Coupons?

[Jamauk]

I'm curious what kind of coupons you guys use most often? We are trying to cut out processed foods from our diet and I'm cooking mostly from scratch. It seems that most of the coupons I run across are for processed gimiky foods - occasionally I'll see canned veggie coupons.

We don't have a subscription to the paper, but are considering getting a Sunday subscription - mostly for the coupons - and was just wondering if it would be worth it.

Thanks!

[bumplett]

I don't purchase a paper, I use my mom's - I wouldn't find it worth the $2 just for the coupons (just my opinion) - I use very few coupons because of this very reason - they are mostly for processed-junk food, I mostly use pet coupons, coupons for crackers, canned soups, sauces, etc. I get very excited when I find a coupon for organic milk

Do you have someone nearby that you can 'recycle' their coupon inserts?

Or find a group of nearby friends that you can exchange coupons with? so you can use what they leave behind?

[Dancing Lotus]

Well, I use the canned fruit and veggies coupons. I also use the bakeing coupons that are out this time of year. I use the cereal, soup and cracker ones also. I also use spaghetti sauce ones. When I am makeing spaghetti I like to make my own sauce but I have a thousand other things I can use spaghetti sauce for so I use the jared stuff for those. Also applesauce, juice , whole grain pasta ,Whole frouit sorbet, yougurt, olive oil, Tyson game hens, Huneysuckele turkeys, hunts tomatoes, frozen veggies, pickles, Nuts, dried fruits,cheeese, promed land milk, Rice, lioton tea, raisons. Those are just a few of the one I have used in the last few weeks.

I don't think any of that sounds like junk food.

[leezza]

Hi Jessica,

I would say that I seem to be able to use the most coupons on household and personal care items.......but lately I have been getting better at knowing what coupons I have and matching them with sale inserts from the grocery store. In the last month I have used coupons for the following:

Cheese/Dairy
Meat
Fruit, fresh
canned/frozen veggi's

I will agree that you really have to watch and keep it organized to have them help you but after a while it will add up......I live in a area that doesn't double coupons, but between following the sales, using the store card, and keeping up on my coupons I am able to regularly get 30-50% off my final bill......that makes it worth it to me....I try to take on board all the tips that the folks here have to offer.
I believe it's worth doing.

leezza

PS. For the paper I go to the local quick stop and I look thru the paper to make sure there are coupons in there, if so I buy it, if not I don't.....the people who work the store call me the coupon lady : ) I have also told my close neighbors that if they don't want their coupons that I would like to have them.......Then whatever I don't use I pass along.

[bumplett]

Ann - I didn't mean to offend you in any way sorry if I did -

also, another great coupon that I've found many times is for Springer Farms chicken (it's an organic chicken/no antibiotics)

I believe Tyson also carries an "organic" line of meat.

[latierra84]

i use coupons but mostly for hba and cleaning supplies. i rarely ever have to pay for any of these any more because of watching for lowest sale prices and matching those up with coupons. i dont have a subscription though. a few people at work bring me their coupons and i just buy the double sunday paper at the store.

[shoiji]

I buy the sunday papers. I use the bathroom paper, personal products, vegetable, fruit, soup, baking products, some cleaning, milk, and any junk food like crackers or corn chips that have ingredients that I can read and don't need a Phd in Chemistry to understand.

[midwestgal]

I too cook from scratch and don't use coupons for processed food. Here is what I regularly buy with coupons;

crackers
baking products
soup
canned fruit and veggies
pasta
yogurt
cheese, including ricotta
olives/pickles
olive oil
non sugar cereal
toilet tissue
toothpaste

I often combine my coupons with the weekly specials. I have a privately owned grocery here that doubles up to 50 cents Sunday-Tuesday. I buy one Sunday paper or sometimes two if I know there are lots of coupons. Check www.taylortownpreview.com to see the coupons that are coming out each week. It should be up by 8 AM on Saturday. This site has the coupon schedule for the year. If there are no coupons, I skip the paper.

