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

[java]

As other have said, it depends on where you live and what you buy. I didn't do CVS, but I did Walgreens for a while back when they had their good program. It took three months to buy enough cheap shampoo and toothpaste to last years. Our grocery stores don't tend to double coupons.

Much of our food is organic (we buy from Farmers Markets and Coops mostly) and unprocessed, most of our cleaning products are natural - there aren't a lot of hippie coupons out there for us.

This

We are a can free, BPA free (like no plastic steamer bags), 75% box free household when it comes to food (working on the box thing, its mostly cereal).

I've been making all our cleaning supplies for a few months now and switching over to all natural no chemical, no fragrance bath stuff as things run out.

Right now the only coupons that I really use are for cat food.

I used the feel that way. And then I went to the companies websites of the products that I used. Signed up and they actually mail me coupons- or email them. Cascadian Farms,Horizon, Muir Glen to name just a few. I do cans though.
And in the NorthEast we only get farmers markets in the summer months. I am anxious for that to start, and we garden ourselves. This year I am trying out natural pest controls- we'll see how that goes.

 

[Ericandjenng]

We're in a similar situation to some PPs. We both work, have two kids--1 school age & 1 toddler--but would still like to save money. I have couponed to some degree since I've been out on my own. But I have gotten more involved recently. Here's what I am doing:

1. We only get the Sunday paper (we used to get it all week but half the time it wasn't being read so I stopped it for awhile). This is cheaper than going to the store and buying it every week and I easily get the money back in coupons for products I buy already.

2. I recently ordered All You magazine. I also signed up on the website. Not only are there a lot of coupons in there but their website has a daily freebie. I don't always try for the freebie but frequently this puts you on lists to get coupons from manufacturers since All You is just passing the info along and you follow the link to get the freebie. This site is free to subscribe to.

3. I also have signed up for Red Plum. com. They're one of the companies that publish the Sunday paper coupons. They also have coupons on their website not available in the paper. The site is free. For the pp who discussed the cost of printing, anyone can reduce their printing costs by printing in Draft mode. I only choose the coupons I will actually use so I don't print excess.

4. I usually take coupons to work and cut them on break or during downtime. Sometimes one of my assignments leaves me waiting on people to show up and I have to stay in a specified area so coupons are easy to clip there. I do occasionally spend an hour or so once every two weeks to go through and see what I have--usually the day before or the day of my big shopping trip.

5. I do most of my shopping at Wal-mart because of time and convenience but I do check the grocery ads for the really good deals. Last week, I made an extra trip to Ingles and stocked up on things that I already use because of triple coupons. I have an idea of what prices are at Walmart and based what I bought at Ingles on whether it would be more cost effective then or not. In total I saved $40 which was about 40% of the total bill. I live within 1 mile of 2 different grocery stores (Ingles is less than 5 miles) and two drug stores. So I do not go out of my way to shop at a grocery store vs anywhere else. I have been hitting Food City for milk because their store brand is cheaper than Mayfield and it's buy 5 get your 6th gallon free. I go to Food City anyway because I don't really care for Walmart's meat and it's seldom cheaper than what's on sale at the grocery stores.

6. I tried the CVS thing but overall that one was more hassle to me than it was worth. Someone explained that you buy the first time then use the reward dollars to buy on the next trip....too much time for stuff that really isn't cheaper than walmart until you've built up enough for free. And I stopped wearing cosmetics about 10 years ago and a lot of the reward buck deals seem to involve cosmetics.

7. The major fundraiser for our school system is a coupon book. It's for local merchants, restaurants and entertainment. It's sold once a year for $10 and many of the restaurant coupons are for $5 off $XX purchase. Since when we out, we easily meet the minimum purchase for the $5 off, I easily get the $10 back. Plus it helps the schools. I just go through the book at when I get it and then take the remaining coupons to work and let others go through them. Several co-workers know that we like certain places and will give me their coupon if they're not going to use it.

