Coupons an Embarassment?

[mskayjay]

AND another thing........I wanna go back to WDW soooooooo bad I can't stand it! If I keep saving, I can get there faster so hopefully Miss WitchyPoo is so broke she won't be there! lol

 

[Argent]

you shouldn't be ashamed at all of using coupons and saving money. By the sounds of it the OP had a lot of coupons and the lady was just being impatient. It does not bother me to be behind someone using coupons no matter how many they have.

What does bothers me is when people (women) dig through their purse for two minutes for coins. Or when the cashier tells a person the amount they then get their checkbook out - Something they should have been doing when the cashier was ringing up their order. I just say if you are in line to pay for something be prepared and not make everyone wait. Keep on using those coupons though!

 

[EvanMaddieMouse]

you shouldn't be ashamed at all of using coupons and saving money. By the sounds of it the OP had a lot of coupons and the lady was just being impatient. It does not bother me to be behind someone using coupons no matter how many they have.

What does bothers me is when people (women) dig through their purse for two minutes for coins. Or when the cashier tells a person the amount they then get their checkbook out - Something they should have been doing when the cashier was ringing up their order. I just say if you are in line to pay for something be prepared and not make everyone wait. Keep on using those coupons though!

OMG, you just triggered a memory from a shopping trip to Farmer Jack several years ago---there was a couple in line ahead of me, and after their purchases were rung up completely and bagged, the male half of this couple reached into his pocket and pulled out a huge ball of crumpled-up coupons, and threw them, yes threw them! down onto the conveyor belt.

The cashier said, "Are you kidding me with this?" but actually smoothed out and scanned them all. Much more patient of a person than I would have been, I'll tell you that!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

you shouldn't be ashamed at all of using coupons and saving money. By the sounds of it the OP had a lot of coupons and the lady was just being impatient. It does not bother me to be behind someone using coupons no matter how many they have.

What does bothers me is when people (women) dig through their purse for two minutes for coins. Or when the cashier tells a person the amount they then get their checkbook out - Something they should have been doing when the cashier was ringing up their order. I just say if you are in line to pay for something be prepared and not make everyone wait. Keep on using those coupons though!

I think some people just need to be more patient. I do always have my coupons ready, and I don't go through express unless the amount of items and coupons I have combined aren't over 10. I also won't go through self checkout since that always seems to have problems with coupons.

I know that sometimes though people hand cashiers piles of coupons that they didn't buy the products for, or that are expired. And then they'll argue with the cashiers, and hold up the lines. That does annoy me, but that's because they are trying to cheat the system, and not because of their coupon usage in general, just the coupon fraud.

I think people who commit coupon fraud give couponers a bad name.

I realize I'm kind of going off topic now, but some couponers do purposefully try and use expired coupons, one coupon that they have cut cleverly enough that it looks like two coupons, or use ten coupons when they only bought five items.

I know I started this thread to let off some steam about that lady having a problem with my coupon usage, but I had a long day at work today, and needed to vent.

 

[delmar411]

My Kroger sends me a lot of coupons for fruits, veggies, meats and cheeses. I've noticed quite a few from Target both printable and in the papers as well. Sign up for every website for the products you like that you can think of. If they don't offer coupons to be printed (if your stores take printables), send them a note about how much you love their products - they generally "reward" their customers with more coupons to keep using their products.

I get these as well. At least once a month plus an additional booklet every couple months of organic coupons. That doesn't include the organic coupons I find in the store. Here not many people buy organic so I can often find gallons of organic milk marked down for less than regular milk. Same with cheese and cereal and soups. And I tend to have coupons to go along with those mark downs which makes it an even better deal.

I don't find coupons to be an embarrassment but I also don't really care whether the person in line behind me thinks I'm poor or not. I've had plenty of ppl ask me how I do it as well as ppl who choose to not go to other lines just so they can see what my final total will be. (ok, that is kinda embarrassing! LOL)

 

[disneyfav4ever]

OMG, you just triggered a memory from a shopping trip to Farmer Jack several years ago---there was a couple in line ahead of me, and after their purchases were rung up completely and bagged, the male half of this couple reached into his pocket and pulled out a huge ball of crumpled-up coupons, and threw them, yes threw them! down onto the conveyor belt.

The cashier said, "Are you kidding me with this?" but actually smoothed out and scanned them all. Much more patient of a person than I would have been, I'll tell you that!

I've had customers wait until the end of an order, and then give me a whole page of coupons, and then I have to figure out which one of the four or five on the page they want to use.