[Dancing Lotus]

Ann - I didn't mean to offend you in any way sorry if I did -

also, another great coupon that I've found many times is for Springer Farms chicken (it's an organic chicken/no antibiotics)

I believe Tyson also carries an "organic" line of meat.

You didn't offend me at all. I just hear a lot of people say that they can't use coupons becuase they are all for junk and I just wanted to show that there are alot of good products that have coupons available. You just might have to look at other resources like the net or magazines.

I will be the first to admite that my diet needs improvement. I dont watch for things like organic meat, we just eat very little meat. I simply cant afford to worry about it.

[LizaZ]

We just let our subscription to the Sunday paper lapse. We had been subscribing for three years. We had several reasons for doing that but the deciding reason for us was that the savings from coupons was not covering the cost of the paper.

We live in an area where no stores double coupons -- so they are good for the face value only. I also do not buy processed foods, but I do use coupons for health and beauty, cleaning and pet products. There are places online where you can get coupons for those -- I've never had problems with stores here accepting coupons printed off the internet.

I also shop at a store that uses a "value card." Several times a year they send me coupons for things that I regularly buy at that store -- often even produce items.

[IntlMom]

I regularly use :
Paper
Pet
Health and Beauty Products (I rarely ever pay for these anymore!)
Canned/Jarred Tomato
Canned Veggie/Fruit
Cheese/Cottage Cheese/Sour Cream
Meats
Frozen Veggie
Pretzles
Baking Items
Coffee/Tea
Cereal (Oatmeal, etc....)
Pickles
Peanut Butter (skippy natural is great)

I'm sure that there;s a bunch more, but this was off the top of my head. Give it a try buying the paper in Jan, cause there will be lots of coupons in the Jan paper.

[Jskell911]

Hubby got me a Sunday subscription for my birthday, because I use so many coupons!

I use all different types:

H&B
Laundry Stuff
Scents
Baking needs
Dairy
Snacks for School lunches
Veggies

I also join trains, trade, and "buy" some if there is a fantastic sale and I can use a product for my stockpile.

[kaykwilts]

I like the coupons for HBA (health and beauty aids) like toothpaste. I like to shop CVS, Riteaid, and Walgreens. I combine the coupons with sales and most of the time when I am using these coupons they are paying me to take the stuff out of the store. The last few months these drug stores have ran sales on toothpaste were it was free after rebate. There is where you make the money. I frequent coupon boards like spam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typedspam! It is better fried than typed to learn how to work the coupons to my advantage. Each of the programs are different. With Riteaid you submit everything online and in 4 to 6 weeks you get a check. With Walgreens you have to mail it in but you can choose to have your money put on a gift card and they had 10 percent to it if you do. With CVS it is an instant rebate in the form of what they call ECB (Extra Care Buck) which you can instantly spend on anything in the store with the exception of only a few items. The ecbs expire in a month so you have to be careful about not letting them expire. You have to sign up for their store card which they scan every time you make a purchase. I currently have 40 ecbs that I need to spend before January 7.

[wanderlusting]

These are the coupons I use most:

-canned veggies
-canned tomato products (sauce, diced, stewed, etc)
-cat litter
-cat food- wet and dry
-dog treats
-cheese
-H&B (shampoo, toothbrushes, body wash, etc)
-toilet paper
-paper towels

Since I'm overseas, I don't have access to the dollar store or any other good frugal places so coupons help me at the commissary.

[cab54]

I do a bi-monthly (sometimes monthly) Sam's run for things that I DO actually save a bit on there. So I only use them for things I don't get or don't save on or need in bulk:

Some sauces and salad dressings that the fam 'absolutely' must have in name brands.
Canned and packaged goods when I don't care for the nn brand.
Hair STYLING products if I need them. (I can get shampoo and cond. at Sam's)
Sometimes canned bisquits or crescent rolls.