Couponing and Extreme Couponing or Not
I have been couponing for almost two decades. My mom had done it, and I saw how you could save money to buy other things. I remember thinking by saving the $0.25 on this toilet paper, I could specifically buy a Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup package for $0.25. Can you tell what decade we were in then, when prices where lower, and I ate abundant high fructose corn syrup (now I make my own healthified, tasty peanut butter cups)? I liked the thought of saving money in one area so I could spend it in another area. I still like this concept, but I do believe there is a point where couponing can be overdone, too.
I have never been an extreme couponer. I have never bought multiple newspapers in order to have an abundance of coupons. Yes, my dad subscribes to two different newspapers, and the last six years or so I’ve gotten his sets of coupons, but three sets is way enough for me (too much), and often times I would just give the extra two sets away without even looking at them because it was more to do. And I wanted to spend my time doing other things. I don’t print coupons off the internet either, typically. In the last six months I have only printed a couple of JoAnn’s Fabric Store coupons. I have found in the past when I used to print them out, I just didn’t use them, and I didn’t like printing and cutting more stuff.
There are many ideas to consider when you are thinking about couponing.
- Is the cost of the newspaper justified? We actually get the newspaper daily so I can skim it and JSarr reads the sports section, so this is a cost we would incur anyway.
- Is the time you take looking through the coupons worth it? As we more to more natural and organic eating, it makes less sense to spend loads of time couponing, since you don’t usually see coupons for organic produce, etc….
- It takes time to organize them. I will talk about this more in another post.
- However you decide to organize them, you will want to develop some kind of system.
- Is your system portable enough for you and easy to access?
- Is having a certain coupon manipulating you to buy a certain product when the store brand is actually cheaper without a coupon?
2 week’s worth of coupons weighing me down…
If you don’t coupon now, these questions are a good start of things to ponder when considering couponing. And if you are currently couponing, you may want to reevaluate to see if it is worth your time. I have had a love-hate relationship with coupons for years. I actually have to sit down and go through them, and then I have to organize them; if you know me, you know I am not good at sitting:). Organizing coupons is the key to being ready to use them, so this is an essential part that I commit to doing, but I have a really hard time sitting to do it. There have been times when I haven’t looked at two weeks worth of coupons and I been carrying them in my purse. It weighs me down, and makes me feel overwhelmed. I no longer do this…
As we are purchasing all natural food and buying more organic produce and products, the amount of coupons that I may use has drastically reduced over the last several years, especially in the last six months. I am still looking through the coupons I receive in the newspaper, and now the mail, but I am much more picky. Before I would cut out everything I MIGHT buy if there was a potential for a sale and especially a potential for doubling the coupon at Albertsons, but now that we are looking for whole foods coupons and almost no health aids products, there is so much less to choose from and less work.
Here is a quick list of health and cleaning aids that I am now making, which means less coupons to look for.
- astringent
- deodorant
- foaming hand soap & body wash
- dishwasher detergent, liquid & powder
- all-purpose citrus cleaner
- babywipes/babywipe solution (when my kids were in diapers)
- lavender oil (updated 9/7/12)
Products on my agenda to make in the future:
- laundry soap (it may be awhile since we have a stockpile)
- liquid dish detergent
- toothpaste (it may be awhile since we have a stockpile)
- shampoo
Potential products to make in the future:
- bar soap
- lotion
Here is a list of grocery items I used to exclusively buy packaged/canned with coupons if available, but now I make my own, which are healthier and cheaper:
- granola bars
- granola cereal
- sourdough bread
- yogurt (I buy about half packaged, & always have my homemade yogurt on hand)
- canned beans (I have just started soaking beans)
- cookies
- brownie mixes
- cake mixes
- frosting
- biscuit, pancake and waffle mixes
To make less work I have always carried all of my grocery store coupons in my purse, that way I am ready at a moment’s notice if I do see a good deal. I don’t have to haul a big old binder into the store along with my kids. I already have enough to manage and don’t want to add more to the pile with my kids and the coupons.
