Coupons

**CrazyHomemaker** · 02-08-2009, 08:59 PM

I don't usually use coupons to buy groceries. Mostly everything I buy, there are no coupons for. I printed off all of the wonderful coupons from FV that I would normally use. Thank you for that service FV! However, I couldn't justify using a single one of those items I clipped. The prices were still much higher than I usually pay at Save A Lot, Bi Lo and Wal Mart for either the same or house brand items. When I ate highly processed foods, I could save about $8-$15/week with coupons on the prefabbed stuff. Does anyone else have this happen to them?

**justpeachy92** · 02-08-2009, 09:48 PM

I have found that to be true for us too. The healthier we try to eat the harder it is to find a coupon for food items we will use. When I am in Walmart I will flip through their All-You magazine because quite often it will have coupons for the whole-grain pastas we use. When they are in the magazine I will buy the magazine. I find I look for coupons to cut costs in other areas of the budget. A shoe store in my area during the holidays printed off a coupon for $10 off when I replaced my sneakers, I used the coupon to get my son a new pair of boots.

**jonesies** · 02-08-2009, 10:48 PM

I see big savings with coupons on condiments, dog food, canned goods, pastas and HBA. I have also had good luck with dairy items such as cheeses and yogurts. We eat very healthy and I usually save between 40 and 50 percent off of my bill by combining sale items with coupons.
I try not to buy a lot of processed foods and/or frozen items. My freezer is usually too packed with all of the food I prepared!

**alarosalpn** · 02-08-2009, 10:55 PM

I too find that I can find things cheaper at Price Rite vs Stop&Shop. I shop at both stores every week but the things I buy at S&S never have coupons.
With that said, I do look through coupons and there are times when I can get name brand cheaper if the store is having a good sale and I have a coupon.
For example. This week at BigY they have 5# bag of potatoes B1G2 sale. That is only $1.34/bag. Even at Price Rite I can't get them that cheap! We always use them for mashed potatoes anyway so if they start to grow, I can cut and freeze them.

**Contrary Housewife** · 02-09-2009, 12:48 AM

Yes, it's the same with me. I could use coupons, but the items are too highly processed for us, or I can get a similar non-brand item cheaper than with the coupon.

However I do use them on pet food, household items like paper towels and tinfoil, and the occasional healthy food item. (Got some for salt-free products this week).

**mamamia** · 02-09-2009, 03:12 AM

I'm an avid coupon user who feeds my family healthy foods also. I'm not sure what it is that you buy that is healthy and you can't use a coupon on, because "almost" everything has a coupon out at some point. The list is endless, but it includes breads, milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, cereals, canned goods like beans, tomatoes, broths. Frozen veggies, juices, coffee, and tea. Sugar, spices, flour. Than you got HBA stuff galore, cleaners galore, girl products, paper products, etc., etc. I could go on forever

Our house eats alot of Italian. I was able to stock my tomato products for 6 months for about $15, by combining coupons and sales. Whole wheat pasta? No problem there. No doublers here either. Now I've never made my own crackers, so I do buy those pre-fab. The kids love pizza rolls too. Pillsbury biscuits for less than $.25. Can't pass that up. Brownie mixes for $.40, can't make them from scratch that cheap. Always add a personal touch too, like cherries or marshmallows.

Could it be that you were trying to use the coupons on a regular priced item? I shop strictly BOGOs, loss leaders, and sales. That is where and when you get the greatest bang for your coupons. Wal-Mart is over-priced compared to what I can get at my sale prices. I don't get "coupon hassle" like I do at Wal-Mart either.

I think it's just a matter of finding out a little more for you. Have you ever been to the couponmom.com? She has a print-out tutorial on using coupons, and the site itself is excellent. I used to do the same as you till I learned. Once I did, I never looked back. See if that site is any help. I hope it is because you really can save a bundle. This week I had to stock up on snacks and meats. I came in pretty high spending $94

, but I saved $115. Usually my total is $50 to $60, saving at least 50% every week

Wishing you the best!

Theresa

**pbobber** · 02-09-2009, 09:39 AM

I Love coupons! Sure a lot of them are for convenienc items, but I also find a lot for good, healthy food. My freezer is stocked with frozen vegies purchased from free to $.50. I trade the ones I don't want for things that I will use.

