Feeling overwhelmed by couponing?
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been seeing an uptick of emails from people frustrated, confused, or curious about how couponing can work. These people are watching shows on TV about couponing and left with far more questions than answers. I felt it was time to address this today.
Unrealistic Portrayals of Couponing
The other night I was watching a PBS special on couponing. I thought, “finally! A show NOT on TLC. Maybe this PBS special will show people how to actually do this.” I was quickly disappointed. The couponer featured on the special announced her food budget was…. $4 a week. FOUR DOLLARS. On the special, she worked to help a young family learn how to use coupons, and then hopefully teach the viewers out there the same thing. The poor couple had this deer in the headlights look about them.
Last week, my mother-in-law texted me saying she someone on TV pay $6 for $600 worth of food.
Someone else recently emailed me wishing they could be as good as the extreme couponing folks on TV.
Another person emailed discouraged because they don’t double coupons in her area, like the people on TV.
See the problem yet?
People are being fed the idea that unless you save hundreds of dollars you’re somehow not “doing it right.” And then these frustrated or confused folks end up emailing people like me, looking for real answers.
To me it’s no different than a pretty, average sized woman looking at the photoshopped body of a 5’11″ supermodel in a magazine. It’s just not realistic for most people, most of the time.
Couponing is not a competition
One of the things that bothers me most about the couponing shows is they have turned a smart method of grocery shopping into a game. (Extreme Couponing All-Stars, anyone? Sigh.)
I don’t know about you, but when I’m shopping, I’m not thinking “wow, I better save more money than that coupon blogger, or that friend who had a crazy shopping trip at Rite Aid last week.” When it comes down to it here’s why I use coupons:
- To save money on things my family actually uses.
- To avoid paying full price by keeping a stocked up pantry.
- To help manage my household better.
When I see the couponing shows, it seems that the exact opposite is at play. Here’s what the shows like to depict:
- A high number of dollars saved without any regard to the items purchased.
- Obnoxious behavior such as shelf clearing and hoarding.
- Unclear couponing tactics (i.e., HOW they did that transaction).
- A focus on “winning” (people applauding, showing off long receipts, etc).
If you are thinking about starting to use coupons, ask yourself why you want to use coupons. Is it to really help your family save money, or are you more interested in being like the people on a TV show?
Couponing you can Sustain
My goal here at The Coupon Project is to help you learn to do this in a sustainable way. That means taking the time to share how store sales cycles work, talking about a wide variety of stores, and giving you other ideas for frugal living besides just coupons. It also means ENOUGH ALREADY about “my area doesn’t double coupons so I can’t save.” (Seriously, can we please be done with that one? Please?)
What are the tactics of couponing for the long haul?
- Stockpiling for the things your family actually uses.
- Getting your coupons (ethically!) each week.
- Leveraging coupons on top of sales for reduced out of pocket expense.
- Working to minimize your time and effort involved as your skills and stockpile increase.
So if you’ve emailed me and wondered about couponing, now you know how I like to do things around here. I believe you can have success even if you spend more than $4 per week on your groceries. (Right now my budget is $325/month.) I believe you can have success even if you don’t save $600 at Walmart. (By buying things you don’t need in large quantities just so you can get the overage.) I believe you can have success even if you don’t do it exactly how Jane Doe Couponer does it down the street.
If I’ve piqued your curiosity and you’d like to learn how to do this in a realistic and sustainable way, I have some resources for you here at the blog:
Four Secrets of Couponing Success. This would be a great post to start with.
Coupons 101 Page. This page has coupon lessons and posts on ALL things related to getting started with couponing. I’ve had folks work through these posts and go on to hit the stores with great success.
Recorded Webcasts. So often people want to go to a class and hear someone speak. Guess what. I have over 20 recorded coupon lessons that you can watch for FREE. I put the same amount of gusto and effort into these as I do a coupon class. Topics including where to find coupons, how to organize coupons, how to make the leap into coupons, coupon ethics, stockpiling, and much more. Each webcast runs about 30 minutes. A good place to start too.
YouTube Channel. If you don’t have a lot of time, consider watching some of my YouTube shorts. I’ve tackled many of the same topics as the webcasts, but in 3-4 minute form.