All of it sounds more complicated than it really is. I probably average about 1 hour per week that is really coupon related because so much of it is being done as I do other things like checking email or reading the Sunday paper. I also finally purchased a coupon organizer--very small, less than $5 at walmart, in the office supply department. I keep it my purse and also stick sale ads and things that come in the mail in my purse so I don't have to hunt them down I go shopping. It also means I can stop when I've got a minute and near somewhere and don't have to make an extra trip. I have noticed that my overall grocery bill has been coming down.

Like several PPs have said, you just have to do what's best for you.

 

[mom2brina]

For us, I've found that it isn't really worth it to try to coupon for grocery items. I only do the stuff that can be found at CVS or Walgreens. I also only do it for about 3 months out of the year. After 3 months I am stocked up on toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, body wash, laundry soap, etc... for the whole year.

It does take a lot of time to collect the coupons, read the sale ads and make additional trips, but it is worth it when you are getting free toothpaste and really cheap shampoo. It just kills me to go into Walmart to buy this stuff when I know how much I can really get it for.

 

[mrsklamc]

Couponing doesn't work too well around where I live. There is an Aldi's, but it is a small one and I haven't really found anything we like there. All of the grocery stores around me (Marsh & Kroger) do not take internet coupons, and have limits on the number of coupons you are allowed to use per transaction (the Kroger closest to my home is a 6 coupon limit.) I do keep coupons for things I buy, and I do use them at Kroger, WalMart or Marsh, but I don't do it a lot because it is generally not worth my time.

Now, you can defintely CVS in my area. I have gotten in on a few good bargains, but we have a small family (DH, myself and DD) do it doesn't make sense to stockpile TOO much since we will not go through it.

Is there no Meijer in Greenwood? That's where I get my best grocery store deals.

 

[amywhite11]

I don't do extreme couponing, because I don't have the storage space. However I spend about 2 hours a week couponing and I have saved quite a bit of money. We both work full time and have 3 kids under 5 years old and the savings is worth the time put in.

Our area doesn't double either, but our local stores will put out store coupons and you can use the manufacturer coupon with that. www.jillcataldo.com is the chicagoland coupon matchup. She teaches free coupon classes that explain the 6 week rotation on sales prices. She also has every stores coupon policy that can be printed.

I also go to hip2save.com. She lists Walgreens, CVS, Target and Walmart coupon matchups. I don't buy a paper, our free local paper has coupons in it and many items are printable from the internet. Yes, I buy the ink, but I reuse paper from work or the many sheets of paper I get from the preschool to print on.

I have only been doing this for a year and half. And it was four of my fellow employees that got me interested in it. And believe it or not all of them are male.

 

[crisi]

I used the feel that way. And then I went to the companies websites of the products that I used. Signed up and they actually mail me coupons- or email them. Cascadian Farms,Horizon, Muir Glen to name just a few. I do cans though.
And in the NorthEast we only get farmers markets in the summer months. I am anxious for that to start, and we garden ourselves. This year I am trying out natural pest controls- we'll see how that goes.

Yeah, we have a few, but its hard to super coupon on the few coupons that are available (I have one on my desk right now for Udi's bread).

Our farmers market runs year round - but you don't see mulch produce in Minnesota except in the Summer and Fall - Early Spring and Winter its meats, eggs, jams, honey, maple syrup.

 

[mrsklamc]

It's different for everyone. I probably would not do many grocery coupons if the local grocery stores didn't double. I would do Walgreens and CVS for free toiletries though. And you have to keep at it for awhile. Last week, there wasn't much at CVS or Walgreens for our personal needs, so I didn't go. This week, I'm making out like a bandit at Walgreens.

 

[Sagginit]

a lot can depend on your location. i used to spend about 20 min a week couponing. mostly i used them for household items as i eat a GF diet. i would do my planning at the table with all the fliers and my coupons while i ate a meal so it wasnt really time spent just doing that. based on who had the better sales i picked one of two food stores and hit that up. i had a walgreens about 1 mile away and a CVS 3 miles away so i often would stop in they had something dirt cheap on my way elsewhere. i just moved and bought a newspaper last weekend while foodshopping on sunday. the paper was 1.50 and had more than that in coupon savings so it was worth it. i now just need to figure out if there are any of the stores i used to frequent in my new area to use the coupons at. im also debating if i should get a newspaper delivery or just buy it weekly. if only they let you get coupon delivery once a week.

