Does anyone clip coupons?
 

I've watched several shows where the women buys $500 worth of groceries and only pays $7.00
at the register because of all the coupons she has used. I have searched the internet for coupons,
really can't find much. Maybe 40 cents off 6 Yoplait yogurt, or 20 cents off Green Giant canned veggies.
We live in a rural area and only have Wal-Mart to shop, you can buy their brand of GB cheaper than using the coupon. We get a local paper every 2 weeks and there are no coupons in our paper.
We are retired and on a fixed income and would really like to cut our grocery bill.
My question is, where do they find so many coupons, and especially the ones they talk
about that gives them such great deals??? Thank you for any advice. (Happy Quilting!)

I never found that many coupons that fit our lifestyle. My DIL will post from time to time the bargains she found, but when you really looked at the pic, nothing was what we'd use, or her either. I think she just used every coupon she had regardless if there was a need for it. If it's not what you can use, it's not a bargain.

I have friend who does extreme couponing. All the time she puts into it is not worth it to me. But she turns around and donates a lot to the shelters and food banks. She also sells some of it to friends. A lot of the stuff is so heavily fragrant that you can't stand to go into her house. I must say she has had to move a lot of it to her garage. About the most I've ever saved is when they have double coupons which isn't very often. I saved about $10.00 on a $135.00 bill for groceries and it was for a holiday dinner. She does donate 80% like the canned goods and a lot of toiletries and toothpaste/brushes and deodorant.

I seldom find coupons on the items we use. When I find a sale on any pantry basic or hygiene product I buy enough for six months at a time.

Pieces2, I'm in the same boat you are in. Our only grocery store choice within a reasonable driving distance is Walmart. Their store brands are generally cheaper than name brand with a coupon. I think all of that works better if you live where stores have to work hard to compete and you can watch sales between stores.

Yes I clip coupons for things we use all the time but buy store brands most of the time. We have 4 big grocery chain stores plus Target and Walmart food departments but none of them ever doubles the coupon values. Just watch the sale ads and save a little that way--eat mostly pork and chicken but seldom buy more expensive beef now. For an old farm girl who grew up on all the beef and pork we wanted to eat, the prices we pay now are outrageous!!!!

A lot of stores have instituted rules to prevent extreme couponers from doing that sort of thing anymore. They limit amounts, don't let them take every item on the shelf, etc. Extreme couponers use coupon clipping sites that *mail* them copies of the coupons they want. I don't think you can find many online to print out that are worth using.

we clip a few for local store-living in the boonies we do not get many good coupons-saves us a little but not like on the tv show---I would rather be quilting than clipping anyway,lol.

ha, ha. i'm not one of those ladies. I go through coupons in the paper and am lucky to find one to use.

What I noticed about coupons is that you need to base what you purchase on what coupons you have. 90+% of the time the coupons are for things that I would not normally buy. I think I actually save money by sticking to the tried-and-true items that work for the way we cook and eat.

Maybe look for other ways to save money on food? I know some people save by planting gardens and canning/freezing. If you have a black thumb like me, though, you can waste a lot of money and time on things that don't grow! Not to mention kitchen disasters......

Another option is to look for ways to make a little extra money. If you can master eBay, some people go to garage sales and purchase items to resell online. There are quite a few Youtube videos of people who show what they are buying, what they expect to get, etc. It helps if you have a smart phone so you can look up item prices on eBay, but that's not strictly necessary if you develop a good eye and "feel" for prices.

Same here. Don't use many pre-packaged foods which is what I generally see coupons for. The odd coupon I see for something that we actually use, I'll clip and might remember to use. Half the time I forget to use them before they expire because I use them so infrequently! As someone else said, if you don't use the product, there's no sense buying it just because you have a coupon for it. Definitely no bargain there!