Easier Couponing. This is my ebook where the emphasis is on time saved, over money. Good for the busy person that would like to save about 30-40% on their grocery bill.
My goal around here is to not just make this “another coupon site.” My goal is for you to find the tools and resources you need to learn to do this for yourself in a realistic, long term way.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been watching these shows and wondering what you’ve been doing wrong, I hope I’ve put your mind at ease a bit.
I hope you’ll continue to coupon and stop thinking that you’re failing if you’re spending more than $4 a week. If couponing could shave $20 a week off your family’s grocery bill, that’d be $1,040 in a year’s time. And that’s nothing to sneeze at, my friends.
{ 69 comments… read them below or add one }
Once again you hit the nail on the head…
I enjoy your site the most because you are not extreme, address a wide variety of ways to save (i.e.: gardening, cooking from scratch, etc) and address the stores that are closest to me. Being older and starting this saving way of living now has definately been a god-sent means of living most recently. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thank you so much – I appreciate your feedback!
I wonder if miss $4 has a website so that I can see her prove to me that she spends $4 a week and is able to fully feed her family. I say it’s impossible unless you have a year round garden, go to the food bank, or eat 1/2 a block of ramen for each meal.
I use couponing in order to buy better food, because I really like variety and we like to eat healthy. I could probably get all the Jimmy Dean Sausage Bowls and Tony’s pizza I want for free but I don’t eat processed foods, so to each his or her own I guess. Hopefully people will heed your wise words.
Only way I can see $4 a week working is if this lady is feeding her family Top Ramen for lunch and dinner and skipping breakfast LOL
And exactly right on the processed foods…who cares if you’re saving that much money on food when you’ll most likely be spending MORE money at the doctor because you’re sick all the time.
I’m happy when I save 32-35% off my bill using sales and coupons and I do know that I will get better at it over time and when we are a little more financially stable (stockpiling isn’t a very possible option for us because we’re broke all the time don’t have a lot of extra money to spend and then when I do find a good deal we just don’t shop for it again until it’s all gone)
And on another note…there is no way that I could ever really “stockpile” like they do on that show because along with my anxiety and agoraphobia I have OCD and some major phobias about food-borne illnesses and I am ALWAYS checking expiration dates and am very wary about food that has been sitting for a long time after getting it from the grocery store. I know, it might have been sitting at the store for a year or whatever, but once I have it I can keep track of it.
My biggest part about the food is meat though, and I know I need to get over this, but it is hard for me to freeze and keep meat for the “suggested amount of time”, but i think I’m getting a little better at it and hope to be able to start saving more by being able to stock up rather than just buy for what we need
She seemed to have an unhealthy reliance on “high value coupons” and probably other tactics like using overage at Walmart, and/or perhaps double coupons. I also wonder if she had some way of getting coupons and/or gift cards that wouldn’t be widely doable for most people. I didn’t watch the entire show (I was getting a bit irritated), so who knows!
If given the choice, I’ll stick with my $325-350/mo budget and enjoy home cooked meals, produce, etc than just eat what my coupons that week inform me to eat.
Thank you for being the voice of reason.
Thank you again, Angel! I saw that there was an extreme couponing all starts. Ugh, it’s not a sport or a hobby to me and I don’t care to watch couponing/grocery shopping being turned into a sport either…
Last week I went to Target and saved a decent amount on a few things and the checker (she was nice though, so I don’t hold a thing against her) said, “What’s the biggest savings shopping you’ve done?” and she kind of waited to hear a great story or something. I was kind of surprised because I just wanted to get my stuff and leave, but I said, “Oh I’m not a sport shopper, I don’t really know what would be my best savings. But this is a great sale you guys are having.” and I left it at that.
I meant Angela
Yes, I hear you!! The one time I would consider having a CRAZY coupon trip – I saved over $200 and spent $0.80. That was two years ago and it was sort of by fluke, really. Not something I would do everyday (or even every year, so it seems).
While it’s nice to get a great trip like that, it’s not the bread and butter of how I shop. (All puns intended.)
