coupons??
- Thread starter wormuth54
- Start date
I'm in the same boat as you. I'm determined to not let it stress mr and just be a part time couponer. If I run across coupons for things we will us, I take advantage of them. I just don't want to put that much effort into it. I'd rather just buy generic or at Costco/Sams to save money.
Actressdancer
New Member
I NEVER have luck on grocery items because buying brand names on most things is rarely the way to save. However....
I follow Hip2Save.com. She posts the coupon match-ups for many stores based on current and recent coupon inserts. She has videos and blog entries explaining exactly how to do the craziness. Her match-ups are the reasons I've been so successful with HBA type items. I've had my best moments at Walgreen's using her match-up list. (I've gotten paid to shop several times!)
I DO buy brands we don't use, and here's why: More often than not, I either pay pennies or nothing for the items. When the Joplin Tornado happened, I had a huge stockpile that I'd paid a total of a couple of dollars for. I was able to donate those items knowing I could be a blessing because I'd invested time instead of money (I had time, not money).
I follow Hip2Save.com. She posts the coupon match-ups for many stores based on current and recent coupon inserts. She has videos and blog entries explaining exactly how to do the craziness. Her match-ups are the reasons I've been so successful with HBA type items. I've had my best moments at Walgreen's using her match-up list. (I've gotten paid to shop several times!)
I DO buy brands we don't use, and here's why: More often than not, I either pay pennies or nothing for the items. When the Joplin Tornado happened, I had a huge stockpile that I'd paid a total of a couple of dollars for. I was able to donate those items knowing I could be a blessing because I'd invested time instead of money (I had time, not money).
mschickie
Active Member
I do it in spurts. Life got way too busy around April and grocery shopping was put on the back burnere but I am just getting back into doing it.
I love having all my coupons in a binder. Before I rarely used my coupons now I can see what I have at least. I try to only buy items I know I can use or donate. The stores around here only double to $1 if they double at all so I can not do some of the spectacular deals you see on extreme couponing but I have been able to cut my bill on average 30% which I am fine with. I also now use more coupons at BJ's since I can match them with their coupons.
I love having all my coupons in a binder. Before I rarely used my coupons now I can see what I have at least. I try to only buy items I know I can use or donate. The stores around here only double to $1 if they double at all so I can not do some of the spectacular deals you see on extreme couponing but I have been able to cut my bill on average 30% which I am fine with. I also now use more coupons at BJ's since I can match them with their coupons.
Pam L in Mid TN
New Member
I do coupon. Sometimes. I want to get back into it.
I've tried several different methods and only one method really works for me. I have a small box and put labeled envelopes in the box. I cut the coupons I think I will use on Sunday afternoon and file them in the correct envelope. I keep the box in the van with me for quick runs to grocery store. I want to get a binder with baseball card pages. Then I could see the coupons easier while in the store.
When brand names are on sale AND you use a coupon AND you shop at a store that doubles coupons, then you can get brand names less than generics.
I only buy one Sunday paper. I know folks that buy 10 papers because our Krogers have 10 for $10 sales. You can use a coupon on those sales! Lot of people don't know that most of the time you don't HAVE to buy $10! Each item will ring up for one dollar.
Publix here also has great BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales that you can use a coupon with. Sometimes you can only buy one and it rings at half price. Other times you have to buy 2. I frequently have coupons for cereal that is $1 off two or three boxes. Use one of those with a BOGO and you've got cereal for less than half price.
You can also "stack" coupons. Target sends me store coupons, to be used at Target only. I can use a Target coupon and a manufactuer coupon on one item. And if that item is on sale then I've really saved some money.
Using coupons does not have to be a big deal like you see on TV. I don't "stockpile" like many couponers do. I don't have 10 tubes of toothpaste saved up.
This is motivating me to organize my coupons today!
AFTER I organize our summer school.
Pam
I've tried several different methods and only one method really works for me. I have a small box and put labeled envelopes in the box. I cut the coupons I think I will use on Sunday afternoon and file them in the correct envelope. I keep the box in the van with me for quick runs to grocery store. I want to get a binder with baseball card pages. Then I could see the coupons easier while in the store.
When brand names are on sale AND you use a coupon AND you shop at a store that doubles coupons, then you can get brand names less than generics.
I only buy one Sunday paper. I know folks that buy 10 papers because our Krogers have 10 for $10 sales. You can use a coupon on those sales! Lot of people don't know that most of the time you don't HAVE to buy $10! Each item will ring up for one dollar.