Coupons can manipulate us into buying items we normally wouldn’t buy because they seem cheaper. Often times you can get the store brand cheaper than you can the national brand with a coupon. I’ve seen people get really excited about all the money they’ve saved couponing, let’s say buying Hamburger Helper, but they have admitted that they normally don’t eat or buy Hamburger Helper (because it is unhealthy, full of preservatives, etc…). Even though they saved money from the normal Hamburger Helper prices, they still spent money they normally would not have spent. I do know sometimes we choose the national brand because it can be a better product, too, though.
In Western Washington we only have one grocery store, Albertsons, that “consistently” allows for three double coupons at a time, and even their consistency isn’t so consistent. Their doubler coupons often come out to use on a Sunday-Tuesday, but who knows what Sunday they may come out. I don’t shop there Sundays, so by the time I get there, the items I really wanted to double are wiped out. There have been many, many times that I have prepared scenarios and plan Bs, etc…that didn’t come to fruition because the shelves were empty, and it has been a waste of time (except for the fact that God is growing me in patience) to plan and go there.
Have you seen the extreme couponers in the store with a cart load of multiples of the same item, like twenty boxes of cereal or twenty-five deodorants? This practice has discouraged me from shopping at Albertsons, along with the fact that their prices have gone up significantly in the last few years. Yes, people can donate their large quantities of “purchased” items to charity, but I’ve seen that Extreme Couponing show once where a person has their own drug and discount store in their garage. Crazy and unneeded!
So all this to say, I think couponing can be a great strategy for saving money, allowing you to spend less money in one area so you can spend it elsewhere or save. But let’s be balanced stewards of our money and time, and think of others as we coupon, not wiping out a shelf. Also the vast majority of items that you can get with a coupon, frankly, aren’t healthy for you. We still use coupons for a special treat when we periodically go out to eat from Hometown Values or other local coupons, and I am still cutting out, carrying and using a few coupons, just way less than I used to.
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Great post! I’ve recently begun couponing and have definitely saved a lot, but have found that sometimes the ‘coupon rush’ can influence me to buy what I might normally buy if it’s cheap. I’ve had to really plan ahead and be thoughtful about what I’m getting if I want to truly get a bargain. Also, I am donating my expired coupons to an ‘adopted’ military family overseas, as they can use manufacturers coupons for up to six months past the expiration date. Just another thing to consider when it comes to the pro’s and con’s of couponing! You may end up with a stack you didn’t use, but there is a home for them if you don’t mind a few dollars in postage to help out a military family.
By the way, I found you via the blog hop! Came over from wedontneedsleep.wordpress.com!
Very nice, balanced post. I also have been using fewer coupons as we eat more natural foods, but I do still find some useful ones.
One interesting benefit to leafing through the coupon booklets these days is that it helps to reinforce our values! I look at the new products and see a lot of stuff that is so over-the-top unhealthy and/or wasteful, and I kind of pat myself on the back for knowing better than to buy that. 🙂 My family laughs over these ridiculous products, and I think it’s good practice in critical thinking for the kid–now that he’s 7, he’ll sometimes see something on his own (like what the kid next to him brought in school lunch) and come home saying, “Would you believe, blue gummy SpongeBobs with GLITTER in them?! Ewww!!” or whatever. So we regard the coupon booklet as entertainment with possible savings thrown in. 🙂
Thanks, Becca. I know it is interesting seeing what we would have eaten before and what we won’t even give a second thought now. We were faithful Quaker Chewy Granola Bar eaters. I had been making my own for years, but I still bought them to keep on hand in a pinch. I remember the day (a couple of years ago) when I asked my husband if I skip cutting the Quaker coupons out. IT was weird at first, because I thought I could buy them and give them away, but I don’t even want to do that now.
By the way, eating glitter sounds totally gross. They really sell that stuff??
Your outlook is good! Blessing!
Your post made me smile. I used to anxiously await our local grocery chain’s weekly flyer and compare it to online coupon sites. That was before we started cooking more from scratch, gardening, buying meat directly from farmers, and getting a monthly delivery from Azure Standard. We don’t spend more than we used to but eat better food. Just last week the flyer showed up and I realized that there was nothing in it that we actually eat! This is not a bad problem to have.