Thanks, Tiff.
haha! a fluke
i agree, it’s great to look at all ways to save.
honestly, i use food bank, food stamp, gardening, clothing bank, freebies wherever i can get them if useful to me. which is not everything.
i use the good deals seasonally too.
looking at moving to a bigger place, getting some chickens, a freezer, and a garden. and adopting or fostering (not for purpose of saving but that will add different economics.
when i ran out of money last october i began couponing. i spent nothing from my ow pocket on groceries b/c i used a food bank to supplement. diapers alone would eat up 50/mo on grocery bill! (i dont have option to go to costco/warehouse/walmarts).
living in the city meant walking instead of driving (big savings) and free workout (no gym needed), and smaller hauls. you look into what is actually necessary when you think like a person who has no money. gardening is the simplest way, because produce is expensive.
i’m a student, single-mom to a toddler. living within one’s means is the single-most important thing you can do, and teach your children. i went from 5k/mo to 1.5k/mo to 0. How do I do it.
Stockpiling, freebies, don’t try to keep up with joneses, be satisfied with self-image whatever it may be, live humbly, share and share alike (exchange products that you can for what you need with others). also make use of your time, instead of wasting it on internet/tv etc be productive in the garden or such.
Yet another reason I love your site! Thank you for being the voice of reason. I am currently going the somewhat non-coupon route as my family too cannot do much of the processed stuff and so I have to make a lot from scratch. With two young kiddos it’s also not fun for me to go grocery shopping with them and a pile of coupons. I have been trying to do the pantry challenge this month since my freezers are packed and then going to Grocery Outlet more. And using some charts other bloggers have put together showing what is actually a good deal at Costco (I might buy that 25lbs of flour there instead of searching for deals on 5lb bags). And buying in bulk is really working for us, loving Winco!
Again, your blog is the best Angela and you have a lifetime fan!
Remember if you buy in bulk in WinCo – you can buy the big bags that they get in to fill up their bulk – did you know this? For instance, you can ask to buy the 25 lb bags of flour at WinCo vs. Costco. The advantage is you will get a 10% discount for buying it this way. Just a thought if you like buying in bulk – might be worth doing the math to see if that’s a better deal.
Again, a voice of reason. I do watch the extreme couponing shows because I find them entertaining…but when they pan around the stockpile that takes up their entire home I always think, “I may only have 5 bottles of shampoo in my stockpile, but I paid a great price for them and my family won’t need more shampoo for months, enough time for another good coupon! And my kids actually get to use their closets for clothes and toys.” Your balanced (normal, sane, reasonable) advice/instruction appeals to my sense of saving money to make my family/household even better. Not to buy for the sake of buying. Thank you for gently reminding us that the point of couponing is to benefit our own families not to compete with some woman on the other side of the country, who has enough babywipes to clean most of America.
ROFL! Loved that last image!
actually, i admit i went overboard on cereal… it’s hard to resist. but it says it expires w/in a year of purchase so….get what can actually be used.
I completely agree. I only started a month ago when our moving expenses (buying a new house included) depleted our savings on one income. I’ve been extremely pleased to be able to change the when and how I spend money to as much a 1/2 the cost of what I would normally spend. It makes no sense to me now to wait until I’m out of shampoo and spend full price when I can get 2-3 bottles by planning ahead and spending close to the same amount I would have spent for one. I coupon for that reason and also to splurge sometimes with what I saved on things my family wants and not needs.
Thank you for writing this!! I was really beginning to think I wasn’t getting the whole couponing thing… but after reading this, I now know that I should be thrilled (and I am) with my 50% savings on most of my shopping trips!! I don’t need to be extreme to be a good couponer!!
YES! Pat yourself on the back! 50% is fabulous. I think I’m actually at 40% this month. What I care more about is that we’re sticking with our budget and eating healthfully.
Fianl someone has said what the rest of us have been thinking. I a mothetr of five boys and have been coupining for the last ten years. I have to coupon to save money just to make it throught the month. My budget is $600 a month but that only goes so far with five boys. I have never been able to do what the people on those shows do, but I have been able to save 30 to 70 percent on my grocery bill every week depending on sales and what I have for coupons. This allows me to buy the things that I don’t have coupons for. If I could do what those extreme couponers do I would have to refill my stock pile every other month.
My thought is if you are saving on things that matter to you and it’s making a difference to your family – who cares what other people are doing?
Keep up the great work!
It’s also helpful to keep in mind that so-called, “Reality,” shows are typically staged.