 

[mrsklamc]

Tips off the top of my head:

Don't chase down the blogs yourself- make them come to you. Subscribe to them via email or RSS reader.

Check ahead of time what the coupons in the paper are going to be. Only get the paper if it's worth it to you. If the coupons on a particular week will save you a lot, get multiple papers.

Buy the paper at the Dollar Tree if possible. Where I live the Sunday paper is 1.75 everywhere else. If I bought one every Sunday, it would save me $39 per year. (Although I live close to the Dollar Tree and I am usually getting other things. Otherwise a special trip might not be worth the .75 savings.)

 

[hsmamato2]

it works if you shop at regular stores and use brand names for couponing. If you shop at Aldi, there's no need. To coupon BIG, you need to stockpile,be willing to have 32,000,000 tubes of toothepaste stored on the shelf (kidding).....really,I ended up spending WAY more time,money and shelf space with coupons.
Now,when I need items, I buy them at Aldi,it's cheap to begin with-I buy what I need for the week- and without any scrambling and matching spend far less than 48,000 bottles of dish detergent.
I get a paper,and never use the coupons anymore. I shop Aldi,get a couple things at the regular store,and we're done.

 

[sasquatch]

Couponing is the bomb! I grew up working as a cashier in a supermarket chain, so I had that education. I really don't understand the concepts behind getting $100 worth of groceries for $0.01, but I save a lot by clipping coupons, and use register rewards programs at CVS and Rite-Aid. I think the success stories you see about extreme couponing are very much dependent on the regional grocery store. At the end of the day, if I can get boxes of cereal for under $2.00, and toothpaste, deodorant, and body wash for under $1.00, I'm pretty happy. I also take advantage of hitting the meat department shortly after store opening on the weekdays. I always find meat with coupons attached to encourage a quick sale before the meat goes bad. The meat stays perfectly fine in the basement freezer until I'm ready to use it.

The book written by the woman who runs couponmom.com was a good read for those unsure of couponing. I borrowed it from my library network. That's how I learned how to take full advantage of the drug store register rewards programs.

 

[Donaldswife]

Is there no Meijer in Greenwood? That's where I get my best grocery store deals.

There is a Meijer, but honestly when I have gone there in the past their prices have been higher than the Target a half mile down the road. I will admit though, I didn't pay much attention to the sales and coupons they offered so that might make a difference. I will check them out again. Thanks!

 

[njmom47]

Where I shop, you can link your customer card to all kinds of programs. On my last reciept, I saved $109 and change. Between buying things on sale, using manufacturer's coupons (which are doubled up to $1), store coupons, the Family points, Baby Bucks (which gives a $10 off $50 certificate for every $100 in BB you accumlate), and the Dollar Days Rewards (I got 4 $3 off my next purchase), the card is also linked to frequently purchased items which tells me about specials. For instance, with 3 cats in the house, if I buy 12 of this particular brand of cat food, I will recieve $1 off coupon for my next order. I also did the Dole salad program. I love my supermarket!
And if you live in NJ, these special programs might ring a bell....

 

[LIFERBABE]

it works if you shop at regular stores and use brand names for couponing. If you shop at Aldi, there's no need. To coupon BIG, you need to stockpile,be willing to have 32,000,000 tubes of toothepaste stored on the shelf (kidding).....really,I ended up spending WAY more time,money and shelf space with coupons.
Now,when I need items, I buy them at Aldi,it's cheap to begin with-I buy what I need for the week- and without any scrambling and matching spend far less than 48,000 bottles of dish detergent.
I get a paper,and never use the coupons anymore. I shop Aldi,get a couple things at the regular store,and we're done.

This was my experience. I used to love to coupon and get all that free stuff! But I had too much! Pretty much cleared out my stockpile last year and from now on I am buying what I need, when I need it. We have Aldi now also, which is a great place if you dont coupon.
Besides, the coupon competion was just too fierce! You had to shop early and often to get the good deals. Many times I would spend hours in the store or CVS and come out with more rainchecks than items!
We shop the meat sales and soda sales and Aldi for the staples.