I sent in a $20 rebate for a friend. I have been using that $20 to buy stuff that he needs. So far I have purchased 10 Electrasols, 10 Dial hand soap, 6 Speedstick deodorants and I still have $5 left to spend.

**Spikey1341** · 02-09-2009, 10:37 AM

This Sunday's paper was a good weekend for coupons. I couldn't beleive how excited I got when I saw them all.

**CrazyHomemaker** · 02-09-2009, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by mamamia

I'm an avid coupon user who feeds my family healthy foods also. I'm not sure what it is that you buy that is healthy and you can't use a coupon on, because "almost" everything has a coupon out at some point. The list is endless, but it includes breads, milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, cereals, canned goods like beans, tomatoes, broths. Frozen veggies, juices, coffee, and tea. Sugar, spices, flour. Than you got HBA stuff galore, cleaners galore, girl products, paper products, etc., etc. I could go on forever

Theresa

Theresa,

Thanks. I'll check out the site more in depth. I quickly previewed it and it looks interesting.

As for the coupon stuff above, almost all of that has no coupons where I live. I make my own breads, yogurt, cereal, broths, soaps, cleaners, girl products. I have chickens that pay off really well. Almost all canned goods I get for about .43/can. I don't buy boxed mixes because I bake from scratch. I pick my own fruits from the wild, much to my DH's dismay. I grow some veggies and can some. I wish I had a cow so I could make our cheeses, milk and butter. DH doesn't care for that idea. We'd need a cowsitter, chickensitter and dogsitter when we go on vacation.

I have food allergies. DH is diabetic. It sounds like a long list of cop-outs for not couponing, doesn't it. I really like the taste of homemade and I can replicate just about anything I want for cheap.

Believe me, I'll coupon in a heartbeat if I could find the coupons for milk and cheese and meats and all the other stuff I use. I used to do it a lot when we lived in PA and we didn't have health problems. I saved a bit per week for us two.

**CrazyHomemaker** · 02-12-2009, 07:01 AM

OK. I checked out the site and I'm going to try it. Wish me luck!

**lmbaker520** · 02-12-2009, 07:25 AM

I am also an avid coupon user. It has turned into a fun hobby for me and it's also saving money in the meantime. I love going to the store and seeing how much that I can save. I do purchase a lot of foods that are healthy for me and my family. Some of the items that I consistently buy with coupons are yogurt, broth, tomato products, soups, whole wheat pasta and crackers, cereals, oatmeal, frozen veggies, etc.

I have to say that I get the most savings with coupons for household, personal products and medicines. By combining sales at stores like CVS and Walgreens I get these items for free or almost free a lot.

The thing that I try to keep in mind is if using a coupon is keeping the item at or below the cost of the store brand would cost. I don't buy it if it is cheaper to get the store brand. I think that people fall into that trap a lot of times not realizing that they can buy store brand for cheaper even with the coupon on the name brand. I also take into account the cost of making something from scratch. The convenience and time savings of not having to make some of the items is worth it to me in some cases when I am short on time.

**bast** · 02-12-2009, 10:05 AM

Some of you are finding coupons for things like flour and spices? Frozen veggies, especially if they don't have any extraneous sauces (OK, I prefer fresh, but I do keep certain frozen veggies on hand, since they are just as healthy as fresh)? Whole wheat pasta? Tomato products? In other words, things I buy and use all the time anyway? WHERE?

I feel lucky if I find soymilk coupons in the Greenwise circulars Publix puts out, or if I happen to find a machine spitting out coupons for salad greens.

Sorry if this is a stupid question or if I'm completely oblivious, but I'd really like to know! More often than not, the coupons I find are for foods that are more processed than I'm comfortable with, things I can't eat, or products from companies I don't support (this mainly applies to many HBA and cleaning products I've seen coupons for).

**Judi Dial** · 02-12-2009, 01:26 PM

Bast,

Fresh food coupons can be found. Also, more meat coupons used to be available on wine tags than in the regular Sunday circulars, but you could find them.

Coupons for greens and such are usually (at least around here) for prepackaged items (cocktail tomatoes, bagged lettuce mix).

You often find promotions that go with other items. In December there was a promo for pizza that went along with bagged lettuce. I was lucky, there were two bags (you needed 2) marked down, so I actually paid for them and got some more off my other food too.

Wine tags USED to be really good for meats and cheeses with no wine purchase necessary. But the last few times I looked all the wine tags for discounted meat or cheese required a wine purchase too.

IHTH!

Judi