Stores are allowing the featured couponers to bend their usual rules to get those savings. I also know that in at least one episode of e.c. (o.k. the only one I watched…) the shopper in question used quite a few Catalinas that weren’t shown. While that certainly lowers out of pocket cost, I think of those as money, not coupons.
I use a lot fewer coupons than I used to, but I still save a significant amount just by using a few strategically and employing the other common sense strategies I’ve learned here at TCP.
Thank you for this post. It is a great reminder. Lately, I have been a bit coupon lazy and my little stockpile I had is gone. But, I’m still saving some money on our groceries each week and seeing you put a bigger number on saving $20/week make me feel better
I get tired of seeing the coupon women on the morning/aftrnoon shows showing a huge pile of “stuff” they got for 80-90% off, it does make some feel like they shld be doing better at their shopping/couponin/saving. It is unrealistic. We try to buy as much organic things as we can budget and very few processed highly food items
I save $10 to $20 on my $80-$100 grocery shopping bill. I have only been doing this for a couple months and I have a little stock pile going and get free samples all the time. That’s a blessing. I aim to save more as I go along. I save the most on personal items like toothpaste, shampoo and razors. Those things used to cost me a bundle and now I have a stockpile. I call that success. :0) Thanks for doing this and being realistic about it!
Undoubtedly you WILL save more as your stockpile grows.
I think the way you’re doing this, particularly as a new couponer, is smart. You’re less likely to get burned out quickly.
Happy saving!
Thank you! Sometimes I just need a reminder.
Ok so I have a question, don’t those people at tlc get PAID for their appearance? And wouldnt you expect that the producers are going for the largest wow factor, so there should be a bunch of people helping them? Yesterday store one I spent 32 bucks for 76, store 2 I spent 25 for 48. So my savings was well over 50 percent, and I did it all with just my spouse and 3 kids in tow. No tv producers or compensation from stores or help other than from you and smart couponing.
It’s my understanding that no, they don’t get paid. However, they do get exposure and most of them run coupon sites or teach coupon businesses. But I want to be careful what I say here, as I’m not 100% sure what the entire trade-off may or may not be for appearing on the show.
Great job with your savings. 50% is nothing to sneeze at in my book.
Thanks for posting this. I think too many people think by watching those shows that they are not couponing right if they don’t do it like on those shows, but it’s not true!
I agree that any money saved by using coupons is a great accomplishment and that’s how I feel every time I go to the store, and I don’t feel bad because I didn’t jump in a dumpster to get additional coupons!
Finding coupon balance is key. I started out rushing to target, albertsons and walgreens frequently to get whatever the hot deal was. It was fun for awhile, but then it got silly. I was excited when I saw the coupon show on TLC, until I actually watched it. That show gave me real anxiety, so much that I had to turn it off! Now I only shop at Fred Meyer, Trader Joe’s and Costco for food, and Target/Costco for sundries. We aren’t saving as much as before, but we shop from our stockpile, and I keep our spending low enough that I don’t have to work, and that means more to us than free razors!
My goal with couponing is always this: REDUCE my time/effort involved. To me it’s about shopping smarter, not harder, right?
I’ve actually worked to really eliminate needless middle-of-the week trips, and I’m in the process of building inventory lists to keep my shopping on point and purposeful. (I’ll be sharing more of this very soon.)
I started this journey during the summer and ended unemployed in August. Thankfully I started an even better job in early December. But being able to save 40-60% using coupons and sales eased the stress of being laid off. I spent alot of time during those months getting organized and educated by your site. Now that I have less time I can manage my coupons and organize my shopping in a matter of 1-3 hours on Sunday evenings (depending on the # of inserts). Thanks for the articles and continued inspiration!
Perfect! I think the amount of time you are spending sounds perfect!
Thank you for your common sense approach to this coupon craziness!
There is a local blogger out there who claims to have a $100/mo grocery budget for a family of four… and two other bloggers on their site have joined in with unrealistically low budgets, calling it the “Grocery Challenge” or something…
One woman proudly dumpster dives for coupons. Doesn’t hoarding (60 like coupons in one trip) extend to coupons as well as items purchased? Most stores now have a limit of like coupons, to prevent these abuses… Maybe Albertsons will follow suit?