Publix here also has great BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales that you can use a coupon with. Sometimes you can only buy one and it rings at half price. Other times you have to buy 2. I frequently have coupons for cereal that is $1 off two or three boxes. Use one of those with a BOGO and you've got cereal for less than half price.
You can also "stack" coupons. Target sends me store coupons, to be used at Target only. I can use a Target coupon and a manufactuer coupon on one item. And if that item is on sale then I've really saved some money.
Using coupons does not have to be a big deal like you see on TV. I don't "stockpile" like many couponers do. I don't have 10 tubes of toothpaste saved up.
This is motivating me to organize my coupons today!
AFTER I organize our summer school.
Pam
sloan127
Active Member
We don't have many grocery stores in our small town. I try to use coupons when I can but we don't have the stores that double or triple like you see in bigger towns. It just got to be a big hassle and a lot of work to keep up with the notebook full of coupons. I found we saved more on health and beauty aids than we did on food.
Loriann
New Member
My husband is retired from the Air Force, so we shop at the commissary. The commissary sells everything at cost and then adds a 5% surcharge to your bill to pay for their overhead. When I first started couponing, I was just trying to save enough money in coupons to pay the surcharge. I was a young military wife and I tracked my savings in my household info notebook. When my savings added up to $50, my husband and I would treat ourselves to dinner out. LOL
It is interesting to compare commissary prices to those at the regular grocery stores. You start to see how much mark up there is. You also learn what items are loss leads in the regular stores. For example, Walmart sells diapers at cost or even a small loss. I am guessing they figure lots of people will buy diapers at Walmart if they cost less there and for the most part, no one runs into a store to buy diapers without buying a few other things.
It is interesting to compare commissary prices to those at the regular grocery stores. You start to see how much mark up there is. You also learn what items are loss leads in the regular stores. For example, Walmart sells diapers at cost or even a small loss. I am guessing they figure lots of people will buy diapers at Walmart if they cost less there and for the most part, no one runs into a store to buy diapers without buying a few other things.
Actressdancer
New Member
Also why, in the newer layouts, Diapers are on the very back wall. :lol:
JosieB
Active Member
I tried it last year. Like SERIOUSLY tried it. Bought a binder, the baseball crd pocket thingies, printed out store policies, check the match ups on the blogs each week, the whole 9-yards! (video proof-you may laugh at me LOL)
It's just too much of a time commitment and we don't tend to eat things like hamburger helper and such which is what most coupons are for. I try, as much as possible, to shop the 'outside aisles' where the real food is and do most of my cooking from scratch. There just aren't many coupons for those items, at least not enough to justify buying papers for coupons. Coupons make me buy those things. LOL Then we eat those things.
I do however get some awesome deals at Walgreens. I don't 'do' anything special to prepare for this anymore, I simply walk in Walgreens and grab a paper and a coupon book. Then I walk down every aisle, looking for sales, register rewards and clearance items. Before I check out I go through my items and separate them into ever how many orders I need to have, then check out. I try to roll my rewards each trip so I don't walk out with any remaining register rewards...not always possible though if I'm stocking up on something.
CVS has good sales too, but my CVS is horrible and has rude employees...so I don't shop there.
My favorite site for learning how to coupon though is Krazy Coupon Lady (I've linked directly to the beginner series which is very helpful!)
It's just too much of a time commitment and we don't tend to eat things like hamburger helper and such which is what most coupons are for. I try, as much as possible, to shop the 'outside aisles' where the real food is and do most of my cooking from scratch. There just aren't many coupons for those items, at least not enough to justify buying papers for coupons. Coupons make me buy those things. LOL Then we eat those things.
I do however get some awesome deals at Walgreens. I don't 'do' anything special to prepare for this anymore, I simply walk in Walgreens and grab a paper and a coupon book. Then I walk down every aisle, looking for sales, register rewards and clearance items. Before I check out I go through my items and separate them into ever how many orders I need to have, then check out. I try to roll my rewards each trip so I don't walk out with any remaining register rewards...not always possible though if I'm stocking up on something.
CVS has good sales too, but my CVS is horrible and has rude employees...so I don't shop there.
My favorite site for learning how to coupon though is Krazy Coupon Lady (I've linked directly to the beginner series which is very helpful!)
dalynnrmc
New Member
dalynnrmc
New Member
This. :roll:
I've tried. Really, I have. I don't save enough for my time to be worth it. Ever. Especially considering the mileage I have to drive to get to the places that take the coupons, and no one does doubling/tripling around here. No one.
