Coupon queen shares her ideas

**Shell** · 03-09-2006, 10:42 PM

http://www.thejacksonchannel.com/mon...1/detail.html#

I think coupons can be great but you have to be sure that it is a product that you would normally buy and not just buying because you have a coupon. Also, is that product the best price or is their something cheaper?

You Americans are lucky though because you get double and triple coupons!

**Darlene** · 03-10-2006, 06:46 AM

Does my heart good to see people save money.

guest7 · 03-10-2006, 07:10 AM

It's nice that she is saving money and being careful about where she spends her grocery dollars. But having cut coupons in the past- I wonder, how much did she SPEND in groceries in order to save $890.34.

Using TWG mentality, she earned $8.65/hr . (2 hours/wk=104 hrs/yr divided by $890.34) which is decent. But not knowing what she paid out in groceries makes it difficult to say whether this is a good idea.

Making foods from scratch is ultimately the cheapest way to go. Mac n Cheese costs $.25 to make from scratch and has no chemical stuff. You won't find many coupons for flour, sugar, corn meal, etc. But if you must buy canned foods- because you don't garden or can; then comparing prices with coupons is essential. There are many times I skip the coupon offer because the equivalent generic is cheaper than that.

The bulk of my coupon savings comes with H+B aids. Even still, I am careful to compare an equal but less expensive product. (The only thing I don't waver on is my deoderant. I like to keep my friends. nuf said.)

What are other villager's thoughts?

**momof42003** · 03-10-2006, 04:50 PM

Well I know that I just saved 12.00 on my 150.00 shopping trip... I guess it would depend on the amount of the coupons. I mean the $1 coupons and up can really add up quick, especially where you can find a store that will double (usually up to 50cents) but still worth it... Granted *if* I saved 12.00 a trip that would only be 288.00 a year in savings and *if* I spent 300.00 a month in groceries that would be 3600.00 a year in money spent.... I still like getting thing for a lot cheaper than I would have if I did not have a coupon.. I try my best to match to the ads and use rebates as I remember to do so...

**Mamaw** · 03-11-2006, 10:24 AM

My area doubles coupons up to an including 99 cent. That being said, there are times when using the coupon at double the value makes an item almost free. I have gotten items at less than the cost of making them from scratch. Examples of that would be cake mix, packaged noodle and sauce mix, taco mix, etc. But in many other instances, even with double coupons, the Save aLot of Aldis brand is much cheaper and making my own is even less. I think it really comes down to knowing your prices inside and out plus factoring in what your family will and will not eat. I will admit, I have become a bit spoiled when buying shampoo, toothpaste, tooth brushes and deodorant. I usually never pay more than a quarter for those items and many times they end up being free. It just depends!

**AmyBoz** · 03-11-2006, 01:43 PM

Good article! I use coupons combined with sales regularly and do very well. I only use the coupons when I can get the items for nearly free (with the exception of cereal) and so I am not spending more in order to use the coupons.

When done right, it really can save you money. And, I, in no way, have to devote 2 hours to the cause.

**pita1213** · 03-11-2006, 04:49 PM

i average about $20.00 in coupon savings on my big shopping trip (anywhere from $125.00 - $200.00 spent) and about $5.00-$10.00 on the smaller trip at the end of the month which might be $75.00 spent.
i get my coupons from 2 papers on sunday (our local paper and the washington post) and then my mother gives me her inserts. i buy the 2 papers because they are considered 2 different markets so one will have coupons the other doesnt and sometime they will have different amounts off. i'll check one of the coupon list sites to make sure it's worth going to get both of them because i have to use coupons that equal $3.25 out of teh inserts just to break even on the money spent for the papers. if there's nothing good in them, i just get the inserts from my mom.
if i keep up with it, it takes me maybe 30 minutes a week. but life happens and i'll getbehind and i made spend a couple of hours the night before a shopping trip getting things organized and filed. but ido that while i watch tv so it's not a big drag.

if it's been a good year and each month i did save 30 on both trips combined, i save $360 a year. not as much as those that news artciles are written about, not too shabby either.
and the people i work with know that if they are going shopping and need a coupon on something, i probably have it and will be happy to share with them.

**baxjul** · 03-11-2006, 04:55 PM

Great article, thanks!

**i.m.cheap** · 03-13-2006, 07:34 AM

I hate to brag, but I save at least $1,500 a year with coupons. I have a very organized system, and we don't eat a lot of "junk". It is not uncommon for my coupon savings to exceed the amount of cash outlay in one shopping trip. Just last night, I saved over $15 in coupons and spent $10.10 for three bags of groceries. I do find coupons for flour and sugar, too. And cheese, (for that homemade mac' and cheese) in fact, two weeks ago, I got six 8 oz. packages of Kraft Crumbles FREE! That is three pounds of FREE cheese. I also regularly find coupons for the following, making these items very cheap or free (with double coupons):

yogurt
salad
salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, mayo
canned fruit
coffee and tea
canned vegetables, beans and tomato sauce
pasta sauce
cereal (even oatmeal! I purchased two large - 38 oz. size oatmeal last month for 29¢ each)
margarine, cheese, sour cream
shampoo, bar soap, body wash
razors, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes
cooking oil, cooking spray (PAM for 59¢, you can't beat that at ALDI's!)
the list goes on, and on....

**Shell** · 03-13-2006, 10:20 AM

That's great!

**mom21ofeach** · 03-13-2006, 10:37 AM

I have been told at Wal-mart that they will not price-match on meat or fish...I wonder if that differs from store to store since the lady in the article price-matched her fish?

I have issues with Wal-mart and no longer shop there, but another store in town also price-matches and doubles coupons $1.00 and under, so that's usually where I shop.

**Jerseygirl** · 03-14-2006, 01:35 PM

I live by my coupons. My weekly shopping trip-which includes lots of diapers, formula, h and b and cleaning is about the same weekly-yesterday was typical
144.94 before store card and coupons
135.56 after card
99.97 after coupons
This was for the week, including stockpile items for 2 adults, 2 toddlers, 1 newborn and a teen on weekends.
I could not do it all without coupons and I look forward to triple coupons because that's when we really stock up.

**freedeal** · 03-14-2006, 01:45 PM

I am not normally a coupon shopper but the other day I needed some cabbage and decided to grab the coupons I had been getting in the mail recently. I went in with the intention of getting only the cabbage and the other items I had coupons for. I got 16 Dr Peppers (yes, we will drink them all), 5 candy bars, Hot Pockets and my cabbage. I paid a grand total of 44 cents. I was shocked, the cashier was shocked and my children were shocked.

I have a lot of coupons sitting around here for free items that I let expire because I didn't want to bother with them. Had I not needed to run to the store for cabbage these other coupons would have expired on 3/31 so I may not have gotten around to using them.

Guess, I need to put using coupons in my frugal challenge.