I hope you've had time to digest the previous six lessons over the last few days. And I appreciate everyone who has left comments and questions on these posts – they've helped me determine what needs further addressing as we move through the month.
Today I want to tackle a topic that is worth considering: how do you know if a deal is worth doing?
By asking yourself this question before you gather your coupons and get into the car, you will begin to consider the bigger picture of what you're trying to accomplish as a Savvy Shopper.
When I started couponing, I was overwhelmed by the amount of deals I was finding on a near-daily basis. Free NyQuil at Walgreens? I'm so there. Possible unadvertised Beechnut baby food on clearance at Target? I'm outta here. Make a $7 profit on Bayer aspirin at Rite Aid? Get the kids in the car NOW.
It's not a question if making $7 on Bayer is a deal, the question is…is this a good deal for me?
As I've spend a year on my coupon journey, I have learned restraint is a good thing. Here are some of the questions I ask myself before deciding whether or not to pursue a deal:
1. Is this an item I could use? Sure, everyone talks about getting stuff for free to donate, and this is a wonderful way to be generous. But that is not the driving force behind my shopping trips. It's to feed my family. If I happen to find an extra freebie or two along the way, great. Other than that, I've learned to scrutinize every purchase. Let's consider Rite Aid a moment, shall we? Rite Aid is notorious for having many items free-after-rebate that you have not a clue in the world what they are. Anyone remember the free anti-itch monkey butt powder from last month? Or the urinary health drink from a couple weeks ago? Sure, you could make a buck on these items, but are you REALLY making a buck? You probably lost more than that driving to the store and paying sales tax. And then you have to tactfully find someone that wants butt powder in the first place. DOH! So make sure those freebies matter to you.
2. Will this item be good to have around? This question is one I generally ask of food items with questionable nutritional content. For instance, Safeway had a spectacular deal on Pop-Tarts late last winter. Great! Stock up, right? Maybe not…I suffered enormous guilt in the mornings that followed that sale as my son repeatedly asked for the high-fat, high-sugar pastries. Needless to say, I now feel NO guilt in letting my Pop-Tart coupons expire.
3. Do I have money in my budget for this deal? I bet you could find a great deal on something for $1 today. And tomorrow, and the day after that. You get enough of those $1-something deals and you've put a decent dent into your grocery budget for the month. Also please consider the amount of time and gas spent on driving to all those stores. Don't negate your savings by spending more money.
4. Is this deal really worth my time? This is something I've pondered more and more lately. As a stay-at-home mom of two, it's just not always convenient to dress the kids and get out to the car (yeah, some days we're in PJs for awhile…right now 2 out of 3 of us are still in PJs…and I'm not saying which!). Yesterday's Quaker deal was worth it to me. If I know the deal will save me time or money later – and I'm not just talking $1, yes, I'll do it. But if it's a freebie that comes around frequently or for an item I may not use, I'll wait it out and save the gas.
5. Am I doing this deal because it's important, or do I just want to shop, use a coupon, etc.? This last question is a real soul-searcher for me. If I just need a good excuse to get out of the house, I could go for a walk, to the library, or the gym. It's important to question your motives. And I strive to do this all the time. Just last month I mentioned to my husband that I had some good coupons about to expire and wanted to head out and use them. He then asked, "do we need these items, or do you just want to use the coupons?" OUCH. He was right, and we both knew it.
I'm going to end today's lesson by reminding you that manufacturers issue coupons in hopes to get you to select their brand, try it, and become loyal to it. To remain a Savvy Shopper, you must be immune to these tactics. Buy products because you use and like. Don't be afraid to let "good" high value coupons expire if you don't have the money to buy them – even after sales and coupons. And don't worry about sitting out a deal if you really just need to spend an evening at home relaxing with your family.
Trust me, there will always be another deal to debate about doing tomorrow.
Photo credit David Siquiera
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for addressing this important aspect of couponing. When I first started, I went overboard racing to as many stores as I could in my short block of time to “score” all those freebies and deals. It took me a while, but I’ve learned that it’s okay to let this deal pass or that coupon expire.