Thats why I love your blog… great information, couponing in a sensible and ethical way…. Thanks for all your hard work!!
Good point on things called “Grocery Challenges.” That goes right into the thinking of couponing for sport, doesn’t it?
Angela – THANK YOU! Thank you for running an ethical blog (as the more I get into this more it frustrates me to see the others out there that aren’t – example around the soft soap coupon etc). At the end of last year or early this year you had a post about how since couponing is getting less “easy” as it used to be you had started looking at other ways to save money – such as grocery outlet, etc. I have fully jumped on this bandwagon. For me “couponing” is much more about “naming my own price” for items. So when the item goes to “my price” I buy it – when its not – I don’t. I’m exploring making my own laundry soap, dishwasher soap.. getting produce elsewhere (asain markets) – expanding my store choices.. etc. I never would have paid any attention to how much I was spending if it wasn’t for my couponing and blogs like yours. I’m saving a TON – thats all I care about – not how or if I could save more.
Absolutely! Saving money is like investing, in my opinion. You don’t put all of your eggs into one basket. Learning how to DIY, cook from scratch, buy in bulk, garden, and explore savings at other stores will position you better in the long run that growing too reliant on just using coupons.
The folks that are adamant about not buying anything unless they have a coupon for it are in the most danger.
That is the reason why I dont watch those shows. I am good saving few dollars per groceriea for 2. Thanks for all ur hard work and effort.
Yeah, in general I don’t either. However, I can always tell when a new show or season of a show pops up by my inbox!
Having a well stocked pantry and freezer is a really handy thing. Especially when there is a nasty storm comes along. It’s nice to be able to look out the window and say ‘Not worth the drive to the store. We are eating from the pantry tonight.’ It makes me sad that extream couponing is making people think that couponing isn’t worth it. I think just by sticking to Winco and Grocery Outlet and using the sales cycle I’ve saved a lot of money. I use coupons but it isn’t the only way I save money. My freezer is an important part of my “stockpile”. I not only have a lot homemade frozen meals I also have n bread dough, biscuts, rolls, ect that I make
Times have it that I lost my gusto on shopping w/ coupons… not having consistent vehicle access as I desire, a broken printer, etc. BUT… though I was discouraged, I had to still recognize that I still shop SMART, rather w/ coupons or not! Meal planning, less meat in the dish and more veggies, homemade meals, etc. Your website has been a great help and today’s post as well… thanks for the encouragement and ability to focus on the real deal. Many of these coupon extreme shows are on cable… imagine getting rid of it and using tips from your blog, one would probably save $50 to $150 dollars a month easily!!!
I look forward to picking up the “full” couponing spirit again, but in the meantime, shopping wisely and commending myself on the the right choices are helping me stay focused, positive, and feeling good when I sit down to eat and do the budget!!
Absolutely! And I think it’s OK to take breaks from couponing when you need to, without guilt. (Shocker, I know.)
The truth is you can save a lot of money through the tactics you mentioned – meal planning, shopping with a list, etc.
Yours, and a couple of other blogs that I follow faithfully, because you coupon with a conscience. And its not just about coupons, its about learning to live frugally.
When reading a Facebook page of a couponer that posted a deal that I felt was not honest, I wrote a comment against the deal. I was quickly attacked by the other readers for my opinion, including swearing . The term “thick as thieves” comes to mind.
EEk. That’s not OK. Granted, there are times as bloggers ANY of us mess up. Goodness knows I’ve posted deals that had errors before. The point is to be gracious & ready to retract. Did the blogger say anything in response? I’d be interested to know what they did to handle the situation. Their FB followers may or may not have responded in the way the blogger would’ve. (I’ve seen this happen before.)
Ran across his Facebook page one day a while ago. I am familiar with this particular coupon blogger , he is very arrogant, being that he posts about unethical deals that he has gotten away with. He has a habit of taking down any comments that are negative as to him or his deals. Oftentimes, he will insult the person that dares to call him on it. I know this is not the norm. It is not surprising to me that many of his readers share a loyalty to him.
Sadly, birds of a feather do flock together….very sad if a beginner was to try to follow his lead. Every so often I see what he is up to and whenever called for, I contact the affected store/company.
