Why don't you use coupons?

[GoodBuyGirl]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

I don't buy meat sauce so why pay more for something I'm not going to use? I also will not buy salad dressing if I don't use it, I make it. I also don't like to eat froze veggies, I buy it fresh, and I buy half off meat last day sale. Or I freeze it. But not veggies. I do buy a few canned veggies, but I happen to like to eat fresh veggies.

Toilet paper, household cleaners, meds, batteries I mostly buy at costco when they go on sale. Price is cheaper than the grocery store and stash it until i need it.

So what should I use coupons for? I don't like frozen pizza (we make out own), I don't really buy too many things that are out there for coupons like cereal, chips, etc. Our weekly list is pretty simple like you saw. I would use coupons, but not to buy food I wouldn't buy otherwise. It would be using more money than I planned for what?

Most household items I get for Free using coupons. Often I can get the items Free and then turn around and get a rebate on them making a small profit which I deposit into my savings account. If Costco is cheaper than Free maybe I should reevaluate my shopping habits.

[Little L]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

This is my first post

I rarely use coupons, mostly because I forget to use them when I actually cut them out. Also none of the stores here double so the incentive really isn't there. I have three coupons in my purse right now, make that two as one is expired.

Usually, the the coupopns are for products that we don't use. I'm trying to reduce our grocery budget so I'm trying to remeber to use them more often.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

Most household items I get for Free using coupons. Often I can get the items Free and then turn around and get a rebate on them making a small profit which I deposit into my savings account. If Costco is cheaper than Free maybe I should reevaluate my shopping habits.

I only use all free and clear for laundry detergent because I'm allergic to everything else. And I bought a 64 oz bottle over two years ago and still have it because I have a front loading washing machine. I buy one dish washing cleaner botttle for $6.59 from costco and it too has lasted 1 year, actually more. I wash dishes in the sink at in only soapy water, so I don't use a ton of soap. There are two of us living here, we don't use tons of toilet paper, we don't use tons of cleaners. I make some of the cleaners from scratch (DH's a chemist). So how is it cheaper for me to go and use coupons? I've looked at coupons on the grocery game website, but why would I buy so many cleaners? And why would I keep on buying more and more just because?

I notice you didn't address using coupons on food. I don't buy processed or canned veggies, I don't like it. I like making stuff from scratch, I'm munching on homemade bread as we speak. I also tried with food to feed DH the couponed food, he didn't like it. He likes to eat fresh food, he doesn't even like leftovers.

I think that couponing actually allows people to buy more stuff they wouldn't have bought otherwise. Unless you have the mentality that you are buying something you would be buying without the coupon then where is the money savings?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

Actually Goodbuygirl, give me your list of stuff you buy for free and I'll tell you if I even buy it. That would really help me shop. I'll try and use the coupons and see if I need those things for cleaning and eating. I would love to get everything I buy for free. I have the time to give it a go.

I know a lot of people clip coupons but I'd like to look into their lists like I posted mine, and see if I can use their coupons. If I will eat all the food they buy and cleaners they use.

[GoodBuyGirl]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

Actually Goodbuygirl, give me your list of stuff you buy for free and I'll tell you if I even buy it. That would really help me shop. I'll try and use the coupons and see if I need those things for cleaning and eating. I would love to get everything I buy for free. I have the time to give it a go.

I know a lot of people clip coupons but I'd like to look into their lists like I posted mine, and see if I can use their coupons. If I will eat all the food they buy and cleaners they use.

Ok here is what I can remember I've gotten for free:
Nuts
Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Bagged salad
apples
lunch meat, hot dogs
Chicken
Tuna
beef
cereal
deoderant
bar soap
liquid hand soap
dish soap
bleach
lysol
fantastic
all small and mighty
air fresheners
toilet paper
batteries
baby food
baby wipes
baby soap and shampoo
ziplocks
canned soup, vegetables
seasonings all kinds
Ketchup,mustard, soy, hot, steak And BBq sauce
Pickles
juice
soda
tooth brushes (switched to electric, but these are good for cleaning)
tooth paste, dental floss
shampoo, conditioner
paper towels
pasta
tylonol
tylonol cold
cough drops
bandaids
frozen veggies
popcicles ice cream
cleaning sponges scrubbers and magic erasers.
packing tape
chewing gum
razors and shave gel
I have 3 kids and my situation is much different than yours. I do not get everything free every week. Last week I got Milk, oatmeal, granola bars, baby wipes, cheese, soda, dip and chips, salad, multigrain pasta, deoderant and some cleaning sponges.
From what I can see this week nothing I need or want is on sale so I'll probably just get some fruit and veggies and wait and see what next week brings. I'm pretty well stocked on everything else.
If the newspaper has several Qs I on things I buy I buy extra papers to get multiple Q's. That way when the item goes on sale I can stock up. I'm not one of those freaks that have 50 boxes of cereal just because it was free. I just get enough to last until the next sale. I am not a grocery gamer. I think that they rip people off charging them for information that is all over the place for free.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

Livin large...
I once saw a cupon for flour....
I think some things are much harder to find cupons for than others...easy to fing one for junk food, hard to find it for flour..but they are there.

