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

[daughtersrus]

We live in an area that does not double or triple coupons so we'll never be able to be extreme couponers. .

I do use some but mostly at CVS when I combine the coupon with an ECB promo that they are running.

 

[ellone]

couponing doesn't work very well for us. we don't eat a lot of processed foods, and the few processed things we do eat, we can get much cheaper in the store brands.

Same here, we don't use many processed foods, so couponing doesn't work for us. I read that a lot of people use coupons for cleaners, but I do most of my cleaning using vinegar and baking soda - I don't want many chemicals in my house.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

I'm not sure I'm following the processed food comments...isn't everything processed to some extent? Do you mean foods in boxes and cans and jars? I do have coupons for meat, eggs, produce and frozen veggies in my coupon stash right now. Coupons aren't just for pop-tarts

 

[leadfootlevi]

I'm not sure I'm following the processed food comments...isn't everything processed to some extent? Do you mean foods in boxes and cans and jars? I do have coupons for meat, eggs, produce and frozen veggies in my coupon stash right now. Coupons aren't just for pop-tarts

This. We use coupons for cheese, yogurt, baking supplies, chicken breasts, butter, coffee, tea, bread, crackers, cereal, makeup, medicines. I realize some of this is processed but I'm not going to be making my own butter or crackers anytime soon.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

This. We use coupons for cheese, yogurt, baking supplies, chicken breasts, butter, coffee, tea, bread, crackers, cereal, makeup, medicines. I realize some of this is processed but I'm not going to be making my own butter or crackers anytime soon.

Maybe if we made our own crackers, I could save enough money there that I could just forget about couponing!

 

[Kycha]

She'll either give it away (which means all that work for nothing), it will sit there taking up space or ot will be thrown out eventually.

I'm sure your wife thinks the same way I do. The little amount of work that it takes me to clip a coupon that will get me something for little or no money is worth it. Whether I will use it or donate it. I give 50% of my couponing stuff away. Between my Mom, MIL, 3 brothers, 1 BIL, and 2 SIL's and all their families there is always someone who can use what I'm "buying". And if my family can't use it, I feel good being able to donate it.

For example, recently Kroger had Land o Lakes spreadable butter on sale for $1 @. I bought $1/1 coupons from a coupon clipping service. I ended up with 20 tubs of butter for $2.10(the cost of the coupos). So roughly .11 per tub. I ended up giving my Mom 4 tubs and one of DH's coworkers got 2 tubs. The rest is in my freezer til I or someone else needs it.

couponing doesn't work very well for us. we don't eat a lot of processed foods, and the few processed things we do eat, we can get much cheaper in the store brands. coupons have really gone downhill in the past few years-i don't want to have to buy 2 or 3 of something to save $.50; just not worth it for my family of 3. our grocery stores don't double coupons, and except for the P&G brand saver insert once a month, the coupons in our paper aren't worth clipping. we shop at wal-mart, use the few coupons we can, and get as much as possible at aldi. on occasion, i'll get some things on a really good deal with coupons at CVS or walgreens.

You need to look beyond your newspaper. There are a ton of coupons out there. Especially printable ones. And Facebook is a coupon heaven. In the last month I received coupons for Free Planters almonds, Free Coffee Mate creamer and Free Yoplait yogurt. And all I had to do was "like" them on Facebook and they mailed me the coupons.

My suggestion to anyone that wants to get started in couponing, start reading couponing blogs or forums. My 2 favorites are afullcup.com and hotcouponworld.com. They both have forums specific to your store. I shop at Kroger and Walmart and both discussion boards have forums for Kroger and Walmart. But there are tons more stores for all regions. Both boards also have a coupon database. If you are looking for a specific brand coupon, just type it into the database. The database will give you most of the available coupons for that product. And if it's printable, there will be a link provided.

 

[Carlyzmom]

YES It's worth it. It's free money for crying out loud! Hand a cashier some slips of paper you cut out while watching Sister Wives - watch your total bill go down. I'm surpised more people don't do it.

I agree. It does take some time, but I definitely think it's worth it! My first month of couponing (seriously) I saved over $100!

 

[momof1princess]

unfortunately, there are no coupons for meat, eggs and such at our grocery stores in my local paper-i wish there were. i buy my meat at sam's club once every couple of months (MUCH cheaper there) and we don't use many eggs, so i just buy those on sale. even with a coupon, milk is cheaper at aldi. thanks to CVS, we're set for shampoo for quite a while, lol.

 

[ELLE-TN]

unfortunately, there are no coupons for meat, eggs and such at our grocery stores in my local paper-i wish there were. i buy my meat at sam's club once every couple of months (MUCH cheaper there) and we don't use many eggs, so i just buy those on sale. even with a coupon, milk is cheaper at aldi. thanks to CVS, we're set for shampoo for quite a while, lol.

There are actually Q's for meat, eags, and such you just know where to look for them. They are called wine tags....and the best are NBPR/NWPR. As for milk, I usually work my milk into my CVS deals so that I don't pay O.O.P. for that either.

 

[LaDonna]

I just used a printable coupon for eggs the other day
and a lot of the times stores have their own coupons for meat
I've also used a lot of coupons that say buy this and get free milk

 

[LoriNSC]

I don't get all the "processed foods" comments either. Um, like previously stated-I'm not making my own butter, milk, etc. so okay, I guess that's processed. I'm a nursing student & know the importance of healthy eating. And my family eats healthy. I always find coupons for eggs (either printables online or eggland's best in magazines), milk (either in the store or printables) & meats (usually online printables). I even find coupons on fresh vegetables & fruits a lot. You just have to take the time to find them.