Funny I think I know exactly who you are talking about,
Thank you thank you thank you. I’m glad someone said something. I’m a mom of 5 kids and I hate going in a store and just cuz it is a really good deal there is nothing on the shelve. I coupon not as a sport I do it to save money for clothes or unforseen stuff that a family of five might need. Thank you for speaking up about this!!!!!!
I agree 100%. I love your site and it has really healped me break it down and save realisticly.
I appreciate your ethics and grace and your passion for sustainable couponing. Your voice is an important one.
Perfectly put! I have been couponing before it was cool; I remember having to organize my moms coupons 15 years ago which caused me to be frugal and aware of ways to save money. The shows are all ridiculous and people don’t realize it is not always feasible like they portray it on the shows. Thanks for providing such a rational, realistic & sane perspective on couponing!!!!!!!!
I also live in an area that doesnt double coupons-and many deals that are listed for certain stores dont apply to the stores in our area. So it is just a matter of shopping wisely-but I love the fact that I found your blog. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for this commentary. 6 months ago I spent $800 per month on groceries and household items for a family of 5 with 1 teenager and 2 pre-teens. I’ve been able to cut that down to $400 and was even able to build a small stockpile. I am very proud of my accomplishments. My goal was never to get $800 worth for $8 instead saving 50% is just wonderful.
If you think of it this way – that’s $4800 in a year’s time! Awesome work!
Hi.. I am new to this site and I just read your article and I have to say a big thank you for posting this.. Most weeks I save about 20 to 35% but this past week I found my husbands deodorant and body wash on sale and with my coupons I got his deordorant for 50 cents each and body wash for 50 cents.. I stocked up but by no means did I clear the shelf.. I have had people ask me why I coupon, I tell them if I can save 20 to 50 dollars or more a week with coupons then why not coupon.. Thank you for all the help and clearing this up for me..
People don’t realize that those shows are made for tv. That the stores suspend their coupon policy for the show. I don’t know about anyone else, but those people on those shows, in my opinion are HOARDERS.
I don’t think of myself as an extreme couponer (my friends do tho), and I still managed to saved over $5,000 in year. I only have about 3-6 month supply of things, I think anything over that is just going overboard.
My friends and family tease me about being an “extreme couponer”, which is very far from the truth. I have been tracking my totals this month and have saved 40%…I am thrilled w/ that; I am hoping to save 50% this month. The whole point of couponing for my family is to save money to use on other things, such making ends meet, entertainment, or put into savings. Let’s face it, couponing is for survival (in this ecomony) not a game.
Also – the person saying that they spend $4/week is full of garbage!! You cannot get everything you need CONSISTENTLY on only $4/week. Their budget last month may have been that… maybe even for the past few months… because they have a stockpile to sustain themselves. Also think about the stuff YOUR family needs – do you have pets? Kids? 1 or 2 or 6 (or more)? Is it JUST you? Do you have allergies that require special foods/products, etc.? ALL of these things are going to change your budget. We have pets. There are hardly EVER good deals on pet food (or cat litter, the thing I loathe the most) and when they do come around I cannot, in good conscience, clear out an entire shelf at a major pet food store (like some lady did many months ago – 3 carts FULL, not even kidding) just to stockpile food for MY OWN pets. Our budget is a bit higher than most because of this, but we are still saving money overall and that is what matters.
Well written piece. Thank you for putting everything into perspective. I started couponing in the last few months. I enjoy the savings I have gotten on the products I use everyday. I keep my blog for my family and friends so they can see what regular couponing vs extreme couponing can do for the average family. http://tracyscouponexperiments.blogspot.com/
Thanks
Tracy
About 2 months ago I watched my first and only episode of extreme couponing on TLC. When I saw a woman that had a stock pile of 3000 dental flosses I knew I was wasting my time. Seriously? The fact that their whole basement was filled with ‘crap’ that no family would be able to use in a matter of several years is crazy. Soon TLC will have a new ‘REALITY’ show called coupon hoarders, buried alive!