So I stopped bothering. LOL
ABall
Super Moderator
we try to use as many coupons as possible. And it drives me nuts having a good coupon and not being able to use it..... because I don't drive we have to have a good system (and it works sometimes and sometimes not)........ here are my tips.......
1) if you have more than one coupon for something .... layer them and cut them out at the same time. .... if you are asking the kids to cut them, tell them to cut OUTSIDE the lines.
2) find a coupon holder or some kind of keeper that works for you.... I have not put together a binder but I know some people use them well. for now I just have the accordian style holder its probably as big or longer than a business size envelope.
catigorize: I have sections for:
FREE
STORE COUPONS
CEREAL & BREAKFAST
CANS
BOXES
SAUCES & MIXES (GRAVY ETC...)
BAKING
PAPER GOODS AND HOUSEHOLD (toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies)
DAIRY & REFRIGHERATED (meat, biscuits, cheese)
FROZEN
PERSONAL (razors, shampoo, tums, etc..)
3) try to use a manufactures coupon with a store coupon or sale! (tricky at some stores) but once you know your store's policy it can work most of the time.
4) use your sales papers and make a list!.... make a symbol (I put the letter C inside of a circle for a coupon or an F inside a square if I have a free coupon) ... anyway it lets my husband know to look inside the coupon holder when he sees that symbol.
5) if you are stock piling, make sure you are shopping when there aren't going to be long lines, so you can get things strait and not make anyone mad at you.
6) send off your expired coupons to a military base (there are website instructions if you google it) or get rid of them...... so you don't see a coupon with high hopes only to get to the check out and find out its expired.
7) start slow..... you won't have a stock pile instantly, if you have room for stock piling, I don't so I just use coupons on our weekly items, we'll get a few items if we know its a rally good price....
8) find coupon friends, either at church, on line, or your neighbor...... let them know what kind of products you use most and they can set them aside for you when they see them and you can do the same thing...... I personally like seeing Kool-aid, crystal light, country time lemonaid type coupons, and Maxwell house.....
GOOD LUCK....... don't get frustrated. Use the blogs to your advantage there are so many of them!
1) if you have more than one coupon for something .... layer them and cut them out at the same time. .... if you are asking the kids to cut them, tell them to cut OUTSIDE the lines.
2) find a coupon holder or some kind of keeper that works for you.... I have not put together a binder but I know some people use them well. for now I just have the accordian style holder its probably as big or longer than a business size envelope.
catigorize: I have sections for:
FREE
STORE COUPONS
CEREAL & BREAKFAST
CANS
BOXES
SAUCES & MIXES (GRAVY ETC...)
BAKING
PAPER GOODS AND HOUSEHOLD (toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies)
DAIRY & REFRIGHERATED (meat, biscuits, cheese)
FROZEN
PERSONAL (razors, shampoo, tums, etc..)
3) try to use a manufactures coupon with a store coupon or sale! (tricky at some stores) but once you know your store's policy it can work most of the time.
4) use your sales papers and make a list!.... make a symbol (I put the letter C inside of a circle for a coupon or an F inside a square if I have a free coupon) ... anyway it lets my husband know to look inside the coupon holder when he sees that symbol.
5) if you are stock piling, make sure you are shopping when there aren't going to be long lines, so you can get things strait and not make anyone mad at you.
6) send off your expired coupons to a military base (there are website instructions if you google it) or get rid of them...... so you don't see a coupon with high hopes only to get to the check out and find out its expired.
7) start slow..... you won't have a stock pile instantly, if you have room for stock piling, I don't so I just use coupons on our weekly items, we'll get a few items if we know its a rally good price....
8) find coupon friends, either at church, on line, or your neighbor...... let them know what kind of products you use most and they can set them aside for you when they see them and you can do the same thing...... I personally like seeing Kool-aid, crystal light, country time lemonaid type coupons, and Maxwell house.....
GOOD LUCK....... don't get frustrated. Use the blogs to your advantage there are so many of them!
ABall
Super Moderator
by the way I do both www.mypoints.com and www.swagbucks.com and both get me more points when I print off of their site. ..... my husband cracks me up though, he tries, he really does....... but usually if its a good coupon I"ve already printe3d it.
mandiana
New Member
I used to coupon.. had the binder and 2 newspaper deliveries from neighboring cities, but we also don't eat much from the middle of stores and I just haven't had time in the last 6 months.
So, now I just stock up (6 weeks worth) when things go on sale that we normally use/eat and we are part of a produce co-op where we get organic produce for the price of non-organic produce.