Anyway, my Walmart trip today:

2-2 liter Cokes (DH taking to work for a dinner) (used B1G1 coupon)
1- 4 lb. bag Kibbles & Bits (used $2 coupon)
3pk scotch brite scrubbing sponges (no coupon on clearance $1)
2-40 ct Gain fabric softener (used 2 $3 coupons-provided overage)
2-Right Guard deodarants (used B1G1 coupon)
1-Clairol hair foaming color (used FREE product coupon)

total: $28.86

I paid $6.83 after coupons

The dog food alone was $5.23 before coupons.

 

[budafam]

I rarely pay for milk since our store offers deals like buy 6 cereals, get free milk or something to that effect. They usually offer another $10 off of the cereal (if you buy 6) and if we use coupons as well, the cost comes out to around $4 for 6 boxes of cereal, milk & eggs.

It takes time and it's only worth it if you put the time into it. There are a lot of "processed" foods but there are also a lot of "healthy" foods. Who's to say what's healthy nowadays anyways... it changes from day to day... blech! I buy lots of veggies, breads, yogurts, meats & juices through using coupons and I donate whatever I don't use.

As for cleaning supplies, yeah, I load up on those when I can pay pennies for them. I do not find vinegar or baking soda to be that appealing for cleaning. I don't worry about the "chemicals"... my kids know not to drink that stuff... lol... I also donate a lot of this when there are drives for it.

I have a stockpile and mostly there are noodles, veggies, meat & cereal in it. At one time I had 36 boxes of cereal and a friend of mine made a smart comment about all those cereals... she said there's no way I'll be able to eat them all before they expire. My DH eats a half a box of cereal daily... that doesn't count what my kids go through.

 

[tdk316]

Ok, I'm late joining this discussion and will admit to not reading all of the posts, but how about the savings on TP, paper towels, cleaning products (I only use environmentally friendly or vinegar), diapers, wipes, and non-food products?! Yes, a lot of coupons are for highly processed junk foods (if they can be called foods...) but a lot of them aren't. For example, I just purchased some Seventh Generation dish soap (big bottle) for under 70-cents at Target by using an in-ad coupon and a Target coupon, a 140-pack of size four Huggies diapers from Amazon (using an Amazon coupon found in a magazine) for under $10 shipped to my house, 19-cent cans of diced organic tomatoes (Muir Glen), more than half off cans of unsalted roasted almonds (Emerald something-or-other), Smart Start cereal for 25-cents a box, and FREE whole grain pasta (yea, stocked up on that one). I don't consider those foods junk. You just have to weed out the junk and go for the good stuff.

But hey, please don't start couponing just because in less than a year I've saved enough to send my family to Disney for a week in a 2-BR at Bay Lake. In fact, I really hope you don't because I don't want the competition for the goods in the stores!

 

[LoriNSC]

But hey, please don't start couponing just because in less than a year I've saved enough to send my family to Disney for a week in a 2-BR at Bay Lake. In fact, I really hope you don't because I don't want the competition for the goods in the stores!

I agree. I'm tired of preaching the benefits of couponing. It's their $$ & I can take mine all the way to FL for Mickey!

 

[angelsmith52]

I have a question about couponing....Do you have to have a color copy of the coupon or can you use blackand white? I don't have a color printer so I was just wondering.

 

[jodifla]

I agree, most coupons are for things I don't want. And I don't see "coupons" for eggs, fruits, veggies and milk from anyone other than what our actual grocery store sends out.

They do rotate things on sale, and after using the Grocery Game, I learned to stock up and buy what's on sale. So every few months they have BOGO on pork chops, so I stock up then.

It's much more time efficient to use something like the Grocery Game instead of clipping myriad coupons. I check my GG list, and it tells me what coupons to look for. I have them filed, whole flier, by month. Then I just go look for the couple I use.

 

[leadfootlevi]

I have a question about couponing....Do you have to have a color copy of the coupon or can you use blackand white? I don't have a color printer so I was just wondering.

Yes. I always print in B&W to save expensive color ink

 

[fortwildernessishome]

I don't get all the "processed foods" comments either. Um, like previously stated-I'm not making my own butter, milk, etc. so okay, I guess that's processed. I'm a nursing student & know the importance of healthy eating. And my family eats healthy. I always find coupons for eggs (either printables online or eggland's best in magazines), milk (either in the store or printables) & meats (usually online printables). I even find coupons on fresh vegetables & fruits a lot. You just have to take the time to find them.

Anyway, my Walmart trip today:

2-2 liter Cokes (DH taking to work for a dinner) (used B1G1 coupon)
1- 4 lb. bag Kibbles & Bits (used $2 coupon)
3pk scotch brite scrubbing sponges (no coupon on clearance $1)
2-40 ct Gain fabric softener (used 2 $3 coupons-provided overage)
2-Right Guard deodarants (used B1G1 coupon)
1-Clairol hair foaming color (used FREE product coupon)

total: $28.86

I paid $6.83 after coupons

The dog food alone was $5.23 before coupons.

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!

 

[leadfootlevi]

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 always find coupons for bacon, sausage, hot dogs --- those kinds of meats in the coupon fliers from the sunday paper. Hormel usually has coupons of some sort for their fresh meats (pork chops, pork loins, etc) - sign up on their website. I've gotten coupons for fresh chicken breasts from coupons.com.

 

[Nayan]

I don't get all the "processed foods" comments either. Um, like previously stated-I'm not making my own butter, milk, etc. so okay, I guess that's processed. I'm a nursing student & know the importance of healthy eating. And my family eats healthy. I always find coupons for eggs (either printables online or eggland's best in magazines), milk (either in the store or printables) & meats (usually online printables). I even find coupons on fresh vegetables & fruits a lot. You just have to take the time to find them.

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.