Coupons an Embarassment?

[etoiles]

coupons is when I am trying to check out and the coupon won't scan and then I have to argue with the checker about if I really bought that item then we have to go digging through my bags to find the item But I stick to my guns for that $.50 off!

DH can be embarassed to shopping with me because sometimes the cashier might make a big deal about a coupon. Today when 4 coupons of mine wouldn't scan instead of asking 'did you buy this item?' or 'can I see xxxx' he muttered 'did you even buy any of these???' as if I was using the coupons illegally. I would actually have preferred to dig around in the bag and show him than just have him making accusations.

 

[PinkRhombus]

You are nicer than I am - I would have put her in her place.

Exactly. I would have told her point blank to kiss my a** and then, to her husband, that she must be a pain to live with.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Oh, I definitely see how it can be done. If you're only buying the great deals that you have coupons for...yeah, it can be done. However, if you include things like milk, bread, etc. that rarely have discounts/coupons then that will skew the total back up. I typically save 25-45%, but if I worked the basket to only include the "great deals" the savings percentage would be much higher.

Actually, that isn't entirely true. I get fresh produce every week, as well as meat. I usually spend between $20 and $30 a week, but always have savings of around $60 or $70, sometimes higher.

Just today I spent $10 and saved $30, and I had dairy and meat in my order.

I think it's a common mis-conception that couponers only buy junk, and there's rarely any healthy stuff to be had with couponing.

 

[LuvMy3Monkeys]

ahh, I don't buy a lot of what you mentioned. I look through the coupons on the rare occasion that I buy a paper and most are for things I don't buy.

I had to read that like four times! I thought you were saying "I don't buy what you're saying"... like you don't believe her! You know how people say oh I don't buy that!!

I was just thinking gosh, why don't you just call her a liar?? ?

Then I finally got it...

 

[minnie1928]

Actually, that isn't entirely true. I get fresh produce every week, as well as meat. I usually spend between $20 and $30 a week, but always have savings of around $60 or $70, sometimes higher.

Just today I spent $10 and saved $30, and I had dairy and meat in my order.

I think it's a common mis-conception that couponers only buy junk, and there's rarely any healthy stuff to be had with couponing.

So, on average you're saving about 70% , which is great! But the post I was referring to was someone saving in the neighborhood of 95%. It sounds like you would probably hit that if you didn't include your produce/dairy/etc.

 

[goin2disneyagain]

I was checking out at the store yesterday with my weekly big order, so of course I had a bunch of coupons. The lady behind me said, (very loudly, I'm sure so I could hear,) to her husband or whoever it was she was with, that if she used that many coupons she'd be embarassed to show her face in public.

How is saving money embarassing? I saved about 75% of my bill, I don't see anything embrassing about that! She was just a rude lady, and made me so mad.

She's crazy. There is nothing embarrassing about using coupons. Some people......

 

[disneyfav4ever]

So, on average you're saving about 70% , which is great! But the post I was referring to was someone saving in the neighborhood of 95%. It sounds like you would probably hit that if you didn't include your produce/dairy/etc.

If I wanted to, I could probably eat for free all the time. But that would mean a lot of plain pasta, with condiments. I'd get bored with that really fast. Not to mention there'd be almost no nutritional value.

 

[minnie1928]

If I wanted to, I could probably eat for free all the time. But that would mean a lot of plain pasta, with condiments. I'd get bored with that really fast. Not to mention there'd be almost no nutritional value.

Pasta...mmmmm! Tomatoes & onions from the garden....

 

[tweedlemom]

Coupons rock! Good for you!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

I ate at Ryan's yesterday with several members of my Dear Family and we ladies were happily discussing yard sale and thrift store finds. I was telling my SIL and DN (Dear Niece) about the Thrift City in our town that takes up an entire old Wal-Mart, and that they'd have to reserve a day just to thrift store shop when they came visiting this summer.

Our waitress came over and heard our conversation and oh my! Such a sour look!

I wish I could've told her how many upper-middle class friends I have who are avowed Yard Sale junkies, and how many of us do it not just for ourselves but for altruistic reasons - I know someone who helps battered women learn the ins and outs of garage saling and thrift store shopping. I know someone else who helps young moms kit out nurseries with yard sale finds and how to work the various organizations that provide car seats and such. I myself have promised to get a Dear Relation (who I JUST learned does not have ONE SINGLE THING ready for her new baby) ready for her Little Stranger's arrival in July!

And the money we save buying thrift store? Vacations, donations to various shelters, money for college and retirement, extravagant tips at buffet style family restaurants. . .

 

[disneylove69]

Exactly. I would have told her point blank to kiss my a** and then, to her husband, that she must be a pain to live with.

We must be twins! I would have done the same thing. I see using coupons as a sport. I don't get as many coupons now but the first few years of my cat's life I never paid for cat food. I like seeing the register screen going from a high dollar down, down, down. I feel like I'm in vegas and the register is a slot machine.
My grandma had money but I rememeber every Saturday morning her and my great grandma would cut coupons and plan their shopping day.