 

[LuvMy3Monkeys]

I hate when people huff and puff in line behind you. I always have my coupons out, ready, in order with them all going to same way to make it fast for the cashier to scan,etc.

Me, too!

Some people really have ZERO patience anymore... I mean is it really that serious that someone is taking five minutes longer than expected? It just drives me nuts!!

One night at Walmart I was buying a cart full and a man behind me buying a weed wacker (or whatever the technical term is for those things.. ). He was huffing and puffing and the cashier explained to him that there was no wait at the self-checkout, but he wasn't interested.

He started to mumble some rude comments under his breath... so I turned to him and said why don't you try www.walmart.com?? And then continued with my purchase... he looked at me like he was in shock and then walked over to the self check up

 

[disneyfav4ever]

You know what I also don't get? Why some people buy one or two of an item, when it's cheaper to buy three or four of the item. I understand if it's like produce or something, and it'll go bad before they use it. But if it's a pantry item, why not just get the extra one, so you don't have to buy one later at full price when you need another one?

 

[jodifla]

I get these as well. At least once a month plus an additional booklet every couple months of organic coupons. That doesn't include the organic coupons I find in the store. Here not many people buy organic so I can often find gallons of organic milk marked down for less than regular milk. Same with cheese and cereal and soups. And I tend to have coupons to go along with those mark downs which makes it an even better deal.

I don't find coupons to be an embarrassment but I also don't really care whether the person in line behind me thinks I'm poor or not. I've had plenty of ppl ask me how I do it as well as ppl who choose to not go to other lines just so they can see what my final total will be. (ok, that is kinda embarrassing! LOL)

Again, my Kroger sends them out maybe every 3 months. NOT MONTHLY!

I feel like these "extreme coupons" are quite a bit like those big fish stories you hear about!!!

I just went to the store: needed fresh cilantro, squash, and chicken. No coupons available!!!!

 

[Donnask8pro]

I havent read the whole thread but usually when I go they need a key to overide how many coupins I have. Which means we have rto wait for a front end Mmgr. That really makes people crazy. I always tell the cashier. "Turn on the light now, you'll need a key".. lol

 

[Kycha]

Again, my Kroger sends them out maybe every 3 months. NOT MONTHLY!

I feel like these "extreme coupons" are quite a bit like those big fish stories you hear about!!!

I just went to the store: needed fresh cilantro, squash, and chicken. No coupons available!!!!

If you are looking for ways to save then I suggest you frequent a savings and coupons discussion board.

Here are links to the Kroger forum to 3 of my favorite sites. The Kroger forums on all 3 websites are very active.
http://www.afullcup.com/forums/kroger/
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/kroger-chain-stores/
http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/kroger/ Thanks mskayjay!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

If you are looking for ways to save then I suggest you frequent a savings and coupons discussion board.

Here are links to the Kroger forum to 3 of my favorite sites. The Kroger forums on all 3 websites are very active.
http://www.afullcup.com/forums/kroger/
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/forums/kroger-chain-stores/
http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/kroger/ Thanks mskayjay!

I really like Hot Coupon World as well.

 

[luvmy3]

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.

If I were her husband I'd be embarassed to show my face in public with her

 

[LizinSTL]

Again, my Kroger sends them out maybe every 3 months. NOT MONTHLY!

I feel like these "extreme coupons" are quite a bit like those big fish stories you hear about!!!

I just went to the store: needed fresh cilantro, squash, and chicken. No coupons available!!!!

Jumping in... I currently have 20 $1 off any produce coupons and about 10 $2 off any meat or poultry coupons. I'd have saved at least $3 on what you purchased. That said, I don't buy chicken unless it's on sale and I always have some in the freezer to use.

I haven't read all the pages in this thread but shopping with coupons requires that you also shop loss leaders and really work the pantry principal. And do some level of meal planning, either weekly or monthly. If you are unwilling to do that, then coupons may be a waste of time.

I'm saving, on average, 60-78% of my weekly grocery bill with store sales and coupons.

 

[goofy5]

I would just laughed and said "I would be embrassed to show my face in public making such rude comments"

BLAH! people like that need to just shut up

 

[allison443]

Jumping in... I currently have 20 $1 off any produce coupons and about 10 $2 off any meat or poultry coupons. I'd have saved at least $3 on what you purchased. That said, I don't buy chicken unless it's on sale and I always have some in the freezer to use.

Where did you get those, if you don't mind me asking? We get three Sunday newspapers and honestly I never see those kind of coupons. Were they issued by a particular store for use at that store? TIA!

