Coupons... Fiction or Frugal?

Those that have read my blog AT ALL know that I am just about the cheapest person around. OK maybe not the cheapest, I do love me a night out to dinner, or a new outfit, or to see the latest action flick at the movies.

I try to make our budget stretch for groceries. I think I do a very good job. I make most of my things from scratch, I don't buy a lot of prepackaged food, and we rarely eat out. Lately I have been wooed by the "couponers". You know those women who go into a store with coupons and get $600 worth of groceries for $6, well maybe that's a slight exaggeration but you get the idea. First of all $600 worth of groceries would last us like 3 months, second of all where are they finding all these deals? I have tried and tried to be one of them. I subscribe to coupon blogs (only the free ones of course), I look in the news paper and scour the grocery store ads when they come on Wednesday's, and still I am eluded by the coupon fairy. Every time I find a coupon link on-line I click and it tells me they are no longer printing said coupon. When I do find a coupon in the newspaper it is always for something that we don't normally buy.

So what is the secret? Buying things just cuz they are on sale, regardless if you would have gotten them in the first place, subscribing to coupon sites that charge a monthly fee and tell you were and when to shop, buying 5 or 6 Sunday papers? That seems like a waste of money to me. If someone out there has the answer PLEASE HELP.

For now I'm gonna stick to my idea of frugal shopping. If a food company has made it and packaged it I probably can make it too and for a lot less $$$$.

Comments

AndieF said…
I went through a period earlier this year when I was using quite a few coupons, although I do really try to only use only use coupons for the namebrand items that we use regularly anyway. Over the summer, I stopped using them, mostly because I got busy, and partly because I just bought lots less busy, and partly because I noticed that it was more work than I really wanted to do.

I recently started using coupons again, but I don't use that many. I don't make a special efforts, and I generally only use the coupons that Kroger sends me, since they track my items and send coupons for those types of items.

But I do think that it would the most frugal to just use basic, non pre-packaged items. Unfortunately, I still can't live without things like Secret deodorant and Angel Soft toilet paper, so if I have a coupon for those items, I'll use it. Usually.
October 11, 2009 at 7:08 PM
Anna said…
I stink at coupons. I was so excited that some came in the mail last week. I went to the store and put the items I wanted in my cart. Went to the checkout, bought my stuff and went home. On the way home, it occurs to me I never used the coupons. Fortunately, the items are things I use regularly, so it wasn't a total waste. But still. I just stick with price matching.

I do find that the less-processed foods are better for my pocketbook AND my waistline.
October 11, 2009 at 8:05 PM
Williams Family Dirt said…
I don't use coupons very often because it is stuff we don't eat and more often than not, it is high sugar, and full perservatives garbage. Like you I try to make everything from scratch. I do like to save money, and sometimes I feel the coupon clipping stuff is a farce.

I knew a lady who would dumpster dive for the thrown out Sunday papers to get her coupons, she new exactly where to find them. She would get boxes of cereal for .25 cents. I think she was a little compulsive, not something I would do. I definitely think frugal is the way to be. There are tons of ways to save money in these times, and do things for less. You just have to be creative!
October 11, 2009 at 8:35 PM
Merrimom said…
About two years ago, I signed up for a company and got two or three Sunday papers with it. It was kind of fun to walk out of the store with a whole lot of food for not much money, but what I found is exactly what you are saying...you come home with prepackaged things that really aren't healthy and I wouldn't have normally bought them. I did it for a while, it was really time consuming, and then decided I liked my old way - shopping with no coupons and being frugal - which meant eating healthier too. It's all a matter of opinion I suppose, but I personally didn't feel like it saved me money. I was paying about $30 a month just for the service and newspapers. Do you know how many fruits & veggies I can get with $30??? I know you do!
October 11, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Willow said…
I have never had much luck with coupons. Occasionally, I'll see one worth using, but generally we don't buy the items featured in coupons. I have friends who do get $600 dollars worth of groceries for 6 bucks.... but, most often my friends have purchased items I wouldn't have used.

Instead of coupons, I shop several different stores. I check out the grocery adds and plan meals based on what is for sale that week. If it is a really good deal, I'll buy extra and put the item away in the pantry or freezer.

Like you, we have to make things from scratch. Christopher and I both have a severe intolerance/allergy to soy... pre-fab food is not nice to our systems. On the other hand, I think foods made fresh and from scratch taste so much better.

That reminds me... I should share our Chocolate Brownie Cake recipe with you. Unless you already have the recipe.
October 11, 2009 at 8:55 PM
Stacey said…
I don't use too many coupons either-only if it is something we use no matter what. I normally but the store brands. I think price matching is the best way to go. I don't do it very often but I want to start. Do you look at dealseekingmom.com??
October 11, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Normal Mom said…
I've actually had the best luck with coupons for clothes. It doesn't happen often, but once in awhile I get a coupon on top of a sale for something like a coat or boots.
I only use coupons for the things we use. Occasionally for something I want to try.
I have the best luck with limiting the stores I go to, and trying to use coupons in combination with store deals. But honestly, I don't think I save more than about 5 or 6 dollars at any given time.
I think the people who pay $6 for their groceries are buying a lot of junk food, so what's really the point?
When they start handing out coupons for produce, I'll make out like a bandit because that's where I spend the most money.
October 11, 2009 at 9:39 PM
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