Coupons or No Coupons???
By ZephyrSun
@ZephyrSun (7381)
United States
July 27, 2008 4:01pm CST
I'm a huge coupon person as most probably know by now, but I was just reading this article on MSN about not using coupons. The woman stated that she did not like using coupons and that the only way that she could save money was by eating more rice and bean meals.
I went to the grocery store today and before coupons, my total was $135.69 and after my coupons were taken off it was $34.22. I had a cart full because I have picked up 5 boxes of cereal, 6 boxes of fruit snack, 4 boxes of some fruit yogert bits that my kids love, and just a bunch of other things. Now, this is a pretty normal shopping trip for me my savings with coupons is usually 80-90% today it was less because Ball Park all beef Franks were on sale and so I bought 7 seven packages of them ( after coupon it was like 62 cents a package) We never use store brand except for black olives LOL. Some may know that before coupons our food bill is about $2,300 a month after coupons it is about $375.
So do you use coupons or are you a store brand user? Here's the article incase you are a store brand user, it seems to be more useful for store brand users.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/CollegeAndFamily/RaiseKids/CanAFamilyEatOn100AWeek.aspx
3 people like this
9 responses
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
27 Jul 08
I'll use a coupon if it's something I was going to buy anyway, but I rarely use name brands and I just don't use the products that coupons are available for.
Most of the coupons I see are for dog food, baby products, cleaning products, laundry products, etc.
I don't have a dog, I don't have a baby, and I don't use laundry and cleaning products that you buy at the regular stores - I strictly use the environmentally friendly products that aren't filled with nasty chemicals that can hurt you.
1 person likes this
@Ldyjarhead (10233)
• United States
28 Jul 08
That Magic Eraser is one of the most harmful products on the market. Children have been injured severely just from handling them. I wouldn't have one in my home.
I use a lot of vinegar and baking soda, but I still have a lot of Melaleuca products from when I bought some in bulk some time ago. I've run out of dish soap so had to buy something in the local health food store.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Do you make your own cleaning products or do you buy products like 7th generation? I mostly use baking soda for cleaning my kitchen, a little on my Mr. Clean magic eraser works wonders in there. Living in a house with 3 boys, and a husband I feel like I need industrial cleaner to clean the bathroom, my one boy doesn't have the best aim. Thanks for responding.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
27 Jul 08
For some reason I can not figure out, I stopped using coupons for a couple of months. Lately, I've returned to them in a big way. There's one big problem with them, though. Most of them are for pre-packaged, somewhat artificial things. I used coupons this week for deli cheese and roast beef, and for yogurt, but there wasn't much beyond those that were on my list or my diet. One thing that bothers me is that people often say things about double or triple coupons, and I've never seen that. Is it only in certain parts of the country? I'm envious!
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Oh, yes my store doubles up to $1.00 and anything over $1.00 becomes $2.00, I have found that going to that store is cheaper than Wal-Mart. It is very nice, we do not have triple coupons, once in a while Kroger's, will triple up to $0.50 but that is very rare. My family eats a lot of organic foods because my store will put them on sale and then with coupons they are free so it just makes sense to get them. My husband is the only one that loves processed foods here so every once in a blue moon I will make hamburger helper (with I think is so gross) and he is the only one that will eat it YUCK! Thanks for responding.
@cobrateacher (8432)
• United States
28 Jul 08
I'm envious. I don't ever remember seeing a double or triple-coupon sale, and it's more than just rare to see sales on produce. I have to admit, I don't stop looking for them.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
30 Jul 08
I don't use too many coupons because I can usually buy the store brand cheaper than the name brand with the coupon. I also do most of my cooking from scratch, and I don't find many coupons for the staples that I buy.
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
30 Jul 08
I used to have a recipe in a children's cookbook for some really good "from scratch" chicken nuggets, but I'm afraid that I gave that book to my grandsons when we were thinning out to move. If I remember correctly, they were breaded with crushed cornflakes and baked in the oven.
I buy flour 25 lb. at a time and store in a large plastic sealed container. I bake most of the bread we use as wel as cookies and such that we snack on.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
30 Jul 08
I can completely understand that. I can remember flour coupons but for the brand name with the coupon it is still way more expensive than the store brand. Here though the items like cereal, chips and ect the store brand is usually more expensive for me to buy than to buy the name brand with a coupon. I cook some items from scratch but something I have tried (chicken nuggets) and it didn't turn out so well, so my family really likes the fact that I buy them instead of make them. Thanks for the response!
@beaniecat (329)
• United States
29 Jul 08
I use coupons. I'm not loyal to brands. I have an entire shelf of cereal that I got free using coupons. I've also given away a ton of cereal. Over all, we've dropped our grocery bill by $145 a month.
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
29 Jul 08
That's great! You must be like me, I had to just rotate the cereal since the weekend and I counted 30 boxes. It is so great with the savings! Thanks for sharing!
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
31 Jul 08
You gotta teach me how to do that!
I never thought it was worth buying the sunday paper to get the coupons.
It always seemed to me that the store brand is less than using a coupon to buy the name brands.
Where do you get all your coupons?
When I do buy the sunday paper (for $1.50) there are usually only coupons for 1 or 2 items I even like.
I guess I just give up easily.
@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Oh wow, lots of info there! Thanks!
Duh, I have 2 copies of the 'All You' magazine here. I had subscribed to it but didn't pay the bill, so I think they stopped sending it, and all the coupons in them are already expired. I didn't even notice them in there when I got the magazines!
I did print some coupons out from one site before. I think it may have been coupons.com
But another one had good ones that you could check the boxes of all the products you wanted and then print them...but for some reason my computer was not allowing the printing program to load. That was very upsetting because I went through all the pages and checked everything I wanted.
Maybe now that I am using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer I should try it again.
I'll check out all those sites you mentioned.
And I'd also be interested in the Yahoo groups too.
You can PM me if you accepted my friend request.
Thanks!!
Thanks!!@momalisa65 (1971)
• United States
31 Jul 08
Haha! I was thinking of giving you 'best response' but this was YOUR discussion, not MINE! Lol!!!
@relundad (2310)
• United States
29 Jul 08
OMG who are you shopping for the US Army? I don't use coupons, not that I don't think they save you money. Just that I am not an organized shopper. I shop off of instinct. I don't have a regular day to shop. I don't shop at any particular store, I don't buy any particular brand just not store brand. If I used coupons I might have to change all of that! I walk in, walk each aisle and whatever tickles my fancy I get. Sometimes thats once a month, sometimes that once a quarter. Sometimes I go shopping just for the day and a meal for my son and I could be as much as 60 dollars depending on what we want for that day.
Man, if I could adapt your ways I could probally buy another house or another CD or some stock to add to my portfolio or something huh?
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
27 Jul 08
I think that I could never move there, I would not know how to live frugal without my coupons. I always thought that it would be so beautiful to go and visit, I guess beauty has it's downfalls. Thanks for responding.
@danishcanadian (28954)
• Canada
27 Jul 08
I can't imagine that there are people ou there who do not like using coupons. I there is a coupon on something tat I will use anyway, I will use the coupon. I it's not on something that I use, I won't waste money by getting someting I don't particularly want or need, just because I have a coupon.
@frankiecesca (2489)
•
28 Jul 08
I use coupons if it will save me money but tend to buy a lot of store own brand stuff. Good saving that you get there! x
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
28 Jul 08
Well being over here, we have a lot of coupons and our store brands are usually close to the same price as brand names. Thanks for responding.