Hi Laura, I know I realize I am less excited about the ads and coupons these days because we are consuming whole foods now (I still like them, I just like a few of their products). I do want the convention grocery stores to increase their selection of whole foods and decrease their prices of them, so I do like to shop at our local WinCo and Fred Meyer Grocery Stores. Thanks for visiting!
This is great! And you are so right about coupons. I stopped looking through them years ago because I would buy stuff I just didn’t need! (Your picture of the coupons weighing you down made me laugh!) GREAT post! 🙂
Hi Mindy, It really has been freeing since I have cut out less coupons and have been more selective. Thanks for visiting!
This is a great post – very helpful information. I’ve gone back and forth with couponing. When I have time, I will clip coupons, but I’ve never been an extreme couponer.
Thanks for linking up at Romance on a dime!
Great post! I was actually watching Extreme Couponers with the kids tonight, so coming across this post was kismet. :o) We have a family of 4 (including a 17 yr old boy!) and our grocery budget is about $400 a month, and I don’t use many coupons. Granted we shop at the commissary on base, and I know that saves us $ – but I think that the things that are costing most family’s so much $$ at the grocery store are the same things that are making their waist lines expand. Was that harsh? sorry!
What divine timing! Sometimes truth hurts, as you know. Food is medicine. If we put junk in, we will feel like junk, and the body will start reflecting it. We (as a society) need to start learning how to cook, make and bake with whole foods. Blessings! Thanks for visiting, Leslie!!
Such a great post, Sonja! And good on you for reducing your shopping list so much! Very inspiring 🙂 Thanks for linking up at Tiny Tip Tuesday! I’ve enjoyed your tips so much here on your site, that I’m making a new board on Pinterest just for money-saving tips like this one 🙂
Thanks for the encouragement, Sarah!
My story is similar to yours. The more I make myself from scratch, the fewer coupons I use. One thing I’ve noticed though – the majority of “healthy food” coupons are online printable coupons. Very few will come through the inserts in the paper; most of them are online. I use more and more printable coupons it seems.
Hi Anne, Because I haven’t looked on-line for lots of organic coupons, I didn’t know that. It does make sense that more organic coupons would be on-line rather than in the newspaper, because I am sure it costs way less for those smaller organic companies to have on-line coupons. I should research on-line for the organic products I do use. Thanks so much for the heads up!
I totally agree. So you can turn your garage into your own private grocery store with coupons? The thing that frustrates me is that people forget that even canned goodsloose their freshness over time. Ingredients in shampoo and lotion separate. Medicines loose their potency.
And thinking “I’ll just donate my excess to charity” doesn’t work either. Most states have laws that prohibit non-profits from distributing foods that are past their expiration date.
I live in Milwaukee and stores here are wise to the Extreme Couponers. They require a minimum $25 purchase before you can double a coupon. And even then, you can only double up to five.
I do coupon but here are my rules: a) I only do a “big shop” once a month. Most coupons are for aisle goods and the other three weekends I only shop the permiter of the store fresh produce, dairy and meat. If I miss out on a good coupon in these three weeks, oh well. b) I only use a coupon when I can combine it with a sale price. This goes back to your comment that I can usually find a generic brand or make it from scratch far cheaper than a coupon brand. c) I only use a coupon on products that I already buy. I don’t buy Hamburger Helper so there’s no point in clipping that coupon.
Great post – you make a ton of sense!!
Thanks, Jill, for your comment!
I have had lotion turn runny that I’ve had too long. Fresh is best!
It is interesting because you can see people extreme couponing, but how real is that for most people? Like I said, I have gotten discouraged with trying to double a coupon, and the shelf being wiped out of the product. Moderate couponing is courteous. Thinking of others. That’s nice that you guys have a limit.
We really do the bulk of our shopping around the perimeter of our stores, too! Blessings to you!
Love this post and finally someone making sense. I use to coupon…way to much time for me. We can now budget $400 per month for the three of us for food. There are months I do not use all that, so maybe buying more organic in the months to come. I bake and cook from scratch, buy all the staples I need around the 1st of the month(retirement payday) and shop weekly at the farmers market and local grocery store. I even started buying ice cream and my son’s soda each week as that is our “bad” foods and treats.