The shows are bogus. They grocery store overrides the coupons for the show. I worked for a grocery store for 16 years, all the stores I know have rules about how many coupons can be used at one time. I have read on different coupon sites that some of the people on these shows committed coupon fraud. You can buy coupons on ebay and there are several sites that only sell coupons. I never found that it was worth it. It is a shame you don't have an Aldi's because they are so cheap. If you are not in an area that doubles coupons they aren't worth it for sure. I buy food boxes every month from one harvest ministries and it is an amazing deal. I also can order from supreme outreach. I am in North Carolina so I'm not sure what outreaches would be available in your area but I get a family box for $37.72 that feeds 5 of us for a week.

One of those shows featured a woman who went dumpster diving for newspaper coupons people had thrown away. These tv programs just have the most extreme cases to attract viewers. Most are shown buying tons of unhealthy products or toothpaste, etc. that will last two lifetimes.

I rarely find coupons on the items I really use and need. Then I forget to take it with me to the store! I just do better by planning my meals around inexpensive items and cooking from scratch (rather than prepared items). I think there was a thread here a year or so ago about frugal living. I'll try to find it and post here on this thread.

Here we go:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/general...ly-t36502.html

It was started in 2010 but I'm sure there are plenty of things that still apply! I love the challenge of saving money. :)

Like ragquilter said, stores around here have a limit of three of the same coupon that can be used. Also, none of the stores here double coupons anymore. Plus the coupons have changed, now you have to buy two or three cans of the item to use the coupon. I used to use coupons when they doubled them and you only had to buy one thing. It's just not worth it any more. Sad but true

Coupon ing does not work for me....
I save money by doing the following:
carefully plan a weeks worth of meals.
eat left overs.
avoid restaurants except a Friday pizza (we both work full-time so we do splurge here)
shop from a list and stick strictly to it. Impulse shopping is where the $$$$ is lost.
avoid processed foods ALMOST completely. They don't fill you up or keep you full for long, they make you unhealthy and cost alot
pack lunch every day (spend 20 minutes packing 6 days worth of lunch salads.
There are recipes for cleaners on the Internet. A few rags and some 5%vinegar (rest is water) will clean almost anything.

i create a wish list on Amazon. I don't allow myself to buy anything unless it has remained on the list for a month. By then, I usually don't want or need it.
Try to be creative to make what I already have work
i also wear hand me downs. Some of my best clothes were free for me.

your best bet is to buy 4-8 weeks worth of an item if it is on sale. That is the length of time before it will go on sale again.
walmart also price matches, research how to make that work.

Save elsewhere. Write down what you spend and where each month and figure out where you want to cut money from. Have FUN with it. Every time you save $, put it in a jar to buy quilt fabric or something else important.

Do not get overwhelmed. Try to make one change per day or week.


I live in NJ, one of the most expensive states in the country (cost of living is so high here) so I feel your pain. Each day, try not to spend. It will become habit

I think it seems to be different regionally, and rural vs urban. We get several coupon packets in the Sunday paper. I only clip what we actually use/need. It's not a bargain if I spend money on something I don't need. While our main grocery store doesn't double coupons, they will let you use a manufacturers coupon in conjunction with their own newspaper ad coupons. They also often run bogo offers. I mainly use name brands, watch for sales, buy meat, rice, flour in bulk and repackage. We garden, so enjoy an abundance of veggies and herbs. Can some, freeze some, give some away!

I use Redplum and Coupons.com for coupons that I use for the household buys. I find ALL laundry Detergent coupons there.
During the winter the coupons are what I call chintzy and are low ball prices. But during the summer you can find some good bargains. I have found some coupons for pork, ham and turkey as well on some of the sites.
Sometimes you can write the parent company of certain brands and you will receive coupons (like Crisco, Smuckers etc... for a good amount off). I received 4- 1.00 off Ida frozen potatoes from one compay for telling them how much I liked their product.

BUT I only clip and print what we would use; with one exception-during the summertime when the ice cream coupons are a good deal (like 2-3.00 off each purchase), then we will buy a variety of ice creams and freeze them ( our summertime indulgence!LOL).