And I think some people have a 'knack' for matching sales to cupons...I certainly don't! It isn't as easy as some make it out to be.....Though obviously it is done....

[GoodBuyGirl]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

Flour Qs come out in Nov/Dec when all the baking stuff is on sale.

[disneysteve]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

I think that couponing actually allows people to buy more stuff they wouldn't have bought otherwise. Unless you have the mentality that you are buying something you would be buying without the coupon then where is the money savings?

I may have said this earlier, but I find the main problem with coupons is that they are for the nationally advertised brands. Even with the coupon, the store brand is often cheaper. For example, there might be a coupon for Cheerios, but if the brand name is $4.00/box and you have a $.50 coupon that gets doubled, the box costs $3.00. The store brand is $2.79 all the time, so where's the savings?

That said, however, there are times when the name brand is on sale really cheap, like 50% off. Then, it is already cheaper than store brand and when you add the coupon, you can now get a box of brand name Cheerios for $1.00. That's when couponing pays off.

It just takes a little research and coordination to maximize the value of the coupons. Just clipping a coupon and taking it to the nearest store does not ensure that you will actually save any money if you don't do your homework first.

[tinapbeana]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

That said, however, there are times when the name brand is on sale really cheap, like 50% off. Then, it is already cheaper than store brand and when you add the coupon, you can now get a box of brand name Cheerios for $1.00. That's when couponing pays off.

in this situation, it would pay to be keeping a 'sales book' as opposed to a normal price book. keep track of what your grocery store/s put on sale every week for 3-4 months. just the items you would buy if the price was right, not every little last thing. after a couple of months you should start to see a trend as to how often certain products go on deep sale. then, when you see a cheerios coupon for $1 off that expires in a month, and you know the next BOGO general mills cereal sale at publix should be in the next week or two, chances are good that coupon will save you serious money.

[Hot dog]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

I use coupons all the time I only buy things on sale and when you add a coupon on top of that doubled it is most always cheaper than the store brand but I have a coupon organizer that keeps me straight. It does take time though. I have everything I need so there is hardly a time I need to buy something I just get what is on sale almost always my receipt says I have saved at least %50.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

It just takes a little research and coordination to maximize the value of the coupons. Just clipping a coupon and taking it to the nearest store does not ensure that you will actually save any money if you don't do your homework first.

just digging your post....

[Scanner]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

I don't know what all the answers have been here as I didn't read them all except the first 10 or so but I have found coupons mainly to be for name-brand stuff and even with the discount, you do better just buying generic butter, mayonnaise, etc.

That and my time being worth more. . .it just isn't worth it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

Ok here is what I can remember I've gotten for free:
Nuts - don't buy often
Milk - how much of a sale on this?
Cheese - how much of a coupon sale on this?
Yogurt - how much of a coupon sale on this?
Bagged salad - buy heads instead
apples - coupon?
lunch meat, hot dogs - don't buy
Chicken - what sort of coupon?
Tuna - what sort of coupon?
beef - what sort of coupon?
cereal - don't buy
deoderant - buy from costco
bar soap - don't buy
liquid hand soap - buy in bulk from costco, 1 bottle lasted us 3 years
dish soap - buy in bulk from costco, a bottle lasts at least 1-2 years
bleach - bought one bottle from target, still have it 3 years later
lysol - also bought from target 1 bottle lasts a while
fantastic - 1 bottle target, over 2 years
all small and mighty - costco, over 2+ years
air fresheners - don't buy
toilet paper - 4 pack lasts 2-3 months
batteries - bought from costco lasted over 3 years
baby food
baby wipes
baby soap and shampoo
ziplocks - bought from costco 9/2002
canned soup, vegetables - occasionally
seasonings all kinds - not really
Ketchup,mustard, soy, hot, steak And BBq sauce - not really only soy sauce
Pickles - no
juice - no
soda - yes but loaded up on 1.99/12 packs last weekend (48 of them)
tooth brushes (switched to electric, but these are good for cleaning) - free from dentist
tooth paste, dental floss - free floss from dentist, toothpaste one tube lasts 6 months
shampoo, conditioner - 1 bottle from costco last us 6 month to a year
paper towels - 1 pack from costco lasts about a year or more
pasta - make from scratch a lot
tylonol - try not to use, have generic from costco from 2.5 years ago
tylonol cold
cough drops
bandaids - box from costco about 5 years old
frozen veggies - sometimes
popcicles ice cream - never
cleaning sponges scrubbers and magic erasers. - very rarely
packing tape - nope
chewing gum - nope
razors and shave gel = nope

