I had to share my shopping trip from today... I wasn't even planning to go shopping but decided last minute that the cereal deal was just too good to pass up and I found some other great deals while there as well. I figured my total would be around $30 but it actually came to $5.53 after using all my coupons. Here's everything:

Before coupons & the deals, it would've been over $50.

This isn't my best shopping trip ever but it's definitely good and the cashiers were all very impressed. I love days like this

 

[leadfootlevi]

I had to share my shopping trip from today... I wasn't even planning to go shopping but decided last minute that the cereal deal was just too good to pass up and I found some other great deals while there as well. I figured my total would be around $30 but it actually came to $5.53 after using all my coupons. Here's everything:

Before coupons & the deals, it would've been over $50.

This isn't my best shopping trip ever but it's definitely good and the cashiers were all very impressed. I love days like this

Nice!

Have you tried the philly cooking cremes? We love the southwest one.

 

[budafam]

Nice!

Have you tried the philly cooking cremes? We love the southwest one.

I haven't tried them yet, I'm looking forward to it though. I actually didn't even plan on buying those but we walked past them and saw they were on sale for $2 each and I had coupons from the night before when I went to Walmart and couldn't find them there. They were $1.50 off coupons so they were only 50 cents each.

 

[Kycha]

See this is where I think the playing field gets a little gray...I have absolutely no stores close to me that double coupons. However, I've always wondered how that works...are the coupons doubled because that store is trying to be competitive with other stores that simply have lower prices? OR is the amount of the coupon in your area 1/2 the amount of the coupon in my area for the exact same item?

Either way, I think people (depending on the area) may think they are "saving" tons of money on their grocery bill, however, by using those coupons are you actually paying the same price I'd pay at my regular store with my "non doubled coupon"?

I only consider it a "great deal" if I'm paying LESS than what everyone else pays for the exact same item...does that make sense?

I get what you are saying. When I lived in PA, I had a ton of grocery stores to choose from and a few of them doubled up to $1(ie, a .75 q would double to $1 not $1.50). But honestly, the cheapest prices I found were at Walmart and I did a lot of my shopping there. I wasn't loyal to WM though. I was fortunate that the stores I shopped at were within a 1/2 mile stretch. So, I would buy my meats at one store, my produce at another, etc. But now that I'm in KY, I have 4 stores to shop at, a local store, Walmart, Food Lion and Kroger. And Kroger is the only store that doubles.

So, from my experience in PA, I started shopping at Walmart when I first moved here. Thinking that they had the best prices. Well, a couple of months later I started shopping at Kroger because they offer a senior citizen discount. On the first Wed of the month, I get 10% off my whole order(tobacco, alcohol, gift cards not included). That right there is a huge savings. Plus the fact that they double coupons(up to .50). Ironically, Kroger still has the best prices of all the grocery stores in my area, even without the discounts.

And as far as coupons, I get just about the same coupons here in KY that I did in PA. But as a pp said, if my local paper doesn't have the good coupons, I can easily order them from a q clipping service or ebay.

 

[LaDonna]

I also find a lot of my deals by scanning clearance sections and marked down items, things that aren't in the sale ad.

Just Monday I got 20 boxes of pasta for FREE at KRogers! My local food bank will be quite happy

 

[figaromeetsmarie]

For my family, coupons make sense (and we eat minimally processed foods, No HFCS and mostly organic, too!). There are many coupons for organic and natural foods. You just have to look for them.

For instance. Publix, Walmart, and Kroger are all close to each other. I went to all three this afternoon to get the best prices.

Walmart:
Loreal Makeup $11.97
Loreal Foundation Primer $9.97
Purex $.97 trial
Scott toliet paper $5.97
Kix $2.54
Honey Nut Cheerios $2.68 for our trip
Before Coupons $34.10
After Coupons $23.60.
Savings of $10.50 for stuff I needed anyways.

Kroger:
9 Boxes of healthy pasta
toddler toothbrush
gum
soap
Before coupons $12.40
after coupons $.90

Publix:
long list...but....excedrin, lots of rice and toothpaste, potatoes, organic ground beef, organic chips, organic eggs, "canister" of gum for the car,etc.
Before Coupons $29.14
I spent $3.05

Gotta love matching coupons with sales and having a great feeling of a full pantry and medicine cabinet!

 

[*Seanaci*]

We shop at Target...and so applied for the Target Debit card. We save 5% every time we use the card.

That being said, in order for coupon shopping to truly work for you can be...tricky. You have to clip coupons you'll actually use. It also helps if you use the coupons for the items when there is a sale on those items.

For example, I had a coupon for Smart Balance butter ($1.00 off two). When I got to the store today, I found that they were on sale for $2.11 (like $.50 less than normal price). So, I got each tub for $1.60. Overall today between my 5% saved from using my Target Debit card and my coupons ($5.25 worth of coupons + another $.35 saved by using my reusable bags)...and I saved $12 (not to mention any items that were on sale but that I didn't have coupons for; I believe the TOTAL savings on my bill was $25).