I like it – TLC remixes… how about this one:
I didn’t know I was a sister wife (i didn’t know I was pregnant + sister wives)
I’ve seen a few others say this but I will day it too. It irritates me when people assume that when i say I shop with coupons that I am a crazy hoarder. I have even had people accuse me of taking the last of a product at a store that I have never even been to. trying to explain that some smart shoppers have ethics is a waste of time because they have this notion now that all coupon shoppers are just like the show’s guests. I also live in a state that doesnt double coupons and have to say that at first i was irritated. But then I started looking at various blogs (yours was the first) that made me realize that no doubling is not really a big deal. I just have to realize that many coupon blogs write up their deals with coupons doubles….but the deals I am often looking for use coupons that stores do not double…so no problem at all. Crossing my fingers that this reads alright since I’m typing from my smartphone
This month I’ve spent way more than I would normally and started to get bummed. I too seem to suffer from reading way too many blogs where everyone is getting gobs of stuff for 5 shiny nickels and watching that marathon of Extreme Shelf Clearing during my vacation didn’t help. Thanks for reminding me that I’m not a failure if I only saved 45%
My other objection to these shows and how they shop is they never calculate the “real” cost of the coupons to these amounts. If you’re buying the coupons, you’re not getting the stuff for free. I saw someone mentioned the “Challenge” on another site I like to follow, I thought it was ridiculous to say your only spending $100 a month on groceries, which this week includes enough salad dressing to drown a person and enough razors to clean shave a prison population. Yes maybe you have overage – but at what cost and waste?
Well Said! My husband was teasing me and said look at the lady on TV who only spent $x dollars and got a ton of food. I looked at him and said seriously are you going to be happy eating 600 fruit roll ups, ramen noodles and 75 bottles of hot sauce for the next month. I agree lets get real.
Hooray for this post!
I am a minimalist couponer who shops as organically as possible for a family of 3. I spend a few hours, 1 day per week, sifting through my blog subscription emails, looking at ads, clipping, printing and shopping. I only print 2 of each coupon I plan to use (I don’t bother with multiple computers and printers). I only purchase 1 copy of the Sunday paper. However, I still save over 50% on most transactions.
Just yesterday I spent $1.17 on Suave deodorant and 2 boxes of Cheerios at Albertsons (saved 88%), stocked up on pears/onions/Kashi cereal/bulk items I use (I am vegan and use things like TVP)/a clearance toy I also had a coupon for/and a few odds and ends at Fred Meyer (saved 79%), grabbed 3 packages of tofu at Safeway for less than $.10 each (saved over 90% on the SALE price), and purchased 2 Degree deodorants at Rite Aid for $4 receiving $2 in +UP rewards for next week (saved 50% out-of-pocket, or 75% with rewards).
There is no need to clear a shelf, dumpster dive for newspapers, or have 12 of your girlfriends go shopping with you (just so you can do multiple transactions) to save $$ and eat well. Thank you for this post!!
Nice! As always, my focus will be couponing for things you actually need and use. Nicely done!
I coupon but I also compare to the store brand items. Often, it is cheaper to buy the store brand, whose quality is usually just as good, instead of using the coupon on the name brand item. Hard to record that kind of savings without getting obsessed with spreadsheets.
I was next to a woman a week ago that bought $2,000 of stuff for $4.00. Target doesn’t double. I couldn’t figure out how she did it. She only had newspaper coupons most P&G. She also had a lot of suave. I have been couponing since May. I am satisfied saving what I can and donating what I can. It is not a race but a journey. Just enjoy the ride and don’t stress the small stuff.
Hi!
I came across your site almost 2 weeks ago. In that time, I have watched every single one of your webcasts and have read every article on your site.
I went shopping for the first time today with coupons. I went to Albertsons and Vons, which are only a block from eachother(I also have Ralph’s and Stater Bros, along with Target and Walmart and CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid. All within 10mins.)
I have decided that shopping at CVS/Rite Aid and Walgreens will wait until I get this couponing down more. I get very overwhelmed on using the ECB and catalinas and all those things.
Back to tonight..
Before coupons/loyalty cards, I spent $123.15
After coupons/loyalty cards, I spent $64.68
I am SOOOOO excited over this savings!!!!!! I am not one of those ‘Gotta bring my total to $4, kind of people’. Yes, that would be nice, but I am more realistic.
Thank you SO much, from the bottom of my heart, for all the time and effort you have put into this blog. It is truelly amazing!
GOD BLESS!!!!
WOW!! You are definitely motivated!! Keep it up, nice work!
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