I have done the coupon thing, but I have found that I actually spend MORE money with the coupons. Just because if I have one, I may buy a product I wouldn't necessarily buy, just because I had a coupon. Sort of like when we buy fabric because it's on sale and not because we need it. I do use a few coupons if they are for products I will really use, but I don't make a reality TV show obsession out of it.

Have not done it for years. I just do not use the products they are for.

I clip coupons occasionally for products we would be buying anyway. The amount saved is probably not worth the trouble. We get several coupon inserts in local papers every week, often duplicate copies. Go figure.

I shop at Adli's and Sav-A-Lot I am not a big fan of the high grocery prices at WalMart. The only coupons I really miss are for cat and dog foods. The price goes up and up and the lbs go down - So being in a rural type area I now get my critter foods at our local TSC

I used to use the coupons when the kids were home. Back then you could get coupons for whatever and it was usually something we used. My kids knew they didn't get any treats if they didn't have a coupon for it. We would always go on Monday or Tuesday because that was couble coupon day and also they had a lot of fresh food in then. also did the rebates and all. Till there got to be too many faking receipts and all. then I quit. Just 2 here now- DH and me and we don't buy that much at the store anymore.

Whether I used coupons or not depended on my life at the time. When the kids were little, no, then I did because the store down the road always doubled coupons.
A few weeks ago they said they were going to stop, but they started a computer thing, based on our cell phone number. Iit takes some time to do it, but so far, it seems worth it.
Right now, I've got $30 waiting for me, off my next shopping order
If they keep this up, I'll keep playing by their rules. If not, I'll stop with the coupons

I do this. One year, I was able to get good toilet paper really cheap with a no limit coupon, so I got 12 of the 36 rolls. I put it in the storage shed and my DH came in and made the observation "We are never going to use this much toilet paper!" I said "you'll see." On the last roll of toilet paper after about 3+ years was the message "end of the cheap toilet paper." He saw it and just laughed and laughed. He has never again said a negative word about what I bring home from the store. Just shakes his head, smiles and moves on. Love that man.

I live in a medium sized city, and the Sunday paper usually has about 3 sets of coupons. However, as others have said, if you don't ordinarily use the product, buying it is not a bargain. I do look at the coupons and yesterday clipped one coupon! I will save a few cents - if I remember to use it - not worth my time!!

I know some people dumster dive have friends save theirs also if the coupons are good they hit dollar tree on Monday morning so they can purchase paper for a dollar just for the coupons. I am not a fan of coupons most expire before I get around to use them.

The only coupons I clip are for craft and fabric stores. As far as grocery and personal items, I find the coupons are for things I don't use or don't like especially if there is a required quantity attached to the use of the coupon. There is just so much "stuff" my DH and I can use or eat before it goes bad. Fabric never goes bad.hehehehehehe

When my 4 kids were living at home I did put some time into coupons, but still tried to buy what we needed and used. Kids like snacks and coupons are readily available for snacks. I still use coupons for laundry soap, cleansers and toothpaste, but that doesn't add up to a really huge savings.

Rarely are coupons for anything I or anyone in my family use. The opportunity cost of sitting clipping coupons is too great for me to be very enthusiastic about them. froggyintexas

We shop at Kroger's and shop on Tuesdays when seniors get a discount at the register when we check out. That is how we save. I am tired of finding the shelves cleaned out of items that I buy regularly and complain when that happens. There should be a limit on what people can buy so that others may buy small quantities as well.

If you look at the things they buy when extreme couponing alot of it isn't healthy. Candy, gum, snacks, etc. I use coupons for things I usually use. Our Kroger (chain store in MI) sends me coupons of items I frequently purchase. Most of the time I forget them at home!