It saddens me to see so many younger wives and moms buying so much box cereal and processed foods, and getting excited over all the money they saved. Adding in a few fruits and veggies here and there will not help much in my opinion.
blessings, jill visiting from frugally sustainable
HI Jill,
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. We really have increased the amount of organic food we’ve been purchasing, even in the last month.
I definitely agree about the crazy savings some people will get about fake food. We do still eat cold cereal when we don’t have steel cut oats or granola for breakfast, but it is way less than we used to! I ate cold cereal (mostly unhealthy types) 6 days/week for 33 years!! Now if I buy cold cereal, its Mom’s Best Natural Brand or Organic.
Now our dinner plates have increased to AT LEAST 1/2 salad, if not more. We are slowly incorporating more veggies into lunch, too. Fruits have always been easy to eat for our family!
Thanks for visiting! Sonja
Zaycon really is awesome! I’ve purchased chicken a few different times, bacon and ground beef. They are offering more and more variety and I love it! Recently they have also had salmon, halibut, steaks, beef franks, etc…It’s so nice that when it’s time for pick up they are really organized. I’ve never even had to get out of my car! They line your car with plastic in the back and then set your box(s) in. I would sign up on their website so that you can get emails when an event is going to be in your area. They don’t send out a ton of emails, just when there is an event happening close to you. Here is the link: http://www.zayconfoods.com/refer/zf3189
I only got Zaycon once through a friend, so I really just need to do it! Thanks for the link! I’ve been getting the e-mails. I just haven’t done it on my own, which is what I need to do. Thanks!
Thanks for this post. I’m tracking with you on most of it. Couponing isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure. And yes, just like anything you can over due it pretty easily. I’ve found that in moderation couponing has been the single most important thing in reducing our budget long term. I enjoy clipping coupons and organizing them, so maybe I’m weird. And I don’t spend more than about 20-30 minutes every week clipping, organizing and planning my store runs. I do sometimes get 3 copies of the newspaper if the coupons are such that I will use most of them. I stack them on top of each other and basically cut each group of coupons once. I buy a lot of my baking goods at WinCo and also rice, dried beans, nuts and such in the bins. I use bountiful baskets for produce when I am not gardening. I use Zaycon foods as much as possible and shop sales for meat. I have to tell you though–it’s really my pet peeve when people say that couponing isn’t worth it because most of the coupons are for junk food. That may have been true in the past, but not anymore. There are coupons for junk food-I won’t argue that. But that doesn’t mean you have to use them, don’t even clip them! But I think you are cheating yourself a whole lot of savings from not at least skimming and clipping the coupons you will use and keeping them with you. I track my savings every month with the downloadable savings tracker from the coupon project blog. I enter in all my receipts. I understand my time is also important and I want to make sure it makes sense for me even to spend the 20-30 minutes each week on my coupons before I shop. In the past two years shopping sales and combining my coupons with sale prices I have saved 50-60% every month. For our family of five that means that if I didn’t shop sales or use coupons we would be spending an extra $600 a month. AND, I do still feed my family healthy things. In the past year: for example, I’ve used coupons for these healthy products (to name a few): milk, cheese, organic yogurt, produce, organic rice, soy milk, canned beans, canned tomatoes, canned veggies and fruit, whole wheat pasta, coffee, meat, organic protein bars, tea, sour cream, butter, etc… Not to mention the toiletries that most people use if they don’t have time to make them: toothpaste, shaving cream, razors, cosmetics, deodorant, soaps, shampoo, toilet paper and paper towel. I think you have to find what works for you and your family and make good use of the time you have.
Hi Jane, I really appreciate your feedback. I TOTALLY think you can save lots with coupons, and I can’t ever recycle a batch of coupons without having looked at the coupons first. I am excited at the fact that there are more natural and organic coupons coming out, like today I pulled out the coupon for Silk Coconut Milk. We are just buying so many more fruits and vegetables than ever before, so my grocery bill has shifted and I just haven’t had as big of a need for the coupons, yet I still have to look at them. I think I am going to start using Zaycon more. 20-30 minutes seems completely reasonable for clipping and organizing coupons! I also totally use store coupons like Fred Meyer. They usually have some good ones. I do agree that you have to do what works for your family. My conscience still calls me to look at coupons and cut what I think I might use. Thanks for your feedback! Sonja