 

[RLccweems]

You know I have been at the checkout and several times had a man who were standing behind me and watched my total go down from 75.00 to 4.59....their comment to me was I wish my wife was that good with coupons!! Or your my dream wife!!!

 

[sorul82?]

I had to read that like four times! I thought you were saying "I don't buy what you're saying"... like you don't believe her! You know how people say oh I don't buy that!!

I was just thinking gosh, why don't you just call her a liar?? ?

Then I finally got it...

oh my goodness....I didn't even realize that it sounded that way. Thank you for your post so I can make sure I word things better.

 

[jodifla]

Actually, that isn't entirely true. I get fresh produce every week, as well as meat. I usually spend between $20 and $30 a week, but always have savings of around $60 or $70, sometimes higher.

Just today I spent $10 and saved $30, and I had dairy and meat in my order.

I think it's a common mis-conception that couponers only buy junk, and there's rarely any healthy stuff to be had with couponing.

Never seen a coupon for milk, bread, eggs, or produce. I don't get the savings with coupons, either.

 

[kingcrab]

Coupons are there to be used, I wouldnt worry about the woman running her big mouth behind you in line.

 

[Disneefun]

Never seen a coupon for milk, bread, eggs, or produce. I don't get the savings with coupons, either.

I'm an avid couponer and I've rarely seen commercial (as in, in the newspaper inserts) coupons for these type of products. Sometimes, but rarely. And it's usually things like, "Buy a certain cereal and get milk free." Or, "Buy cereal and milk and get bananas free." But those can be valuable, if you like the other stuff you have to buy.

Where I regularly get coupons for these items is from my store's sale flyer. Once a month they print a coupon insert that goes in the flyer. It works like this: Milk might be $3.50 regular price. But it's $3 with your store loyalty card. But if you clip the coupon from the flyer, it will be $2; you get the savings from the rewards card, plus an extra $1 for clipping the coupon. They almost always have milk and bread in the coupons, and usually a few items of produce, too. They've also gotten to where you can go online and download "coupons" to your rewards card for items like this and then when you check out the savings automatically scans from your card.

So, there are coupons for "healthier" items out there, they just may not be in the standard coupon flyer you get on Sunday.

 

[EvanMaddieMouse]

I have an index card box, with coupons filed according to category. I bring it with me every time I go anywhere I may need one. Once, in the grocery store, some middle aged man was grumbling and moaning behind me because I had so many coupons that it was adding minutes on to my time in line (I guess he was in some big hurry). He said something like, "What a waste of my time, it's not like it's even worth it to waste all that time on coupons," and the cashier overheard him. She turned the screen toward him and said, "Sir, I want you to see this. The total bill was $145 and because she is using coupons, she only has to give me $50." His mouth kind of dropped open, and he said, "Wow, oh. Wow!" I think we created a coupon believer that day!

 

[Kycha]

I'm an avid couponer and I've rarely seen commercial (as in, in the newspaper inserts) coupons for these type of products. Sometimes, but rarely. And it's usually things like, "Buy a certain cereal and get milk free." Or, "Buy cereal and milk and get bananas free." But those can be valuable, if you like the other stuff you have to buy.

I guess it is a regional thing. But, I regularly get manufacturers coupons for milk, eggs, produce and meats. Especially for organic. I get Eggland's Best q's, Soymilk q's, Kunzler meats q's, Dole salad and fruit q's, Swiss Premium Milk q's, Hatfield meat q's, etc. Plus, I get the in store q's. I got $1 off eggs instore q from my favorite store yesterday.

 

[Disneefun]

I guess it is a regional thing. But, I regularly get manufacturers coupons for milk, eggs, produce and meats. Especially for organic. I get Eggland's Best q's, Soymilk q's, Kunzler meats q's, Dole salad and fruit q's, Swiss Premium Milk q's, Hatfield meat q's, etc. Plus, I get the in store q's. I got $1 off eggs instore q from my favorite store yesterday.

I get all those, too, but I figure the PP was referring to produce you buy by the pound (not bagged salad or canned/jarred fruit), "store brand" meat from the butchers case (not name brand) and store brand-type eggs and milk. That's what I usually take people to mean when they say they can't get produce, meat or egg coupons. They're not looking for national brands or bagged/canned, just the store brands or the stuff you buy by the pound. And those types of coupons are the tings that usually your store offers coupons for, not the sunday flyers.

 

[abeyst]

I guess it is a regional thing. But, I regularly get manufacturers coupons for milk, eggs, produce and meats. Especially for organic. I get Eggland's Best q's, Soymilk q's, Kunzler meats q's, Dole salad and fruit q's, Swiss Premium Milk q's, Hatfield meat q's, etc. Plus, I get the in store q's. I got $1 off eggs instore q from my favorite store yesterday.

We get a few organic coupons here, but nothing for meats or milk or produce so it must be regional. Recently we started getting Eggland's Best, Cascadian Farms and once and awhile we see Kashi. It would be nice if we'd get more organic coupons, though. Then again, only a few stores around here carry organic meat/produce (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods). Meijer is better about produce and some other items (they have a Meijer brand organic line), but meat is very hard to find.