The co-op has been fun. It's given us an opportunity to eat a lot of veggies that I would have never though of purchasing. Tonight I'm cooking patty pan squash for the first time ever. Wish me luck!
So, now I just stock up (6 weeks worth) when things go on sale that we normally use/eat and we are part of a produce co-op where we get organic produce for the price of non-organic produce.
The co-op has been fun. It's given us an opportunity to eat a lot of veggies that I would have never though of purchasing. Tonight I'm cooking patty pan squash for the first time ever. Wish me luck!
Pam L in Mid TN
New Member
I mainly coupon on the items I really use. Toothpaste, dish detergent, some "middle of the store" items. I don't use coupons for items I don't really need just because I have a coupon.
I was in Walgreens a few days ago and found the face wash I like on clearance. If I had had my coupon box I could have saved another dollar. I did not have my coupons but bought the face wash anyway.
I was in Walgreens a few days ago and found the face wash I like on clearance. If I had had my coupon box I could have saved another dollar. I did not have my coupons but bought the face wash anyway.
I use coupons for items that I would normally buy or for something new I want to try. I'll occassionally use one for a brand I don't normally use if I get it with a coupon on sale. The price has to be less than my normal brand or the store brand, though. I also use mypoints and swagbucks to print coupons. My Walmart has a bin just inside the door full of coupons with a sign that says "Take one, leave one" I sometimes print off extra coupons and stick them in the bin. Someone gets a coupon for a product they are going to use and I get points too. Win-win.
Emma's#1fan
Active Member
Once up on a time, I couponed. As time passed, I changed the way ate and started making many of our cleaning supplies and beauty products. There is rarely a coupon that I can use these days. Plus, our stores no longer double anything and many do not allow more than one coupon per item at a time.
Jackie
Active Member
Yes, sometimes. I went to a workshop, and found it very interesting, but in all honesty, so many of the coupons we won't use. However, there are some good deals! My mil gives me her coupons, so I will have multiple. The other day, they had Johnsonville brats for $2.99, a really good price as is. I had four 2/.50 coupons, which doubled. So I bought 8 packages for $2.50 each. That will take us pretty much through the summer. I got PopTarts for a really good price. I don't usually buy them, but we were going camping, and they are convenient for that. And I got those Easter Pillsbury cookies that are pre-cut a week after Easter on sale for $1 each, plus a .50/2 coupon. Things like that. But even with the coupons, I'm careful about what I buy.
Renae_C1
New Member
I coupon. I started out using a site called www.thegrocerygame.com There was a small charge (I think I paid $15 every three months) and there is a 6 week free trial. Anyways, I learned most of what I do from there. I liked using them, because they figured out the matchups and everything for you, which is a real time saver. Plus, it can be specific to your area, and it is more accurate than places like www.couponmom.com or www.moneysavingmom.com
The only way to coupon and have it really make a dent in your bill is if you match up coupons with that weeks sales, and stockpile (nothing crazy, but buy 3 or 4 laundry detergents when it is on an awesome sale) rather than getting a great price one week and then having to pay full price another week. My best deals have always been on personal care items. I haven't actually paid money for toothpaste in over a year, and I get the good stuff! I have gotten free (or very cheap) shampoo, conditioner, hand soaps, cleaning supplies, etc. I do use them for food stuff as well, but like someone else mentioned, I have been trying to eat better lately, and there aren't as many coupons for healthy foods. You can get coupons for energy bars, cereals, meats, cheeses, dairy products, etc. that can be healthy. Some of those coupons can be used for different items, so it is really up to you if you choose a healthy or an unhealthy option (like choosing Cheerios over the Golden Ghrams).
Good luck!
The only way to coupon and have it really make a dent in your bill is if you match up coupons with that weeks sales, and stockpile (nothing crazy, but buy 3 or 4 laundry detergents when it is on an awesome sale) rather than getting a great price one week and then having to pay full price another week. My best deals have always been on personal care items. I haven't actually paid money for toothpaste in over a year, and I get the good stuff! I have gotten free (or very cheap) shampoo, conditioner, hand soaps, cleaning supplies, etc. I do use them for food stuff as well, but like someone else mentioned, I have been trying to eat better lately, and there aren't as many coupons for healthy foods. You can get coupons for energy bars, cereals, meats, cheeses, dairy products, etc. that can be healthy. Some of those coupons can be used for different items, so it is really up to you if you choose a healthy or an unhealthy option (like choosing Cheerios over the Golden Ghrams).
Good luck!