 

[allison443]

I haven't read all the pages in this thread but shopping with coupons requires that you also shop loss leaders and really work the pantry principal. And do some level of meal planning, either weekly or monthly. If you are unwilling to do that, then coupons may be a waste of time.

I'm saving, on average, 60-78% of my weekly grocery bill with store sales and coupons.

I definitely agree about the loss leaders...I have been making an effort to hit three different chains for their loss leaders...it helps! (My kids even know what loss leaders are!)

 

[LizinSTL]

Where did you get those, if you don't mind me asking? We get three Sunday newspapers and honestly I never see those kind of coupons. Were they issued by a particular store for use at that store? TIA!

They are typically tear pads in the liquor department or around the supermarket. I usually take 2 or 3 on my first trip, if they are still there on my 3rd or 4th visit, I grab a stack- never cleaning them out.

Most recently, I found $2 off any purchase of KRAFT product and $2 off any meat or poultry w/ purchase of KRAFT. I have found $1 off produce in the bread aisle or in the salad dressing aisle. $$ off meat near the BBQ sauce or in produce.

The liquor tearpads and winetags vary by retailer and state. My state doesn't require a liquor purchase to use them so they are sponsored by, say, Coors but I just get $1 off any salty snack or bag of ice w/o the required liquor purchase. I also do rebates from the liquor dept. I currently have a $10 back w/ the purchase of steak or seafood ($10 min purchase) and $15 back when you spend $50 on a cooler, bagged ice and/OR salty snacks, meat, produce or condiments.

Let's say I just buy produce and meat this week- my store has $10 off $50 purchase once every couple weeks.

$12 in chicken
$8 in fish
$10 in beef and pork
$5 lettuce, tomato, onion
$10 in fruits
$5 in dairy products

Less $10 off $50 purchase
Less $2 off any meat or poultry x2
Less $1 off any produce x 5

My cost would be $21 for $50 in fresh whole foods
Plus I'd get $15 back in a rebate check in 6-8 weeks.

That said, my freezer is stocked w/ meats and we're going camping over the weekend so my purchases will be a bit different. The last time I shopped for week's groceries plus a camping trip. I spent $26 but my pre-coupon price was $78 and my total savings w/ store sales too was 84%.

 

[allison443]

They are typically tear pads in the liquor department or around the supermarket. I usually take 2 or 3 on my first trip, if they are still there on my 3rd or 4th visit, I grab a stack- never cleaning them out.

Most recently, I found $2 off any purchase of KRAFT product and $2 off any meat or poultry w/ purchase of KRAFT. I have found $1 off produce in the bread aisle or in the salad dressing aisle. $$ off meat near the BBQ sauce or in produce.

The liquor tearpads and winetags vary by retailer and state. My state doesn't require a liquor purchase to use them so they are sponsored by, say, Coors but I just get $1 off any salty snack or bag of ice w/o the required liquor purchase. I also do rebates from the liquor dept. I currently have a $10 back w/ the purchase of steak or seafood ($10 min purchase) and $15 back when you spend $50 on a cooler, bagged ice and/OR salty snacks, meat, produce or condiments.

Let's say I just buy produce and meat this week- my store has $10 off $50 purchase once every couple weeks.

$12 in chicken
$8 in fish
$10 in beef and pork
$5 lettuce, tomato, onion
$10 in fruits
$5 in dairy products

Less $10 off $50 purchase
Less $2 off any meat or poultry x2
Less $1 off any produce x 5

My cost would be $21 for $50 in fresh whole foods
Plus I'd get $15 back in a rebate check in 6-8 weeks.

That said, my freezer is stocked w/ meats and we're going camping over the weekend so my purchases will be a bit different. The last time I shopped for week's groceries plus a camping trip. I spent $26 but my pre-coupon price was $78 and my total savings w/ store sales too was 84%.

Wow, you did good! My state must be weird, we cannot purchase beer, wine, or liquor in supermarkets, only liquor stores. DH usually makes that stop-I will have to tell him to look for coupons...he'll love that!
Thanks for the info Liz!

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

To the OP, people can have all the money in the world, but still not have much class. Don't let the negative people get you down.

speaking of coupons can someone recommend a good coupon organizer to take with me to the store - or how do you organize them? right now I just throw them all in my purse then I am fishing for them when I get to the store (never in line though) wouldn't want that lady behind me making snotty comments!

I started out with 2 little coupon wallets (one for food, one for non-food). Eventually, I outgrew that and got a .15¢ binder from Staples, put in business card size inserts, tabbed the sections I need with my label maker, and take that in a tote bag to the store.