I used to be an extreme couponer. I lived in the Boston area where stores tripled coupons with no limit. I belonged to a "coupon club" (think quilt guild but coupons) where we traded coupons, UPC's (for rebates) and cash register tapes. I also did refunds/rebates for cash, products, coupons and what have yous (usually toys). The best shopping trip was 85% saved. I think I had about $100 worth of groceries and ended up paying $15 or so (that was back in the early 1980's when things were cheaper). I now use coupons regularly, but not extremely. I don't get a newspaper, so I have to rely on finding them at the post office where there is a coupon box and the library where there is also a swap box.

I've noticed a big change in coupons over the years. While coupons used to be "cents off one any size" of the product, now you get maybe $1 off, but you have to buy multiples of the item. When stores double or triple coupons, the old coupons were better, you often got the product for free or for pennies. Now the savings is much smaller.

I will always use coupons and do the occasional rebate/refund, but I am not extreme anymore. Last week I managed to save 10% on my $100 grocery bill using coupons. My last rebate was $20 from buying an air conditioner (energy star rebate). Would I still like to save more, you bet, but I'd rather be quilting than cutting coupons (unless they are for JoAnn's!).

Just my 2 cents....:p

Anita

When you use all those coupons to buy umpty-thousand items, how much does the newspaper cost to get those coupons? I mean I have seen that show and they have 50-11 coupons and buy all those bottles of hair spray or French dressing. They end up paying 25 cents for a $3.00 bottle of French Dressing, but how much does it cost them to buy the newspapers and magazines with the coupons, and no one ever mentions "One coupon per person". I use a coupon if I need the item. If I don't need the item, I don't save the coupon. Besides which, I don't have the room. Besides which, there are expiration dates on these items, and most of the stuff on sale is ready for the expiration bin. I am sorry, but it just doesn't make sense to me whatsoever......unless it is all donated.

I have often wondered why these companies don't save themselves the money for printing a billion coupons and just mark the item down so everyone can afford it. From the mouth of a 75 year old with 55 years of shopping under her belt. Greed is greed no matter how you cut the coupon! Edie

I only clip for items I use, so we don't get many. Tide is one I always look for and then wait as long as possible to see if it goes on sale. Yesterday we went to Walgreen's as they had "Boost" buy one get second 1/2 price. We had a $2 manufacturer's coupon and the machine accepted that, too, so we felt we got a great deal. Rarely happens, though.

I do clip coupons, i feed 6 people,four boys and 2 girls. the coupons for missouri really change from area to area. Sometimes i get good deals i.e. $4.00 off a $7.00 item. usuallly it just covers taxes.I am not a extreme couponer,just a desperate mom trying to not pay full price. I have to admit, trying to beat the grocery store prices can be extremely exhausting, but i am up for the challenage!

Where am i going and why am i in my sewing basket??

Seems I fit here too. LOL I rarely use coupons. I tend to buy very few name brands and those that I do buy never have coupons when I need it. I buy very little only exactly what I need. And then only if its on sale.

I have always used coupons and keep a binder with baseball card sleeves to organize them. On some trips I don't use many -- if any -- coupons at all. At other times I use a ton. Yesterday I shopped the local King Kullen store because I noticed in the flyer that many things were on sale for $1 and they also double coupons including $1 coupons. My grocery bill ended up being $237.10 -- and that included a huge roast beef and lots of American lamb (on sale for $2.99/lb). After the coupons, totaling $101.90, my bill was $135.20. Almost half off. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have that $101.90 in my pocket than in the cash drawer of the supermarket. I also keep coupons for fast food and casual dining in my portfolio along with a list of which ones offer senior citizen discounts and on what days. If we're on the go and it looks like there won't be time to cook, we use those coupons and discounts. We get a newspaper delivered daily - and got that at a discount, too - $1.99 a week. The complex I live in gets a delivery of a free paper with ads and coupons in it. After discovering that no one in my building uses them, I wait a day or two and pick them all up. I don't dumpster dive at all. There are also lots of coupons online. You do need to plan your trip and know the store's policy for coupons -- and that might mean several transactions -- especially at Joann -- but it's well worth it.