I have 3 kids and my situation is much different than yours. I do not get everything free every week. Last week I got Milk, oatmeal, granola bars, baby wipes, cheese, soda, dip and chips, salad, multigrain pasta, deoderant and some cleaning sponges.
From what I can see this week nothing I need or want is on sale so I'll probably just get some fruit and veggies and wait and see what next week brings. I'm pretty well stocked on everything else.
If the newspaper has several Qs I on things I buy I buy extra papers to get multiple Q's. That way when the item goes on sale I can stock up. I'm not one of those freaks that have 50 boxes of cereal just because it was free. I just get enough to last until the next sale. I am not a grocery gamer. I think that they rip people off charging them for information that is all over the place for free.

I buy some of the stuff, but other stuff I don't buy. And we don't use a lot of stuff very quickly. I would never buy 50 boxes of cereal we don't eat cereal period. But what is weird is I agree with Disneysteve that generic is good enough for us. I'm mostly interested in your meat and veggie coupons and how you got the milk for free. Costco milk is $2.79 for the gallon or something ridiculously cheap. Salad 1 lb is 3.99 from costco if you want bagged salad instead of heads.

In case you were wondering, I date my items I buy from places. I date canned goods and cleaning supplies, the anal behavior came from my grandma who rotates and checks the dates of everything she buys. I no longer do this, but I learned to wash my ziplocs, straws, wash and only use tupperware food came, in and other cheapo things. Also instead of paper towels,use old cloth diapers and washable napkins. Old clothes make excellent dish rags and cleaning supplies. She is still very frugal and I learned all these nutso habits. I also buy canned goods that are damaged if possible.

I'm willing to try the coupons however for meat, milk, and produce.

[pearlieq]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

I don't really use coupons anymore either. Here are my reasons:

1.) I don't get the Sunday paper anymore. We never read it and it seemed silly to pay for it just to get the coupons that we found we weren't using.

2.) I buy store brands on most staples, and they were almost always cheaper, even with coupons.

3.) No stores in my area double or triple coupons.

4.) Many coupons really weren't that good. For every $1 off coupon, I'd get 10 "$0.35 off 2" items.

5.) I don't buy many packaged or processed foods. If it comes in a box I'm usually trying to avoid it!

6.) I buy specific brands/formulations for many purchases and there were rarely coupons. I'm not very flexible when it comes to my product choices. When I want yogurt I want Stonyfield Farms Organic Lowfat, not whatever happens to be on sale.

If there's a coupon in the circular or if a thoughtful friend happens to pass me one for something I use I'm happy to use them, but I don't see them out anymore and haven't noticed any change in the grocery bill.

[GoodBuyGirl]

Re: Why don't you use coupons?

I have several stores that double in my area. That makes a big difference for me. I buy store brand items also. I have gotten stuff for Free with Q's to try and did not like it. I usually donate it to the local Boyscout food drive.
I also discovered that Beans and rice are cheaper in the ethnic section than they are in the regular isle.
Milk $1 off doubled when you buy keeblers stacked with Q's to get Keeblers free also.
Cheese- Last week My store had $7 instantly when you buy 8 Kraft nabisco items. on sale $1.67 X8 =$13.36 used 8 .40/1 Q's dbled. =$6.40.
$13.36
-$7.00
-$6.40
----------
.04 overage
Yogurt $1/3 on sale 3/$1
Chicken have gotten Tyson and pilgrims pride combined with store sales bought smallest package.
Tuna have recieved a few Q's for free product for signing up at websites.
Beef $2/any beef from website combined with store sale $5 off beef when you spend $20 on your order. Internet printable at Beef Quiz .com . These Q's change periodically.
Also Have gotten Q's for Laura's Lean ground beef but did not use them due to small selection.
Apples Free when you buy carmels. (I buy those anyways for Christmas candy making)