I wanted to add, though, that sometimes I still buy that odd item — never tried the monkey butt powder, though — if it will allow me to get something I really do want or need for free.
Julie, good point! I’ve done this before too. So long as the overall deal is the one that matters to me. I just wouldn’t do the deal exclusively for the weird item, you know?
Thanks for your thoughts.
I’m so glad you addressed this as deciding which deals to go after can be my biggest challenge. I actually have a coupon buddie and we try to hold each other accountable to spending wisely and we often times use each other to decide if we should buy a certain item or not.
As for sticking to the budget, I know what our grocery budget should be and have a goal each month. I carry around a little notebook where I can keep a running tally. I tried your computer tally, but found it harder for me to keep up with that. I can tally reciepts in my car at the stoplights or while I wait in the parking lot for my girls to get out of school:-)
What a wonderful, well-written article! This topic is something my friend Darlene at CouponGossip refers to as “Resisting Magpie Eye”. When a person reads the various couponing blogs, so much excitement is generated – i.e. I want to do that too. I want those cheap groceries, or that free stuff. But after a while, you have to step back and ask yourself some questions – how many boxes of cereal do I REALLY need (cereal happens to be my personal weakness – we have between 15 and 20 boxes in the pantry at any given time). Will someone REALLY eat 40 boxes of granola bars before they expire? Can I store ANOTHER 10 bottles of laundry soap (will they leak before I get to them? and how dirty are my clothes, really?).
I will be doing some number crunching today, because I don’t need all the “stuff” in the Albertsons B$25 G$10 offer. I’m wondering if I use my coupons in batches of 3 and double them, will I end up with less money out of my pocket for the same amount of items?
Thanks again for a great article!
The deals will come back. The sales are pretty cyclical – catch it on the next go-around.
I live in a suburb of a major city and have everything within 10 min of my house– CVS’s (x4), Walgreens (x3), Rite Aid (x2), Walmart (x2), Target (x2), Meijer (x2), Kroger – just to name a few.
I had to narrow my store list or I would go Crazy… I eleiminated Rite Aid because you have to wait to get your rebate check- but I keep my eye open for BOGO Aveeno products. I eliminated Walgreens b/c their RR expired within a week of receiving them and I let too many expire for it to be benificial – but I like their photo deals they run. I shop CVS for pharmacy stuff b/c it is walking distance from home, I get me perscriptions there, and the ECB are good for a month. I also shop Meijer for Groceries b/c it is a Michigan based company and they have the best prices on non sale items.
So for me I really had to ask myself am I really getting the full benefit and an easy shopping trip from the deal based on store policy?
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Not only to this amazing article, but to everyone who posted a comment. I am VERY new to the coupon world and I have been going CRAZY trying to find the best deals.
You all have really made me see the ‘right’ way of couponing and spending quality time with my family.
If you let coupons expire you can send them to military bases. The shoppers at the commissaries can use their coupons for 6 months after the expiration dates.
Thanks for the help!I’ve just started to save big ,but I don’t want to neglet my kids(and I am starting to do that) so I’ve just decided to go to one store less!thanks again
Angela, you’re a God send sweetheart. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am a TOTAL noob. I haven’t used one coupon to date in my life. I am a shop as you need it and pay full price shopper…well….then I found your blog, your savings tracker and your encouragement. My husband and kids thank you as well.
God bless you.
The Penn Family
Thank you for this article on MODERATE couponing! This is a lesson I learned the hard way my first couple times out with coupons. I was so anxious to take advantage of every deal I bought a bunch of stuff to stockpile that I am using, yes, but didn’t leave enough in my budget for the basics, like milk, eggs and produce. Now I know, buy the basic needed items FIRST (yes, I try to get them on sale but they are purchased whether they are on sale or not), then if there’s room in my budget, take advantage of those great deals and stockpile a little every week. I am loving your blog. Thank you, thank you!