 

[MEM]

This was my experience. I used to love to coupon and get all that free stuff! But I had too much! Pretty much cleared out my stockpile last year and from now on I am buying what I need, when I need it. We have Aldi now also, which is a great place if you dont coupon.
Besides, the coupon competion was just too fierce! You had to shop early and often to get the good deals. Many times I would spend hours in the store or CVS and come out with more rainchecks than items!
We shop the meat sales and soda sales and Aldi for the staples.

That has become so true. Between the shelf-clearers and the peelie-stealers,
shopping with coupons is becoming less fun and more stressful.

 

[WeLuvDiznee]

I love to coupon! It does take work,so I set time for it.I cot all my coupons while I'm watching t.v. on sun. or mon. night,and file them in my binder.I also get emails from 3 different coupon sites,and when wed. supermarket flyer comes out,I circle what I need,or what is a great bargain-usually buy 1,get 1 free-and I must have a coupon for it & need it. I usually shop at Publix,but I sometimes go to Walmart.Once a month I go to Sam's for meat and household items. I go to Walgreens & CVS and alsmost everything I get there is free from coupons,& I make money!(in store bucks). It's all in planning,just like having a hobby! I like to challenge myself to see how much I can save or how many items I can get free each time I go into a store!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I don't find it is worth the time. If I was a SAHM and my kids were a little older and ate more I might consider it but, I work full time and have 2 toddlers who eat very little. It just isn't worth it for me to spend all this time clipping coupons and running to different stores after work or on the weekends with 2 little kids.

I agree with this statement. I generally allow 1 hour on either Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon to do the grocery shopping and though I know I could save if I shopped around and did coupons, it's just not worth it to me.

Plus we don't live in a giant house and with no basement (we're in Houston) I can't easily stockpile. So if toothpaste is on sale when I need it--great! Otherwise I just go ahead and buy it anyway.

 

[Kycha]

Same here. Work full-time, have 2 children one of whom is special needs, a 14 room house, etc. etc. Couponing is now one of my hobbies as well as a great way to stretch our budget. The coupons and deals are not going to jump up and bite you on the bum - you have to put in some time and effort. Fortunately, forums like afullcup.com and slickdeals.net exist and the folks on those boards do most of the work for you!! I get very weary of non-couponers saying "I don't feed my family junk and those are the only coupons out there". Not true. Invest the time.

This!
It seems that there is this prejudice against couponers. That all we eat is junk because the only coupons available are for junk. False. And a pet peeve of mine. There are coupons available for produce and fresh meat, for organic and natural products. You just have to take the time to find them. A quick google search, and the first site that popped up...
http://www.organicfoodcoupons.com/

They have links to hundreds of printable coupons for all kinds of organic, non processed products.

 

[LoriNSC]

Well I've been seriously couponing for a couple of years now. I've saved our family so much $$$.
Yes, it takes aa lot of time. But I now only work pt (12 hr shift every other Sat. & Sun.) & go to nursing school full time. Without couponing, I wouldn't be able to do that. And no, we don't eat a lot of junk food.
I never pay over $1 for a box of cereal, always have toilet paper on hand (name brand too). I have enough laundry detergent to do us into next year.

Here my Aldi is about 20 miles away & is filthy. I'd rather save my gas, get my groceries local & still save a ton.

I guess it depends on your location & your desire to save big. For us couponing is a must. And I get a kick out of getting a great deal!

 

[Mrs.Reese]

This was my experience. I used to love to coupon and get all that free stuff! But I had too much! Pretty much cleared out my stockpile last year and from now on I am buying what I need, when I need it. We have Aldi now also, which is a great place if you dont coupon.
Besides, the coupon competion was just too fierce! You had to shop early and often to get the good deals. Many times I would spend hours in the store or CVS and come out with more rainchecks than items!
We shop the meat sales and soda sales and Aldi for the staples.

Oh my gosh the competition is insane! I was spending most of my Sunday mornings shopping and when I was unemployed I had the time. Now I really don't. It's all a payoff time vs. money.